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Message-ID: <55A3E456.9070104@ecosensory.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:16:22 -0500
From: John Griessen <john AT ecosensory DOT com>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] PCB interface (ECAD vs. MCAD)
References: <76520AC3-3E8D-4F80-A912-AB076DD8D0C6 AT icloud DOT com> <1436782404 DOT 960 DOT 19 DOT camel AT ssalewski DOT de>
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Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com

On 07/13/2015 05:13 AM, Stefan Salewski wrote:
> maybe you can find a fine mechanical
> cad tool which you can convert into an ecad tool.

solvespace is a nice GUI for 2D/3D MCAD with constraint solver.
It would be super fine to be able to add gschem ECAD function to such a base
of code.

Some day soon, we are going to be able to 3D print a pcb with conductor layers
and good insulation, and be non-planer even.  For instance a pcb with brackets built in, and some
SMD lands at 90 degrees to the main ones.  Also 8 layer boards just for good grounding and shielding with
minimal extra cost for low volumes, probably easy to afford extra cost as you go up in volume by reducing BOM
parts count and final assembly effort.

With solvespace, setting up certain mounting holes on a 20mm grid is as easy
as putting reference points with reference line segments,
then click two endpoints and constrain horiz, (or parallel to something else or at an angle, etc. etc).
click again constrain distance.
edit the semi random distance to be exact by double clicking the dimension number.

There's a version of it compiled with gtk.  The main developer uses windows, MSVC++ version 6 or later