KiCad V8 Cheatsheet

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1

Based on some previous cheatsheets (Thanks @Foalyy), I’ve updated this to version 8. If you’d like to see more/different elements here, let me know.

kicad-cheatsheet-landscape-v8.pdf (474.0 KB)

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I’m not KiCad intensive user (last PCB I designed more than 6 months ago using V7).
Few minutes after I have written it I got a phone that I have to design new PCB and I promised that I will finish it by Tuesday :slight_smile: . It is a new version of old PCB, but it is older than me using KiCad (2017) that I have it in Protel.

I have one suggestion and serie of facts of how I use KiCad that is up to you to draw conclusions regarding cheatsheet.

Suggestion:
Add a section (may be at beginning) with common functions.
I got that idea because I don’t remember I have ever used ‘Expand selection’ or ‘Deselect Items’ at schematic, but I used them at PCB.
At schematic I move single elements or whole blocks, but my blocks are ‘rectangle selectable’.
At PCB if it happens that I have to move a block that is surrounded by other elements it is never rectangle so I spend some time finalizing my selection with these functions.

Facts.

At schematic:

  • I have never used ‘Edit Symbol’, ‘Edit properties’, ‘Edit value’, ‘Add no-connect’, but I know others do,
  • since some time I am adding datasheet to each my symbol to have it fast open from schematic - so [D] I would use more often.
  • I frequently use Ctrl+D to duplicate symbol and to duplicate Label (I use labels to link connection via bus, so to not have to write each label twice and to avoid typing mistakes I typically at once make its copy to be used later).

Symbol Editing:

  • I don’t know where from comes ‘Library Editor’ at your cheatsheet. May be it comes from KiCad history. To open symbol editor I use ‘Symbol Editor’ from main KiCad window,
  • I have never used ‘Create new symbol’ and ‘Import symbol to edit from file’. I always use right-click at symbol name in the tree-view and ‘Save Copy As…’ and then I select just saved new symbol to edit it.
  • I have never used ‘Export current symbol to schematic’. At schematic I use [A] to add at it just created in library new symbol.

Footprint Editor:

  • like in symbols I always start by using ‘Save As…’. For me it is easier to modify something than to build it from beginning. When modifying you have correctly defined pads that you can simply copy (if you need more of them) instead of thinking how new pad have to be specified.

PCB Editor:

  • first function to use at PCB after first Update PCB from Schematic for me is selecting at schematic block by block and using hotkey [P] at PCB,
  • I don’t know what is ‘Switch Viewport’. I have just tried (V8.0.3) and noticed no change at screen.
  • I have never used ‘Add footprint’. To be 100% robust to ‘Update PCB from Schematic’ I have all mounting holes in schematic corner, but may be it is not the best solution,
  • Whenever I use [W] I also use [Shift]+[W],
  • ‘Measure’ I use so rarely that I prefer to use Icon at the right than to need 2 hands to press 3 keys. Even you use it frequently it can be simpler way. I think there are more frequently needed functions than this - for example ‘Draw Zone Fills’ and ‘Draw Zone Outlines’ I certainly use more often then Measure.
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I’ve got the new suggestion.

I think that KiCad became to be enough complicated tool that may be cheatsheet should contain more info.
What about 2 pages cheatsheet with one page dedicated to schematic and second to PCB. In such case there should be no section with common functions, but these information can be doubled.

4

Maybe it would be better to have the cheatsheet just be a hotkey cheatsheet, i.e. not also try to show workflow. The workflow I think you can get from the Getting Started guide, and trying to boil it down to steps on a cheatsheet seems maybe not that useful?

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If this is adopted for the cheat sheet; please include a link to “Getting Started …” , or preferably, to “Docs” for “Getting Started…” and more comprehensive explanations.

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Sure. But in common usage, the point of a cheatsheet is not “introduction to the thing for beginners”, it is “memory aid for users who are already somewhat familiar with the tool but don’t have all the hotkeys or actions memorized yet”

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7

All I wanted was a sentence at the bottom of the cheat sheet to help with exposure to Kicad Docs for newbees.
So many are introduced via youtube or other means, and don’t know/haven’t looked for documentation.

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Maybe add obscure key functions?
eg: hold “Ctrl” disables grid. “Space bar” resets dx / dy

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