I have thought many times, that I keep repeating some parts of a project over and over. Like DC-DC switcher parts of schematic. There are more such, like transistor linear amplifier, e.t.c. And every time I will make the layout again- almost identical. The switcher example is good sample because once I have passed with it the EMC test, I am trying to keep its PCB layout as identical as possible. Thus I was imagining that it would be good to have “SoftComponent” library, where I have prepared Schematic and PCB layout and I can place the component into project and have the parts of it already done. Schema does have nice subcircuit fractal architecture, maybe this could be used. PCB might need some grouping of traces and components. I would like to keep a part of PCB locked together- that will be moved, rotated all together like an external component. Breaking the softcomponent would be very useful, because some times a resistor might be better in another place.
Peeter, there are similar requests, that are, i guess, similar.
Something like that is on the roadmap https://docs.kicad.org/doxygen/v6_road_map.html#v6_pcb_groups
This is doable even with V5.1. Using the Save/restore action plugin. With this plugin you can replicate full layout (part placement, tracks, zones, drawings) if the layout shares the same schematics page. I have to emphasize that schematics has to be the same. If your design can comply with this you might want to try it out.
As for the library of such pcb parts it is great for personal/team use. You could share them but I would hesitate to use them. There are no standards that you could follow or the design could be checked against. Even the KiCad library, which quality can not really be questioned and follows various IPC standards (kudos to Rene and the rest of library team), but some peole still prefer to build their own libraries.
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