kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Lorenzo Marcantonio <l.marcantonio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Jun 09, 2014 at 06:56:25PM +0200, jp charras wrote:
> For guys who are interested by theses extensions (I am thinking a change
> in Gerber Format should have a major interest for everybody), see:

The extension in themselves are quite interesting. If only to say 'this
is the top layer' inside the file (and not using some other method).
Could nearly replace D356, too.

The only problem will be acceptance by the tool manufacturers (i.e. will
my fabricator accept X2 gerbers?)

I think that *maybe* in a few years we will know the answer.

I skimmed the specs and, knowing the tools out there, X2 is *not*
backward compatible. Most of the tools out there will probably choke
horribly on the first %TF or %TA they encounter. The 'short header
option' IIRC is there just to make the gerber readable anywere... It
would be a truly backward compatible specification if they used some
structured form of G04 (something like the structuring in postscript).
IIRC it's not written anyway that 'any unknown mass parameter should be
ignored'

Drill files as plots are cute but nothing extraordinary; they could have
their use but I don't see them replacing excellon or s&m tapes...

I think a good way to implement attributes would be to make them
optional (maybe putting them in a G04 block as a debug/documentation
aid).

PS: somewhere in there they say that kicad does planes in the wrong way (who
cares... I've seen worse things:D)

PPS: in the list of the standard attributes there is a list of layer
types; that could be very useful for the other thread!

-- 
Lorenzo Marcantonio
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