Rotating own symbol in schematic editor rotates reference and value

Schematic
1

Good day

My name is Wim and I’m new to the forum. I’ve been dabbling in KiCad for a few years, mostly to draw simple schematics for demonstration purposes using the standard symbols like resistors, LEDs, transistors and digital logic ICs.

I’ve just created my first symbol in a project symbol library (not a global library) but noticed that when I place it in the schematic and rotate it, the reference and value also rotate. This does not happen when I e.g. place a resistor and rotate it.

Where can I specify this?

image
image832×622 12.9 KB

As I’m new here, I can’t attach a file so here is the content of the kicad_sym file.

(kicad_symbol_lib
	(version 20231120)
	(generator "kicad_symbol_editor")
	(generator_version "8.0")
	(symbol "HC-SR04"
		(exclude_from_sim no)
		(in_bom yes)
		(on_board yes)
		(property "Reference" "M"
			(at 0 0 0)
			(effects
				(font
					(size 1.27 1.27)
				)
			)
		)
		(property "Value" "HC-SR04"
			(at 0.254 -20.066 0)
			(effects
				(font
					(size 1.27 1.27)
				)
			)
		)
		(property "Footprint" ""
			(at 0 0 0)
			(effects
				(font
					(size 1.27 1.27)
				)
				(hide yes)
			)
		)
		(property "Datasheet" ""
			(at 0 0 0)
			(effects
				(font
					(size 1.27 1.27)
				)
				(hide yes)
			)
		)
		(property "Description" "HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor"
			(at 0 0 0)
			(effects
				(font
					(size 1.27 1.27)
				)
				(hide yes)
			)
		)
		(symbol "HC-SR04_0_1"
			(rectangle
				(start -3.81 -2.54)
				(end 3.81 -17.78)
				(stroke
					(width 0)
					(type default)
				)
				(fill
					(type none)
				)
			)
			(rectangle
				(start 3.81 -15.24)
				(end 5.08 -11.43)
				(stroke
					(width 0)
					(type default)
				)
				(fill
					(type none)
				)
			)
			(rectangle
				(start 3.81 -5.08)
				(end 5.08 -8.89)
				(stroke
					(width 0)
					(type default)
				)
				(fill
					(type none)
				)
			)
		)
		(symbol "HC-SR04_1_1"
			(pin power_in line
				(at -6.35 -6.35 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "Vcc"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "1"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
			(pin input line
				(at -6.35 -8.89 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "Trigger"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "2"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
			(pin output line
				(at -6.35 -11.43 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "Echo"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "3"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
			(pin power_in line
				(at -6.35 -13.97 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "GND"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "4"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
		)
		(symbol "HC-SR04_1_2"
			(pin power_in line
				(at -6.35 -6.35 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "Vcc"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "1"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
			(pin input line
				(at -6.35 -8.89 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "Trigger"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "2"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
			(pin output line
				(at -6.35 -11.43 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "Echo"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "3"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
			(pin power_in line
				(at -6.35 -13.97 0)
				(length 2.54)
				(name "GND"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
				(number "4"
					(effects
						(font
							(size 1.27 1.27)
						)
					)
				)
			)
		)
	)
)

Help appreciated and thanks in advance.

2

Hmm? I tested rotating an R and a C, result was the refdes and value also rotate.

3

Hmm, strange

After restarting KiCad it works as expected. The top row was placed by selecting in the symbol editor and the bottom row was a copy of the top row and each symbol was rotated individually.

image
image727×482 7.78 KB

I will have to create some more symbols and will continue in this topic if the issue shows again.

4

Ok, I experimented some more. When a symbol is first placed on the schematic, rotation keeps the refdes and value fields upright. Once those fields have been moved, rotation will carry them along with the body of the symbol.

Since I have adjusted the postions of the fields in most (all?) of my symbols, everything rotates when I rotate my symbols.

So I don’t think it has anything to do with whether the symbol is a standard one or one you made.

You can see what has changed between the library symbol and the schematic symbol by selecting a symbol then using Inspect > Compare Symbol with Library. The tab Visual and its slider will show you the difference between the pristine symbol and the current one.

5

Hello and welcome, Wim.

This link to an FAQ explains what is required to promote yourself so you may attach files etc.

According to your statistics all you need to do is read another twelve posts in any topic to self promote yourself.

6

It has nothing to do if it is your symbol or KiCad symbol.
If you moved reference and value then KiCad keeps these positions regarding symbol and they rotate with symbol.
You can always use hotkey O and they will get automatic positions as when you rotate symbol just after adding it.

7

Thanks all for the replies; as mentioned, the issue solved itself.

That might have been the issue but I can’t remember. And thanks for moving the topic, I should have looked better at the description of the categories.

I’m reasonably familiar with discourse based forum so know what to do if I want to be promoted. I do not know if this is a once-off exercise for me or if I will more actively start using KiCad. In case of the latter, I might even try to answer some questions here on the forum.

It should not but if you’re designing your first symbol and it acts odd I’m immediately thinking of a mistake that I made.