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Date:	Sat, 28 Jun 2014 12:14:48 -0400
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From:	DJ Delorie <dj AT delorie DOT com>
To:	geda-user AT delorie DOT com
In-reply-to:	<1403964458.21012.13.camel@pcjc2lap> (message from Peter Clifton
	on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:07:38 +0100)
Subject:	Re: [geda-user] pcb: Patch for arcs with different radii for x and
	y on screen
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> A question still unclear in my head.. should we define a pad stack
> which has the relevant properties / pad geometry, and call that out
> repeatedly, OR.. should we continue in PCB's current approach, and
> have every single via entity describe these aspects individually.

I've used both types of tools, and IMHO it's better to have a "canned"
geometry that you can reference, as well as making exceptions.
Sketchup has a good implementation of this, but lacks a way of finding
all features that are exceptions.

> I really wish PCB didn't have the concept of layer groups to
> complicate this. They are REALLY unhelpful. Plain _layers_, defined
> to be in a particular numerical order through the board stack-up
> would be a MUCH easier model to use.

We'd still need a way to have one layer be composed of different
things-that-become-gerbers.  An obvious example of this is the
top/bottom layers, which have copper, mask, paste, and silk.

> then the board stack-up of is considered to be the numerical
> sequence (either ascending or descending) of these two layer-groups
> and any in between.

Photo mode does this too, and OSH Park interprets PCB layouts this
way.

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