So, my ‘from scratch’ board (no schematic/netlist) has lots of discrete components that need to be placed before I start routing. I’m sure there’s a way to speed the process up over going back to the footprint library each time. One Web source suggested copying and pasting, which would be just fine, but I found that I can’t route between the original footprint that I copied and the copy. I can route between copied footprints, but not to the original. Does anyone know a workaround, beside making all the footprints copies?
- Schematic Editor https://docs.kicad.org/master/en/eeschema/eeschema.html#footprint-assignment-tool
- PCB Editor https://docs.kicad.org/master/en/pcbnew/pcbnew.html#starting_from_a_schematic
- Return to the Schematic Editor and select multiple units that are close in circuit.
- When you return to the PCB editor, the footprint of the unit you just selected will be selected, so press the “M key” to move it into the board.
- After aligning the shape to the grid, place all remaining footprints outside the board using the same procedure as above.
It’s almost certainly due to you not having a schematic so the pads that can’t be connected have different nets so the editor stops you.
I seem to remember there’s a setting which says to editor: let me connect disparate nets, but I can’t find the post about that. If you do turn off this constraint then tracks can connect to any copper so you have to draw carefully.
The best advice you will get is that often the quickest way to do something is the correct way, do yourself a favour, create a schematic.
1 Like
Designing this way has elements of masochism in it, but KiCad is for everyone, so whatever you prefer… 
1 Like