How does alignment tool work in PCBNew?

Schematic
1

I tried to find the pattern on how align tool works in PCBNew, but it seems too random, and I couldn’t find anything in docs.
So, how do I align two components?
There’s component A and component B, and those components are not necessarily footprints (e.g. a line from EdgeCuts layer, and a footprint), and I want to align them to left? How to do it? Is it different than aligning to top, or any other side?

1 Like
2
  • Select items one by one with a mouse click in combination with Ctrl,
  • or select a region,
  • position the mouse at a desired target position,
  • right click and select the alignment method.

You will have to play with it to get a feel how to select and point.

3

I tried it with two footprints, and it seems to work.
However, if I select a line from Edge.Cuts and a footprint, I hover the mouse above the line (far away from the footprint), right-click, select ‘align to middle’, and the line is moved instead of the footprint.

4

That’s about right.

Align middle is an alignment vertically between selected items. Perhaps you need center, which is a horizontal alignment etc.

Have a close look at those align symbols. There is a line inside each symbol indicating the orientation of alignment.

5

But it shouldn’t be right.
I want to put a footprint in the center of the board. So I want to do “align middle” where footprint would move to its place relative to the edge line above it.
I select them both, move mouse over edge line and click align-middle, but the line moves, instead of the footprint.
When I have two footprints, rightclicking one of them and selecting align method would leave that footprint in place, and the other one (which is not under mouse pointer) would move…

6

For that it seems you would need to use distribute twice. Horizontal and then vertical.
Select left right edge, distribute horizontal, then select bottom, top and distribute vertical.
Together with the item of course.

7

I already did it somehow, that’s not a problem.
Problem is that align tool doesn’t work consistently.

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