To do list
Matthieu (Easy-phi)
- Differential pair routing
- Track length tuning/matching/measurement
- Keepout layers (so instead of polygons you can use any drawings, I think it is mostly about circles)
- Clearance for zones respected per class
- Clearance between zones
- Via stitching
- Upgrade website design
- Integrated libraries (there was a dialogue in French that I could not understand)
- Possible bug: cvpcb saves removed components footprint assignment
- Importing shapes from DXF/SVG (DXF import is currently possible in pcbnew)
Matthieu (HT)
General
- Menus should contains ALL the options/features (someone learning, like me, will just browse the menu to look for something).
Kicad (project explorer)
- Can't delete "sub-project" .pro files.
- I was confused not to see hierachical schematic sheet here.
Component Library Editor (eeschema)
- Selection tool is not user friendly.
- Missing action on group (e.g. rotate selected pins).
- Can't change lines color.
- Block copy, copies the object at the same place. Not following the cursor (like in Eeschema).
Module editor
- Missing measurement tool (useful to check a footprint). Orson: If you press Space then it measures the relative distance
Missing copy/paste.Selection tool is not user friendly.- Missing snap to object + snap on all layers.
Missing interactive resize objects (e.g. drag the end of a line to extend it).- Missing double-click to select text in textboxes. Orson: I do not fully understand. Is it about opening the properties dialog after a double click?
- Scroll should be vertical pan Orson: I am afraid it has to stay that way. I have tried once to change it but it was not accepted.
- Ctrl+Scroll should be zoom Orson: I am afraid it has to stay that way. I have tried once to change it but it was not accepted.
- Shift+Scroll should be horizontal pan Orson: I am afraid it has to stay that way. I have tried once to change it but it was not accepted.
- Missing change parameter of an object group (e.g. X position) Orson: There is an alignment tool, but it works only for position.
- Y axis negative value is up, Y axis positive value is down Orson: That is the KiCad way, I think it has to stay that way.
It would be nicer to select the layer to work on instead of having to select the layer for every object.- Missing keepout area in modules.
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Bug, doesn't redraw after placing an object (have to zoom in/out).Orson: It does not happen with GAL canvas. Solder mask drawing (if this is the red lines around the pad) is not updated when the value is change for a component or a pad.Paste stencil isn't drawn.-
Missing displayed layer selection.Orson: I am not sure if I understand this correctly, but now there is a layer widget that indicates the current layer you use.
Eeschema
- The way the schematic files are managed inside a project is far from being intuitive! Orson: more details please:)
- Libraries should be defined globally, not per schematic file. Orson: There is a set of default libraries, but I do not know (yet) how are they set up.
- Doesn't ask for a file name when saving (very confusing).
- Creates schematic project (.pro) from within Eeschema ??
- Some function are only available as icons (not in menus).
- Zoom doesn't adjust when resizing the window (zoom=fit -> resize -> zoom!=fit).
- When click "Place component" I was expecting a window to pop up to select a component, instead of have to click first somewhere on the sheet.
- Bug, when placing a component that exists in another library (with the same name) it doesn't place the selected one (e.g. resistor). Orson: If there are two components of the same name, the one that is higher in the library list wins. I think there should be at least a warning displayed in such case.
- Bug, double-click on a component, it asks for clarification, when clarified don't open pop-up window.
- Drawing straight line when dragging wire, not exactly what we want.
- Can't freely name power nets.
CvPcb (to be removed, not fixed)
- Missing multiple selection (to assign the same footprint to all selected components).
- Can't undo association (only overwrite).
- Can't re-load module library.
Pcbnew
- Can't re-load module library? Orson: Do you mean update after modification of a symbol? It can be done from the module editor level.
- Component search function not working? (first search says found,
click second time says not found).
-> Should zoom to component. - Undo segfaults!!! Orson: Cannot reproduce and I do not have any other reports about that. I really need to borrow your hardware for a weekend.
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Can't change track width when routing is active.Orson: It was the case with an old version of PNS router. - Copy/paste is missing.
