Changelog

New updates, features, and improvements to Gerber Patch.

v1.5.0Dedicated SEO Landing Page, Route Architecture & File Handoff Engine

Added

  • Dedicated SEO Landing Page (/): High-speed static landing page optimized for search indexing ("Online Gerber Viewer") featuring technical layer specifications, pre-order DFM inspection guides, and interactive FAQs.
  • Route Architecture Separation: Decoupled marketing/educational content at / from the dedicated full-screen CAD canvas at /editor.
  • Seamless File Handoff Engine: Dropzone and demo launch on the landing page immediately transition to /editor with zero data loss and no external server transit.
  • Rich Snippet Schemas: Embedded JSON-LD structured data for both SoftwareApplication and FAQPage to enhance search visibility and CTR.
  • AdSense & Compliance Infrastructure: Added dedicated /privacy and /terms static pages covering client-side data privacy policies and fabrication disclaimers.

Improved

  • Mount Priority Resolution: Incoming drag-and-drop files and demo launches now take absolute precedence over the local session recovery prompt, eliminating unnecessary clicks.
  • Crawler Optimization: Ensured primary technical documentation and reference tables render statically for search engine bots.

v1.4.0Local Session Recovery, EDA Theme Presets & Stealth UX

Added

  • Privacy-First Local Session Recovery: Background caching of board layers, SVG fragments, and patch data via native browser IndexedDB without sending design files to external servers.
  • Local Restore Prompt: Added a non-intrusive recovery notification upon revisiting or reloading, allowing users to restore previous work or start fresh.
  • New Project Workspace Reset: Added File → New Project (Clear Session) with an English confirmation dialog to securely purge IndexedDB cache and reset the workspace.
  • Standard EDA Theme Presets: Integrated quick-switch visual themes including Physical PCB (Green), Classic CAD (Red/Blue), High-Contrast (Teal/Coral), and Multi-Layer Spectrum.
  • Canvas Contrast Modes: Added one-click canvas background toggling between Deep Black (#0a0a0c), Dark Slate (#1e293b), and Light Studio (#f8fafc) with automatic layer contrast adjustment.
  • Invert Zoom Setting: Implemented mouse wheel zoom inversion to match various CAD software conventions, persisted in local settings.

Improved

  • Stealth Caching UX: Removed intrusive saving indicators from the status bar to ensure an uninterrupted, distraction-free workflow with 100% silent background persistence.
  • Eraser Theme Synchronization: Dynamic background fill matching for eraser patches to maintain proper visual masking across all canvas background modes.
  • Zero-Latency Canvas Hydration: Immediate 0ms board recovery using cached SVG fragments while preserving original Blob/File instances for fabrication export and RS-274X integrity verification.

v1.3.0Precision Snapping, Crosshair & Workflow Shortcuts

Added

  • Smart Magnetic Snap Engine: Real-time geometric snapping to pad centers and trace endpoints for Trace, Measure, and Pad tools with an interactive snap indicator.
  • Full-Screen Crosshair Guide: Orthogonal full-screen crosshair overlay toggled via the X key and canvas toolbar button.
  • User-Defined Relative Origin: Temporary relative origin (0, 0) set via the Okey, showing relative offset coordinates (ΔX, ΔY) alongside absolute values in the status bar.
  • Shortcut Cheatsheet Modal: Integrated keyboard reference modal accessible via the ? key or toolbar button.
  • Direct Unit Switching: Immediate toggling between mm and mil display units across annotations and status indicators using the U key.

Improved

  • Candidate Point Extraction: Cached coordinate scanning for pad centers and trace terminations to maintain smooth canvas interaction during snap checks.
  • Input Field Event Guarding: Single-key shortcuts are bypassed when typing inside text inputs, textareas, or modal forms.

v1.2.0Object Selection, Manipulation & ZIP Export

Added

  • Smart ZIP Re-packaging Export: Automatically packages modified layers into a fabrication-ready ZIP archive while passing through unmodified files (such as drill files and board outlines) in their original format.
  • Split Download Action:Replaced the single export button with a split dropdown, supporting one-click "Download All as ZIP" and "Export Active Layer Only".
  • Unified Multi-Select: Added marquee box selection and Shift/Ctrl click toggling to select multiple patch elements and native Gerber features simultaneously.
  • Clipboard Support (Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V): Implemented copy and paste workflows that preserve physical board coordinates (mm) with a standard offset.
  • Direct Drag-to-Move: Enabled mouse dragging on selected elements to reposition them across the board canvas.
  • Geometric Transformations: Added 90-degree clockwise rotation (R) and horizontal/vertical mirroring (H / V) relative to the collective centroid.

