Updating footprints in existing layout with different anchor points

I need to update the footprints in my existing layout to be in sync with my current library. Unfortunately, even though the footprints are the same, the anchor points are in different places (ie. old footprint has anchor center of pin 1, new library has anchor center of footprint).

Is there any way or I can do this without all of my footprints shifting in my layout? Using kicad version 5.1.6.
Thanks!

I understand your problem, but I think it’s unlikely to be implemented in KiCad directly.

KiCad’s own libraries are carefully developed around the KLC and origin location of footprints is a part of that. I think it’s globally pin 1 for THT footprints and center of package for SMT Footprints. The result is there is not much need for such a function in KiCad, while working with KiCad’s own libraries.

How big is this issue for you? Is it just for several footprints on a single PCB, or is it for many footprints on a lot of PCB’s?

It probably is scriptable, but then you have to figure out what offset to add when updating the footprints.

If it is for a lot of instances of the same footprint, you can probably select the footprints and use “Move Exactly” from the popup menu to move them as a block.

Another way that might work reasonably quick is to simply delete the footprints you want updated from the PCB, then Update PCB from Schematic and then drag a pad of each footprint to an end of an existing track.

Thanks for the suggestions @paulvdh. Ya I think trying to script something will be the way to go. It’s basically every component in my layout unfortunately so that’d be a lot of manual moving around!

For a single PCB?

You can move a lot of footprints manually in half an hour, while I guess that figuring out how to gather the info needed to write your script can easily take an hour or more.

Oh I was more thinking an Autohotkey script, basically just make a macro to move each type of component back by the correct amount. Worked pretty well and saved a lot of clicking!

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