(PCB) 1999 User Group Top Ten

1) While in Add Connect, automatically change active layer to the layer that you click your mouse on, instead of turning into a null net. Too much of a hassle having to go to the ministatus to change= layers.
Submitted By Pat Paulson.

2) Incorporate Drill Hole Tolerance= Information
Description:

• Would like ability to associate Drilled Hole Tolerance information to drilled holes in the Symbol editor.
• Would like to edit/modify Drilled hole tolerance information at the board level.
• Would like to have the Drill Chart software changed to= address tolerance information automatically.
• Would like to see same size holes with different tolerances= be separated in the Drill Chart and when ncdrill data is extracted the tolerance information should be listed in a new column in the nctape.log file. (See example below)
  

Example:
'ncdrill.tap' created for holes connecting=TOP and BOTTOM
	Size	Tolerance	Plating	Quantity
1.	28	+-4	PLATED	2
2.	32	+-4	PLATED	4
3.	37	+-4	PLATED	99
4.	46	+-4	PLATED	268
5.	46	+-3	PLATED	2
6.	53	+-3	PLATED	12
7.	125	+-2	NON-PLATED	2
		--- total holes:		389
		--- total head travel:		14.09 ft.(4.29 m)
	--- approx. length of paper tape:			26.7 feet/8.1 meters

If this is not feasible, consider a form that will allow Drill= hole symbols/letters and tolerance information to be assigned via a form at the board level regardless of what information of this type might be present in the padstack.
Submitted By Donald W Gillispie.

3) Make the reference designators line width the real width. This is done for lines why not text?
Submitted By Pat Paulson.

4) Provide a transparency/translucency setting for colors, such that you= can see items that appear on multiple layers at a given location. This= could be implemented like the color patterns in Specctra.
Submitted By Joe Morrison.

5) The symbol placement window goes away when a symbol is placed,= then must be made visible again and symbols refreshed when ready to select the= next symbol. Would like to see it remain visible while the symbols are being placed. No need to select OK, just select the symbol you want and move your cursor out of the window to place it.
Submitted= By Submitted By Donald W Gillispie

6) EDIT MIRROR
Would be nice to be able to rotate it, once you do edit mirror you have to place the component down then do a move rotate.
Submitted By Dawn Johnson.

7) Test Points inside NO_PROBE_KEEPOUT should generate drc= markers.
Submitted By Michael Catrambone.

8) Improve Component Data Browsers. Be able to select more than one symbol and place them all with on mouse pick / Select and place components without having to OK the Component Data Browser.
Submitted By Michael Catrambone.

9) Expand the Display->Parasitic command to allow the entire net to be selected, not just a cline.
Submitted By Donald W. Gillispie.

10) PLEASE fix the auto-silk so that when a symbol is moved the silk screen goes with it. This is a real pain when trying to incorporate an engineering change into a board.
Submitted by Al Costello.