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From:	"Anand P. Paralkar" <anand DOT paralkar AT anutan DOT net>
To:	<geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
Subject:	[geda-user] 3D View in PCB
Date:	Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:35:23 +0530
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Reply-To:	geda-user AT delorie DOT com

Hi,

I have been a gEDA user for a couple of months now and I want to say a
sincere "thank you" to all the volunteers working on the gEDA projects.

I would like to suggest the following feature for the PCB tool:

The footprint file could optionally contain a field that captures the
component in all the three dimensions.  So a component footprint could have
entries like:

  a. Shape: Cuboid, Cylinder, .....
  b. Dimensions: Length = lll, Height = hhh, Radius = rrr, .....
  c. Colour : ccc

The PCB tool could then generate (under "Export layout...") a three
dimensional snapshot view of the populated PCB.  (I don't know anything in
graphics, but I am tempted to suggest "SVG" as a format for the exported
file.)  Alternatively, the PCB tool could have a built-in 3D viewer which
could also help the user to see the populated board from different angles.

I think this would be a really cool feature to have and would add immense
value and pleasure to the "placement" step of a board design flow.  (What if
the gEDA-PCB project can pull-in people from Inkscape? - Wow!)

Thanks once again for your brilliant efforts,
Anand

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