I’m working on a layout in KiCad and was wondering if there’s a simple way to arrange a group of footprints in a row or column with a specific distance between them — like 2.54 mm or 100 mil between centers.
I know about the Align/Distribute and Move Relative tools, but they don’t quite do what I’m looking for. Align/Distribute just spaces them evenly, and Move Relative works well for one footprint at a time — but doing that for many components gets a bit tedious.
What I’m hoping for is a way to:
Select a group of footprints.
Choose a spacing value.
Automatically arrange them in a row, column, or even a grid.
Just curious if there’s a feature, plugin, or even a workflow that can help with this. Any tips or ideas would be really appreciated!
I tried using the Create Array tool as recommended, but it looks like it’s duplicating the selected footprint(s) instead of just repositioning them. My goal wasn’t to create new components — I only wanted to rearrange the existing ones in a straight row or column with a specific spacing (like 2.54 mm between centers).
Is there a way to arrange existing footprints this way, without duplicating?
Or maybe a plugin or script that can help with aligning and spacing a selected group?
In v9, you can replace your existing footprints with the new array, then resync the PCB with the schematic, using the “re-link by reference” option to link the new footprints to the existing schematic symbols. Remember to turn that option off again when you are done, or it will make undesirable changes to the PCB if you change reference designators in the schematic.
Alternatively, use the array tool to make an array of something else (vias, say), and then snap the footprints on that, before removing the guide items. Or use the grid as mentioned above. Changing grids is a common thing to do, and you can even have presets for each specific use (including a name, and X and Y pitches).
Remembering though, that as KiCAD does not support any type of ‘magnetic’ snap to endpoints (relies on grid spacing), your ability to route track or wire might be compromised.
