So I have my main schematic in a project, but I need a “second sheet” I can’t see how to do this so i create a new schematic file, but if i have both open when I close the second one the whole of kicad crashes.
So it’s not possible to work on two independent schematics at once ???
How do I create a send sheet (probably of a different size) ?
don’t we need something doing to stop the crashes ?
Currently KiCad can only open one project at a time. A single project can contain only one top-level sheet.
If you want multiple sheets you need to add sub-sheets to the top-level sheet. See the documentation about hierarchies:
http://docs.kicad.org/en/eeschema.html#hierarchical-schematics
If you want to report the crash, look for a similar one here, then give details about the steps and the version:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bugs
I see. I will look at the hierarchical sheets then. It almost means I need the top level sheet to be an index and then all the different schematics for the project go into hierarchical sheets. There are no connections between my schermatics they are just different diagrams that fall under one project.
The crashing really needs preventing. I can understand that the software will not allow more than one sheet but to crash is a pain.
Do I actually need a project file if I am only running a schematic ? or does the project file hold the links to things like libraries and hierarchical sheets ?
How are your separate schematics organized?
All in one folder?
Or separate folders?
What OS you’re on? What KiCAD version is it? How do you start KiCAD and the extra eeschema instance?
I just opened another instance of eeschema (Win7 64Bit, KiCAD BZR6097) while I had a project open (with eeschema already open) and modifying another sheet and closing it didn’t crash my full KiCAD instance…
Closing the full KiCAD instance dosen’t end the standalone eeschema instance.
The standalone eeschema instance handles hirarchical sheets just fine.
Did you try to access the same file(s) with the 2 running instances?
Keep them all in the same folder then and just put hierarchical sheets in the main sheet… navigation is pretty easy once you figured it out.
eeschema can run on it’s own afaik…
The schematic file(s) contain links to the other sheets in them, like symbols - eeschema sorts it out.
If you open a schematic from a project the libraries are known then… if you start blank the same happens for me. Can’t put my finger directly onto stuff the project keeps track of… but the .pro file looks like it keeps copies/local settings for all the standalone settings and stuff…
Version 4.0.0-rc1 on windows 7 64 bit
the problem will have started when I forced a new schematic into the same folder, this because visible in the main project file explorer. But if i open that extra schematic from the original project file closing it then crashes everything. So it seems that the schematics expect to be allocated to an open project or be secondry schematics in a main schematic.
Library management is important to me so I guess i will keep opening from the project file.
[quote=“Sparky_Labs, post:5, topic:1663”]
the problem will have started when I forced a new schematic into the same folder, this because visible in the main project file explorer. But if i open that extra schematic from the original project file closing it then crashes everything.[/quote]
Trying to get it in chronological order:
I just did try the above with BZR6097 and had no crash… but maybe I missed a step?
No that is what I did.
That’s a very useful feature… use it a lot.
To bad CvPCB can’t do it… clicking on an item in that list doesn’t highlight it in pcbnew or eeschema or vise versa (would had needed that when I was troubleshooting some footprints 
).
No I’m actually just doing wiring diagrams for a vehicle. The hierarchical schematics will work quite well in one respect because it means that where the main schematic has the looms for the vehicle I can use a hierarchical sheet to represent the air handler box in the main diagram and then click into it to open a seperate sheet with the air handler box diagram in it.
Not so useful where I just need a seperate sheet like for a block diagram. I’ll have to create a “link” sheet in the main sheet to hold that.
How do things stand (how stable) with multiple projects and files open at once. Can I copy and paste between schematics ?
30 days later?.. with Dev’s focusing on PCBnew?.. the answer is no you can’t - I don’t think much has changed. Once the focus is on EEschema you can expect progress. Wouldn’t hold my breath though (= months away).
I’m just trying to plan my designs. I know nothing has changed.