On Sat, 2006-09-30 at 10:35, DJ Delorie wrote: > > I finally figured out how to stretch and move lines by doing a > > ":Select(Connection)" command. (For some reason, it's almost > > impossible for me to grab it with just a click.) This is probably > > what you guys meant when you said a person could click and drag the > > ends of lines. > > Do you have my patch that fixes the snap-to-pin window size?
Nope. How do I get that? I just went back to the download page and the version of PCB they have on there is 8/22, which is the version I have. > > > If you can grab the end of an unconnected line and drag it to change > > the length or angle of the line segment (assuming the other end of > > the line would stay put), I haven't found that feature in the > > manual. That would be extremely useful. > > That's the default for when you click on the end of a line, if you > don't have "rubber band mode" selected. With rubber band mode, it > selects all the lines that connect to that point. If the line is > selected, you always move the whole line, not just the end. > I do have rubber band mode selected. And it does work (though I have great difficulty clicking on exactly the right point) when I'm clicking and dragging on a junction between two lines, for example. That's why I was happy when I discovered the "Select" command, even if I had to type a bunch of characters every time, that was easier. But here's my other problem: Let's suppose for example I've just drawn a new line and overshot the target. I don't seem to be able to just select that unconnected endpoint and pull it back to where the place where it should connect. Well, actually I CAN select the line, but when I drag it always makes the entire new line move back. Then the line overshoots the connection on the other end. Either I'm doing something wrong, or this feature doesn't work on unconnected line segment ends. > > The Insert Point mode would also be really useful if I could figure > > out how to use it correctly. What I'd really like to be able to do > > is insert a point without stretching or bending the line in any way. > > I mean, I just want one line segment broken into two so I can delete > > one of the two, thereby shortening it. Is this doable or will it > > take a code modification to make that happen? > > It's easier to just move the end point. Insert point always puts the > new point where the cursor is, which isn't always exactly on the line, > and if it was exactly on the line, pcb would merge the two segments > together anyway. > Yes, I guess that PCB would merge the two lines together, which is an excellent feature, because I often "undershoot" the target just a little, and it would be a pain to have a straight line consist of multiple segments. So, to implement my "split" command idea, it would have to force an actual visible break in the line by deleting a mil or two of the line on either side of the cursor. Even if I was able to get the rubber-banding to work reliably, I still think this would be a very handy feature. The reason is because I like to do the auto-routing and then double-check it and fix any problems. (I've got over 300 connections and I just don't have the time to do them all manually. I'm not very fast or dexterous and I'm already behind schedule on this project. OTOH, it's much quicker to check and existing layout, even if I need to fix a problem here and there.) After I auto-routed my board yesterday there were 11 rat lines that it didn't route. These lines weren't difficult to add in there, but there were cases when I had to stick a via between two existing lines, but there wasn't quite enough room. What I need is to detour the neighboring lines around the via to make the space. Insert-point tends to mess up my nice orthogonal lines, and run them into neighboring lines, so I don't like to use it. But if I could introduce two breaks in each line, then I could move the broken-out line segments away from the via, and add short lines to reattach them to the main lines. I wouldn't have to worry about finding the end of the two long lines I was breaking up. (Besides, if I shrank the line on one end I'd still need to redo it on the other end.) This would emulate what I used to do ages ago when working with tape and a razor on a light board. (Yes, it was eons ago in a distant land. :-) ) At some point, when I'm less busy, I'd like to look at the PCB code and figure out how to add this feature, as long as people didn have any really strenuous objections to it. Even if it was a typed command (for example, ":BreakLine") I would use it. Vaughn > _______________________________________________ > geda-user mailing list > geda-user@moria.seul.org > http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-user > > _______________________________________________ geda-user mailing list geda-user@moria.seul.org http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-user
