Using Notepad++ on live PCB

Projects
1

Just wondering, after seeing the post on the Notepad++ plugin, I wondered if it would be possible to use Notepad++ to open the PCB file whilst I was working on it. It very nicely knows when its been updated and prompts to load it when its out of date.

I thought this would be really handy, if for example I new the locations of the 4 holes for mounting, and I wanted to set them manually.

However, what I found was you can adjust the values in Notepad++ and save it, but PCB NEW will not recognize the change of values, unless you close, preforms edits, and re-open the PCB.

I thought it would have a refresh or some such like…am I missing something that I can enforce and update without close and open of the file?

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No, there’s no refresh that I know of. Most programs load on file open and write on save.

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3

You can manually set the position of things from within PCBNew. Usually by hovering over it and pressing ‘E’ otherwise right-click and select properties.

4

NP++ is reading the file ‘only’ and (to me at least) KiCAD isn’t enforcing a lock on the file it works on (otherwise NP++ wouldn’t be able to write the file while it was open in KiCAD).
This also means KiCAD touches the file only when you tell it to save it (Autosave every x minutes does apparently only create backup files instead of ‘touching up’ the main working file, see General Settings).

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OK that’s cool, I’ll keep on trucking the way I am with my friend the ‘e’ :slight_smile: Cheers everyone.