But it could definitely have an option to “Show Ref/Value” when moving a footprint. I am not against it.
Why? The Ref and the Value is going to appear in the status bar
I know, and like I have written: the status bar is far from the clicked footprint. This requires head movement, new eye focus. It’s convenient that the ref-value is just displayed directly near the place where I clicked and selected something on the canvas. Not that the other solutions (statusbar, highlighted symbol in schematic window) don’t work - but not as ergonomic.
Otherwise, you can set Ref/Vaue to visible too since you don’t care with these things in front of you.
No - this is very false and I don’t said that. I have ref+value disabled for 95% of time (only for finish silkscreen + fabrication layer it’s enabled). I care of ref+value for the selected footprint - not for all footprints (way to crowded on dense boards).
But it could definitely have an option to “Show Ref/Value” when moving a footprint. I am not against it.
Like I said above: disabling the ref/value display during movement could be a good feature request - even without settings switch.
I’m only against completely disabling the ref/value display of selected footprints.
Ah, ok makes sense to me. I also don’t like to move my head and change focus. Especially when I am working busy.
It took years to teach my coworkers they can talk and discuss using things like computers since they always want to pass by my place to ask shit. Well, I thank the pandemic for that help.
Do you know what would be good then?
To display Ref/Value, of a different lawyer, when moving part. For instance, F.Fab/B.Fab
Then you can change them together and keep the sizes in the smaller format (like inside the footprint)… It could also have a button to automatically improve the placement of the Ref/Values of F.Fab/B.Fab if they are messed around.
Or even better, instead of Showing the layers, the mouse could have a field with text with this info close to it. Like the info, it displays when you are tunning a track.
What for do you need to know ref-value of footprint when you are moving it?
Ref tells me really nothing. I don’t remember references of symbols at schematic.
The value can have some info - 100k resitsor can be routed with thin tracks while 1R may be not.
If you need it to locate it at paper printed schematic than argument of displaying near the clicked place fails you have to look somewhere off the screen.
What for do you need to know ref-value of footprint when you are moving it?
During moving: no need. During normal selection (so before the movement starts): it shows me that I have selected the right footprint (if I want to move exactly this footprint). Yes, I remember the ref from switching between schematic <–> board. Not always, but often enough I find this helpful.
Same for the value - during movement no need. At normal selection time: helps to distingush between footprints.
See my answer to leoheck why I prefer the display of ref/value for selected footprints: it’s just convenient. It’s possible to get the information elsewhere - but all other solutions require more concentration or mousemovement. And reduce the needed concentration is always welcomed by me.
I have filled the issue:
Can’t all requirements you describe be met by just having ref and/or values permanently visible?
The question here is: If you hide them in Objects tab then what is the utility to show them after you press M at pointed by mouse footprint.
Can’t all requirements you describe be met by just having ref and/or values permanently visible?
No, see my answer to leoheck: all ref+value on == completely crowded view. That’s no solution. For me the current solution works very well - I get the ref/value automatically at the time I can use them.
I have my position described, I respect your view, but I think we have partly different opinions on this topic.
One last hint: If you turn of F.silkscreen + F.Fab (the layers), than the ref+value are not shown. If you position the footprints according to the courtyard than maybe you could give up on the silkscreen layer.
sorry for the noise, I just recalled that you placed ref/value on courtxard layer. Than my hint will not work. But than your usecase is very special.
Probably yes but I don’t understand why it is special and not typical. For me our solution is logically justified.
We used to do our documentation (since over 20 years) in a form of two pictures. At one you have Courtyard footprint rectangles with refs inside (it is for assembly manufacturer to let him see BOM element positions at PCB). At second the same but with values (it is for us - when measuring anything at PCB element values and not refs are what lets me understand what is going on here).
With courtyard rectangles because it gives as lot of area for undisturbed by any picture ref/value texts as possible. Separate files because there are not enough room for both ref and value at one (as an example imagine 3x6 matrix of 0603 placed touching each other).
I decided to use courtyard and not silk for it because I can use thinner lines at courtyard than at silk and at courtyard I can mark for example diode cathode without worrying that my line crosses the pad.
As I have written I would like to have separate layer pair for it but KiCad doesn’t have any.
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