I’m using KiCad 6.0.11 at my Mac 10.15.7. I installed Freerouting using the Plugin manager and try to start it with the button at the layout editor. But I get some errors, see attached picture.
Ooh, V6 is two versions behind. It’s not clear if all the necessary bits, Python, Java, etc are up to date for the current Freerouting. In any case you should post your query at their GitHub site as the author may not be reading this forum.
Edit: From the last error, it looks like the current Freerouting is designed for a newer Python API than V6. It could be that V6 is no longer supported. But ask the author directly.
This plugin never worked on kicad 6 and the plugin has incorrectly specified minimum required version in their metadata, it should be v7.
My Mac is to old for KiCad > 6.0
Is there any other plug-in for autorouting that I can try?
There seems be a successful build of 7.0.11 for 10.15 here: Builds - kicad | MacPorts
Sorry not a Mac user so I don’t know how to download from that site.
An alternative is to use OpenCore Patcher to use a recent macOS version on your Mac. That way you are able to use recent KiCad versions
I know it’s not what you asked or what you want to hear . . . but the best solution is to learn to route your PCB yourself. Eventually you will do a better job and will have learned some skills by doing so.
And you would probably be surprised at how much you could have routed manually in the time you have spent trying to get Freerouting working on your machine.
I can personally vouch for this.
If by any chance a KiCad version of the “follow me” router (included in Eagle long long long ago) would be possible I think some of us may yell out on knees in euphoria
Thanks for your tips!! I didn’t know this program: OpenCore Patcher
I installed it regardless of my problem with freerouting because it generally makes a lot of things easier for me. Now of course I would also like to update to the current version of KiCAD. But I think I read something that KiCAD deletes footprints and libraries that I had added when updating KiCAD. That would be fatal. If so, how do I secure everything properly beforehand?
Not true.
If you have a minor update: eg 8.0.2 to 8.0.6, the supplied Kicad libraries will automatically upgrade to their latest versions. That is all that happens.
If you have a major upgrade: eg. 6.x.x to 7.x.x or 8.x.x, the supplied Kicad libraries will automatically upgrade to their latest version BUT any personal libraries will have to be reloaded into their library tables.
The Personal libraries are not deleted from your OS, they are just not automatically reloaded into Kicad.
Just put your self made (or modified) symbols and footprints in your own libraries. Don’t mix their locations with KiCad’s default libraries.