When searching for an specific part in a PCB, I click in the schematic “Select on PCB”.
While it gets highlighted in the PCB, it is often still hard to find:
The picture is an easy example, but sometimes when I have a design with 2000+ components, it really gets a pain to find a specific footprint.
What I already wished back in my Eagle days: A function, where I can highlight a symbol in the Schematic editor and it will blink the corresponding footprint in the PCB editor.
It such a feature planned?
I would highly appreciate it!
I haven’t tried this - if the item is highlighted, can you press the shortcut key for move and it will either snap the cursor to the highlighted component or move the component to where the cursor is?
NOTE: I’m speculating something like this may work; not claiming that it does or should.
Or course, if you select one or multiple symbols on the schematic, the corresponding footprints will be selected on the PCB.
If you focus on the PCB editor (e.g. click on the title bar or any UI element), you can press M to move them, or P to Pack and Move footprints, which places them close together before moving.
There’s also the “Focus follows mouse between schematic and PCB editors” option to help with focus when using schematic and PCB editors side-by-side:
Maybe one idea could be borrowed from eagle. The programmers there had the same problem and the solution was to optionally draw a surrounding “highlight box” with a very bright color. Additionally a pointer (only a simple line) points towards this box, so the highlighted item can be located also if the board is zoomed out very much.
Once Upon A Time… It was v5 (I think) when I created a Plugin for Blinking LED’s and other… I didn’t really need it and soon Kicad changed underlying code such that I decided that could be an ongoing bother so, I abandonded it.
This Post-Topic aroused my interest in a minor way but, sufficient to Demo the Simplicity of Blinking (actually, could do most anything on a time-change basis).
I did not want to bother about details/specifics so, I threw this together in about 5-Minutes. So, forgive the lack of a Complete Demo.
But, it’s sufficient to give the idea/concept…
Naturally, though it can take action on any Footprint (and can be selected via selecting it in either Schematic and/or PCB), it might make more sense if a User tweaked footprints such that it’s content would be more Noticable (e.g., Thicker Lines and Filled objects).
I did Not bother/fuss about line segments with respect to the Code, thus, each individual segment will get handeld, taking more time. But, that’s not important for this Demo… Also, did Not bother to Auto-Reset anything to original value (simple to do in code but, I didn’t bother).
Hi,
many ages ago a friend of mine was creating a graphics program (DOS !). We had the same discussion. I asked if he could make selected items blink and he answered this is not possible with his (home made) graphics engine.
However after some days he showed me “blinking” parts. He explained this is not really blinking but instead using a bright color and cycling through the brightness registers.
It was morke like “pulsing” but it made selections very visible.
You can create a new issue starting from KiCad with Help > Report a bug. A new Gitlab issue will open with part of the template filled out. (You will need a Gitlab account for this)
I’d include a reference to the older issue at the top of this thread in your description. Also, when you post the issue, please paste a link in this thread so people following along have the option of giving it a “thumbs up” on Gitlab.
If the feature doesn’t get implemented you could also try another feature introduced in kicad v9 (currently in release candidate state).
Version v9 introduced a new hotkey to zoom+pan to the currently selected footprints. You have to assign a key to this command for yourself.
Look for “Zoom to selected Objects”.
Don’t confuse with “Zoom to Selection”
In general I dislike automatic zoom and turn it off in every tool.
In most cases I have to zoom out immediately after highlighting an my eye looses the object by doing so.
I know the problem. Have you tried to zoom before you search, so that you see only one or a few components. Then, after search you see your part and not so many extra.
This works and no settings or else is needed. I just tried it.
