<snip>
> I could well imagine that I would want to specify, for example,
> annotation from top to bottom then left to right, with an X tolerance
> of 5mm and a Y tolerance of 0mm. This would then assume a 5mm wide
> "column" down the board, with all reference points within the
> column being addressed on the current pass. The sequencing within
> the column would then be strictly according to the Y position of the
> reference point. Then the next 5mm column is addressed, etc.
>
> There's not even any difficult math involved!
>
> I assume that an add-on server could accomplish this? I have no
> experience with the writing of servers, but I wouldn't think it
> would be a difficult task, unless there's hidden traps with respect
> to the back-annotation process.
>
> Just my $0.02
>
> John Haddy
I have in fact long had visions of creating my own version of a
re-annotating Server, in which the sequencing criteria matches a
specification of mine, e.g. the location of the top-most left-most pad
within each component (or perhaps *any* type of primitive item (rather than
just pads) within each component?) determines how each component gets to be
re-annotated.
However, I have personally regarded the implementation of such a Server as
merely desirable, rather than "must have". And while I agree that it would
not be unduly difficult to implement such a Server, it would not be a five
minute job either. (Until relatively recently, I only had a copy of Delphi
3; unlike Delphi 5 (which I now do have a copy of), it does not provide a
built-in "CustomSort" feature for sorting lists, which would be highly
desirable to have available (not absolutely essential, but still very
time-saving) when creating a Server of this nature.)
But if there was a wide-spread interest in such a Server being provided, I
would consider implementing this. However, I have *already* released some
addon Servers for use with Protel 99 SE, and received extremely limited
feedback on what I have provided to date. (Thanks from a small number of
users for my SchAddon Server, and *no* feedback at all to date on my
PcbAddon Server.) As such, this has an impact upon how motivated I would be
to implement and release such a Server as well.
And for the time being, I am still involved in a joint effort with Ian
Wilson to implement a Pcb Inverting Server. (I took my first serious look at
inverting Design Rules just last night. Time will tell whether there are any
tricky aspects associated with that task; the ability for users to define
nested scopes (new to Protel 99) will be a complicating factor, but
hopefully not one that will be unduly difficult to deal with.) So I will
contemplate whether to create such a Server after we have completed the
Inverting Server. But whether I actually do so then will ultimately depend
upon other users. What would assist in that regard is sufficiently high
expressions of interest in the provision of such a Server, and/or more
feedback on Servers which have been released to date, and/or feedback on the
Inverting Server (and feedback on any beta versions of this that have been
or might yet be released prior to the release of a more polished product).
I regard the relatively recent proclamation of a certain individual that
uncharged-for software is un-American as a load of c***. However, I would
still be less inclined to provide yet more freeware software if I don't get
a satisfactorily high level of feedback on what I have provided. (Feedback
doesn't have to be of an adulating nature, though it would be preferable for
any criticism to be of a constructive nature.) As such, it is largely up to
other users as to how much I would be inclined to create and release yet
more addon Servers.
Regards,
Geoff Harland.
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