Is there a way to tell KiCAd Footprint Editor to use same color set as what is set for the PCB? Ideally, I would like the Footprint Editor to track colors with PCB, as I am very color blind and still making adjustments to new v8 install.
Yes, I did read through a lot of layout related threads but found nothing like this one.
Hmm? Both the PCB editor and the footprint editor have under Preferences a section called Color. In there you can choose one of the preinstalled themes (read-only), or a user defined theme that you have created. As far as I can see you can share a user defined theme between both editors.
Themes are described here in the official documentation:
Thanks for the help! Maybe I have found a bug?
From in the Footprint Editor, Preferences does see my color Theme file,
same as what comes up in the PCB Editor, yet Footprint Editor does not follow the colors within the Theme file. I do not see anything to click to tell it to actually use the Theme file.
Looks like the preview is showing Jeff colors, where F.Cu is blue, when it’s normally Red.
Yes, the preview does show Jeff_colors correctly.
Problem is, on the far right, the Footprint Editor is showing KiCad default under Appearance/Layers. I want the Appearance/Layers to track with the PCB and it does not. However, if I add in a new footprint to the layout, it does understand the Jeff_Colors theme colors properly. I am getting a sense I have missed something…aka a Homer Simpson moment.
Did you also tell the PCB Editor to use Jeff colors? Each tool has its own preference.
Or maybe once put on the PCB, the footprints have somehow to be refreshed to use the changed theme. That is beyond my pay grade since I don’t use themes.
Yes. I set up Jeff_Colors theme in PCB editor, but not in Symbol Editor. If the symbol editor has a separate theme file that need to be set up, then that is probably my problem…I did not set up both.
No, I didn’t mention symbol editor at all, I meant PCB editor. Symbol editor would be a different situation since it deals with symbols for schematics, not PCBs and footprints.
Ok, I did an experiment. I opened an existing project in the PCB editor which uses the current KiCad Default theme, then switched it to the ancient KiCad Classical theme, where B.Cu is green. The colours of the copper changed immediately, as did the colours in the layer visibility panel. So if you choose Jeff colors in the PCB editor, it should change right away.
You also didn’t mention your KiCad version. Always do that, in case it’s a fixed bug and you haven’t updated to the latest patch level.
I am using latest v8.0.5 installed last night.
I can’t get the color correct in the footprint editor, but as soon as the footprint is added to the layout the colors correct themselves. Not gonna fight it any more this week. Bigger fish to fry. Thank you!
8.0.5 is not the latest. 8.0.8 is, and 8.0.9 is coming soon.
I don’t think there were bugs fixed related to this, but then again I’m not sure.
Your screenshots don’t really make clear: did you set your custom color theme in the footprint editor settings which are different from the PCB editor settings? Your screenshot shows you changing the theme for the PCB editor. You have the Footprint Editor settings expanded, but you don’t show the Colors page under Footprint Editor which is what controls how that editor appears.
When I just tried this, it works as expected to change the colors in the footprint editor. You have to change it in both places if you want to use the same theme in the footprint editor and the board editor.
Doh! Just verified I am running v8.0.8
I can manually set up the colors in the footprint editor.
Just thought there might be a less than brute force approach.
I set the color theme in the PCB editor settings.
I have other more important issues to address.
Thanks craftyjon!
I am not sure what you mean here, but if you first create a theme in the PCB editor, you can use the same theme in the footprint editor without re-creating it. You just need to select the custom theme you created.
You have to accept the theme change by clicking Ok which will then close the Preferences > Color dialog window. Then only will the Appearance column change.