Starting a new project from a previous, Save As feature?

Community
1

Hello, please share if you know how to start a new project, and use one of your own project with SCH and PCB as a kinda template of your own - - in other words, I tried copying the files and renaming them but I receive error messages - - I was thinking there might be a Save-AS to start a new project, but I do not see that feature - - any thoughts anyone? - please share, thank you

2

I keep a project folder. The folder name and all of the KiCad files in the folder have the same name. To effectively do a save as, I use a file manager to copy the entire (folder + contents) and then rename the folder along with all of the files in it. This requires maybe 1-2 minutes. I also do this with a date or rev number for my own method of version control. So I often copy and rename the (folder + files) as a way of keeping different versions. Now with 5.99 it keeps a bunch of backups so I guess I could depend on that more if I wanted to do so. I never could figure out Github as a way of doing version control.

3

Regarding Kicad 5.x there is no built-in feature.
You can use Win File Explorer to copy a project directory, saving it to a new dir with a different name.

The dir and associated files need to all have the same name. You’ll have to do this manually.

Depending on the maturity of the source dir content, you may not need/want all the files. Create a new project and use File Exp to see the min set of files.

Also check the FAQ on this site.

4

What you might want to do is create a template of your default settings. See this document page on creating templates:
https://docs.kicad.org/5.1/en/kicad/kicad.html#creating_templates

First, create a new project to build your template on. Set up the schematic settings and pcb settings. Copy the project folder to where you have KICAD_USER_TEMPLATE_DIR configured to. Set up the meta folder as described in the document page.

Then whenever starting a new project, select menu File/New/Project from Template.... Change the tab to User Templates and select the template that you just created.

1 Like
5

And, in 5.99 (future 6), there is a ‘Save as …’ function.

6

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.