Work in progress: Native Altium Importer

[eeintech]

@pointhi Sweet, thanks!

[poco]

Is there a plan for these importers (sch + pcb) to work together, as kicad native project files does? I mean - will the PCB be tied to / derived from schematic, so that pcbnew “Tools” -> “Update PCB from Schematic…” works in imported *.pcb_doc, tied to imported *.sch_doc?

This is a useful, kind of “worst case scenario to import” altium project, containing harnesses, ports, sheet hierarchy, net classes, graphical customizations… link to github

And output pdf for that project: link to pdf

[cedric]

I would like to try the Altium schematic importer, but I can’t find that option in eeschema.
I’ve made this file:

$ cat ~/.config/kicad/5.99/kicad_advanced
Set PluginAltiumSch=1

Next I start eeschema in stand alone mode, and click file->import->import non-kicad schematic.
Now I browse to the location of “Power Supply.SchDoc”, but I can’t see that file.
Next I click on the drop down button “All supported formats”. There I only see Cadstar and Eagle.

I assume I’m doing something wrong. What could it be?

My version:

Application: Eeschema

Version: (5.99.0-6627-g2d59bb815), debug build

Libraries:
	wxWidgets 3.0.5
	libcurl/7.73.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1h zlib/1.2.11 zstd/1.4.5 libidn2/2.3.0 libpsl/0.21.1 (+libidn2/2.3.0) libssh2/1.9.0 nghttp2/1.41.0

Platform: Linux 5.9.1-arch1-1 x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, , tty

Build Info:
	Date: Oct 27 2020 19:03:50
	wxWidgets: 3.0.5 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8) GTK+ 3.24
	Boost: 1.72.0
	OCC: 7.4.0
	Curl: 7.73.0
	ngspice: 33
	Compiler: GCC 10.2.0 with C++ ABI 1014

Build settings:
	KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
	KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
	KICAD_SCRIPTING_PYTHON3=ON
	KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
	KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON_PHOENIX=ON
	KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=ON
	BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
	KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
	KICAD_SPICE=ON
	KICAD_STDLIB_DEBUG=OFF
	KICAD_STDLIB_LIGHT_DEBUG=OFF
	KICAD_SANITIZE=OFF

[pointhi]

@poco

Is there a plan for these importers (sch + pcb) to work together, as kicad native project files does? I mean - will the PCB be tied to / derived from schematic, so that pcbnew “Tools” -> “Update PCB from Schematic…” works in imported *.pcb_doc, tied to imported *.sch_doc?

There is a plan, but dunno if this happens for v6. KiCad is already in feature freeze, and project import is a new feature. Schematic import is in alpha state, and hidden behind an advanced config flag. This allows me to have the code already integrated in the upstream project, without bothering users with a broken importer.

I would say, the more testing we see on those importers, the higher the chance we see schematic import enabled by default for v6, and perhaps even a project importer. If the other lead-devs permit, I can add an initial project importer behind such an advanced-config flag as well.

---

@cedric

I would like to try the Altium schematic importer, but I can’t find that option in eeschema.
I’ve made this file:

$ cat ~/.config/kicad/5.99/kicad_advanced
Set PluginAltiumSch=1

I think my quote was a bit misleading. Remove the Set from the line:

$ cat ~/.config/kicad/5.99/kicad_advanced
PluginAltiumSch=1

[poco]

Here is a working “kicad_advanced” file from my appdata folder in windows (%appdata%\kicad\5.99) kicad_advanced (17 Bytes)

[poco]

@pointhi

I would say, the more testing we see on those importers, the higher the change we see schematic import enabled by default for v6, and perhaps even a project importer. If the other lead-devs permit, I can add an initial project importer behind such an advanced-config flag as well.

I didn’t find critical errors for current state of the schematic importer, except still “not implemented” features:

1. Footprint field is not imported;
2. Altium “Harness” objects are not imported (blue “cables” inside GitHub project provided earlier);
3. Multisheet design;

I think I should not report these in GitLab issue tracker, I believe - you have them in mind :), right?

Regarding pcb importer - current state is almost perfect, I did not found any critical errors in it.

[cedric]

@pointhi

If the other lead-devs permit, I can add an initial project importer behind such an advanced-config flag as well.

I’m not a lead-dev (not even a developer at all), but please do.

[poco]

Hi, here is a workaround to have ability of “Tools” -> “Update PCB from schematic…” for whole altium project:

1. Import schematics with standalone eeschema. *.kicad_pro file is automatically created;
2. Import pcb with standalone pcbnew;
3. “Tools” -> “Harvest footrpints to new library…”. We will create library, containing all pcb footprints;
4. Close everything, open kicad_pcb files with text editor;
5. Replace all references of non existing library names from altium, to our new library, created in step 3;
6. Launch kicad, open *.kicad_pro file, created in step 1;
7. Start pcbnew, “Tools” -> “Update Schematic from pcb…”. This will set correct footprint assignments from pcb to schematics;
8. Save everything.
9. “Tools” -> “Update PCB from schematics…” as sanity check.

Everything works, we can make changes inside eeschema and import them to pcbnew as native kicad project does.

Import project from Altium (lp:#1755952) (#2117) · Issues · KiCad / KiCad...

[ferdymercury]

An alternative to Steps 4, 5, 6 would be:

4. Preferences, Manage FP Libraries
5. Create a nickname for all references of non existing library names from altium, to our new library, created in step 3; Ie create several nicknames all pointing towards the newly created e.g. Library.pretty.
6. Tools, Update FP from Library, all on board. You can iterate steps 5 and 6 checking the error messages in the dialog, until you find out all library names.