Kicad_advanced , I tried using the hidden function in the file editing menu. (nightly build9.99-)

Software
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I’m using a feature that was recently merged into the nightly build.

I tried using this because it makes it easier to edit the hidden function settings in the kicad_advanced file that has been around for a while.

To enable it on Windows, follow these steps:

C:\Users>echo ON> %appdata%\kicad\9.99\kicad_advanced
C:\Users>set KICAD_EDIT_ADVANCED_CFG=1
C:\Users>“C:\Program Files\KiCad\9.99\bin\kicad.exe”

KiCad project programm menu → Edit → Edit Advanced config…

There are many settings to choose from, but the two features I plan to use regularly are:

ConfigurableToolbars=1
ShowRouterDebugGraphics=1

One thing to note is that values ​​that you have not set will also be recorded in the hidden file, so there is a possibility that you may continue to use a value without realizing it when the default value changes.

Thank you for developer hard work in development.

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for linux systems:

 > export KICAD_EDIT_ADVANCED_CFG=1
 > kicad-nightly
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But bear in mind that the reason these features are hidden in the nightly build is that they are still in development and may not be feature complete or stable. Developers may not be able to provide prompt fixes.

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@tama

Apart from discussing bugs, it is hardly worth mentioning how to use future features until they are in a stable release used by the majority.

What is described, read and written now, may be different, and; probably forgotten, by the release time.

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those are correct warnings, but please don’t scare away people who would like to be on the cutting edge of the development cycle; i think that trying to use undocumented code is a good metric to evaluate the userfriendliness of the process and some good can be made out of it.

Usually, people who are using the nightlies are generally more aware of what they are doing than most.

(i have done some real work for almost a year with 7.99, and it was not so different from 8.x)

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6

The steps for getting the Kicad Advanced menu item to appear are unlikely to change.

There are 3 general categories in the advanced settings:

  1. flags to control the exposure of features still being developed
  2. flags to control the appearance of debugging aids
  3. customization of some internal settings such as the DRC epsilon

The features controlled by (1) are likely to change, as are the set of flags that comprise (1).

Items in (2) and (3) are reasonably stable.

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I’d no intentions of scaring anyone. I’ve played with X.99 for years, even found the occasional bug.

My thoughts were:
It is 9.99.
Features, or their access, may change in development programs.
What goes into this forum can be accessed for years.
If changes occur with respect to access on Windows, a user searching this forum sometime in the future could be confused by the information offered here.

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In the past, there have been many cases of confusion due to different versions. The reason is clear: either the article doesn’t mention which version it is, or readers don’t realize it’s an outdated relic. So when you talk about something, you should at least specify which version you’re using and the steps to reproduce it, so readers will get used to reading it.

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It’s not “may not”. It is “won’t” for prompt fixes. They are hidden to work on over time, not rush. They may be features that don’t get unhidden for more than a year even.

If the feature is new and not hidden by this config file, it’s something that will be addressed promptly.

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