pcb-rnd devlog

fp2anim dimensions

by Igor2

After attacking the qfn()/qfp() parametric footprint problem today, I realized fp2anim lacked a very important feature: dimension lines. The footprint being generated is to match the datasheet. Checking the match requires visible dimensions.

The new feature of fp2anim is to optionally display custom dimensions on the preview. Generator scripts print #dimension comments in the footprint file (not breaking the file format). The generator passes on a dimension name along with the value. As a first attempt my conventions are:

add dimension lines for dimension type input parameters
add dimension lines for calculated dimensions if they are likely to be informative and be included in the datasheet

fp2anim vector font

While working on the dimensions, I realized I had to switch to vector fonts: the built-in pixel font of animator can not be rotated. The size of a vector font text can be calculated, which also enables fp2anim to optionally place semi-transparent bars behind the text to make it more visible on dark background (like pads).