Improved

  • Selection Visibility: Replaced outer dashed bounding boxes with clean element-level highlighting to ensure surrounding copper traces remain visible during editing.
  • Selection Hit-Testing Performance: Added size guards to avoid excessive rendering overhead when drag-selecting over dense or complex Gerber paths.

Fixed

  • Coordinate Scaling Discrepancy: Resolved an issue where viewport pixel coordinates were incorrectly assigned to physical board units during paste operations.
  • Crosshair Cursor Alignment: Corrected mouse event handling on visual overlays to ensure the crosshair guide remains aligned with the cursor.

v1.1.0Persistent Dimension Annotations & Smart Zoom LOD

What's New

  • Persistent Dimension Annotations: Measurement lines and coordinates no longer vanish after tool switches. Keep multiple inspection points active simultaneously across the board for comparative checks.
  • Smart Level of Detail (LOD) Labeling:
    • Zoomed Out: Automatically simplifies overlays into a single-line compact distance badge (r: XX.XXX mm) to eliminate screen clutter and label overlapping.
    • Zoomed In: Seamlessly expands into full 4-axis geometric inspection (dx, dy, distance, degree) for sub-millimeter trace and pitch alignment.
  • Annotation Management Toolbar: Added quick-action controls to the measurement toolbar: toggle visibility (Eye icon) and one-click clear (Trash icon) with an active count badge.
  • Lossless Unit Synchronization: Dynamic conversion between mm and mil calculates from absolute board coordinates, maintaining mathematical precision across repeated unit toggles.

Reliability & Infrastructure

  • Zero Fabrication Contamination: Dimension annotations are strictly isolated within the visual overlay pipeline; RS-274X export files remain 100% compliant with JLCPCB and PCBWay manufacturing standards.
  • Enhanced SEO & Tracking Integration: Integrated Google Tag Manager infrastructure and verified Open Graph metadata for rich previews across Reddit, Twitter, and engineering forums.

v1.0.0Official Initial Release

Core CAD & Editing Tools

  • RS-274X Gerber Rendering Engine: Real-time, distortion-free rendering of standard Gerber apertures, traces, flashed pads, and polygon pours.
  • Shape Insertion Tools: Rectangle pads with customizable dimensions; Circular pads & vias with precise diameter controls.
  • Trace Eraser & Modifier: Erase unwanted copper traces or remove redundant pads cleanly.
  • Text Mirroring (Flip): Horizontal mirroring for bottom layer silkscreen and copper text.
  • Layer Management: Individual layer visibility toggle (Show/Hide).

Precision Measurement & Controls

  • Undo / Redo History: Full history stack management with keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y).
  • Units & Grid: Instant toggle between Millimeters (mm) and Mils (mil) with configurable snapping.
  • Intelligent Magnetic Snapping: Snap cursor to pad centers and copper trace edges.
  • 6 Dedicated Measurement Modes: Point to Point, Center to Center, Edge to Edge, Center to Edge, Point to Edge, Point to Center (showing Dist, dx, dy, and deg).

RS-274X Gerber Export & Integrity

  • Standard RS-274X Export: Instant download of modified PCB layouts compliant with RS-274X specifications.
  • Automated Aperture Generation: Auto-registers standard aperture macros (%ADD...C%, %ADD...R%) and maps D03 flash commands.
  • Syntax & Format Verification: Excludes erased copper from exported code; strictly enforces format declarations (%FSLAX%), units (%MOMM% / %MOIN%), and layer polarities (%LPD% / %LPC%).
  • CAM Compatibility: Seamless verification with major PCB manufacturers (JLCPCB, PCBWay).

Privacy & Architecture

  • 100% Client-Side Processing: Zero server uploads; proprietary PCB design files remain strictly inside local browser memory.
  • Deployed at: gerberpatch.com