Thank you!
Scripting: Sounds like a great answer… if I knew enough! I know a bit about programming. With the scripting answer, I’m guessing I add a bit of custom code somewhere, and then something triggers it somehow? (A few bits of learning needed, as you can see! If someone can give some pointers towards this solution, maybe he/she would be kind enough start a new thread, title “Add a feature” or somesuch? Or post a URL in this thread to the “how to” that must be out there somewhere, if only I could devise a suitable search phrase?
Custom component: That looks more immediately do-able.
Here’s how far I’ve got with it… and what I say below applies whether I “mis-use” the field of a component like a resistor (the easy answer), or of a component created for the purpose (the right answer, as soon as a newbie can make his own components… a “basic” skill, more than worth the effort to learn!)…
If I put the version ID in a component’s value, it flows through from schematic, where I set it for the whole project, to everywhere else effortlessly. But, unless I’m missing something, I have to have all of the components’ values printed on my board to get any of them? I don’t think I want that!
If I put it in a component’s reference, that works better in terms of the result… I am quite happy to have all the references on the PCB.
But.
Each time I change the component’s reference field, unless I am missing something (?), I have to…
Regenerate (from eeSchema) the netlist
Re-run cvPCB
– Assign a footprint to the “new” component
Go to pcbNew.
– Delete the “version” component currently on it.
– Re-read netlist
– Move the version component to the right place… again.
Have I missed ways to streamline that?
Thanks!..