kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Senthil Seveelavanan <s.seveelavanan@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

Firstly I would like to thank all those who have contributed to Kicad.
Kicad must have taken (and must be) a lot of work!

I have seen there have been some movements to provide a Python interface to
Kicad<http://www.kicad-pcb.org/display/~ajo/2012/05/08/KiCad+Scripting+Branch>
.
- Are there any builds with scripting support?
- Or has this been integrated in master?
- Or are there any plans?

As a reasonably competent python programmer but very limited C/C++
programmer, a functioning Python interface/plugin-system would allow
contributions from people like myself. I have various ideas and features
for Kicad that I would love to try to implement, but would have little
chance of me getting anywhere without a Python interface. I am sure there
are lots more people in my position out there - this would unlock a whole
new wave of developers.

Freecad<http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/free-cad/index.php?title=Power_users_hub>has
made this central to there approach:

*"*FreeCAD features a built-in Python interpreter, and an API that covers
almost any part of the application, the interface, the geometry and the
representation of this geometry in the 3D viewer. The interpreter can run
single commands up to complex scripts, in fact entire modules can even be
programmed completely in Python."

Those following Freecad may have also witnessed the rapid addition of core
features, as well as activity from external hackers bending Freecad to
their wishes - it all seems pretty fertile.


Finally a minor point. I posted on the yahoo user group, about whether
there was any interest from developers to set up a
Flattr<http://flattr.com/> account.
It would only be pennies (I have some pennies!), but one day perhaps many
peoples pennies. I wish I could contribute more financially and technically.

Thanks and please keep up the good work

Senthil