New user trying a small PCB layout of two boards that will connected by headers. I have one schematic, one PCB with board edge lines showing the two boards that will be cut apart. The nets on each board are separate, so they cleanly divide in PCBnew.
I need to edit the graphic lines representing the board edges. I have drawn graphic lines on the Edge.cuts layer, and need to slightly adjust them.
How do I show the handles to edit the endpoints? It seems if I randomly click around the ends long enough the handles will eventually appear. How can I consistently enter the edit mode? Itâs not double-click, itâs not triple-click, and there is no E for edit in the right click menu. What is the trick?
I also need to learn how to designate the âcut lineâ between boards. Iâve read about âmouse bitesâ - is there a tutorial on that?
Itâs often useful to show a screencast video of what you are trying to do, if possible.
Mouse bites arenât KiCad specific, they are just drill holes in the board. KiCad doesnât have a panelizing feature. I general, if you are not sure you and your manufacturer agree, you shouldnât do panelizing yourself.
My version is v5.1.6
Either double click or E work fine.
To select the edge_cuts lines I usually disable all layers but edge_cuts. Then I select a rectangle with the mouse (left button pressed) from right to left over the line I want to edit.
After releasing the left button of the mouse, the line is selected and the handles are shown.
Iâm seeing double-click doing nothing. If I right click on the line, the menu has:
Get and Move footprint T
Paste
Center
Zoom in
Zoom out
Zoom Auto
Zoom
Grid
It seems to get into a sub-mode that doesnât allow edit, but I donât know what that mode is, or how to get out. Escape doesnât change anything, and clicking away from the object on the background doesnât change anything.
You have to click on an item, not next to an item. Or you have to preselect it in some other way and use the context menu. Follow pedroâs advice and learn to use box selection, itâs crucial to efficient use of KiCad anyways (although not obligatory).
Note that the direction you box select makes a difference. Right to left is indicated with the selection box itself with a blue outline and is inclusive of every object that touches the selection box. Left to right is indicated with a yellow outline and is exclusive, meaning the objects selected must be entirely within the selection box. In both cases, the selection box is blue, only the outline color changes depending on direction of draw motion.
Thatâs usually done by external tools. Do a search on panelization to find links. hackaday.com also has several articles. Mousebites go with routed channels and breaktabs. You should also check your manufacturerâs instructions. Some charge more for certain types of panelization.
Iâm definitely in the Modern Toolset, and that has not changed.
Yet, the selecting of a line with double-click only works âoccasionallyâ. I am double clicking precisely right on the line.
However, the box selection does work consistently.
There is no need to double click to select an item in Pcbnew.
A single click does work just fine, and does so consistently.
It can be a bit finicky what gets selected though.
For selecting a piece of Edge.Cuts, zoom in on the line on an area where there are no other things around before clicking. Usually you do not have to click exactly on an item to select it. You can be one grid point off, and still select a line, which helps if youâve changed the grid in between.
When I double click, KiCad usually selects an item and shows itâs properties window.
Thatâs true - in KiCad the first click selects. Itâs possible that if one tries to double click, the second click deselects or only the second click selects if the mouse move a bit between the clicks. But why doesnât the double click open the properties dialog when both clicks hit the object? I canât explain that.
For unknown reasons, one click does not usually select lines in the edge.cuts layer. It is sporadic, maybe 1 in 20 tries will actually select. Iâve been working around with drag-box selection, but Iâd like to understand why a single click does not select lines.
Default width of graphical lines on Edge Cuts layer is 0.05mm/2mil.
Unless you zoom deeply in, it is difficult to select the line with single click. When I make boards myself, I usually edit the width of lines on EC layer as I plot the board to .pdf for graphical film production, and they needs to be visible on copper to be able to cut the board.
You either zoom way in to be able to position mouse pointer on the line or switch off all layers except EC and select lines for editing with click-drag method.
ZASto seems to be spot on.
Lines on Edge.Cuts are usually thin (For me 0.2mm or 1,968504mil ) and especially lines that do not line up with the grid (slanted lines, arcâs etc) are easier to select when you zoom in to a level that theyâre 10 or more pixels wide.
Dragging a box from right to left seems quicker. (Dragging Left to Right only selects fully enclosed objects).
Also:
Have you noticed that if you move endpoints of lines, it snaps to control points of other lines and arcs and KiCad draws a small circle around it if the snap is recognized.