I strongly recommand not to apply selection filter to the network highlight net function (again)

[xzf16]

Hi all,

I have post this issue in this form and gitlab before, but maybe most people ignored it, so I post it here again.

The network higlight function has bothering me for a long time in KiCAD 6.0 version during routing because the selection filter is applying to the network highlight function. This makes the PCB routing very unconvinient and uncomfortable.

During PCB rounting, I always de-active/uncheck pad in the selection filter because most of time I don’t need to move/modify pads because most of pads are in their footprint and don’t need to be done any modification on pads, if I active/check the pads in the selection filter, it has a chance to do a misopration on the pad of a footprint, espeacially if the footprint only contains a pad(for example, a test point), there are a lot of time that when active/check the pads in the selection filter and I try to move a test point, only the pad of test point has been moved but the other part of the footpint stay in the original place. So during routing, I need to de-active/uncheck pads in the selection filter to avoid misoperation on pads.

But when I de-active/uncheck pads in selection filter, the highlight network function will not work on a pad. At the begining of the PCB rounting, there is no wires, no vias on a PCB, there are only footprint and PCB edge on the screen, and at that time, I need to using network hightlight function to see the connection of each footprint and then move the footprint to the right place, so during this operation, I need to active/check the pads in the selection filter first and then highlight a pad in a footprint to see the connection, and then de-active/uncheck the pads in the selection filter to avoid misoperation for pad and then move the footprint to a right place.

So during PCB routing, espeacially at begining, I need to active and de-active the pads in the selection filter frequently, and this operation will cost me much time. But I don’t think this is a necessary step. The highlight network function has built in filter, it only affects to pad, via, wire, polygon, and it shall affect them which has the same net at the same time. So I think there is no need to apply the selection filter to the network high light function again. Of course, add a switch to the setting is also acceptable.

I have written a lot, I hope you can understand what I say, I am a Chinese, maybe some expression is not very well. But I hope you can consider this issue again, this issue has made me going to crazy.

Thanks

[mf_ibfeew]

if I active/check the pads in the selection filter, it has a chance to do a misopration on the pad of a footprint, … and I try to move a test point, only the pad of test point has been moved but the other part of the footpint stay in the original place
…
So during routing, I need to de-active/uncheck pads in the selection filter to avoid misoperation on pads.

It’s possible to prevent such manual pad-moving if you uncheck the "free-pads-checkbox; with Preferences → pcb-editor → editing-options → Allo Free Pads.

Regarding the original proposal “don’t use selection filter for highlight” I’m ambivalent. On the one hand I like consistant behaviour. (so selection filter affects all). On the other hand I understand also your arguments. I think on either decision there will people who don’t like it.

[xzf16]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. The switch for ‘allow free pads’ is great, I will try it.

And I think if you are ambivalent, maybe add a switch for Hightlight network function is a good idea.

[poco]

Net highlighter under selection filter also annoys me very mutch. Please upvote: Add option to not pass net highlight selection through the selection filter (#6977) · Issues · KiCad / KiCad Source Code / kicad · GitLab

Edit: you already voted, if understood correctly

[paulvdh]

Two workarounds / alternatives:

If you leave the filter on, so pads can always be selected, then you can do a long klick on apad (hold the mouse button down for approx 0.8 seconds) and you get a popup to refine your selection.

You can use PCB Editor / tools / Inspect / Net Inspector. With the net inspector you can select and highlight nets by clicking in the grid array. You can also select multiple lines and highlight multiple nets at the same time. This works quite good on a dual-monitor setup. You can then put the net inspector on that other monitor and have it always open.

[xzf16]

Yes, I have voted it.