After wandering around with grid and referencing point I need to come back home.
In Footprint editor I just want to place the grid origin on the axis origin (the violet small cross).
I’m not able to do this!
Since that point is not on the current grid I simply cannot select that point! Of course I can press CTRL and disable grid snapping, but then I rely on an “optical alignment”:
Is there a way to force snapping on that special point?
Thanks, but I already said in the question I’m able to do this. It’s a workaround and not precise.
Anyway, from your hint I should guess: “the answer is no, you can’t snap on the origin”, am I wrong?
You need to move the anchor to the grid.
The anchor is the icon above the grid origin icon. Click on that then place your cursor on the grid origin and click.
Is there a footprint that I cannot see that surrounds your screen grab?
I’ve just tried and perhaps I’m missing something because it moves the whole footprint (ok, I’m actually changing its starting point!) but the violet cross (sorry I didn’t find the correct name in the docs) does not move.
The violet cross is the footprint anchor or centroid.
This is the place the footprint is attached to your cursor when you place the footprint on your PCB.
The anchor is usually placed last when creating a footprint.
In your case, you probably want it in the centre.
The grid origin (white cross) serves no purpose for a completed footprint and can be ignored.
Yes, got it. I’m afraid I was not able to explain what I was trying to do. I apologize for that. The above answer is correct: Place → Reset grid origin just puts the grid origin on the axis origin.
I need to investigate further, since you say: “The violet cross is the footprint anchor” but using the footprint anchor command does not move the violet cross. I’m going to read again the documentation
My version of confusion for this task: I have 2 similar circular connectors; each 8 pin with a pin in the center. One footprint has the origin at the center of that center pin, the other has the origin at some other pin. I need to change the origin from that non center pin to the center pin. Since there is no move exact function here in the footprint editor, I can only visually move things. I am able to get the grid origin to where I want at the center of the center pin, only because KiCad understands that is what I am trying to do and when I get close to center it lights up a circle around the pin letting me know that it knows I mean the center of the pin. Then I click there for the new position of the Grid Origin. However, trying to do the same thing for the Anchor position does not work. With the grid orig now where I need it, I am able to snap to the correct place for setting the anchor, but when I hit return or left click, the anchor gets placed a great distance from where I have the cursor. OK Now. The Anchor went to the right place, but then the grid origin went somewhere else. I then moved the grid origin back, and everything appears to be ok. So it was 3 steps: 1) Set Grid Origin taking advantage of KiCAD automatically finding the exact center of the pin. 2) Set the Anchor at the same place taking advantage of Snap. 3) Now Set the Grid origin again since it moved (for reasons I do not understand).
The Anchor is a position on a footprint or symbol to which the cursor attaches when carrying out an action.
eg. on the schematic; a symbol is rotated, mirrored and grabbed by the anchor.
on a PCB, the footprint may be moved or rotated with respect to the anchor.
The Grid Origin is a (0.0) reference point for the X & Y position of the cursor, or, if highlighted, any item in the workspace.
eg.If that item happens to be a footprint or symbol, X & Y distance from the Grid Origin to the Footprint/Symbol Anchor will be displayed in that items Properties.
The two items, Anchor and Origin have totally different functions.