How to add BMP card layer to PCB

[agapushkinyv]

Hello. I want to reverse (engineer [I guess, Mod]) the board. On to upload a BMP snapshot of the board to the PCB layer?
For example.

[hermit]

@agapushkinyv

I wanted to upload a picture, but the forum allows me to do this.

It should allow you to now. Welcome to the forum.

[paulvdh]

This option has been added to KiCad-nightly about half a year ago:

Post-v6 new features and development news

Bitmaps in the board editor and footprint editor. Assignable to a board layer such that working with multi-layer image sets is seamless:

Both the stable KiCad V6 and KiCad-nightly V6.99 can be installed at the same time on the same PC. Once a project has been saved in the newer format, you can however not open it again in the older format. But when KiCad V7 is released (expected end of January 2023) it can open the V6.99 files, as V6.99 is pretty much the test bed for KiCad V7.

[agapushkinyv]

@agapushkinyv

The video has already added a layer with the board. How to add is not clear.

The video has already added a layer with the board. How to add is not clear.

[paulvdh]

@agapushkinyv

The video has already added a layer with the board. How to add is not clear.

PCB Editor / Place / Add Image

[agapushkinyv]

I don’t have “ADD IMAGE”

[paulvdh]

For me it looks like:

What KiCad version did you use?
Copy (and paste here) the complete info from: PCB Editor / Help / About KiCad / Copy Version Info

For me it looks like:

Application: KiCad PCB Editor

Version: 6.0.9-8da3e8f707~117~ubuntu20.04.1, release build

Libraries:
	wxWidgets 3.0.4
	libcurl/7.68.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1f zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.2.0) libssh/0.9.3/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.40.0 librtmp/2.3

Platform: Linux 5.15.0-56-generic x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, xfce, x11

Build Info:
	Date: Nov 24 2022 00:22:58
	wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8) GTK+ 3.24
	Boost: 1.71.0
	OCC: 7.5.2
	Curl: 7.86.0
	ngspice: 36
	Compiler: GCC 9.4.0 with C++ ABI 1013

Build settings:
	KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
	KICAD_SPICE=ON

[Jonathan_Haas]

@agapushkinyv

I don’t have “ADD IMAGE”

You need to use a current nightly/testing version (6.99) for that feature. Your screenshot is probably from a standard release version (6.0.x).

[paulvdh]

I already wrote it’s only in KiCad-nightly:

@paulvdh

This option has been added to KiCad-nightly about half a year ago:

But it’s easy to read over such details. KiCad version V6 and V6.99 is very difficult to distinguish between from screenshots. Anyway, posting the version info should clarify it quickly.

[agapushkinyv]

Application: KiCad PCB Editor (64-bit)

Version: (6.0.9), release build

Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.2.1
libcurl/7.83.1-DEV Schannel zlib/1.2.12

Platform: Windows 10 (build 19044), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW

Build Info:
Date: Oct 29 2022 23:44:28
wxWidgets: 3.2.1 (wchar_t,wx containers)
Boost: 1.79.0
OCC: 7.6.0
Curl: 7.83.1-DEV
ngspice: 37
Compiler: Visual C++ 1929 without C++ ABI

Build settings:
KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
KICAD_SPICE=ON

[paulvdh]

That is indeed the regular “stable” version of KiCad ant it does not have that feature.

KiCad-Nightly can be installed alongside the stable version. KiCad-Nightly is also in feature freeze for some time and it will become the stable version around the end of January 2023. It can be downloaded and installed from the KiCad website.

There is one important gotcha though. Files saved in KiCad V6.99 format can no longer be opened in the stable KiCad V6.

[agapushkinyv]

OK. where can I download KiCad V6.99?

[paulvdh]

@paulvdh

It can be downloaded and installed from the KiCad website.

If that is not enough, then I may give you another hint tomorrow.

[agapushkinyv]

updated to 6.0.9-93. No buttons

Application: KiCad PCB Editor (64-bit)

Version: (6.0.9-93-gee05b67599), release build

Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.2.1
libcurl/7.86.0-DEV Schannel zlib/1.2.13

Platform: Windows 10 (build 19044), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW

Build Info:
Date: Dec 13 2022 04:10:40
wxWidgets: 3.2.1 (wchar_t,wx containers)
Boost: 1.80.0
OCC: 7.6.2
Curl: 7.86.0-DEV
ngspice: 37
Compiler: Visual C++ 1929 without C++ ABI

Build settings:
KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
KICAD_SPICE=ON

[paulvdh]

I guess that you’re not very familiar with Open Source software and the development of it.

With Open Source software you can often have different versions of the same software installed. There is a “stable” version (Currently V6.0.9 for KiCad) that is intended to be used for projects, and there is a “development” or “nightly” version (Currently V6.99 for KiCad. Nightly versions always end with 99 in their version numbers). The Nighty has all the latest features (such as this bitmap thing) but because the features are being released early in the development process, it’s likely and even expected that the -Nightly version has bugs. The curious people are supposed to live with them, while the engaged people are hunting for such errors and report them back so they can be fixed (This is done on gitlab). The “Nightly” originates from having a new version built literally overnight so there is a fresh version every morning.

KiCad-Nightly has to be installed as a completely separate program, and it also has it’s own configuration directory.

[agapushkinyv]

Thank you. Found 6.99. Everything worked out.