Is kicad 8 now having circular (arc) traces? Or do i still have to fiddle around with graphic elements?
What about editing a bunch of footprint pads or graphic elements in the PCB editor? Do i still have to do this one by one??
In V8.0.0~rc2 you can draw a graphical arc on a copper layer, and when it overlaps a pad, it will automatically become a part of the net (See the bottom of the popup box).
I’m not sure what you expect here. It has been possible to make one complex pad, and then make copies of it. If you want your pads different, you’d have to draw them anyway.
But you can easily try it for yourself. Just install KiCad-Nightly. It install completely independent from the stable KiCad version. It has it’s own libraries and it’s own configuration directory etc.
Edit: Because of the “tone” of your answer, I have decided to refrain from further responses.
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What about editing a bunch of footprint pads or graphic elements in the PCB editor? Do i still have to do this one by one??
Already the last kicad versions provided functions to modify multiple items:
- footprints: modify the first, then push the properties to other pads
- graphic elements: select a bunch of elements → Edit–>Edit text&graphics properties
Kicad v8 added another way to manipulate multiple items: the properties panel
I recommend to read this thread regarding the added features: Post-v7 new features and development news.
So in 8.0 i still have to fiddle around with graphical elements? That really sucks. I can do this with 5.* already.
And copying many pads, when i only want to change one proberty of them? Seriously? We already have 2024…
Editing the graphic elements dont work! I can open the dialog, but nothing changes!!! What a disappointment switching from 5.* to 7.*!
Two examples of Arc Traces
How do you imagine designing PCB without dealing with graphical elements as tracks and pads are also graphical elements.
Be precise - what kind of graphic elements you need. In V5 you couldn’t route rounded tracks while in V7 you can. According to my imagination rounded tracks are 0 problem do paint them but they are a problem when for example a series of such mixed with standard 45° tracks need be pushed (maintaining specified clearances) to make room for track you just route. And what if one such track have to be jumped to the other side of disturbing pad or footprint.
Nobody prevents you from adding the missing procedures yourself. It is open source software.
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If imagination from the previous videos confuses OP, here’s one from Pad to Pad…
Editing the graphic elements dont work! I can open the dialog, but nothing changes!!! What a disappointment switching from 5.* to 7.*!
Do you have read, understood and followed my answer? (apparently not - so please be cautious with “disappointing”). Try again:
- select a bunch of graphic elements
- top menu bar → Edit –> Edit text&graphics properties
- Do not use the generic properties dialog for multiple selected graphics elements. (as you have discovered for yourself this dialog supports only individual items).
This workflow is possible in v7+v8. Works in pcb editor and footprint editor.
Surprising. I just today used KiCad 7.0.10 to draw the openings have to be done in my box (no PCB, only mechanical drawing) and during that several times used Edit graphic for example to change width of all selected lines.
I simply decided that even tool (KiCad) is not the best for it, but as I know it and drawings are not too complicated it will be faster then learning back to use another program I was using last time 3+ years ago.
It tried it again. And it works. It was looking to me like it didnt work.
The graphic/drawing is still there! I did not see that underneath there was the track. The graphic should be deleted automatically, or there should be an option to “delete source element”! Or it should be at least be deselected, to see, that something happend. One might add the options to let the user decide what should happen.
There is an option to have it auto-deleted. Finding the setting is your homework…
I cant find it in preferences. I know that there is something like this if you change create a fill zone, but here there comes no dialog.
I hit “e” to edit lines, but if i select 2 or more elements, “e” does not do anything. With "Edit text & graphics settings nothing happens either.
Perhaps I misled you… You are correct though, other selections in the same panel have checkbox to delete after.
More to the point of making Arc’s: Refer to video of Filleting Tracks (video#1 and #3) - that method does not involve polygons or need to delete anything…
Amusing myself…
To be sure: “Edit” ---- “Edit Text & Graphics Properties…”. It is what you are speaking about?
In my KiCad it works.
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Now use this technique with a center point and from a certain start point. It gets complicated…
My Graduate Classes in Nuclear Physics were complicated until I understood the material by doing homework/lab-work.
I’m not clear on what you want to do/accomplish - perhaps post a hand sketch that’s easy (for my old brain) to understand.
This video shows some aspects and includes attaching to Center’s of Pad and Via
Perhaps you don’t understand the need for Grid setting and it’s effect on snapping to an item not having it’s Ends on the Grid and that you can Temporarily change the Grid to enable snapping to whatever (but, it’s an Arc you want and in Kicad, Arc’s are circular, not an ambiguous line).
Thus, can Not willy-nilly do this stuff - must plan ahead and, at least, know the geometry of the items and PCB settings.
There are Arc and Magnetic settings to set and to understand their affect.
Without my fully knowing what you want to do, this video (in response to “center point and from a certain start point” may/may-not help. But, take notice of the snapping and line-ends with respect to the Grid… I did Not set the Grid to demo Grid-Change…
(I should have thickened the lines for better visibility…sorry)
Already Too many Videos…
Anyway, I neglected your question about doing in a ‘bunch’ as opposed to doing individually… They do Not need to be identical (though they are in video).
The lengths need to be long enough to accommodate the Fillets or the Filleting acts on only the lines/traces that can be squeezed into the available length.
The Blue lines show this… It also works in Footprint Editor…
I leave this topic here but, will respond as needed…
I actually meant to do this with tracks and then do a certain radius through a certain point. Once it is a track, you cant adjust it like a graphic. Is there a way to make a fillet with a maximum radius that is possible?