Is the ability to customize the schematic page and border somewhere on the roadmap for future versions? I love KiCAD, but this a minor annoyance and seems like a an easy fix. I would even take having to fill out some standard fields and the software populates the tile block.
What you want is already there, I think, in the KiCad project manager, under Tools->Run Page Layout Editor.
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Thanks, I never noticed it there…
I was going to ask how to modify this part of the schematic too but this reply does not really help.
I can edit a virgin sheet ( with the usual %K filled automatically ) but I can not edit the contents of the existing title block that I entered when starting the project. It seems like KiCad can only open a specially saved format file but has no access to the fields stored in the schematic file: *.sch
Now I’m stuck with a 0.1 version number and a date that is two years old.
I have only four files related to this project and none of the seem accessible from the layout editor tool.
*.pro *.net *.sch *.kicad_pcb
So the question remains, how to edit current info in a schematic’s title block?
Thx
Many thanks, Andy. That’s got it.
Unfortunately this does not allow editing of the %K entry. It looks like that is a read-only field once the project is created, it stays the way it was created. 
%K is what inserts the name KiCad and the current detailed version / package number. This is seen when creating a title block from the project manager but does not seem to be editable after that.
For instance I would like to shorted that to just KiCad, or potentially be able to remove it depending upon the context of the schematic.
It seems that the only way to do that now would be to create a new project with the desired text and then try to transfer the contents of the schematic. Not sure how to do that.
Yes, the " %K " field is puzzling.
The information about KiCAD and the program version appears in the title blocks of both the schematic and the PCB. However, in both cases it seems to display the currently installed version of KiCAD - i.e., the version used to open the file - not the version which was used to create the file.
I examined the schematic ( *.sch ) file with a text editor and didn’t see anything which resembled the contents of this field. On the other hand, the PCB file ( *.kicad_pcb ) DOES contain a line that, on first glance, appears to specify the contents of this field . . . but in fact it’s the KiCAD version from which the file was last saved.
From this I conclude that " %K " invokes a macro within the EESchema, or PCBNew, programs every time they open a file, rather than storing information in the schematic or PCB files.
Dale
I can see why this is done. For example, a pcb created in 4.1.0 with rounded rectangular pads will not print correctly on a 4.0.3 system, so the displaying version does matter
Why should KiCAD behave differently than the great majority of other software programs?
If I have, say, Office97, I wouldn’t normally expect my Office97 to open files created in the formats used by Office2010. (In fact, Office 2010 CAN create files in the Office97 formats but that is not the default behavior.)
On the other hand, I’d certainly hope that Office2010 can at least open and edit files in the Office97 format.
But suppose I create a document in Office97, and electronically mark it as “Created with Office97” - much like KiCAD seems to do in the title blocks. (E.g., “(2016-07-14 BZR 6980, Git 98bc4d3)-product”.) If I open the Office97 document in Office2010, I do NOT want the markings changed to imply that it originated with Office2010. Even though I may have Office2010, I may want to share the document with others who have only Office2010. I don’t want either the file format, or the markings changed. But KiCAD changes the title block markings to the currently installed version.
Dale
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Unlike your MS Office example, 4.0.3 will display a project created in 4.1.0. This is dangerous if you accidentally plot Gerbers from the older version.
I can see that it could be useful to have version of program which last saved a file displayed, rather than the version which originally created it. What matters is the current format of the file content not some kind of historical audit trail
I have found that if you want to change this %K field, you have to create a separate file with the “PI_editor” and save it with the project name. Then in Eschema, use File | Page Settings to select the description file.
This does not seem to be transmitted to the layout tool, so you need to do a similar thing from there and also.
Another automatically filled element is the first one showing sheet number, though this does not seem to actually work. I have one sheet and instead of showing 1/1 it just gives "Sheet : / " , rather untidy.
It is unclear how and at what stage these things are filled and synced up.
There is similarly a “Date %D” field but this does not seem to be filling in with the date. This whole thing seems rather inconsistent and unfinished.
Starting to look like a need for a page somewhere describing these fields, what the do, what they don’t do and what users would like them to do. All for the benefit of the EEschema2 developers
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Agreed, it is a little unclear what to expect or how to get a given result. If Eschema is being reworked that may be a good time to clean this aspect up.
I has been while since I posted this, but the more I have used KiCAD the more I do not understand why the Title block is fixed, and we cannot create a customized block in any way. I use other EDA software at work, and that software the title block is basically placed on each sheet like a part, and if we need or want to customize the block we can by creating a new title block part. This seems like a basic feature (non-programmer talking here) that should be included. With the current fixed format, it just looks unprofessional especially with the KiCAD information forced to be there.
Same answer as before.
No you do not understand what I mean.
I want the ability to complete customize the title block area on a sheet by sheet basis in a design.
If I want a different block on the first sheet compared the the remaining sheets I can’t do that or at least I do not see how to. Can I use different formats for each sheet?
No, you have to use the same title block for all sheets. I agree that even Eagle has a much better way of handling the title block.
The title block should just be a par that can be placed like a component. This would make things much easier. But for free I guess we can expect everything to work perfectly.
The title block design is unusual in being referenced to diagonally opposite corners of the sheet. This allows a standardised appearance on different paper sizes
Constraints allow items to only appear on certain pages.
The page layout is defined in a wks file, I don’t know if you can have different wks files in aproject
Hi Frozen001,
You can change easily that title block in any schema.
- Start Page Layout Editor.
- Use left side navigation to change shapes and text.
- Save it with a name what you want in your project folder.
- Open KiCAD project. Open a schema with Eeschema.
- Go to the Page settings from File menu.
- On the down side of dialog u can see “Page layout description file” box.
- Click browse button. Find saved “.kicad_wks” file.
- Fill upper boxes if you want.
- Press “OK” button.
Thats it.
Enjoy 