kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 12/4/2013 2:46 PM, Cirilo Bernardo wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> 
>> From: Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>> To: kicad-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Cc: 
>> Sent: Thursday, December 5, 2013 1:24 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Kicad-developers] Development of IDFv3 export
>>
>> On 12/4/2013 4:02 AM, Cirilo Bernardo wrote:
>>>  Hi folks,
>>>
>>>   I've just tested a very bare IDFv3 exporter since I didn't have 
>> the patience to manually model a board with almost 300 thru-holes. The code 
>> works in much the same way as the gencad and vrml exporters.  I just have to 
>> clean up the code, sort out the dialog issues (I cry whenever I have to work 
>> with wxformbuilder), and prepare the patches.
>>>
>>>   What the code does:
>>>  1. exports a rectangular board based on the board bounding box; the board 
>> is reduced in size to compensate for a 0.1mm line width.  The intention is to 
>> eventually create an outline from the information in the edge layer; however, 
>> the information in the edge layer will require some processing to present it in 
>> an IDF compliant form.
>>
>> What is missing from the board file format that is required to export to
>> IDFv3?  None the the other exporters required any changes to the board
>> file format.  I'm not thrilled about the idea of changing the board file
>> format just to satisfy exporting to another file format.
>>
>>
> 
> 
> The change to the board format would be to support the IDF library and future solid model work. Basically a scheme is needed to specify information for multiple types of 3D information as opposed to only VRML. The current IDF code only exports a board with holes though, so no change is necessary to accommodate this; any proposed changes to the format are still a future thing and require more thought.
> 
> - Cirilo
> 
> 

As far as I tell this would only be required if you needed to import IDF
files in which case you would only need to add a file type to the model
definition.  Before I would consider such a change, I would require the
implementer to create a well designed plug in architecture for loading
and saving various model file types similar to the design used by the
board plugin architecture.  This would prevent the mess we used to have
in regard to loading third party footprint library and board files in
Pcbnew.

Wayne