kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@...>]

Dick Hollenbeck wrote:
> Wayne Stambaugh wrote:
> > Dick Hollenbeck wrote:
> >
> > > Wayne Stambaugh wrote:

<<< snipped >>>

> > >
>
> It seems we are in full agreement then. A migration ( slash testing ) 
> phase is a way to test the waters. But remember the entire OSX 
> implementation of wxWidgets is now on wxGraphicsContext if I recall 
> correctly.
>
> Already.

Yes. On OSX wxDC is just a typedef for wxGraphicContext.

> Or at least non wxGraphicsContext and true wxGraphicsContext calls map 
> to the same underlying API. So we should not expect any significant 
> performance change on that platform. On other platforms things might 
> slow down a little initially, but could improve after the stroking 
> support is fully utilized and the actual number *and nature* of API 
> calls is changed as a result of a rewrite (after the migratory / test 
> code) to utilize wxGraphicsContext in the way it is intended (not 
> through wxGCDC ).

My guess is that when a full implementation of wxGraphicsContext is 
complete that the performance may even improve on some platforms. It 
certainly should improve the rendering quality and give some handy 
features like alpha blending. I really can't see any down side to using 
wxGC. I will try to get my wxDC scaling fix committed first. The DC 
macros INSTALL_DC and INSTALL_PAINTDC make dropping wxGCDC into the code 
rather messy so I'll probably hold off on that out until I can figure 
out a more reasonable approach. I should have the commit in before the 
weekend is out.

> My prediction is that it will run faster on faster computers, and that 
> faster computers will continue to get cheaper......
>
> and that the adoption of Kicad among corporate users (with these fast 
> computers) will enhance the amount of corporate sponsorship, which in 
> turn will improve the software faster. So a corporate adoption 
> strategy is more beneficial to the project than simply targeting the 
> software only for hobbyists with 10 year old computers having 400 pixels 
> per row screens and 500 MHz clocks.

I hope your prediction is correct.

> And when a company does step up and sponsor work in this project costing 
> tens of thousands of dollars, it is difficult for it to even hear that 
> purchasing a $20 mouse is a problem, not to mention a $200 computer.
>
> (You can tell that this has been bothering me for awhile.)

Sometimes it's necessary to vent a spleen. It's not healthy to keep all 
that frustration bottled up inside ;)

> Folks need to share in the costs of their own happiness.
>
> Dick

We can wax poetic all we want about what Kicad should and shouldn't be. 
In the end, the only thing that will make that happen is code. I plan 
to continue coding with corporate users in mind because that is what I 
am and that is what makes Kicad both useful for me and enjoyable for me 
to work on.

Wayne