I have a dumb question about a copy and paste from one eeschema instances to another eeschema launched from a kicad project. Is this possible? I ask because, many moons ago I was a VLSI designer and the tool we used was very similar to KiCad, with one exception, you could launch 2 unique instances of the program and copy and paste between them. This is extremely useful and I’m surprised that KiCad doesn’t support this (it seems like it did once). It seems if you put something in a copy buffer, it shouldn’t be locked to the program it came from? Maybe there is something fundamental I’m missing here. Anyone know if this is something being looked at, if there is a bug that I can follow on the subject? Maybe I’m just searching for the wrong thing…
This is not possible right now, although you’re not the only one missing it 
You can accomplish this with “Append Sheet” (search for it), it’s just less convenient.
Even copy paste between sheets in same schema is complex and non optimal.
You should be able to do a simple copy / cut with your right mouse button once you have selected something and paste using the same divine famous right click mouse button.
This special symbol and copy block magic is just unnecessary complicated.
Also and more importantly.
You should be able to select if you want net names and Refdes copied.
As of now Refdes is dropped in this process.
Also you should be able to use exact same mechanism to copy paste between symbols.
Non related and also between units within same symbol???
How I wish for symbols to be free floating and tied together in a part, together with its footprint, and other data.
Like,
Type, connector, capacitor, resistor etc
Manufacturer.
Mounting type (th, smd, press fit)
Height.
Price.
Weight.
Tolerance.
Value. Units picked depending on type.
Last modified date.
Modified by whom.
Etc etc.
I like this tool, but this seems to be an unfortunate limit at the time. I’m just so lazy to find out what the issue is in the code, I’m sure if I had a week or two of free time, I would just put the effort into it… Too many other priorities getting in the way… Perhaps I will put an intern on it:)
After 5 years there are any news on this topic? Is now possible to copy&paste across different instances of EESchema? It would just require to use the system clipboard to store the block data.
Is implemented in KiCad-nightly V5.99.
I have just today copied (5.1.9) part of schematic from one project to another (I didn’t used different instances so I’m not sure what is the answer to your question).
You have to run EESchema not form KiCad main window but directly. Under Windows I have placed the shortcut to eeschema.exe at desktop for that purpose. Then open one schematic, copy, open another, paste.
Not sure, but probably with KiCad 4.0.7 it also worked that way.
In the last few years several improvements have been made to the Copy & Paste functionality, but I can’t remember which improvement was made when.
As far as I know, in KiCad V5.1, Copy & Paste is still limited to within a single instance of Eeschema. In KiCad-nightly V5.99 you can have multiple instances of Eeschema open, copy from one instance and paste into another. In V5.99 there is also an option for “Paste Special” that preserves the Reference (RefDes) values.
There are some workarounds for KiCad V5.1. One way is to first: Eeschema / File / Append Schematic Sheet Contents. Another way is to first add a hierarchical sheet and use the existing “other” sheet as the filename, then copy information from it and then delete the hierarchical sheet again.
Thanks. Yes, I know these workarounds but they are very unhandy. Often I have to copy a lot of parts from different schematics and a “standard” copy&paste would be very appreciated.
I hope the v5.99 will be released soon as stable!
Wow, that was 5 years ago…
I’ve been doing a bit of copy / paste between schematics lately… if I have just one instance of EESchema running, I just copy, save, open the destination schematic, then paste, save.
I find it forces one to think ahead when having to follow such a ‘serial’ workflow.
It would be nice to have a ‘preserve annotations’ option when copying though!
In 5.99 there’s Paste Special which can keep annotations.
In 5.99: Edit -> Paste Special, and check “Keep existing annotations, even if they are duplicated”
edit: @eelik is too fast
I’ve just tried your workflow with v5.1.9 but it does not work for me:
- open EESchema
- make a selection and copy
- open another project (without the same Kicad instance)
- try to paste: fail. “Nothing to paste”
What am I missing here?
The v5.99 version, future 6.0 version.
Copy and paste between projects doesn’t work in v5.1.x
EESchema has to be run in stand-alone mode, not from within the project manager.
Ah, that’s it. What a pity.
Well, we need to wait the v6 release then.
Close all parts of Kicad. Use file manager and double click on the .sch file to copy from.
Select a block ^C copy block.
Now, File Open the .sch to past to. ^V gives you the block back.
Save your work and close.
Now reopen the normal way.