That's useful feedback, thanks :)
(As an aside, Kicad doesn't support padstacks yet, so pads are replicated on all layers, which explains routing difficulty. Kicad is getting support from CERN, so hopefully will see lots of improvements in future)
There are a number of reasons for making a shield, some of which would not be my first choice, but RAMPS does remain popular. There are also people asking for "RAMPS for Due", so there is at least some interest. Personally my interest is to move to an ARM platform, and Arduino Due is about the only the platform likely to become a de facto standard, with the possible exception of mbed.
As for project goals, it is to create an open source design that is a balance of DIY friendly and commercial friendly, should anyone be interested in doing that.
(As an aside, Kicad doesn't support padstacks yet, so pads are replicated on all layers, which explains routing difficulty. Kicad is getting support from CERN, so hopefully will see lots of improvements in future)
There are a number of reasons for making a shield, some of which would not be my first choice, but RAMPS does remain popular. There are also people asking for "RAMPS for Due", so there is at least some interest. Personally my interest is to move to an ARM platform, and Arduino Due is about the only the platform likely to become a de facto standard, with the possible exception of mbed.
As for project goals, it is to create an open source design that is a balance of DIY friendly and commercial friendly, should anyone be interested in doing that.