3 posts were split to a new topic: Call for testers. (EEmodern)
Jeff called for testers for his eeschema branch which moved eeschema functionality to the modern toolset. Now the fruits of your testing are in the master branch and in the nightly builds.
(A side note: 5.1 already used the modern canvas. Terminology has been mixed because pcbnew had new canvas and new toolset at the same time, so sometimes the modern toolset was referred to as OpenGL/Cairo canvas or toolset. Actually canvas refers only to drawing graphics in computer parlance, like a painter painting a painting to a canvas 
)
Here’s how Jeff describes it:
It’s the modern toolset for eeschema.
If you remember the difference between PCBNew’s modern and legacy canvas, it’s the same for eeschema. The modern toolset supports selection states and operates on more of a noun-verb pattern.
Functionality should be mostly equivalent, although the new toolset does allow easy incorporation of a few features which were detailed earlier in this thread.
There’s already one huge difference. Now you can actually select something, e.g. a symbol or a wire, by clicking on it. I think this is part of what “selection states” and “noun-verb pattern” mean in practice.
There’s also one not so visible but very concrete feature which was long waited for: you can open a schematic, copy there and paste it to another window. Earlier it was possible only to append a whole file or use a text editor if you wanted to reuse something from another project.
I think I forgot to mention adding symbols from the Library Browser.
Open a schematic. Open the Symbol Library Browser. Double click on an item in the middle column.
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Wayne has updated the version 6 roadmap.
From the document.
Study ergonomics of various commercial/proprietary PCB applications (when in doubt about any particular UI solution, check how it has been done in a certain proprietary app that is very popular among OSHW folks and do exactly opposite).
Priceless
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Selection model in LibEdit.
Handle-based editing for graphic items in LibEdit.
Handle-based editing for hierarchical sheets in Eeschema.
Handle-based editing for comment lines in Eeschema.
System clipboard for cut/copy/paste in LibEdit.
Auto addition of wires when dragging directly-connected symbols in Eeschema.
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“Auto addition of wires when dragging directly-connected symbols in Eeschema.”
was fantastic! Make easier to drag.
It doesn’t seem to work when the symbol is attached to a junction, but it may be the intended behavior ?
There’s a bug logged for junctions (also whether or not to add a junction when you decrease the wire to zero-length so that you now have directly-connected symbols).
The consensus seems to be to go ahead and add the junction (even though it’s not strictly needed) if there are more than 2 connections. We might apply the same when determining whether to drag a junction or insert a wire.
There is now a nice guide circle to help you draw arcs in PcbNew
Video link: https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1796158/+attachment/5197243/+files/arc_assist.mkv
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Sorry to hijack this thread, but for some reason, the nightly builds (v5.1 and v6 branches) of last night are missing. I guess an issue occurred and it is a temporary glitch, but where / who to report this to ?
Bug fixes aren’t normally worth announcing here, but one just came in which is a new feature for Windows users. Namely, one feature didn’t work on Windows and it’s quite handy when you notice it.
(EDIT: right now this is available only in the 32bit nightly build, not in 64bit, because the 32bit build took in a later commit.)
In pcbnew click the mouse button so that you get the selection clarification menu on some board items. Hover over the list of the items with mouse. Look at the board: you will see each item highlighted when the mouse hovers over the corresponding list item.
EDIT: clarification highlighting works in eeshcema, too.
Similarly run the DRC check and in the violation list open the context menu. The two offending items are in the menu. Hover over them with the mouse and see each item highlighted in the board, possibly moving the dialog towards a screen edge first. This may actually be a huge time saver - no more deciphering the coordinates to find out what’s violating the rules.
The way it was fixed is called an “ugly hack” and I don’t know if its finds it way to a 5.1 bugfix release although the bug is old.
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Eeschema: Drag or move actions (depending on the new setting in the prefs dialog - Eeschema tab) added in today’s nightly.
Currently, the default setting is “Move”. Maybe it should be “Drag”, as it will move the symbol if is not attached anyway. And it’s quite unusual to move an attached symbol. IMHO.
Is this the V5 or V6 nightly?
This is good as long as there is a way to switch to move easily. I work with eagle right now and the lack of an easily accessible move comment is very annoying.
This is just the default action when doing a click-drag with the mouse. You can always hit ‘M’ or ‘G’ to select a move or drag (even after the move or drag has started).
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