Automatic "Placement" of Footprints?

[9V1MI]

Is the automatic placement of footprints, on a board outline, function available in 5.0.1? I know the footprint “distribution” function is now automatic and the “Footprint Mode” icon is no longer presented. The Pcbnew Manual, Clause 7.4 “Automatic placement of footprints” indicates the “automatic placement” is entered by clicking on the Footprint Mode icon, but that icon is no longer presented. Is there another way to enter the automatic placement mode, and if so how?

[Seth_h]

You could look at previous posts on this:

Initial, hierarchical placement

I wrote a PCBNEW plugin that groups all the parts residing at each level of the design hierarchy. This makes it easier to see which parts are related so you can work on the layout for that section. You can read more about it here. Note that if your entire design is placed on a single schematic page, this plugin does you absolutely no good.

Automatic placement of footprints in ver. 5.0.1_3

Hi, I’am from Italy, and the first time in this forum. Sorry for my english, it’s no perfect. I have a question about the arguments in object: why the icon “footprint mode” [mode_module] is no present any more in this version? This option is not available any more? Thanks for any reply. Fabrizio

[9V1MI]

There is some terminology mix up and I thought I made notation of the difference. There is “distribution” and there is “placement”. The distribution of footprints has to do with spreading of the footprints, outside of a PCB outline (edge cuts), so you can see all the parts and they can be readily picked and moved. Placement has to do with placement of the footprints within a PCB outline. As I previously stated I am trying to implement the “Automatic placement of footprints” as per Clause 7.4 of the Pcbnew Manual.–I know the manual is not up to date and that is why I was asking here on the Forum.

The first reference you mention “Initial, hierarchical placement” states “Note that if your entire design is placed on a single schematic page, this plugin does you absolutely no good.” My schematic is single, no hierarchical sub circuits.

The second reference you mention “Automatic placement of footprints in ver. 5.0.1_3” has to do with distribution–not placement.
–Larry

[Seth_h]

You are right, I should have been more specific.

The section 7.4 of the pcbnew manual has not been updated and no longer applies to KiCad version 5.0.

however…

Tom has ported the old tool to the new 5.1 dev code. So if you’d like to test it out (warning, there may be bugs!), you can try one of the nightly builds at http://downloads.kicad.org/

[9V1MI]

I am not a programmer and I am not into pain so I placed all my parts, hopefully in a logical manner, by “hand”. Next milestone will be to layout the tracks.
–Larry