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From: Kai-Martin Knaak <knaak AT iqo DOT uni-hannover DOT de>
Subject: Re: [geda-user] pcb footprint update hack
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:49:37 +0200
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John Griessen wrote:

> On 07/20/2012 05:58 PM, Kai-Martin Knaak wrote:
>>> Using a plugin that either does a regex search, or better, just
>>> >operates on "all selected elements".
>> IMHO, this should have have a firm place in the main code -- both in
>> gschem and in PCB. Powerful search and replace is one of the few
>> features I really miss since I left protel99SE.
> 
> Search and replace of every element is what the chip design tools allow.

I think, we are talking about different levels. While a full search and 
replace would be nice, it certainly needs an improved infrastructure to 
work in a useful way. However, the search and replace features I had in 
mind, would work with the current structure just fine. For example:

* select components according to rules that can differentiate between 
value, description and refdes.

* replace every refdes of selected footprints according to some matching 
rules. This would come handy, if there are similar groups of components on 
the layout. If these groups correspond to the same schematic subsheet, 
their refdes will is the same except for a prefix. So you'd route the 
group only once, copy it a few times and tune the prefix with the help of 
search and replace. Actually, I am doing this right now manually -- or in 
more.

* select lines according to rules that see their thickness and their  
other various flags and sizes.

* change aspects of all objects in the selection. Yes, this can already be 
done via the command line. But it would be less of a hassle, if there were 
GUI ways to do this.


Related, but not stritly search&replace:

* move all selected footprints to the other side

* rotate all selected footprints by some specified angle


> element and PCB element down to the polygon-on-a-layer level.
> And 2-way updating gschem-->PCB-->gschem-->PCB.

Anyone currently working on this?

---<)kaimartin(>---