- ALWAYS CRASHES !!! (segfault) Orson: There were a few bugfixes, if it still crashes, then I need an access to the computer that refuses to work.
- Missing easy change width of tracks. Orson: Select the desired track width and double click on a track.
- Missing select entire track or connected copper.
- Missing snap on all layers.
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Precise component placement (manually enter position).Orson: Double click on a component or select "Properties" from right click context menu. - Can't place via freely (when not routing).
- Can't easily display top or bottom layers only. Orson: How about the high-contrast mode? Press 'H' or select a paint palette icon from the left vertical toolbar.
- Select "Dwgs.User" layer, select graphic line tool -> sometimes tool doesn't follow the mouse. Orson: Are there any specific conditions to reproduce it?
- Missing snap via to trace end.
- Missing round keepout area (basically the keepout should be a layer and we should be able to draw any graphics on it).
- Missing lock graphic drawings.
- Can't place a via inside a pad without a trace connected to it (e.g. thermal pads).
Moving grid origin doesn't work (origin stays at top left corner of the page).- Missing feature to quickly show a single layer. Orson: Try high-contrast mode.
- Missing fill zone manager.
- Fill zone: - can't differentiate between board edge and via/pads
clearance.
- via/pad clearance is calculated from annular ring, not from hole. -
Can't change layers color??Orson: Middle mouse button click on the layer color in the layer widget. Intuitive, isn't it?;) - Can't place (non-plated) holes, have to place a module.
- DRC option not taking the unit selection (mm, inches) into account. Orson: How can I observe this? Mine shows everything in the selected units.
Pcbnew (OpenGL GAL canvas)
- Can't read net name inside pad on selected components. Orson: It is to speed up dragging of items. It will be fixed once bitmap fonts are coded.
- When moving component to bottom, some 'shadow' persists on the top. Orson: Cannot reproduce.
- Can't selectively remove ratsnest from component.
- Double click on an object should open the property dialog. Orson: It works only for modules.
Place origin doesn't work.- Grid isn't aligned with default canvas mode!! Orson: How can I observe this?
- Can route through keepout area!
- Can't resize trace (drag the end).
- Bottom solder mask is under top copper and solder mask when bottom layer is selected.
Ratsnest does not refresh when re-loading the netlist.Component lock doesn't work (can still move locked components).- Dwgs.User layer is always drawn on top of other layers (and it shouldn't). Orson: Where would you put the Drawings layer in the layers hierarchy?
- Missing display net name in vias.
When placing via, router isn't swapping to other layer.
Orson
Bugs:
- One cannot select components when the high contrast mode is enabled.
- If OpenGL is not supported in a system, pcbnew displays an error message and dies. It should return to the default renderer.
- If there are items selected in the OpenGL view, then after switching canvases back and forth - items are invisible until they are selected again.
- Zone display settings (and the top layer?) are not respected after a board reload.
- To be checked: there was a report saying that the DRC markers are not drawn in GAL if there is a track to track distance violation.
- After extending the number of layers, tracks on the new layers are not visible.
- Ratsnest is not refreshed after some block operations in the default view. This should be addressed by the Observer pattern to avoid spending more time on searching places where ratsnest should be updated.
- Transitions list in the Tool Framework are getting too long. It is caused by too frequent call to Go().
- Convert change width & switch arc posture to TOOL_ACTIONs.
Feature requests:
- Line between the module anchor and texts.
- Handle "find modules" feature.
- Selecting pads
Other improvements:
- Module classes refactorization
- Observer
- Toolbar buttons for tools could be autochecked instead of explicitly calling functions to denote the active tool.
Low priority:
- Idea to be discussed: should place the grid origin/drill and place origin change the world origin point? It would have to be stored in the file.
- Icons for context menu entries in GAL.
- Mechanism for setting the order of context menu entries.
- Antialiasing for OpenGL.
- Bring back MXE build environment.
- Bitmap fonts for GAL.
- Smart grid placer for the module editor.
- DRAWSEGMENT::HitTest for m_Shape==S_POLYGON - it is not implemented