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Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2015 08:16:16 +0200
From: "Bert Timmerman (bert DOT timmerman AT xs4all DOT nl) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com]" <geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] PCB interface (ECAD vs. MCAD)
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Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com

Evan Foss (evanfoss AT gmail DOT com) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 14, 2015 at 1:03 PM, Vaclav Peroutka (vaclavpe AT seznam DOT cz)
> [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com]<geda-user AT delorie DOT com>  wrote:
>    
>> However it nearly always has some kind of panel mounting. When I start a
>> layout, I nearly always want to start with the mechanical components, to
>> say: distribute these switches/LEDS between here and here, on 20mm centres.
>> This is trivial with 2D MCAD, but cumbersome with PCB.
>>
>>
>> Good idea. All profesional flows start with "mechanical" design of PCB -
>> mounting holes, connectors, LEDs, switches etc. These footprints must not be
>> touched later. Then placement and layout of all non-mechanical components
>>      
> I like this a lot. Could we use a library that already exists to
> import dxf or something? Most of my projects for work do start this
> way. I do have some where the prototyping and etc are more important
> than a case.
>
>    
>> Another question - is there any process of pre-placement in PCB ? Somehow to
>> extract positions from SCH file and load it to PCB - footprints will be
>> moved to similar places like in schematic.
>>      
> I vaguely recall someone talking about it. I don't think it ever got
> to a fit to ship state obviously.
>
>    
Hi Evan,

I started a project named "libdxf" years ago, still in alpha (version < 
0.01), may not be of any use yet, only got a handful of contributors in 
the span of several years, a bit of a "commit-and-run" experience, the 
repo resides at github.com.

Another DXF related project I did years ago was to create a DXF exporter 
for pcb, now bit rotting away in some topic branch in my pcb github 
sandbox, there is a Launchpad bug report with outdated patches lingering 
around too.

If nobody picks stuff like this, if nobody does a test drive, if nobody 
tweaks here and there, if nobody sends in a patch or two ... these kind 
of features never make it it to the main stream.

Kind regards,

Bert Timmerman.