Default colors of gerbers suggestion

[schlabs]

As regular protocol for me, i check the gerbers files before to start the PCB process.
The kicad gerbers viewer assign the color in opening order. This order usually is alphabetical. The result are an strange image with almost random colors.

My suggest that kicad recognize which layer is opening and assign the “standard” colors (Blue=botom, red=top, yellow=top silkscreen… etc)

I know sometimes we need compare 2 gerbers of same side to search differences, in this case is possible assign the standard color to the first one, and the actual behaivor to the second.

[spoddy]

Personally I dont mind what colour it assigns. What I suggest is that when it opens multiple gerbers eg from a job file, it activates the first one and leaves the rest inactive. Looking at a stack of say 6 or more gerbers is kinda useless, you generally look at them one by one. The first thing I always have to do is de-activate all of them bar one.

[schlabs]

I think that this have a low effort level, and can be useful to many people. The idea is that the gerber inspection be the most similar view to PCB editing.
This low the mental effort to associate the image with the content

[Claudio.Lorini]

@schlabs

My suggest that kicad recognize which layer is opening and assign the “standard” colors (Blue=botom, red=top, yellow=top silkscreen… etc)

you can modify the colors to your liking, but alas the colors are related to the ‘level’ of the layer and not to the ‘contents’ of the layer.
I found a way to minimize the pain using the ‘+’ and ‘-’ key to move the selected layer up and down in the order i like.

[schlabs]

I do this, but this is affected by the opening order of the files.

[BlackCoffee]

Some of us create our own Color scheme - easy to do… I have a few for different purposes and PCB 2/4 layer boards… can use the same or, different themes for PCB and Gerber

[schlabs]

Excellent !!, I do some like you. I also can appreciate that everyone has their own solution. This give me a clue that this feature is really a need.

[Naib]

The order should be as per the stack up (and thus deterministic) if GERBER-X2 is used

[schlabs]

Of course:
The complete feature request would be:
show colors as pcb design
Stack as pcb design
Option to view in realistic mode (from top and from bottom)

If someone open two files to the same layer (for compare or watch differences between revisions or prototypes), nothing to do, can use the actual mode.

[BlackCoffee]

You might consider setting-up some Presets and Viewports… Lower-Right corner of
PCB-window. Not a perfect solution to your ‘wish’ but, very useful nonetheless… I use my presets many times during a PCB-doing-something activity…