Re: gEDA-user: next PCB release - 1.99za vs 4.0

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On 07/09/10 18:01, DJ Delorie wrote:
> > Shall we / I push this? I think it looks good overall.
>
> I desparately need to push out a release to get the LF work
> "published" in order to close it out.  Maybe I'll do a 1.99za release
> just to accomplish those goals, then we can cram in all the new
> functionality we can for the 4.0 release.  Let's focus on critical bug
> fixes for a few days and get that out, then talk about what "4.0"
> means.
>
>
> My 4.0 short list is:
>
> * More route styles.  Four is *way* too few for me.
>
> * Real layer types.  Silks, keepouts, docs at least.  Maybe anti-draw
>    or paste.
>
> * Some GUI cleanups.  Lesstif could use an optional sidebar, for example.
>
> My longer list includes:
>
> * Other GUI cleanups.  Gtk upgraded to "best practices".  Importer config.
>
> * "New layout" templates and wizards. (instead of defaulting to 4x4 8-layer)
>
> * import/wizard plugins (as well as exports)
>
> * DRC cleanups/rewrite
>
> * CAM engine?  (i.e. ability to say "draw outline on top soldermask" via script/config)
>
> * Ability to layer exporters (i.e. thindraw as a HID)
>
> * New file format we've been discussing.
>
>
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Some things I regard as quite important:

* Variable-angle arcs. 90 degrees is extremely limiting. gschem does 
this right.

* Filled circles, sans kludge. :)

* Having all shapes that are supported for traces supported for 
footprint copper (arcs, polygons, circles, etcetera).

* Unification of shortcuts in gschem and PCB, or at least an easy option 
for PCB to mimic gschem's shortcuts.

* Better support for free-rotated components: assert that pads at funky 
angles are rendered correctly, fix autorouter for components at weird 
angles (the latest git version has a tendency to either ignore the route 
command or to segfault, depending on the specifics), add rotation to the 
ctrl-R report, etcetera.

* Ability to copy a footprint's name from the library dialogue (so it 
can be pasted into gschem's attribute list).

* Ability to edit netlist in-situ (possibly by drawing on the rat lines 
layer) - e.g, when you want to add a heatsink soldered to ground, it 
will always show up as shorted until the netlist is edited to 
incorporate it.

* Last but not least, blind and buried vias. It's big, reasonably 
important, and has been on people's wish lists for years.


And the category "nice to have but mostly unnecessary":

* Trace impedance calculator, with automatic adjustment capability (fill 
in thickness, stray capacitance and desired impedance, and the width is 
adjusted to satisfy the conditions).

* Integrated footprint lookup and fetch from gedasymbols.org.


Might be a bit much and a bit difficult, but at least for me, it would 
promote PCB from "very good" to "absolutely awesome". ;)


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