kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@...>]

Magnus Beischer wrote:
> --- In kicad-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Dick Hollenbeck <dick@...> wrote:
>
> > > but I have found
> > > one bug, or rather unwanted feature:
> > Re: Magnetic, Parallel Track under the Mouse while drawing new track
> >
> >
> > Magnus,
> >
> > I just checked in a fix that seems to work better now. For the 
> > parallel case, it snaps to the nearest end point of the track under the 
> > mouse, if that track is magnetic and we entered the track traveling 
> > parallel to it.
> >
> > Thanks for your your time testing, you did a nice job catching this 
> > problem, Magnus.
> >
> >
> >
> > Dick Hollenbeck
> > SoftPLC Corporation
> > http://softplc.com
>
> Dick, I have done some testing and your latest fix improved the
> magnetic function, but I think there is one detail left to fix:
>
> On an old board I tested with 8 mil tracks and the grid on 20 mil,
> making me have no grid points in the center of the old tracks. When
> starting a track (delete old tracks ON) with the intention of making a
> better way for a track, the cursor snaps to the center of a track and
> I can move the cursor along the track making the cursor jump 20 mils
> at a time, even there is no grid point in the center of the track.
> This is good! When I have started to draw a track, I'd like the same
> freedom to end my track anywhere in center of a track. Not just at the
> track points. I can do this if I approach the track at some angel, but
> not when I am in line with the track.
>
> I did some work last week setting up the source and build
> environments, and I plan to spend time testing and commenting new and
> existing features for pcbnew. I am using pcbnew professionally and
> this can be my first way to help out in the improvement process of
> pcbnew. 
>
> // Magnus

There may be a compromise that gives you what you want, but also applies 
some magnetism to the ends of the track also, which is what is needed 
most of the time.

Please start looking at or near line 396 of pcbnew/controle.cpp, for a 
line like this:

if( aCurrentTool == ID_TRACK_BUTT )

and look in that C++ scope. That is where you would need to blend in 
some of your freedom. But again, please leave some magnetism on the 
ends, that is by far more common than what I think you are saying.


Thanks,

Dick