Post-v5 new features and development news

I liked the “eye” icon instead the checkbox for layer hive/visible (like AutoCad, Inkcape, …) and the new opacity control! Just two observations:

  1. It not good to see in a dark them (if possible, will be nice use the same text or checkbox color);
    image
  2. Footprint editor software could use the same interface;
  3. After this update, this “lateral toolbox” doesn’t save it own width in case of Pcbnew close-reopen. It always open like this (in Nets tab and with small width):
    image

Hello all, it was merged this new feature I developed for 3D-Viewer: light parameterization …with some improvements in the rendering:

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Beautiful, marketing will love this

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Excellent, I really needed this feature!

With these improvements to the viewer being made, would it be possible to support opacity for the board material, e.g. polyamide / PET?

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Would you like to open a wish request on KiCad gitlab ? and provide some examples on what you would like to achieve?

Few people know that KiCad 5.99 has some invisible advanced configuration possibilities. You probably won’t need them but it may be good to know. See https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/blob/master/common/advanced_config.cpp where it’s documented.

It’s possible to group board items together.

At the moment it’s just a “geographical” group which locks items together so that they can be selected, moved, deleted etc. together.

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Compressed 3D models are supported, see KiCad will support compressed step and vrml models in the future. Yeah, I could use those gigabytes for something else.

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Yay! Configurable origin and axis direction has landed, courtesy by @RRPollack. See User-selected PCBnew display origin (5.1.x) for background, but that thread is closed. (Please no bug reports or wishes here.) The feature won’t be integrated into 5.1.

EDIT: I wrote a FAQ article about the origins and coordinate system, Coordinate system, grid and origins in Pcbnew (especially version 5.99). It shows these new features.

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All feature requests need to go to the bug tracker (https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/issues) Search for your suggestion there first (I think it might be implemented but not sure)

Hopefully one of our hard-working admins can move this hijack over the the #community:feature-request

Apologies, I deleted the post.

Alternate pin definitions.

A library symbol can now define alternate definitions for individual pins, and a schematic symbol can chose which alternate to use.

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There’s a new tool that lets you convert lines/tracks to polygons/zones/keepouts and vice versa.

I think it’s pretty handy for creating zones from imported DXFs, replicating some copper traces on the silkscreen layer, and things like that.

It doesn’t support curves/arcs yet but will eventually.

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Great,
As usually curves are not handled. Why are curved tracks and rounded corners zones not yet implemented in Kicad? is there implementation that problematic? or is the Kicad code base inapropriate for handling such geometric primitives?

Curved tracks are implemented now (but some of the editing tools for them are still a WIP)

Seth is working on curved zone/polygon support: https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/merge_requests/375
Once that is merged I will update my tool to support it.
Historically the geometric primitives in KiCad did not support arcs very well, but, we’re working on fixing that for V6.

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I really love these “Why is feature x not implemented yet” posts. Is really motivating and constructive :wink:
As a tip for the future it sounds much better if you ask differently. Something like: I really look forward to trying this all out. By the way are there plans to add support for feature x and is there a way that I can help? (The info is exactly the same but nobody’s pulse will rise reading it)

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You can safely bet that when KiCad does support curved traces, someone will complain here that freeRouting does not do it, even though freeRouting is not part of KiCad.

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Perfect. Thanks. I know that handling curves is a true hell in any graphics editing software.

I once was part of a team searching for a quick (!) way to fill spirals (printed coils) for a PCB programm. It was hell ! Every time there was a special situation when any small part remained empty…
What I want to say is: Yes I would also like more rounded elements and yes I know its not easy to implement. Keep up the good work !

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