pcbnew option to export text as editable text when plotting DXF

[Jan Cablik]

In old stable versions, when pcbnew design was exported to DXF, text items were stored as text. It was very easy to open the file in qcad, edit some texts and create board drawing. Development versions several months back convert text into curves. It is good for many reasons, but it's not possible to edit them or move them into different layer anymore. A simple option to export text as editable text or curves would be handful.

[Nick Østergaard (nickoe)]

I think someone made a patch for this in relation to svg at some time, I think it was submitted somewhere, maybe it is worth looking for that.

[pitanga (pitanga)]

I've been working on this ticket lately. So far the UI is done and the "Plot editable text" is passed down to the DXF plotter driver (just noticed the ticket mentions SVG too).

Today I had some progress and eventually got editable text out of the DXF plotter.

Anyway, could anyone please let me know the reason for using PlotLayerOutlines(...) regardless of layer type when the plot format is DXF (and only DXF)?

Looks like PlotLayerOutlines bypasses DXF_PLOTTER::Text (haven't looked into it yet), which can plot both native text and curves according to the text mode passed to the driver.

If I just ignore PlotLayerOutlines and jump to PlotSilkScreen (as every other plotter type) I get the editable text, but not sure if the other elements are plotted as expected.

I'm new to KiCAD and haven't done much board design before, so I might be missing some user requirement.

thanks!

[pitanga (pitanga)]

Regarding comment #1, there is no special treatment for SVG text, it is all converted to curves, at least on latest master.

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

This is because fonts in pcbnew are not really fonts in the traditional
sense. They are stroke approximations of a font. That's why they are
not exported as dxf fonts. If you are making changes, please make this
behavior optional. As a user, I expect DXF output to accurately
represent the exported layer not a close proximity there of using
editable dxf fonts. I use this at my day job for user documentation and
accuracy trumps convenience in my world. If users want to substitute
and editable dxf font for the stroke drawn font that's fine as an option
but do not replace the existing behavior.

On 9/15/2016 12:08 AM, pitanga wrote:
> I've been working on this ticket lately. So far the UI is done and the
> "Plot editable text" is passed down to the DXF plotter driver (just
> noticed the ticket mentions SVG too).
>
> Today I had some progress and eventually got editable text out of the
> DXF plotter.
>
> Anyway, could anyone please let me know the reason for using
> PlotLayerOutlines(...) regardless of layer type when the plot format is
> DXF (and only DXF)?
>
> Looks like PlotLayerOutlines bypasses DXF_PLOTTER::Text (haven't looked
> into it yet), which can plot both native text and curves according to
> the text mode passed to the driver.
>
> If I just ignore PlotLayerOutlines and jump to PlotSilkScreen (as every
> other plotter type) I get the editable text, but not sure if the other
> elements are plotted as expected.
>
> I'm new to KiCAD and haven't done much board design before, so I might
> be missing some user requirement.
>
> thanks!
>

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

What the status of the bug?

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

@pitanga What the status of the bug?

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

DXF fix

[pitanga (pitanga)]

Hey Eldar I havê an incomplete patch here, but I haven't worked on it in a while. If it interests you I'll attach it to the issue.

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

Hi pitanga. Sorry your the incomplete patch doesn't need for me

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

@Wayne, can you watch another one patch to DXF plotting?
Restricts:
-one line text
-ASCII text
-in non-outline mode.
Another text prints in line or outline mode.

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

@Eldar, I merged your patch into the master branch. Thanks!

[KiCad Janitor (kicad-janitor)]

Fixed in revision f3457794cf16ee66929069cd89464df271946d26
https://git.launchpad.net/kicad/patch/?id=f3457794cf16ee66929069cd89464df271946d26

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

Thank you, @Wayne

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

@Jan Cablik, you should open an other bug for SVG format.

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

@Wayne, it will be cool if you released this one and this https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1643330.

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

Do you mean merge them into the stable 4 branch? They have both been
merged into the product branch.

On 5/3/2017 12:05 PM, Eldar Khayrullin wrote:
> @Wayne, it will be cool if you released this one and this
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1643330.
>

[Eldar Khayrullin (eldar)]

Yes, I want to that they will be merged in stable 4 branch.

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

@Eldar, neither of these patches merge cleanly into the stable branch.
Even cherry picking makes a mess of it. If you want these patches in
the stable 4 branch, please make them apply cleanly against the stable 4
branch. I don't have the time to do it right now.

On 5/3/2017 1:45 PM, Eldar Khayrullin wrote:
> Yes, I want to that they will be merged in stable 4 branch.
>