Hi,
I have been using PCB software for decades now and I can partly (!) understand your criticism.
I startet with 4.02 and since then I could have collected a big heap of things I would like to have or have different in KiCad.
However, I remember times when commercial PCB software was unaffordable to me and I was happy to find paint SW that would do the job in a very frustrating manner !
KiCad 5.x was a dream - no it was science fiction in those days. And today I get this for FREE and for any operating system. And dont forget: its done by people who will not get rich doing this.
Whenever I get frustrated about KiCad I remember all this and then I am happy about what I have today
But as far as I can guess from the forum information about V6.x it may be worth waiting for you !
So one example from last year due to Python 2/3 differences is proof that all plugins are unreliable? How much do you understand about software development?
Please no need to be anxious in your answers, this is a friendly discussion, not a challenge to prove someone they are wrong, nor a 3rd world war.
I also wanted to say is that anyone that comes here and complain about sth, all what members tell him is that you have to thank God for the bread you have on the table, as God has given this for free, and if you complain, God will stop putting bread on the table. Okay, thank you God.
Why is it that we always have to defend KiCAD this way? Because it is free, no one can complain, complaints are a human nature after all? Why not say that free software can/should become better than paid ones in future? This is the soul that we should speak of, not defend ourselves saying it is free, take it or leave it.
Somebody else can answer that. I’m only challenging your sweeping statement that plugins are unreliable in general. If you had wanted to find out how to curve tracks there was no need to denigrate scripting languages in the first place. It’s not just Kicad you are passing judgement on but the whole concept of scripting with the words you have chosen.
I have no idea what you mean by that. I don’t know anything about how to curve tracks so it’s not out of spite that I’m not answering that question. Perhaps your should ask yourself whether your approach of attacking practices and participants in this forum is helping to get you solutions.
I am not sorry for attacking scripting the curved tracks, as this should be a built-in feature … You have to allow yourself understand this as well, scripted curved tracks was a scripting misuse, generally speaking.
How curved tracks should be implemented is a matter others can discuss, but you did make a sweeping statement about scripting and that is what I responded to.
volunteers? are you kidding? seriously you are retired of everything, not just engineering! CERN now pays for KiCAD development, and this team should do much better than what they are currently doing, at least there are 4~5 full-time developers working oin KiCAD, and these developers use any library they meet to get the job done which makes compiling KiCAD on your own a real hell.
Please read another metadiscussion, for example Y-axis: perplexed, and make a decision about if it’s worth continuing this way. You have used personal attacks without showing actual knowledge about the KiCad project and development. For example
It doesn’t say CERN pays for KiCad development. The wording there could be enhanced, I admit. It’s possible to give donations to the project through CERN, though, and some of their employers contribute to KiCad development. But it doesn’t mean that CERN pays them for developing KiCad.
We all wish there would be 4~5 full-time developers working on KiCad!
I see, I hope things get better on the development support and donations. I assume will also donate this project then regardless there is an assigned full-time team or not.
Scripting is used to enhance the capability either via automation or additional capabilities.
It could be said that an eCAD tool should have something like curve traces built in if it is to be taken seriously (especially for HV or flexi stuff) and as a result this is why it exists for v6 (and it might already exist).
So how do you do curve traces at the moment? (either 5.1.x or 5.99) via maintained plugin and the best one at the moment is the RF-Tools plugin set github.com/easyw/RF-tools-KiCAD.
There are a lot of plugins that are broken and won’t be updated (the one you linked to to push your stance is a good example, the BGA fanout one is another).
The OP is silenced until tomorrow, at least on this account, and the thread will be closed. If respecting others and being civil isn’t your bag, go elsewhere.
