I have been using this from the PPA. It seems like a huge improvement. The only bug I noticed which might be related is that when I re-assign the "Switch Canvas to Legacy" hotkey (from F9 to Q for instance) it doesn't work. This might be an existing issue though. Of course it would also be good to be able to assign a hotkey to the update action.
On 29 January 2016 at 20:31, Russell Oliver <roliver8...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi all, > > As a crazy thought related to having the board capture orphan pads under an > parent footprint, conceptually what about a pcb being represented as a > hierarchy of footprints. > > From what I understand most elements of a board can be included in > footprints except for tracks. If tracks could be included as part of a > "footprint" would it not be possible to export a group of footprints and > tracks as a new reusable section of already laid out components. > > Regards > Russell > > On 30 Jan 2016 04:29, "jp charras" <jp.char...@wanadoo.fr> wrote: >> >> Le 29/01/2016 16:57, Tomasz Wlostowski a écrit : >> > On 29.01.2016 16:49, Chris Pavlina wrote: >> >> Oh, it's definitely a dirty hack - but it's a dirty hack that is >> >> somewhat >> >> necessary, and used to be possible, and now it's not, so... regression, >> >> dude! >> >> :) >> >> >> >> Yeah, yeah, I'm a spacebar heater, I know... :D >> >> >> >> https://xkcd.com/1172/ >> >> >> > No, you're not :) I perfectly agree with your reasoning and I'll add an >> > option to disable component removal. >> > >> >> I'd argue that while using a footprint as a via is a dirty hack, the >> >> simple >> >> concept of allowing footprints on the PCB that aren't on the schematic >> >> is >> >> *not*. Lots of people want to be able to place things like mounting >> >> holes >> >> without having to put them in the schematic. (Whether or not that's >> >> best >> >> practice is beside the point, it's very common.) >> > >> > Most tools I've used require that the components on the schematic fully >> > match the PCB, but they also allow drawing mounting holes as 'free' >> > pads. This is another limitation of pcbnew - in Eagle/Altium you can >> > just draw an arbitrary pad straight on the PCB. >> >> " In Kicad, it requires a footprint (and so the sch/pcb inconsistency)." >> >> This is not true. >> In Pcbnew, pads can live outside a footprint. >> (They are used in the pad properties editor) >> >> But without a footprint, you cannot manage easily the net of this pad. >> Just because schematic knows only footprints, the net of the orphan pads >> cannot be managed by the schematic. >> >> Therefore users have to manage the net of these orphan pads *by hand*. >> and these pads create sch/pcb inconsistency >> AFAIK, Altium has not solved this issue (sch/pcb inconsistency). >> >> To fix this kind of issue, we need a good idea, not just mimic what is >> made in Eagle/Altium. >> I have already used Altium, and worked with guys who are using Altium, >> but I am not a Altium specialist. >> I have seen some very good and powerful ideas (rooms), and some less >> good ideas (Well, I was not impressed by ERC and net management) >> >> My preferred idea (I am not saying this is a good idea) is to consider >> the board itself as a parent footprint these "orphan" pads. >> >> Power connections could be managed at schematic level by something like >> a few test or connect points ( pins of the board, seen like a footprint) >> connected to the nets (usually GND, VCC ...) we want to connect to >> these "orphan" pads >> Stitching vias could be some of these "orphan" pads. >> You do not need a footprint by pad: only one footprint is enough. >> >> I am pretty sure this is not a lot of work to code that. >> At least less than trying to manage stitching vias as standard vias. >> >> > >> > Cheers, >> > Tom >> >> >> -- >> Jean-Pierre CHARRAS >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >> Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp