kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Lorenzo Marcantonio <l.marcantonio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 08:57:24AM -0500, Dick Hollenbeck wrote:

> If I can broaden this topic somewhat, this type of on the fly board
> change (during loading) falls into a general category of "doctoring a
> board during loading".   Let's call it "board doctoring".
> 
> Generally it makes me nervous, even though it may have its place.

Personally I'd have put a warning to it, instead of silently eating the
changes. Unless it was for something which can't actually work (like PCB
edges in modules, if it's still the case). On such a thing I'd either:

a) refuse the board (like a missing parameter or something)

or

b) notify during loading *and* forcing it

In the specific case a good solution would be allow the text on the
copper layers but maybe emit a warning in the DRC log (something like
'warning text on copper will not be checked blah blah blah')

> I suggest that we raise the threshold under which we would do board
> doctoring to a higher level of criteria.

What do you mean?

> For low value fixes it is best simply to ask the user to hand edit his
> board file.

Do you mean 'that layer is not good, fix it by hand' like in my a)
scenario?

> a) use hand edited boards to gainfully do an end run around a weak
> user interface and achieve a more full featured board manufacturing.

Agree on that, it's not desiderable to need hand editing but in many
case it's convenient.

> b) track down editing bugs, because they can be masked behind board
> doctoring.

Sorry but I can't see an example for this...

> Board doctoring is a practice we should frown upon, and only use
> reluctantly.

IMHO it shouldn't needed *if* the file is correct. An exception could be
loading from a previous version where some semantic changed (like text
style in eeschema when wasn't yet introduced)

I think that kind of fix is from the times when (probably) modules were
allowed on silk and adhesive layers (this is not possible these day).

-- 
Lorenzo Marcantonio
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