Post-v5 new features and development news

There are now configuration options in Eeschema and PcbNew to control cross-probing behavior:

image

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Also thinking if this could represent some significative size reduction of the footprint library total package size when v6 became the stable (and the v5 library format could be updated, prioritizing squares over 4-lines).

I would also expect it will heal only the outside rectangles. But I didn’t test that case. :mask:

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  • Copper zones can now fill more than one layer
  • Copper zone island removal is now configurable
  • Copper zones and keepouts now have an optional name property (for future use with the new DRC system)

Multilayer zone demo:

Island settings demo:

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There is now a persistent selection filter in PcbNew. It lives below the layers manager:

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It would be great to have the same persistent filter selection in the footprint editor as well and have footprint related options there (such as SMD pads, through hole, mechanical etc.)

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Not exactly the same, but there is basic search capability

image

As far I tested, it capture all rectangle in this image. Just two strange behaviors: the selected line got deleted when ran the option (keeping the the diagonal that I draw) and the +z just undo the group at the second hit.

Nice UX/UI. Could this selection filter keep different information and allow to select in the different tools?
For example:

  1. Selection tool -> select all
  2. Track tool -> select tracks ans pads

I rised a propose https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/4754

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@hildogjr, I can’t reproduce the deleted line segment issue, but I’ve fixed the undo issue.

Thanks. I will test again (tomorrow) and, if still, rise an issue on Git.

Editing here for track: https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/4766

Doesn’t really work from PCBNew. If you probe from EESchema everything acts as you would expect it to. If you probe from PCBNew it doesn’t zoom (it zooms out all the way regardless of your selection on zoom) and doesn’t really center (it does move the screen but definitely not to the center)

Hi everyone, please do not report bugs or request features in this thread

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Now it’s in the layout editor, too.

And before someone asks - see https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/4742 if you want rounded corners.

EDIT: BTW, also pads can be edited with this tool:

image

Jon announced New project file format. It implements several wishes, at least:

  • file extension
  • separating non-board information (no more UI state in VCS!)

It also removes the old backup system. See the details in the dedicated thread.

The status of python2/3 especially on Windows has been problem for some time. The developers know very well that using python2 isn’t any good. The reason why the Windows installation is still python2 only is that one programming library project which is required by KiCad for full functionality doesn’t support their python3 version for mingw, the compiler environment currently used for compiling KiCad on Windows.

Seth asked help for solving that situation in the mailing list, see https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg44132.html. Help if you can, and let’s hope we can soon move to python3.

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There is a new command in pcbnew, Move with Reference. This allows you to first pick the reference point for a move before the move starts. There is no hotkey for this command by default, but if you like this behavior (like me), you can reassign the default M hotkey from Move to Move with Reference.

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There is a new automatic project backup feature:

  • Enabled by default, can create backups every time you save a file
  • Optional creation of backups when auto-save is triggered (disabled by default)
  • Limit on total number of backup files and total backup file size
  • Limit on number of backups to keep per day
  • Setting for minimum backup interval (for example, if you like to hit Ctrl+S every 10 seconds but don’t want a new backup file every time)
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How does it handle schematic files which are not in the project folder or its sub-folders? Is there a possible collision when two projects are using the same schematics file?

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It does not, same as the existing project archiver (which uses the same code). Schematics must be included in the project folder (or a sub-folder of it) to be backed up.

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