Re: gEDA-user: Functional blocks and PCB format changes

["Bert Timmerman" <bert.timmerman@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Rick, 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: geda-user-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:geda-user-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rick Collins
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2010 4:05 PM
> To: gEDA user mailing list
> Subject: Re: gEDA-user: Functional blocks and PCB format changes
> 
> I've actually given this some thought.  On one hand it seems 
> like a footprint file "language" 
> might seem like a good idea.  But there is a lot to consider. 
>  What is the real advantage over the scripts you currently 
> use to generate a fixed format footprint file?  What is the 
> advantage over a footprint generator?  One of the clear 
> disadvantages of a footprint "language" is the difficulty in 
> verifying that you have correctly "drawn" the footprint.  You 
> would need a tool for that which would look a lot like a 
> footprint generator.  It can also be problematic dealing with 
> bugs when the "language" gets used in the corner cases or 
> unusual ways.
> 
> FreePCB has a pretty versatile footprint generator that deals 
> with all the standard sorts of features in the standard 
> footprints.  It is capable of understanding the files it 
> generates so that it can be used to edit these footprints as 
> well.  If you have an odd part that has some regular features 
> and also odd features, it can accommodate that too.  I have 
> never needed to hand edit a footprint file when using this 
> tool.  Best of all, it is GUI and interactive so I can see 
> exactly what I am doing.
> 
> A footprint language may be quick for some things, but I 
> think a GUI footprint editor with a standard, 
> non-programmable file format is a much better general tool.
> 
> Rick
> 
> 

For a pcb FootPrint Wizard have a look at:

http://github.com/bert/pcb-fpw

For the sources (git).

A manual with screenshots can be found at:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ljh4timm/pcb-fpw/user-manual.html

I'm still debugging, so consider this a work in progress.

Changing the pcb footprint file format will not speed up a new release.

Kind regards,

Bert Timmerman.




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