Any MAJOR changes between V7.0.10 and V8.0?

Software
1

I’m thinking of starting a Project soon. Will there be any MAJOR changes between V7.10 and V8.0? I’m concerned about the file format between versions.

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File format can be transfered from 7.10 to 8.0 but not back. List of features added to 8.0 is here:Post-v7 new features and development news - #41 by dsa-t

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3

There are significant changes in the file format, you will not be able to move back to 7.0.10 if you start with 8.0.

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4

KiCad V8 is expected end of February, but for a new mayor KiCad version, it tends to take some time before it is really stable. When a new version is released, a lot more people start using it and many bugs tend to be discovered, reported, and fixed, but that does take some time. Maybe April or May.

KiCad does have forward compatibility, and starting now in KiCad V7 and upgrading later to V8 is a good option. I have no problem with updating a mayor KiCad version halfway a project. Some people do have problems with this, but they are usually small things and easy to fix. And of course, manage your backups in a decent manner, so you can always revert if it does not turn out the way you expected.

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5

I’ve Just remembered that I can’t open my Altium schematic and board in V7.10 anyway. Now I’ve started making my projects in Altium Designer first and then importing the same project schematics and board into Kicad V7.99 Nightly. I’m hoping that the V7.99 version is close enough to V8.0 to not make much of a difference. I’m no sure if I will keep a copy of V7.10 as V8.0 will open my older designs anyway. Onwards and upwards, I suppose.

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KiCad V8 will be very much alike what KiCad V7.99 is now, or at least, what is was a few weeks ago, when V7.99 entered “string freeze”. If new features are designed in now, they will not become a part of V8, but will be in V8.99 instead (After February).

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7.99 at this point is in the bug fixing stage so should be fine given we hope for a release next month

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