kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Andreas Buhr <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jon,

thanks a lot for your help.

On 12/05/2017 03:51 PM, Jon Evans wrote:
> For (2), the PCB_BASE_FRAME methods are for the legacy canvas, so I
> wouldn't worry about implementing your feature there if I were you,
> since it will eventually be removed.
> The RATSNEST_VIEWITEM is what is used on the GAL (OpenGL/Cairo) canvases.
> 
> Regarding the layer, you could use LAYER_GP_OVERLAY for prototyping, but
> you are right that (at the moment) you can't add layers at runtime.
> If you think that all of the simulation outputs can be drawn with a
> single graphics layer, I think it is perfectly reasonable for you to
> expand the enum with another layer definition.
> You could use this new layer for your triangle mesh drawing, and then
> use LAYER_GP_OVERLAY if you wanted to add any annotations to the
> graphics perhaps? (meaning: measurements, etc, as is done with the
> RULER_ITEM)

Following the structure of the RATSNEST_VIEWITEM, I created a
SI_MESH_VIEWITEM which should display the triangle mesh used in
simulation. At the moment, my SI_MESH_VIEWITEM only displays a cross at
position (0,0). It works fine for Cairo and OpenGL canvas.
Is it possible to make the legacy canvas also use the
VIEW_ITEM::ViewDraw() function?

You can find my source code at
https://github.com/andreasbuhr/kicad/commits/add_triangle_meshing

thanks and best regards,
Andreas

> 
> -Jon
> 
> On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 9:42 AM, Andreas Buhr <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:andreas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
> 
>     Dear Kicad developers,
> 
>     I am browsing the Kicad source code to get an idea how to integrate a
>     simulation tool.
> 
>     I'd like the following:
> 
>     1. The plugin should be informed whenever something changes. It would be
>     great to get a bounding box of the change.
>     2. The plugin should be able to draw on the canvas. I'd like to register
>     a new layer (for example to show the triangle mesh). The user should
>     then be able to enable/disable this layer.
> 
>     These two requirements are in some sense similar to the requirements of
>     "ratsnest", so I followed "ratsnest" through the code.
> 
>     Concerning (1):
>     I got the impression that it is not easy to be informed about all
>     changes in a BOARD. Is this correct?
> 
>     Concerning (2):
>     And I got the impression that there is not one way to draw to the
>     canvas. I found two drawing methods for ratsnest, one in PCB_BASE_FRAME,
>     the other in RATSNEST_VIEWITEM::ViewDraw. Is it necessary to implement
>     two drawing methods for each feature?
> 
>     And it seems that the layers are organized in an enum (GAL_LAYER_ID), so
>     adding a layer at runtime seems impossible without larger infrastructure
>     changes. Is this correct?
> 
>     What would you propose? How can a plugin be informed about all changes
>     to the board? And how could a plugin draw on the canvas?
> 
>     thanks a lot in advance,
>     Cheers,
>     Andreas
> 
> 
>     On 11/30/2017 12:18 AM, Wayne Stambaugh wrote:
>     > Hi Andreas,
>     >
>     > Per our previous conversation, if you want to write your solver in
>     C++,
>     > then I would prefer that you do it as part of a solver plugin rather
>     > than a command event handler in Pcbnew.  I image there would be other
>     > uses for a solver plugin object such as a thermal mapping solver which
>     > has been proposed in the past.  The other option would be to use the
>     > Python action object and write the entire solver in Python rather than
>     > C++.  That may make your life a bit easier.
>     >
>     > Cheers,
>     >
>     > Wayne
>     >
>     > On 11/29/2017 01:09 PM, Andreas Buhr wrote:
>     >> Dear Kicad developers,
>     >>
>     >> I'm new to Kicad development. Maybe you could give me some
>     starting tips?
>     >>
>     >> I am a 5th year PhD student at the university of Münster in Germany,
>     >> website:
>     >>
>     https://www.uni-muenster.de/AMM/en/ohlberger/team/andreas_buhr.shtml
>     <https://www.uni-muenster.de/AMM/en/ohlberger/team/andreas_buhr.shtml>
>     >>
>     >> I am doing mathematical research targeted at developing solvers
>     for 3D
>     >> Maxwell's equations in highly complex structures, such as PCBs. While
>     >> being in an early stage, the goal is to develop a signal integrity
>     >> solver which does a full-wave simulation of the electromagnetic
>     fields
>     >> and calculates S-parameters within a very short time.
>     >>
>     >> I would love to develop and test my algorithms within KiCad.
>     >>
>     >> The input which my solver needs would be an array of polygons,
>     >> representing the copper-filled areas on each layer.
>     >> I then want to create a 2D triangle mesh and based on that a 3D prism
>     >> mesh for finite element analysis.
>     >>
>     >> What would you recommend? How to I get polygons, representing the
>     copper
>     >> filled areas of each layer?
>     >> I do have some experience developing C++.
>     >>
>     >> thanks a lot in advance,
>     >> best regards,
>     >>
>     >> Andreas
>     >>
>     >>
>     >>
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