How to rename a Kicad project easy with all dependent files without corrupting anything. In Eagle (which only has 2 files, one “x.brd” and one “x.sch”) it’s just to rename either of them with “save as”. Nothing weird happens then.
I do that all the time. I include the date in the filename and it is my method of version control.
In Windows (Win is all that I can knowingly discuss):
All of the project files should be in one folder. All the files and the folder should have the same name. I use Windows explorer and make a copy of the (folder & contents). Then I rename the folder and the file contents all with the same new name. I use copy paste to rename the files after renaming the folder. This is easy and takes 1-2 minutes.
Thanks BobZ, I suppose you only have one schematic page/sheet if so, I can not rename projects with multiple schematics sheets, as then the schematics/PCB database get lost/the project simply get messed up/unusable. Maybe I misunderstand how you do this.
OK; I have not done multipage schematics and that is “off my radar screen.” Sorry about that.
No problem, thanks for trying to help anyways! Anyone else?
I use Rename Master. It’s a pretty easy graphical tool to rename files in a directory and can include subdirectories too.
Another option would be to use RegEx and powershell.
I’m using 5.99. It has a “save as” option which will rename files on the new save. I don’t know about multiple schematics, but I’ll assume it will work properly when released as V6.
Thanks JohnRob, I’m also on 5.99, but when I try “save as” I can make new folder, with the name I want, for example the date of today, but when saved all files and schematic pages get saved there – with the original/old names!! – within that new folder with the new chosen name. This is a true not easy to administer mess!
Sounds like a bug. I would think a “save as” function would address every project entity.
This is such a fundamental function, a system wide “basic function” which must work.
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Not a bug. We don’t want to rename sub-sheets just because you rename the root sheet / project name. Those sheets might be referenced from elsewhere.
The root sheet, PCB, and project file all get the same name, and all should get renamed. Other schematic sheets (and things like local libraries) don’t get renamed when a project is renamed, because it’s not obvious that this is what a user would want.
Just stick it in version control - Git/SVN/Fossil - plenty of choices. Solves a whole load of problems. You get a meaningful named restore point, branching for versions and compact, efficient storage. Plenty of graphic interfaces if you don’t like the command line. I mean really - did you want to restore MyProject_202110221820 or perhaps it was MyProject_202110221240? Will you really remember what they represent in six months time?
If you put it in a VCS, you might, for instance, work on the SMD rather than the THT version (branch) of your board and you could choose the commit ‘Reroute IC1 to satisfy datasheet layout recommendations’. or the subsequent commit ‘adjust decoupling capacitor C2 footprint to 0805 to optimise layout’ .
Learning a little version control stuff will stand you in good stead in other areas too.
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I have not used it myself, but maybe you find kirename useful:
Is there any user-friendlyness in there? Simplicity? This topic was about renaming a project/a file of choice.
So you need to do two simple things when you start a project under vcs.
Open a terminal, navigate to the directory and type ‘git init’. Add all the the files you want to track with 'git add . ’ Thats it. It doesn’t need to be complex.
When you want a save point, do a ‘git commit’ and type a short message about what you did. You can do this with lots of finder friendly add ons if you don’t like the command line.
Git is one of the most popular vcs - There are others, some are better than others for eda work. I often recommend Fossil.
This is a bit funny. I’m not a programmer, I run KiCad on a Mac and I come from Eagle. I have never even tried Linux as it seems too difficult (I may seem lazy) and Linux is a bit ugly. To be as kind as possible, what you describe here sounds like “just jump from the moon to the sun, it’s easy, not complex at all”. All I want is to be able to easy rename a project/file and get it continue to work, without all blank pages/boards .
What doesn’t work with File->Save As?
“What doesn’t work with File->Save As?”
A new folder is made by a chosen name (=what I choose), but all included files (schematics and board in this project) doesn’t rename the new chosen name-way. All is named as before (which means wrong dates etc)
Save As changes the name for the folder and files for:
- project
- local settings
- design rules
- root schematic
- pcb
- possibly others I’m forgetting
It doesn’t rename any files that aren’t named the same as the project (subsheets, symbol/footprint libraries, etc).
I don’t understand your comment that the board and schematic are not renamed; they are renamed correctly in my tests.
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Never mind, I give up.