kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@...>]

> > I am not especially fond of having the Layers tab on the Design Rules
> > Dialog. I was thinking this would go along with our layer
> > toolbar/goodie work as a popup that we spend a month discussing.
> I fully agree. It is here just because the tab layer did not exist.
>
> > It does not really fit in the Design Rules Dialog and I would like to
> > remove it or move it, if you want me to do any UI work in the morning.
> > I can spend another half day on this tomorrow.
> >
> > Dick
> Remove it, it can be moved somewhere to the general preferences (until 
> the tab layer exists).

OK, please let's plan on pulling it out of the SVN repository in the 
future, should it be needed. I am making no plans to save it other than 
that. Because it was a TAB on a multi-page dialog, it will have to be 
carved out, and this will not be trivial in any case because it was 
co-mingled with the Design Rules Tab code and also in the *.fbp file.


Regarding Netclasses:

After working on this for a couple of days now and thinking about it 
extensively, I am having a hard time justifying both a "Track Width" and 
a "Minimum Track Width" setting within a Netclass. I think that a 
single "Track Width" is sufficient, which can serve as both the normal 
width for a new segment, but also a minimum during DRC. If the user 
wants to lay down a track larger than this and put that NET into a 
CLASS, this is OK, as long as the track width is larger than the 
netclass's "Track Width". In general I feel that:


(1) a user can always define a new netclass to address any special 
"minimums".

(2) netclasses are a large step up in functionality within Kicad.

(3) Simplicity of concept, and simplicity of use, are to be weighted 
highly in this decision.


So unless I hear a good reason SOON to keep "Minimum Track Width" on a 
per netclass basis, it is my intention to remove that parameter from 
each netclass. The same argument I think holds for Via Diameter, and 
even Via Hole Size. A single parameter for each can serve as both the 
norm and the minimum. You want more, add another netclass.


Dick