I was used to do it that way because Protel 3 (I was using) spend long time filling zones if some GND vias were not connected with tracks. For one not connected via it could be a minute, but for 10 not connected you can wait half of hour to get zones filled.
When I moved to KiCad it was also said that you have to connect such vias by tracks but soon when V5 will be released you will not have to do it so I just waited for V5 to start using KiCad. I’m not doing connections with tracks that will be done by zone when filled.
To not be disturbed by connection lines during working I hide GND connection lines.
It’ s a working way.
BTW with my PC and kicad8, using my way to do, the filling time is less than 1 second also for very wide areas.
If this new version 9 includes this behaviour (I do not want to say BUG yet, because so far nobody did tell me what I am doing wrong) I will go back to V8.
But I am sure that my way to draw is not wrong because it worked (and still works) fine from V5 to V8.
So, the best answer would be from someone from Kicad trying to explain to me what and why I am doing wrong.
Anyway personal opinions are always very wellcome.
I prefer to draw also the GND in order to prevent ground loops and to have a single ground node.
Basically, the ground is always my first lane drawn.
BTW since I have to finish this job, I will switch back to V8 for a while.
That was easy!
Why do you have circles as edge cuts?
I just removed them and draw a new edge cuts.
But maybe you have done it that way since 30 years and it is absolutely the better way. I don’t know, I’m using KiCad since abot 10 years.
It’s 30 years I draw the GND too.
About the circle, I do not know why there is a circle. In V8 version there is a circular cutting edge.
I check immediatly. Thanks.
Here it is!
Removed all GNDPWR traces and the 5V traces.
Assigned one plane to GNDPWR and the other one to 5V. Took only about 4 vias and about 5 connections.
I don’t know why you have used user1 and user2(?) I removed them and added a edgecuts. You’ll have to adjust that.
Fill area problem 2.zip (437.9 KB)
Circle cutting edges removed. I can fill
Added a circle cutting edge and again the problem appeairs.
But at this point is no longer a problem.
BTW, the circle cutting edge in V8 always warked so far and always had good PCB.
I will use the Hole symbol.
Thanks so far.
That’s how my layout looks like.
Also, you should use tools-> cleanup tracks and viad (haven’t done it in my altered and uploaded version).
My suggestion can be improved. U1 shouldn’t have a via at pin 1, but have a trace to C2
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I don’t route GND at all.
I always have one layer full GND so when routing I assume that I have GND everywhere one via from me.
I shown one my PCB here:
I haven’t used User1 and User2. In my original Kicad8 they are not used (double checked right now). All these weird things appeared after loaded in V9 and saved.
I also have a version in which i got this:
It’s not long time I use KiCad, I started some years ago from V5, and so far I never had problems neither using it nor changing version.
Some doubts yes, of course, and some info request here into the forum. But this is the first time I have so bizarre behaviour.
I think that for some reason the conversion got corrupted.
I will redraw the schematic from scratch directly in V9, and see what happens.
Thanks.
This could happen if you open a 9.0 project in 8.0 older than 8.0.9. Delete the .kicad_prl file, or turn on objects visibility in “Objects” tab of Appearance panel.
Solved. Thanks to everybody.
Redrawn schematic in kicad9. Generated schematic and proceeded same way as V8.
No problem at all. Filling areas working exactly as always seen in previous versions of KiCad.
My only possible esplaination is that the conversion made by opening a V8 schematic and saving it as V9 did generate some convertion errors.
If you want more investigation please post the original V8 project . . .
Hello, I too am having a problem getting a zone fill with KiCad 9. I have a board outline on the edge cuts layer and have all my THT parts laid out on the front copper layer. I go to the back copper layer and do a filled outline and call the net pwr_gnd. I followed the board outline except in the four corners that are rounded, so the zone is rectangular and goes beyond the board outline. The outline has short hash marks indicating it is a proper zone. Problem is when I do a “all zones fill” (it is the only zone) nothing happens, still have the hash marks, but no solid fill. What am I missing? Help and thanks.
I have a few boards that started in V8 and ended in V9 (with and without layout). No problems, all went well.
One might call it naive to switch versions during a project, but with KiCad, I never had problems. For me, KiCad is a very reliable tool!
Do you have the correct options selected here?
I thought I had both the right vertical bar “Draw Filled Zones” and the left vertical bar “Draw Zone Fills” both selected, but I guess not. So I clicked on both of those icons and now I get the solid fill. Thanks so much.
We can’t learn anything from projects that have no issues going from V8.x.y → V9.x.y hence me asking for the V8 project. 