It's not convenient to create a multi-unit symbol for there is no bulk edit function for graphics

[xzf16]

Yesterday, I try to create a multi-unit symbol in the symbol editor, this sombol is for a device which contains a PNP transistor and a NPN transitor, so I create a 2 units symbol in the symbol editor.

And then I copy an existing graphics of PNP transitor from KiCAD default symbols to unit A, and then I want to do the same thing for unit B( copying an existiting graphics of NPN transistor to unit B), but now, here is a problem, the graphics’ default property is " Common to all units in symbol", so now, no matter unit A or unit B, both of them a PNP transistor, I want to change the graphics’ properties to disable "common to all units in symbol’, but I found that there is no ‘bulk edit’ function for graphic elements, I need to modify the graphic elements’ properties one by one by clicking each elements by manual, if the graphic is complex and contains many elements, I need to do much work on it, and some elements are very small and they are hard to click/select.

So it’s great if we can have ‘bulk edit’ function for graphic elements in the symbol editor.

Here is KiCAD version
Application: KiCad 符号编辑器 (64-bit)

Version: (6.0.4), release build

Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.1.5
libcurl/7.78.0-DEV Schannel zlib/1.2.11

Platform: Windows 10 (build 18363), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW

Build Info:
Date: Mar 18 2022 03:04:44
wxWidgets: 3.1.5 (wchar_t,wx containers)
Boost: 1.76.0
OCC: 7.6.0
Curl: 7.78.0-DEV
ngspice: 36
Compiler: Visual C++ 1928 without C++ ABI

Build settings:
KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
KICAD_SPICE=ON

[jmk]

I’ll confirm this behavior.
When copy/paste a symbol to one part of a new two part symbol and “all units are interchangeable” is unticked only the pins respond to this action. The graphic items are placed on both symbol parts and the only way to remove the wrong graphic parts is to individually highlight each element and untick “common to all units in symbol”. Deleting the offending parts removes those parts from both symbol parts.

This may be a bug.

I’d thought all parts, not just the pins, would respond to an unticked “all units are interchangeable”.
These are part A and part B of the symbol.

Anyone with any thoughts on this???

EDIT:
Program exhibits exactly the same behavior with “all units are interchangeable” ticked instead of unticked.

[mf_ibfeew]

There are two different issues here.

1.) copied symbol-graphics from a one-unit-symbol are copied into all units of multi-unit-symbol. This is currently not a really bug, but a consequence of copy/paste. If one examines the properties of the original symbol-graphics one can see that the “common to all units” checkbox is set (and not changeable) at the source-symbol of the copy-action. (see picture). So it’s understandable that copy/paste retains this property and the graphics inserted into the new multi-unit-symbol are also “common to all units” as standard.

edit: Sometimes my memory/brain is a little bit slow. You can also read the open issue Allow pasting graphics to single element (#9402) · Issues · KiCad / KiCad Source Code / kicad · GitLab

2.) The second issue is that the following modification can only be done individually. This is already recognized as a weak point. For instance Property Inspector for EEschema (#6351) · Issues · KiCad / KiCad Source Code / kicad · GitLab should give some relieve for the symbol designer. There could be also an feature-request to get the “Edit Text & Graphics properties”-Tool from eeschema to symbol editor.

[xzf16]

Hi,

Are you developer of KiCAD? And is there anyone will solve this issue?

[mf_ibfeew]

Are you developer of KiCAD?

No. But I’m reading every now and then at this forum and at gitlab and sometimes also complain (create issues) about bugs at gitlab.

And is there anyone will solve this issue?

I don’t know.
But for me it’s no showstopper, the issues are recognized in the gitlab-error-base (currently >1400 different things open), some day someone will decide to change the code. (Or not. I have no influence on that so I don’t care).
If you want to put effort into this for yourself - try to write in the gitlab-issues to get an idea if there is already ongoing work.