Page Layout - editing page settings title block parameters gui?

[Pippin]

I’ve sketched up a new page layout that aligns more with how our other page layouts look in different cad programs. I’ve gone through the documentation but I can’t seem to find any information alluding to linking what I have in the page layout to the page settings GUI.

I’ve uploaded an image to clarify. When I import my layout to a circuit diagram I don’t have the ability to fill in most of the comments. The page settings GUI only shows comments up to 4 and there doesn’t seem to be any customization with its naming convention. Ideally I would have “Approved Date” instead of “Comment 4”.

Am I missing something or is this just not implemented yet? seems odd that in the documentation the comments can go up to 9 if I can’t fill them in.

[jos]

From the KiCad main window with those eight big buttons top right. Select the right most to design at your hearts desire. In there you can change those field names as well.

It’s the ‘Edit worksheet graphic and text’ button.

[Pippin]

Hi jos, that’s is what I went into to design my page layout. I can’t see any way to change the gui for filling out the comments after 4. The layout is all setup the issue is I can’t fill in some of the boxes with data

[jos]

As it stands it’s hard coded. Just did a quick compile with changed text. All good.

To have it changeable is one thing, though another things is to cater for all the translations e.g. at least for the default text after an installation. Not exactly straight forward a change.

One way to change it could be to adjust your ‘local’ translation. Should work in principal.

This would presumably being addressed in the next major version.

Edit:
Then again. What is stopping you from input like ‘Approved %C3’ (Comment4)

[Pippin]

Is that something that has be changed before compiling or could I edit a file with notepad++ somewhere to show fields for more of the user reference values.

Blockquote
%% = replaced by %

%K = KiCad version

%Z = paper format name (A4, USLetter …​)

%Y = company name

%D = date

%R = revision

%S = sheet number

%N = number of sheets

%Cx = comment (x = 0 to 9 to identify the comment)

%F = filename

%P = sheet path (sheet full name, for Eeschema)

%T = title

that’s what’s in the documentation. As you can see it clearly says comments can go up to 9 which seems counter intuitive if you can’t even fill in these user references.

Just to be clear I would just like the ability to add in fields for the comment references going up to 9. Not too bothered about them being named so long as I can use them.

[jos]

It’s in dialog_page_settings_base.cpp

I guess alternatively you could just install the translations and take it from there. Haven’t tried that one yet myself.

[jos]

Your best bet is indeed to deploy translations i18n and change it in there.

[Pippin]

Any reason why I can’t just edit the dialog_page_settings_base.cpp?

sorry if it seems like an obvious answer, I’m not very well versed in programming/compiling software.

[jos]

None. It’s just a matter of how you want to maintain the lot.

I for one check out daily from master. Fun to do, and to keep an eye on the general progress.

Running on 18.04.2 on four cores with 32GB.

[Pippin]

would this be a simple matter of copying this string of code

bSizerRight->Add( bSizerComment12, 0, wxEXPAND|wxRIGHT|wxLEFT, 5 );

wxBoxSizer* bSizerComment4;

bSizerComment4 = new wxBoxSizer( wxVERTICAL );


m_staticTextComment4 = new wxStaticText( this, wxID_ANY, _("Comment4"), wxDefaultPosition, wxDefaultSize, 0 );

m_staticTextComment4->Wrap( -1 );

bSizerComment4->Add( m_staticTextComment4, 0, wxRIGHT|wxLEFT, 5 );


wxBoxSizer* bSizercmt4;

bSizercmt4 = new wxBoxSizer( wxHORIZONTAL );


m_TextComment4 = new wxTextCtrl( this, wxID_ANY, wxEmptyString, wxDefaultPosition, wxDefaultSize, 0 );

m_TextComment4->SetMinSize( wxSize( 360,-1 ) );


bSizercmt4->Add( m_TextComment4, 1, wxALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL|wxBOTTOM|wxLEFT|wxRIGHT, 5 );


m_Comment4Export = new wxCheckBox( this, wxID_ANY, _("Export to other sheets"), wxDefaultPosition, wxDefaultSize, 0 );

bSizercmt4->Add( m_Comment4Export, 0, wxALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL|wxBOTTOM|wxLEFT|wxRIGHT, 5 );

bSizerComment4->Add( bSizercmt4, 1, wxEXPAND, 5 )


bSizerRight->Add( bSizerComment4, 0, wxEXPAND|wxRIGHT|wxLEFT, 5 );

changing all the 4’s to 5’s where approriate

[jos]

You only need to change the actual text itself. Done it a few minutes ago. works fine.

However, in doing so you circumvent the i18n system unless you change that as well followed by a recompile.

[Pippin]

Whic text are you referring to?

[jos]

The text “Comment4” itself. You don’t need to touch anything else.
It’s currently on line 323.

[jos]

Just done the i18n installation including a change to Comment4. Works as advertised.

[Pippin]

I’m not sure where to find Comment4 in this i18n. do you know which part of that code actually generates the text box in the page settings gui? I need about 4 or 5 more boxes pushing text to comment field 5,6,7,8

[jos]

Forget the source code. clone from here

There is a plain text file in each language folder e.g. en
Make your changes, compile, install, restart kicad, then select language, done

Cheers, over and out for now. It’s 2:30 am here.

[Pippin]

Thank you for the help jos, really appreciate your time. have a good one o/