PCB design tools were built on 2D software methods in the 1980s. Many of today’s design tools still use that 2D code base. Mechanical tools have moved on to native 3D design. PCB has been stuck more or less in the 2D world. Extensions to the 2D code base made 2.5D and 3D visualization possible. But designing in 3D requires the tool to be built on a 3D kernel. Article
