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Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:35:02 -0400
From: Dan McMahill <dan AT mcmahill DOT net>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] Better pcbdiff?
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On 9/10/2012 6:49 PM, Markus Hitter wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> Bert Timmerman came around with an idea to improve pcbdiff. Instead of
> showing different colors for changed/unchanged, he makes the layout
> showing both, old and new version, swapped every second or so.
> Essentially, the changes between two layouts blink then. It's
> implemented using a GIF, which, as we all know, allows pixel-sharp
> animations in a single file.
> 
> See https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1048766
> 
> What do you think? Good? Ouch? We need both?
> 
> 
> For myself I'm usually no fan of anything blinking, but this way colors
> are preserved, making a diff much more useful in multi-layer layouts. So
> I consider it to be a valueable improvement over the current strategy.
> 
> I also think having more than one pcbdiff confuses users and costs too
> much code maintenance.

I'd put the blinky stuff into the same tool and make it be an option.
For what it is worth, I generally don't like blinky stuff but I included
it in the graphical diff that is in the gerbv testsuite and also the pcb
testsuite.  I find it much easier to spot that tiny difference between
two complicated images.  So as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the
few times where blinky is good.

-Dan