gEDA-user: Design changs required to mill PCBs?

[Dave N6NZ]

Bob Paddock wrote:

> What I always wonder about with these tools, or similar X/Y machines is why
> no one ever optimizes the travel to save time.  Seems like it should be simple
> mater of sorting the vectors?  Instead the machine goes at random from
> place to place.
> 
Probably not so simple.  Especially if you use the word "optimal" in a 
literal sense.  I think you end up with a combinatorial search space. 
OTOH, sub-optimal but "better" could probably be achieved with a 
simple-minded greedy algorithm.

On a related thought, today I was up to the Tech Shop 
http://www.techshop.ws/ for a visit.  It was the first official day with 
the doors open, but it is still seriously in ramp-up mode.  Anyway, I 
saw the Epilog laser cutter in action, cutting a piece of card stock 
into a business card.  They mentioned that they have heard people have 
made PCB's by milling the copper using the laser cutter, but didn't know 
much more about it -- could be pretty slick.  Also, Pololu has a service 
now where they will cut SM solder paste stencils out of mylar using a 
laser cutter.  I'd like to figure out a work flow to do the same thing 
up at the Tech Shop.  Pololu's prices are reasonable, but of course they 
have to charge a set-up fee in order to make payroll for the guy running 
the machine.  At Tech Shop, since it is DIY, the only cost would be 
buying the plastic sheet (conveniently neglecting the membership fee, of 
course :-)

-dave