Hi, first post, and already searched for an answer here and elsewhere.
I would like to create a table of text in a schematic. (A list of jumper settings in this case.) I tried entering a tab in the Text Properties dialog, but that just advances me out of the text window to the next button. Pasting in a tab with cmd-v works somewhat, but creates a ‘?’ on the schematic. I also tried aligning the table using spaces, but that doesn’t look right because it’s probably not a fixed width font.
I found a message here that suggested creating separate vertical text boxes, but that is a big kludge. (Also, I need at least 8 columns.)
Creating “multiple vertical text boxes” is a kludge / workaround, but I’ve also used it on occasion and it works reasonably well, especially for small tables.
Another way is to not put the table in your schematic, but only a link to your documentation. Links to (.pdf) datasheets are common in schematics, but those links can also point to bitmaps, text files or “other”.
Yet another method is to instead of putting text boxes directly in the schematic, is to design a custom schematic symbol for your table.
I don’t think it can be done with KiCAD as it exists today. I would certainly welcome the ability to create tables. Your example is one of several situations where an organized table of information would be useful. Other situations include displaying alternative component values (e.g., for changing a power supply between 120V and 240V line voltages), a table of general fabrication notes (e.g., “The board shall be 1.6mm nominal thickness”, “The silkscreen shall use white ink”, “The soldermask shall be green.”, etc), a table summarizing changes between revision levels, a table summarizing the number and size of drill holes, etc.
If you submit this as a wishlist item, please link the bug tracking number here, so others can add their “Me too!” votes.
I don’t like the idea of having external links, because packaging the documentation needs extra care then. (Making sure that the links points to some relative path, etc.)
Interesting idea! But a lot of work for something which should be a simple operation.
This make me think may be if KiCad adopt the markdown syntax for comment text would give us a good amount of cool features list, table, index, link, image, quote,…etc.
It was pointed out to me on Launchpad that work in this area was done in the 6.0 nightlies. I tested it in today’s version (2019-07-26), and tabs work as expected!
There is 2 features that the developers are working right now:
Allow tab / column format in the text: https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1769193
(at the Nightly its allowing the tab character, but you have to copy and past one, because the graphical interface still not allowing to type a tab).
Cross reference in the text: https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1835921
Thanks for those launchpad references, sounds good! It would be nice if they could combine this with the markdown formatting.
Odd, I don’t have the tab problem. I can enter tabs just fine and they display correctly. (That is on the nightly 2019-07-26 for OSX 10.14). However, if I save that schematic and load it into 5.1.2, it just shows ‘?’ again instead of tabs. So the bug affects both the input section as well as the rendering onto the schematic.
