I discovered today a “new function”. Well it is only new for me. It is the drag mode by hitting ‘D’ instead of ‘M’ (move mode) to move a footprint. Which seems to be very handy on the first glance. What I am missing is the “lock on axis” feature to drag only horizontally or only vertically. There is a high chance, that I just don’t know how to perform it and it is already there. I also wondered, if there is a chance to use the “Align” function to align two components, but instead of moving them drag them, so that the track just adapts.
Both is not meant as complain, more as “I wonder if it exists and if so how to use”, so that I can make usage of it, one day.
Oh for reference: I am using Kicad 9.0.4 on a 64-bit Windows machine.
My advice is to read manual. Even you will not remember everything you will know what are the possibilities.
About ‘Drag’ you would know after just reading Getting Started manual.
Searching for ‘drag’ in Getting Started I fount the sentence:
Use D (Drag) to move the resistor footprint slightly while keeping the tracks attached to its pads.
suggesting that instead of hoping that sooner or later you will discover all functions it is better to just read manuals as “Even you will not remember everything you will know what are the possibilities.”
There is a good chance that I read about drag 2 years ago and have forgotten. But the key of my question is not to know about drag mode or all functions. I will remember it, if it is useful for me and if not, I will forget it again.
The keypoint is about horizontal/vertical lock and about align in “drag mode”.
In the hot key list I found this, which makes me wonder if the drag mode was initially even intended to work on footprints.
Also in the source code of pcbnew the enum is called TRACK_DRAG_MODE (pcbnew_settings.h:77). I like that it works on footprints and just to be clear, this question is more curiousity than anything else.
What do you mean with “initially”? KiCad started in 1992 (See KiCad on Wikipedia and I’m quite sure that back then the whole evolution of KiCad was not perfectly planned in advance
Nevermind with the TRACK_DRAG_MODE, it is not the right spot.
This is the right one in pns_router.h:70 … my bad. Just to not spread wrong information, that someone else might use.
No software ever is. With “initially” I meant whenever the drag feature was added. Doesn’t matter when it was, but when it was there was an idea what it should perform or not. And the description of the feature made me wonder, if it was planned only for tracks / track segments.
Thanks this is the reply I am looking for. Now my curiosity is satisfied.
