On Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 10:06 AM, Mathias Grimmberger <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Hi all, > > I refreshed a part of my patch for rounded rectangle pads (minus the > plotting stuff, OpenGL canvas, stuff I probably forgot) so everybody > interested can have a look and play a bit with it, see below. > > Now to my question: is there interest in this stuff, is there maybe a > different plan in the works to get roundrect pads - I seem to remember > talk about arbitrary pad shapes? > > Thanks, > > MGri > > > [snip] I'd like to implement arbitrary pad shapes but this requires a functional 2D geometry kernel first. I'm starting on one but I may have nothing to demonstrate until the end of the year. My plans are: 1. develop the geometry kernel + tools to generate PostScript for evaluating and documenting the kernel 2. demonstrate how tracks can be represented as line and arc segments and how DRC can be performed using the 2D objects. 3. demonstrate how pads can be represented by line and arc segments and how this relates to DRC. 4. demonstrate how a pad can implement filleting (teardrop) or chamfering where the track/tracks joins the pad. 5. demonstrate how fill zones can be represented by line and arc segments, how DRC can be performed, and how the final zone outline can be calculated. I also want to demonstrate fill patterns in the zones to implement copper thieving and also hatched copper fills. When all that is done and carefully tested then comes the task of adjusting kicad to make use of the geometry kernel to represent its pads and tracks, and hopefully also zones. If that ever happens it will be an enormous task which will affect the plotting, DRC, routing code, and of course the file format. Personally I think it would be a good thing because we can eliminate these horrible piecewise approximations of circular arcs, implement arc tracks, and implement various other features which are difficult and clumsy to implement with the current data models. So - don't hold your breath waiting for changes, this is far from a trivial task. - Cirilo
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