Hello,
I discovered that it’s not possible to navigate through the symbol or footprint tree with using the arrow keys as upon pressing moves the crosshair in the editing window.
So I was expecting a tree navigation style like for the tree in Windows Explorer or similar.
Any hints, if this behavior can be changed?
Cheers,
Hannes
In general: clicking into to the treeview-panel, so that treeview-panel gets the mouse-focus. Than the cursor keys should work in that panel.
additional hint: you should always include the kicad version (v5.xx / v6.xx / v7.xx / v7.99 ) in your question. Also about which dialog/window/editor exactly is your question?
Hi @mf_ibfeew ,
I mean that it’s the same in both the symbol and footprint editor. The side panel where you select the items.
I want the library to collapse or extract, when I press Left or Right.
Yes the up down arrows are going through the items, but Left and Right move the mouse pointer inside the editing window.
Ok, so this regards both library editors.
You can collapse/extract libraries with ENTER.
The left/right cursor keys currently are not used in the treeview, so they get forwarded to the main canvas window.
There is no setting to change the behaviour, this would need a sourcecode change. (gitlab issue must be opened).
However as Kicad has to work with 3 different OS (Win, Mac, Linux) I don’t know if this approach works (and is applicable) for all systems.
Hm that’s bad 
I just tried it out because I wanted to check through footprints of one of the KiCad libraries.
What “Enter” does is opening the highlighted footprint and then sets the cursor to the top of the whole footprint tree! And of course when I press the Down key then it goes from this position.
So this is clearly a bug. Also why would it make sense to make tree navigation behave differently from the well known and also more intuitive way?
Further the footprint should open right when the user clicks on it or cycles through with the arrow keys. So no extra double click or Enter action should be necessary.
What “Enter” does is opening the highlighted footprint and then sets the cursor to the top of the whole footprint tree.
This bug is already fixed. (That’s why we always want to know the used kicad version). Try to update, or download the latest “testing” version from the kicad–>windows–>download section.
If you have already a working kicad v7 installation than the “testing-lite” download is enough.
Further the footprint should open right when the user clicks on it or cycles through with the arrow keys. So no extra double click or Enter action should be necessary.
I have mixed feelings for this idea. In principle yes, but what do we do with the intermediate changes made to the current edited footprint?
Also than every click onto the treeview panel will directly switch the main canvas view to that new clicked footprint/symbol.
I’m not sure this makes life easier or harder in the end.
So the user is confronted with flashing images when the down key is held as a scroll to reach the twenty-ninth symbol in the library?
So the user is confronted with flashing images when the down key is held as a scroll to reach the twenty-ninth symbol in the library?
yes, that would be the result with the proposal implemented.
Note that the Add footprint/Add symbol dialog already work that way. But I’m not sure the same should apply to the library-editors.
The underlying conceptual problem is that the same window tries to work as both list editor and graphic editor. There are several problems with that.
Sorry Mf_ibfeew, subtle irony often doesn’t work very well. I should have used a suitable emoticon.
The comment was aimed at @KeyCat , and really meant: “What will you do with this new problem on the screen”.
I suppose the flashing images could be hidden with a time delay, then all users would be able to curse from now 'till breakfast about how slow the programme is to respond and open. 
Kicad is, as its name suggests, a CAD programme. All cad programmes are different and all are full of compromises. It is the nature of the beast. Users adapt, or find something else.
As for @KeyCat expecting a navigation style like Windows Explorer, my reply is: “Why, it is not Windows Explorer”.
To supply Keycat regarding the left/right arrow keys: the librarytree in the Add footprint / Add symbol already supports these keys.
So my previously statement (“be careful with 3x different OS, don’t take windows explorer as main example”) seems to be not valid.
So for this aspect (cursor key left+right == collapse/expanse libraries) a gitlab issue would be reasonable. It would also harmonize the behaviour (==user experience) between Add footprint/symbol dialog and similar looking treeview on library editors.
Honestly this stuff falls more under accessibility rather than just UX
But a known and intuitive user interface principle should be adopted with new software in my opinion.
Regarding the flashing images it should be implemented this way that to only display the symbol/footprint, when the key is released.
@mf_ibfeew
Ok, I have to try out the recent build then, thank you for the hint.
Hi, and not being offensive, here I have to ask “known and intuitive to whom?”
The last time I used Windows it was called XP, and is that function used by the Mac. brigade?
Kicad’s intention is to operate across most platforms.
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