Via patterns plugin

External Plugins
1

Hello,
I created simple plugin which helps me to route trace groups by placing tightly spaced via patterns.
See demo video here

I was inspired by this blogpost
Source code available at GitHub - adamws/kicad-via-patterns: KiCad plugin for placing via patterns

The need of manual net assignments is definitely a drawback but that’s something for the future.

1 Like
2

I did watch the video, and maybe this is useful in some cases, but I do not see how this plugin helps in this particular case. Especially the manual renaming of the vias makes it cumbersome.

Try this.

  1. Move mouse cursor on one track end, press x to start a track.
  2. Press v to start placing a via.
  3. Press f to finish the track.

Another way is to first spread the tracks apart a bit, and then simply place via’s on top of the tracks. Then they will be automatically be part of the same net.

But more importantly. it is often bad practice to place vias too close together. If you have a GND plane around the via’s, then you should place the via’s far enough apart from each other so the GND can connect in between the via’s. Interruptions in the GND plane should always be kept to a minimum.

3

whole point is to have minimal distances between vias (allowed by clearance rules)

4

If that is the goal, then just place some vias first and push them together by the Push 'n Shove router. confused0024

5

push’n shove often acts insanely, I’m providing an alternative.