gEDA-dev: [Re: is all EDA as bad as gEDA/pcb?]

[Ben Jackson]

On Sun, Dec 09, 2007 at 12:38:13AM -0500, DJ Delorie wrote:
> 
> > Contribute a 6-layer board fab and a BGA FPGA!
> 
> How would that make PCB better?

I spelled it out more clearly later -- I think the right way to motivate
PCB hackers is to give them a reason to use PCB the way you want to.  If
you want to be able to plop down a BGA and autoroute it, give a PCB
developer a reason to want to do that.

> Or the new "push aside" feature.

Did anyone try out jostle.c?  I did add code so it's default action is
to clear a space suitable for the current via settings.  I used it in
many places on my board once I was able to just route busses and insert
power vias later.

> I keep thinking it really needs to at least be rewritten in an object
> oriented way.  But each time I contemplate that, I think of how much
> *does* work and how hard it would be to get all that working again
> with a new framework.

Yep.  On the other hand, many of the early polygon clearing bugs I fixed
were due to extreme code duplication for dealing with rtrees and poly
clearances.  With the right object hierarchy that could be in *one place*.

> Actually, those have hit my personal itch list, now that I can do four
> layer boards with blind vias at home.

Which is exactly how PCB improves now.  I'm suggesting that people who
want to steer the developers find a non-monitary (or indirectly monitary)
way to motivate developers to be in the same space as the users and
scratch the same itch.  Personally, I'm paid very well to write software
as my day job.  I doubt anyone could or would want to pay "my rates" to
get me to work on PCB.  But I'd still be motivated if a PCB fab said,
"Hey, we'll give you a bunch of free boards if you make it easier for
PCB users to use us for boards."  I guess it's just my cheapskate/packrat
instincts.  :)

-- 
Ben Jackson AD7GD
<ben at ben.com>
http://www.ben.com/