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

[Andrew Poelstra <asp11@xxxxxx>]

On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 12:24:26AM -0400, DJ Delorie wrote:
> 
> My thoughts were that each drawing layer (copper, silk, keepout,
> whatever) could belong to a specific physical layer, "top", "bottom"
> "all inner", or "all".  I suppose we'd need an "all outer" for
> orthogonality.  The top/bottom magic are needed to map footprints on
> import, but I suspect things like silk and mask will end up in
> top/bottom instead of a specific layer like 0 or 3.
>

I like this, but the logistics worry me.


So, from a user's perspective:

1) I try to create a new layer.

2) Dialog pops up:
  A) Set layer type (silk/copper)
  B) Assign to physical layer:
    a) (top/[other layers]/bottom)
    b) New inner layer...
    c) All layers
  C) Additional attributes

3) I select "New inner layer...".
   Dialog pops up:
  A) Name/Color/etc
  B) Insert below (top/[other layers])
  C) Additional attributes

(The "Additional attributes" box is probably a separate proposal,
 more related to the file-format discussion than this one. Personally,
 I think it will be great for future-proofing and extensibility.)

I deliberately didn't allow for a variable number of physical layers.
It's either 1 or all of them. If you want something else, I feel that's
a job for functional blocks.


SO FAR, SO GOOD. But now we've got an abstraction between drawing
layers and physical layers, and the potential for user confusion.
If we've got a 3D view, we're probably fine, but in the short-term
we almost certainly will not.

So, with the 2D view, how can the user tell /what he's actually doing/
to the physical PCB? Do we introduce a "color by physical layer" option?
Is this a real problem at all? How does the current layer-group system
handle this?


> Drawing layers that belong to the same physical layer are in the same
> layer group (duh).
>

Andrew
 


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