Preferences > PCB Editor > Editing options > Always show selected ratsnest
What is the option supposed to do? As I understood the documentation, it should force displaying of ratsnest for a selected footprint, even though displaying of ratsnest is disabled. However, it doesn’t work that way. I can’t see any effect of enabling this option.
It does work, but it shows the ratsnest of the selection only while the selection is actually dragged or moved.
I guess the feature would both be more intuitive and useful if it shows the ratsnest of selected footprints for the whole duration of the selection. Or maybe a feature request for a 3rd option for this functionality?
I have not used this function myself, but am curious what others think about this. Is it worth a feature request?
We already have that. 
Top of the list of “select item(s)” , RHS of screen beside “Appearance Manager”.
This function overrides both the “Show board ratnest” and Preferences “Always show…”.
That works also indeed. It toggles ratsnest view on or off for a footprint whenever you click on a single footprint. (It would be nice if you could drag over a selection of footprints too …) It is however different yet again. What I had in mind was to show the ratsnest for whatever footprints are active in the current selection, and they disappear again as soon as the selection is unselected. The goal here is during manual sorting and moving of footprints, or just clicking around to get an overview of a partial ratsnest. You would see more of the ratsnest then in the current situation, while it does not require any extra mouse clicks.
Now I think about this, ratsnest lines are not very intrusive (and that is good) With this function, ratsnest lines could also be made move visible for the current selection. (color, line width), so you can use both the permanent ratsnest, and a “highlighted” ratsnest for the current selection at the same time. The “Highlighted ratsnest” lines will be more intrusive, but they only show up during a selection, and disappear quickly too.
In the current situation both the regular ratsnest must be off, and you have to be actively moving a footprint for the function to show anything.
I’ve been playing. 
I noticed when moving an/many items, already existing ratlines dim, but only while the the footprint is being moved. This is hard to tell with the default setup, but if you make the ratlines brighter (more obtrusive), it is easier to notice.
I see your point here. Sounds OK
I also noticed in the selection menu the “toggle ratnest display of selected item/s” is both plural and singular. I have not found a way to select the plural. I tried grouping, but that didn’t work.
Admittedly, there are more clicks required, but would that (the plural version) be similar to your comments?
EDIT: in case you’re interested, ratline width will be adjustable in 8 along with opacity so it is very easy to see the dimming effect of existing ratlines compared to new ratlines as a footprint is moved, however they still all revert to the one brightness when the move is complete.
Another Edit: The bible (Kicad Manual 
) only discusses “toggle ratsnest display of selected item/s” in the singular, so maybe the plural doesn’t exist. 
The option works indeed. Maybe the documentation should be more precise.
It would be even more useful if it can override settings done in the Appearance Manager. Eg. when selected only a few nets for displaying ratsnest, then moving a footprint, there are no (additional) ratsnest lines from the footprint being moved.
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