kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx>]

Can we please address these patches one at a time?  This thread is
getting hard for me to follow due to my old age induced diminished brain
capacity.

Patch 1 is a no problem since it's just a code spelling error so I will
merge this one as soon as I get a chance.  I will follow up with the
remaining patches as I evaluate them.  Most of the feedback thus far
seem reasonable.

On 2/14/2018 1:37 PM, Jeff Young wrote:
> I’m going to reply to some comment here inline.  But I also wanted to
> mention from the other thread that I’m happy to do the dialog changes.
> 
>> On 14 Feb 2018, at 12:11, Michael Kavanagh <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> <mailto:michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Jeff, thanks for your feedback. Please see my comments inline below
>>
>> On 14 February 2018 at 01:23, Jeff Young <jeff@xxxxxxxxx
>> <mailto:jeff@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>> >
>> > Good stuff; I like most of these changes.  
>> >
>> > A few  issues:
>> >
>> > Show/Hide Layers Manager and Show/Hide Microwave Toolbar should be
>> changed to checkable items (with just the show version of the text). 
>> They should also probably move down the menu so they’re in the same
>> order as the toolbar buttons.
>>
>> Using checkboxes is fine by me, I prefer them, I just used what
>> existed originally. However I personally disagree with moving them
>> down the list, macOS and Windows UI guidelines advise keeping that
>> sort of thing at the
>> top: https://developer.apple.com/macos/human-interface-guidelines/menus/menu-bar-menus/
>> <https://developer.apple.com/macos/human-interface-guidelines/menus/menu-bar-menus/>, https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/windows/desktop/dn742392.aspx
>> <https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/windows/desktop/dn742392.aspx>
> 
> I think the guidelines apply mainly to things that are toggled on and
> off.  In my experience these two are either turned on or off and left
> that way.  But I don’t feel strongly about it (it’s just odd that
> everything else matches the tool order).
> 
>>
>> > I think I’d use “Zone Display” instead of “Zones” for the zone
>> display options menu.
>>
>> Good idea.
> 
> I actually came up with a better idea while driving today: combine this
> with the sketch menu:
> 
> Drawing Mode >
> 
>    Wireframe Zones
>    Sketch Zones
>    Fill Zones
>    ————————
>    Sketch Pads
>    Sketch Vias
>    Sketch Tracks
> 
> The first 3 would be a radio selection; the last 3 checkmark selections.
> 
>>
>> > User Defined Grid… should be moved from the Dimensions menu to just
>> under Show Grid on the View menu and renamed Grid Settings....
>>
>> Not sure about this one as it effects functionality like layout and
>> placement, so isn't strictly just a "view option". See my comments
>> below about a separate "Setup" menu.
> 
> I agree with having a “Suite” Preferences dialog for things like
> trackpad, language, etc.  But that’ll have to wait for 6.0
> 
> Even then, Grid doesn’t belong there (you often want different grids
> between the Footprint Editor and the Board Editor, let alone between
> those and the Schematic Editor).
> 
> I do feel fairly strongly that Grid Settings... belongs in the View menu
> with Show Grid.
> 
>>
>> > Instead of adding a new top-level Inspect menu, how about
>> reorganising the Tools menu:
>> >
>> > Read Netlist…
>> > Update PCB from Schematic…
>> > ——————
>> > Measure
>> > Design Rules Checker
>> > ——————
>> > Set Layer Pair…
>> > FreeRoute
>> >
>> >
>> > Alternatively, if others really like the Inspect menu, we should
>> move Design Rules Checker to it as well.
>> >
>> > I don’t think I’d move the global editing stuff from the Edit menu
>> to the Tools menu.
>> >
>> > Pads Mask Clearance… and Differential Pairs... should probably move
>> to the Design Rules menu?  (Or perhaps Differential Pairs… should go
>> to the Route menu?  Either way it should be renamed Differential Pair
>> Settings….)
>>
>> I haven't been following the KiCad project long and am not sure what
>> is a project specific setting and a global application preference (and
>> am too lazy to find out, my bad). The Save and Load Preferences option
>> is a mystery to me... since it just generates a KiCad .pro file.
>>
>> IMO it'd be a good idea to make the separation between project and app
>> settings totally apparent, like having all app related settings in the
>> "preferences menu", and project settings placed in a "Setup" menu.
>> That way the order of items on the menu bar could represent a work
>> flow, eg.
>> Setup | Place | Route | Inspect
>> Design rules and dimensions could be sub menus in "Setup". Comments?
> 
> As indicated above there’s definitely room for Suite Preferences….  
> However, there are still separate classes of Project settings:
> environmental ones (like where are my files?), design rules (track
> widths, etc.) and editing preferences (push router vs. walk around).
> 
>>
>> > Oh, and one of the biggest issues with Legacy vs Modern is that
>> folks think it’s just a view change (not a whole different toolset). 
>> We should move them to the Preferences menu to help clear that up. 
>> They’d go well near Display Settings….
>>
>> I'm fine with this.
> 
> So what exactly do I need to do with dialogs?  I think:
> 
> - remove units from Grid Settings… dialog
> - adding an “Icons in Menus” setting to Display Settings….
> - changing instances of “Legacy graphics” to “Legacy toolset”
> 
> Is that it?
> 
> Cheers,
> Jeff.
> 
>>
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> > Jeff
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 13 Feb 2018, at 22:46, Michael Kavanagh
>> <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>> >
>> > <0007-Pcbnew-Add-missing-tools-to-menubar.patch>
>> >
>> >
> 
> 
> 
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