Symbol Fields Table Modification

Schematic
1

I’m using Kicad 8.04 and I have a question about the Symbol Fields Table in the BOM tool. SCHEMATIC > TOOLS > GENERATE BILL OF MATERIALS brings up a window that has two tabs: Edit / Export. In the Edit tab, I want to change the Labels for some of the Fields but cannot edit some of them. Reference, Value, Footprint, Datasheet, and Description all do not allow their Labels to be modified or deleted. Is there a lock somewhere that prevents this?

Reason is, that I want to create a custom preset to generate BOM for JLCPCB which requires specific labels and order of columns in the BOM.

2

Add your custom fields in File > Schematic Setup > General > Field Name Templates
Then they will appear in BOM tool window, you just have to tick Show in the Edit tab:

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3

This is correct. Those have fixed field names and can not be modified. Probably some “historical” reason, but I don’t know the details.

4

@Pribusin : your post is ambiguous:

  1. do you want to change the labels in the schematic editor? not possible, because standard values
  2. or: do you want only to change the displayed labels in the BOM/Symbol fields table? (see picture)

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for option 2 you have found a small bug in the GUI, but there is a workaround:

  • 1 single LMB click to select the label field (in the orange rectangle) you want to change
  • doubleclick into his field to make it editable. sometimes you have to repeat this doubleclick multiple times. Leave 1 second between every doubleclick.
  • if the field changes to editable state: write your new desired label-name, then ENTER
  • you will see no change (bug)
  • click “OK” to close the symbol fields table dialog
  • reopen symbol fields table dialog → the change is shown on the right side (header) of the table (see my header-label for the footprint-field)
  • save this preset

Checked with kicad v8.0.5, on WIN10

5

You can add some Personal_Value :slight_smile: with ${VALUE} as a parameter. In my example I made it visible in the schematic, but it does not need to be visible.

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6

If you just want to generate a JLCPCB BOM have a look at the plugins that do this job.

7

This is exactly what I’m trying to do but so far no amount of double-clicking has produced an editable field…

8

Yes, that would be great. Where can I find such plugins?

9

NVM, I think I found it. Thanks.

10

Add a new field, rename it and then populate it.

image

11

For me the most robust way is to click once to select the row on the field’s Label column, then after small pause to click the second time so that it’s not a double click. Quick double click or more clicks on a row works randomly.

1 Like
12

thanks @eelik for the investigation, using your description I get all fields reliable into the editable state.