Why click twice to place new symbol?

Schematic
1

Out of interest, does anyone know why Eeschema is set up so we have to click twice to place a symbol?

1/ Click the “Place symbol” icon
2/ Click anywhere on the worksheet area
3/ Select the symbol from the dialogue
4/ Click at the desired place on the worksheet to place the symbol

Step 2/ (or possibly step 4/) seems to have no necessary purpose. It’s a small thing, and really I was just wondering what the reasoning was behind it. Does it persist in V6?

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1+2 can be achieved in one go if you hit the [A] key - KiCAD workflows can be sped up by using the keyboard along with your mouse (at least that’s the philosophy).
But I see the argument why clicking on the ‘place symbol’ button should bring up the selection dialog right away, to make it consistent with the keyboard-shortcut method. Step 2 has no real purpose. But I’m no dev, I just do a bit of community work here :wink:

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I’m not sure if what I suppose is really true but…
1 - to switch into the ‘mode’ of adding symbols,
2 - to say - I wont to add next symbol (you have to do something to start adding next symbol),
3 - of course needed point,
4 - real placement.
So when you add many symbols you need to only repeat 2,3,4 steps. Step 4 is in my opinion as before selecting symbol (so in step 2) you are not able to point exactly where the element should be placed to click at right place.

But KiCad philosophy is ‘left hand at keyboard, right at mouse’ so I am even not sure if steps you described are really used (never done it that way, and can’t check here I am now).
To Add symbol I use ‘A’ hot key. If I have already the element I want next copy of it I use ‘C’ hotkey.

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4

that might be the developer’s philosophy, but I’ve used kicad for several years and never heard it. I expect those who don’t use that hotkey far outnumber those who do.

This 2-click workflow simply doesn’t make sense, and if the intention is for people to use hotkeys then the button bar should be removed.

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You can be right - it is really only my own opinion. If there are hotkeys for most tasks I just assume the fastest way of working is to use hotkeys.

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commit 005622027f6cc457a4640dfda541edd4cf52b1df
Author: Seth Hillbrand <seth@kipro-pcb.com>
Date:   Tue Feb 23 15:10:40 2021 -0800

    Add component/footprint is always immediate
    
    When a user clicks on the "Add Component", "Add Power" or "Add Footprint"
    icon, they want to add the item.  Requiring an extra click on the screen
    before selecting the component/footprint is not needed.
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I see it as valid for KiCad V4.

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I think I will put in a change request: clicking the “Place symbol” icon brings up the dialogue straight away, exactly the same as pressing the ‘A’ key.

After that first click, the existing behaviour should continue unchanged.

How do I formally raise a change request?

10

eelik posted that Seth has already fixed this yesterday.

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11

Yes, I just compiled 5.99 and can confirm that when I click the tool button or press A the dialog pops up.

A few tips for 5.99:

  • Pressing Insert key activates the Add Symbol tool with the latest used symbol active.
  • In the bottom of the dialog there’s “Place repeated copies” checkbox. When that’s checked the tool keeps the same symbol active until the tool is exited, so you can just click again to add another similar symbol.
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12

Both of these are excellent updates to the workflow.

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13

Excellent! Thanks - I’m glad it’s been improved in that way for V6.

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