I’m new here. I hope I’ve picked the right category.
In pcb editor I sometimes use millimeters and sometimes inches within the same project. When I ask for the properties of something, though, they always appear in the metric I’ve chosen on the main window. This is not always what I wanted and so I have to close the properties window, click on the alternate unit and then have to open the properties window again.
Recently I’ve begun to think that it would be a lot easier if the properties window, and perhaps some others, had a millimeters/inches button or radio button within them so that I could do the conversion without having to close the properties window first.
Anybody agree?
Have you tried to use the hotkey (Ctrl+U by default). It should work in your case.
Hi Dawid. No I haven’t. I can’t say I’ve seen the list of shortcut keys, but if I had, a unit conversion shortcut probably wouldn’t have registered, anyway. I’ll try it…
Yes, it works! Thanks for the tip.
Don’t you think, though, that a button would be more obvious? Is it important enough for its own button?
For future reference, you can see the list of hotkeys in help → list hotkeys (or Ctrl+F1).
You can use the search box to find the feature you’re interested in.
You can also change the default hotkeys in preferences → hotkeys.
A bit of a “meh” from here.
KiCad’s editor has dedicated buttons for the units to show on the toolbar on the left side of the window, and after some time you will get used to setting the units before you open a properties (or other) window.
Edit:
but [Ctrl + u] also works, it toggles the displayed units in an open window directly between mm and mils.
Hi Paul. Yes, I know about the buttons for units on the toolbar. My point was that they are not much use to me once I’ve opened the properties window. Knowing about the CTRL+U shortcut helps, though.
Also, you can enter values with any units.
For example, if you are currently on millimeters, you can enter values as “0.1 in” or “100 mil” and KiCad will auto-convert for you.