Kicad 5 roadmap posted

Community
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Just saw that the roadmap for next release was posted:
http://ci.kicad.org/job/kicad-doxygen/ws/Documentation/doxygen/html/v5_road_map.html

Some great enhancements mentioned there:
-Net highlighting in both schematic and layout :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-Keepout areas support in footprints :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-Arbitrary footprints :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Kinda dissapointed hierarchical layout not planned to be directly supported - but a framework is metioned so :thumbsup: :thumbsup: for that too.

Didn’t see there:
-Filled DXF file import support.
-Hatched/patterned ground plane copper pour.

Looks great anyways (not to mention the background format overhaul…)

Matan

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That must be script-able with the python console.

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Here’s a deck of slides Wayne shared during the hack chat over at hackaday.io

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ng6CtJ1Hh6NU11UTRrbzZBYjg/view

and if you’re interested in the whole transcript of the chat, follow this link

2 Likes
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Thanks for the links.
If Release 5 includes removal of Legacy Canvas, “soon” might be some time

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Yeah, I questioned that in the IRC channel and some of the others were confused about that. I can only hope Wayne just messed up the order of some of the items.

KiCad really needs a release soon. There are so many huge features that have only received testing by people using nightlies.

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In the IRC Wayne said that he had been hoping for a pre-release for FOSDEM, but has slipped. Full turn off of Legacy would leave too many holes, unless his build is far ahead of Nightly.
I am all for continuing deprecation of Legacy, but right now I still have to switch to it frequently due to a few things missing

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Time to do some testing, looking at the Nightly build size two big steps in file size happened on the 16th and the 19th this month, so something significant has been added

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I am looking forward to via stitching, that will be useful.

I thought that complex pad shapes were already in v5, or is there something more planned for v6? I would like to create octagonal through hole pads…