kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Cirilo Bernardo <cirilo_bernardo@xxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----

> From: Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Cirilo Bernardo <cirilo_bernardo@xxxxxxxxx>; "kicad-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <kicad-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: 
> Sent: Thursday, December 5, 2013 7:36 AM
> Subject: Re: [Kicad-developers] Development of IDFv3 export
> 
> 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
> 

No problem. I think for now I'll leave the first cut of the IDF exporter simply exporting rectangular boards with holes and a 3mm extrusion of the module bounding boxes; this should be possible to implement in a fairly small patch. If you prefer I continue development to the stage where I can do a correct export of the outline before submitting a patch, just let me know.

I'll have a closer look at the code as time permits and think about what needs to be done for future solid model work. Ultimately I'll have to put time into the plugin architecture that you mentioned, but I'm keen to add to KiCad's ability to generate 3D models which MCAD folks can work with.

- Cirilo