kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Michael Svetlik <m.svetlik@xxxxxx>]

My background, first.

Over the last years, I designed a bunch of EDA projects using light Eagle. After a system collapse and a new Kubuntu install, I decided to not again beg for that limited eagle software, but instead go to KiCad - which was a good choice, thanks and respect to the developers.
  But I didn't want to draw all the sheets and boards once more, so I looked around for a conversion tool. On github, I found one from Mr.Lachlan, but: eagle has died, I can't process ULP's any more. I took the code and analyzed the logic in it AFAP, then wrote the schematic converter in C. But here, I got stuck with some (maybe trivial) knowledge lack, i.e. 'What is a part? And, what is a unit?'. Hoping to find the answers in code (and a little support from the wise men), I joined here.

Looking for issues related to import stuff, I fell over two articles:
*https://blueprints.launchpad.net/kicad/+spec/export-import-expand-supported-files
*https://blueprints.launchpad.net/kicad/+spec/eeschema-plugin
IMHO, they are quite similar, and Wayne Stambaugh reports good progress working on the latter.
  The question of imports was also discussed in - at least - this thread:
http://www.mail-archive.com/kicad-developers%40lists.launchpad.net/msg18921.html
where eagle .lbr's are focussed.

Now, I've converted a few board files from eagle to kicad using pcbnew, and it works fine. That means to me, the import & conversion code, partially, is already here. Today, I can convert an XML schematic to kicad .sch, including some meta files, then annotate, generate a net list ..., and then 'marry' this with the pcbnew-generated board - it works.
  But, it is cumbersome. My only choice - from the current point of view - is to extend my translation factory by netlist-, board processing et al, but: At least one man here does the same work, better than I can do it.

  So my question is: What is the goal behind that blueprints? Is there a point I could help with?

Michael

PS: Initially I posted this mail via web interface to answers.launchpad.net, I assume. This copy should go to the developers mailing list, where it is determined to. Please, excuse my confusion ...