Silkscreen resets for only some components on board update

Layout Footprints
1

Hi all,

I recently upgraded to V6 (6.0.2), have been using KiCAD for ~3 years now, and never come across this issue before.

I’m in the final stages of a HDI board layout, with very little silkscreen on the board due to lack of space. For the majority of components, the value silkscreen is made invisible, and moved to the center of the footprint.

If I run Update Board, they stay there, and stay invisible - which is exactly what I want, and how I’ve always know KiCAD to work.

However, I have a few footprints (some custom, and a few standard library footprints) where the behaviour is opposite - if I move, resize, or change the visibility of anything on the silkscreen of that footprint, in the context of a board design - it gets reset to the library condition when running board update.

I’ve searched high and low for some sort of switch that controls this, but I can’t for the life of me find it. What have I missed!? :slight_smile:

Thanks!

2

How is your setting of the “update footprint” - options?

Update_footprints_dialog_options_set
Update_footprints_dialog_options_set1366×671 142 KB

3

Thanks for responding!

Only ‘Update/reset 3d models’ is checked. But it is the ‘Update PCB with Changes made to the Schematic’ command I am referring to (F8) that is causing the problem.

4

“Update PCB with Changes made to the Schematic” command I am referring to (F8) that is causing the problem.

This should normally only change footprints which have changed on schematic side.

  • So no change in the schematic → no change on the board side.
  • changed something in the schematic → corresponding board-footprint gets new loaded (updated)

So I’m out for now.

5

That was certainly my understanding too… just moved to 6.0.4 and the behaviour persists too. Fairly out of ideas what to try at this stage!

6

I have just found, during ‘Update PCB from Schematic’, the following Actions are output.

E.g. “Change TP52 footprint from ‘Custom Footprints:TestPoint_Pad_D0.8mm’ to ‘Custom_Footprints:TestPoint_Pad_D0.8mm’.”

Each of the problem parts, are in this list - though, there are also many in this list that are not the problem.

7

So you have a discrepancy in the library-name:
“Custom Footprints” with space against
“Custom_Footprints” with underscore

If the footprint-name (inclusive library name) is different in board and schematic than the update-action is ok (thats the purpose of the update).

8

You’ve got it, very well spotted indeed. Many thanks!

9

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