An idea for a feature.
I would be interested in hearing your opinions, especially from those often
doing boards with multiple internal layers.
WHAT DOES IT DO
Layer Peel would remove layers from your current view from the top down and
restore them upon exit
WHY
The intention is to assist in visualising the layer lay up and
interconnects by temporarily removing the clutter the upper layers introduce
SETUP
You would previously have set up which layers you are interested in peeling.
The order in which they are listed is the order they peel.
FUNCTIONALITY AND USE
It always starts with the currently displayed layers and returns to this
original view upon exiting the LayerPeel state.
Optionally:
- A right click context menu could give you the choice of exiting to the
Peeled state or the Original state.
- The last true Original state (not the peeled exit state) is remembered and
you can right click to hop back to the Original state if you did exit to the
Peeled view to edit.
Controlling the view requires a method that implies moving up and down
through the layers
Peeling the layers could be done with spin buttons in a floating
toolbar/dialog with a way to close that object to terminate the Layer Peel
function. The presence of the Dialog/toolbar/icon reminds you that you are
Peeling.
Alternatively the up/down arrows on the keyboard or the mouse wheel could be
used. The standard use of these controls would need to be disabled when
within Layer Peel and that would be acceptable as this would be a view tool.
Being able to quickly alternate the layer view imparts an animated like
quality which is valuable in visualising relationships.
The user experience could be simulated somewhat with a ULP and a couple of
text buttons but ultimately this functionality would work better if it was
integrated into the product.
So sleep on the idea for a bit and come back with your thoughts.
Warren