kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Igor Plyatov <plyatov@...>]

Hello Jean-Pierre and Dick!
> I'll try to work on this topic.
> A first enhancement (out of this topic, but desirable) could be consider
> zones in ratsnest calculation.
> Of course saving edges zone is easy but creates a lot of problems which
> must be solved
> 1 - trivial, but easy: edges must be editable (only a lot of work and
> some code)
Here is my thoughts, opinions and answers (with a numbers) from the 
Protel usage:
The zone is a closed flat figure from lines with a Vertexes.
3. The zone can have any Net Name from a NetList (not only the GND or 
VCC names). The Net Name of zone can be changed to the new Net Name if 
Name in NetList is changed (but of course with user confirmation).
2. The zone must have possibility to use local or global parameters 
(checkbox for "Local parameters" in zone properties).
The zone must have the possibility to Rebuild (from context menu).
1. The position of each Vertex must be editable by mouse dragging.
The line from one vertex to the next, must allow to add a new vertex 
at cursor position (between vertexes) by mouse dragging (line breacked 
to the 2 lines by a new vertex).
The zone must allow to delete a vertex at cursor position by "Delete" 
key (two lines replaced by one line).
The zone must allow to remove a Dead Copper. "Dead Copper" is a copper 
which does not have a mechanical connection with other elements of the 
same Net (Tracks, Arcs, Vias, Pads, Text and so forth).

> 2 - must we save zone parameters (net name, zone clearance, grid ... )
> with the zone or use the current zone parameters (which can differ from
> initial parameters)
> 3 - How to handle safely the net name of the zone:
> An usual case is a ground zone. But many components use GND as
> ground name, and many others useVDD.
> So, in a schematic including components using GND and VCC, the same
> net can have the net name GND or VDD.
> Therefore, if a zone initially created with GND as net name must be
> refilled,
> and at this time (after some schematic changes) the same net is now
> called VDD, what we must do ?
> 4 - And at last but not at least :
> Often, on the same layer a board can have more than one zone. This
> creates difficulties:
> What is a edge zone ? Suppose you create 2 zones (for instance a Digital
> GND, and an Analog GND) not overlapped.
> Later, you move a frontier and now a zone overlaps the other zone.
> What refilling must do: fill the new area and overlaps the other zone,
> or stops at the frontier of this other zone.
The refilling must stop at the frontier of existing zone.

> Same problem when creating a new zone overlapping an old one, relative
> to the same net : Is the frontier of the first zone is a frontier for
> the new one ?
The frontiers of zones must overlap if zones have the same Net Name.

> And what we do when refilling zones if a zone was previously deleted and
> its edges are kept.
If the zone deleted, then its edges must be deleted too.
I don't understand how zone edges can be separated from zone and what is 
a reason for this?

> We must have some thoughts about this problems and also about what we 
> want.
If you want, then I can make some screenshots of zone properties (and 
operations with zones) from Protel.
--
Igor Plyatov