Hi there -
I’ve been working on a schematic in Schematic Editor. I’ve labeled all of the nets. When I import to the PCB Editor, though, all of the nodes are out-of-order.
Is there a simple way to sort nets and put them in a line?
Thanks!
Also: is it possible to import parts of a schematic to the PCB Editor, to organize footprints bit-by-bit?
It’s unclear to me what this would mean with the layout. With the first layout update you get just the footprints in some order. Each footprint belongs to several nets through its pads. You can’t sort “nets” there.
If you mean arranging the footprint to meaningful groups, it’s possible in v7 pretty easily by selecting some symbols in the schematic and using “Select on PCB” from the context menu.
In the PCB side you can select one footprint and use the context menu → Select → Items in Same Hierarchical Sheet if you use hierarchical sheets in the schematic. There’s also “Pack and Move Footprints” context menu action if you have selected several footprints.
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Perhaps you could post screenshots to illustrate what you mean.
I’m by no means an expert in KiCAD 7 (or any other version) but I do know that something similar can be done . . .
A powerful new tool was added that allows for a selection a logical portion of a schematic in the schematic editor and with a new right click menu option or the
Photkey in the board editor, selected symbol footprint can now use the “Pack and Move” algorithm to create one compacted group rather than having to manually locate and drag footprints in the board editor.
So if you move all your components away from your PCB outline, you can then use this feature to select the sections of the schematic you want to route and then just place them within the bounds of the PCB and start laying down tracks for them.
There is a video showing this new feature, scroll almost to the bottom: Version 7.0.0 Released | KiCad EDA
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Ah, it sounds like a pretty critical update in Version 7, which won’t run on my current OS…
Essentially, I have big groupings of pads - as I’m copying a basic breadboard template. The groupings are labeled with nets, but it doesn’t help if I can’t select and move a whole net. They don’t seem to import in a linear order, so it’s just a huge jumble in PCB Editor. Manually selecting and moving each one, one at a time, seems pretty tedious.
Are the holes connected in rows, or are they all isolated pads? I can’t see how the ratsnest is organised.
Normally one is encouraged to draw a schematic first then layout the footprints. If it’s just an array of pads, this may be a case where you want to forget about the schematic and use a script to place pads in a grid pattern.
If they indeed are organised in rows, another way would be to make a footprint that is a whole row, and give all the pads the same number. Then you will only have to position the rows, a smaller number than a matrix of pads.
Indeed, I wouldn’t envy you doing that.
There might be an alternative to the Version 7.x.x new method . . . you could delete all but one selected sections from your schematic, then sync it to your PCB, rearrange the pads, save and close KiCAD.
Next restore your complete schematic file open KiCAD, delete all but the next chosen section and the previous section, sync again to the PCB and now you should have your 2 sections, rinse and repeat.
Just be sure you have a full backup of your files before trying this . . .
Why close.
I would add to schematic set by set and after adding each set the update PCB from schematic would add me the new set and I could put it separate from previous and organize it.
So I can restore (from backup) and open the schematic with all 300+ pads included and then delete all but the last and next set to be added to the PCB.
I had no time to study V7 deeply but I noticed (may be it was already in V6) that if I select a block at schematic then without using any manu or hotkey I can move footprints of that set at PCB together.
This feature bothers me a lot in all other situations. When i was doing something at PCB and then went to schematic and point something and press M to move then not what I pointed is moved but symbol connected with footprint I have just touched at PCB. I am caught by it several dozen times a day.
Writing this I got to suppose that probably there is some setting that switches off this bothering me feature and you have it switched off and then may be using context menu is needed.
OK. I got it.
But if you select first set and then use CTRL+D you will get a copy of them all.
It can be simpler then combinations with backup (my KiCad don’t do backup when I save - I suppose that I have found some time ago a setting to switch it off 
).
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