gEDA-user: PCB footprints & polygons question

[michalwd1979 <michalwd1979@xxxxx>]

Hello,

In my current design I wanted ton create footprint (for "touch key") that would have normal pin and some copper tracks connected to this pin. Is it possible? Tracks automatically became pads in footprint so then I have DRC errors. In general is it possible to create footprint that will have everything like normal board (pins,pads,tracks,ect.) not just pins & pads?

On my boards I almost always use ground planes (polygons). When drawing a polygon PCB removes copper "islands" that are not connected to anything - Is it possible to turn off this feature? I know that one way is to use many small polygons, but is it the only one?

When talking about polygons there are also some features the I remember from old protel (2.8 or something like that - I used protel before gEDA) that I missing now. It was possible to switch "remove dead copper" on and off and it was also possible to select the net to which the polygon was connected and program added thermals as needed. When net was selected it also was possible to choose "pour over same net" option - when selected polygon was not cleared by tracks and vias that was on chosen net.
Then I could draw a board, also routing GND net to see if there are no islands and then add a polygon that was connected to GND net, with all thermals added that was not cleared by existing GND tracks. Do You think that something similar is possible with PCB? Or maybe it is a feature that will be in next release :-).

Working with PCB I sometimes have troubles with rat lines. When there a lot off pads in a line that should be connected in some way rats are very hard to follow because they are all in the same place. I remember that in my old program there was an option that was really helpful. It was "manual route" - first You needed to select a rat and start drawing a track. Program was drawing that rat from the cursor (end point of track) to its destination. In this way You knew where track should go even when rats was mixed at the start.

Sorry for all that "wish-list" - it is nice that there is open-source software like gEDA, and maybe some developers would find that ideas nice and add them.
Very Best Regards,
Michael W
  




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