"Set Track and Via Properties": locked trace width modified, and clearance not checked

[dhaillant]

Hi, in 7.0.1 (but probably in previous versions too?), when using the tool “Set Track and Via Properties” (in PCB Editor, menu “Edit”/“Edit Track & Via Properties…”) I encountered two problems:

1. Even if a track is marked as “locked”, its width will be modified by the tool “Set Track and Via Properties”
2. The clearance is not checked when the width of a track is increased. I’m pretty sure that, before, if the clearance could not be satisfied when increasing the width of the tracks of a Netclass, the increase wasn’t operated and the track kept its size.

Is this a regression?
Is there a different way to protect widths for specific tracks while being able to modify widths globally for others?

Thank you.
David

Application: KiCad PCB Editor x86_64 on x86_64

Version: 7.0.1-3b83917a11~171~ubuntu20.04.1, release build

Libraries:
	wxWidgets 3.2.1
	FreeType 2.10.1
	HarfBuzz 6.0.0
	FontConfig 2.13.1
	libcurl/7.68.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1f zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.2.0) libssh/0.9.3/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.40.0 librtmp/2.3

Platform: Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, xubuntu, x11

Build Info:
	Date: Mar 11 2023 17:00:22
	wxWidgets: 3.2.1 (wchar_t,wx containers) GTK+ 3.24
	Boost: 1.71.0
	OCC: 7.5.2
	Curl: 7.87.0
	ngspice: 38
	Compiler: GCC 9.4.0 with C++ ABI 1013

Build settings:
	KICAD_SPICE=ON

[bidrohini]

Regarding your first problem with the “Set Track and Via Properties” tool in KiCad 7.0.1, the tool is designed to modify the properties of all selected tracks or vias, regardless of whether they are locked or not. However, you can still protect specific tracks or vias from being modified by the tool by selecting them and locking them before running the tool. Locked objects will not be affected by any changes made by the tool.

[dhaillant]

Thank you Bidrohini for your answer.
However, I’m a little confused, I don’t understand the following:

@bidrohini

you can still protect specific tracks or vias from being modified by the tool by selecting them and locking them before running the tool. Locked objects will not be affected by any changes made by the tool.

How do you “lock” the tracks then? It’s a bit contradictory with what you say earlier, “the tool is designed to modify the properties of all selected tracks or vias, regardless of whether they are locked or not”.

I tried to lock the tracks that way: select tracks, press ‘E’ (or right-click and select menu “Properties…”) then check “Locked” checkbox.
The tracks can’t be dragged (a window pops up). But the tool “Set Track and Via Properties” can still modify the width of the locked tracks.

This, plus the fact the clearance isn’t checked makes me wonder it’s a bug, or a missing feature…

[MaxHeadRoom]

I have the same quandary, I have spent the last hour trying to find how to set track width in (new to) Kicad 7,
The menu is either not there, or if it is, cannot be edited?

[dhaillant]

“Set Track and Via Properties”: clearance not checked (#14797) · Issues ·...

“Set Track and Via Properties”: locked trace width modified (#14798) · Issues...

[dhaillant]

So, as @JeffYoung pointed out and explained in the above (closed) issues, the locking mechanism of tracks doesn’t relate to track width.

So, I’d like to know if there’s a way to protect some designated portions of tracks against global track width modifications?

Also, is there a way to route a track and have the width “automatically” adjusted to the maximum width allowed? For example, when a wider track has to go between pins of a DIP. Something like this:

But maybe this is not a good practice?

Thank you for your enlightenment!
David