kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[jp charras <jp.charras@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Le 05/08/2013 23:15, Brian Sidebotham a écrit :

> Hi Jean-Pierre,
>
> I've just had a quick look at  Pl_Editor ( Is it Pl_Editor or PI_Editor? )
>
> I think I'm missing something, or perhaps the build I'm using is broke
> because I can't draw anything? I can add things to the object tree, but
> I can't just select a line tool and draw. Is that something that has yet
> to be added? I realise this is a first draft of the application.
>
> Is there any reason we couldn't just have added a background or legend
> field to the SCH_ITEM class and use the editing facilities of Eeschema?
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Brian.
Pl_Editor (Page Layout Editor)

I don't know if you had a look to the documentation.

Extending the SCH_ITEM class (for instance) and using the existing 
editing facilities was the first thing we considered.

However Pl_Editor (and its graphic items) has specific constraints.
The more important is the fact you usually don't know the page size, and 
most of time the *same* title block and page layout should be usable for 
different page sizes and orientations.

There are also other constraints, explained in doc.

Therefore the approach is more a parametric description than a pure 
graphic description.
This is the reason the documentation is needed and was written during 
the code development (and not -as usual- one year later)

When you create (add) a new item  (using the tree list, or right 
clicking on the drawing area), you have to define its coordinate(s), 
each is relative to a given page corner, and the page corner should also 
be defined.
(most of time, but not always, this is the same corner for both points, 
and this is the lower right corner)
For instance, a rectangle around the page (for instance a border 10mm 
from the paper limits), is defined by 2 points which are not dependent 
on the page size and orientation.

Later, you can select and move the object (or one of its ends, for lines 
and rectangle), define its repetition and orientation, and constraints
(is it on all pages, or only on page 1 ... and some others constraints 
for texts).
Using repetition in items, you can spare a lot of time.

Pl_Editor needs refinements (mainly for newly created items) but it is 
near the final version, and can be used.
Of course, I am opened to (good) ideas.

--
Jean-Pierre CHARRAS