Kicad8 quirks  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Miti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2025, 06:24:44 pm
content: Last time I designed a relatively complex board I used version 6. Now I’m using version 8 and I see some quirks that I don’t remember seeing before. For example:1. I label two wires with the same name and, when I highlight the net, I expect to highlight all the wires and the pins in that net. Sometimes it does, sometimes it highlights the wire segments but the pins are not highlighted. Thinking that the wires are not connected to the pins I went nuts trying to redraw those segments unsuccessfully. Then I closed and opened the schematic and there it was, all the way from pin to pin.2. In pcbnew, I click Alt-3 to see the board in 3D, I close the 3D view, I check “Flip the board”, I uncheck it and try the 3D view again. Nope, all I get is a ding and nothing on the screen.Do you see the same behaviour?Cheers,Miti

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2025, 09:53:40 pm
content: Usual question:whichV8?Why is it so hard to post that kind of info?

author: Miti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 01:14:47 am
content: Quote from: Benta on January 28, 2025, 09:53:40 pmRight, sorry, 8.0.7.

author: Miti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 04:00:38 am
content: It does the same thing in Kicad 8.0.8 but I think I figured out point #2. After I check flip the board box, I need to click on the board again and then the 3D view works. Probably the board goes out of focus and it doesn't know what it needs to 3D.

author: stryker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 06:40:30 am
content: One thing I found with 8.0.8 that I think is different behavior to older versions - if you flip text from f.Silkscreen to b.Silkscreen now you need to use the R button to reverse the text or it will be produced mirrored on the underside of the PCB. Previously (unless I'm hugely mistaken) flipping to the bottom side of the board mirrored it too, meaning it looked mirrored in the PCB Editor and would work out fine. Now when I move the text to the bottom silk it is still readable and unmirrored, which I'm sure is usually not what anyone would want.I received a board today from JLCPCB with some interesting backwards text on the bottom (that only I will know is there so it's okay this time). I'd never done that before but this is my first outing with any v8. Something to remember for next time.

author: Miti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 11:04:38 am
content: Quote from: stryker on January 29, 2025, 06:40:30 amYes, I’ve seen that too and I thought it’s me not understanding the rationale behind this behaviour, but it is most likely a bug. Flipping should maintain readability. Imagine flipping a component footprint without mirroring.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 11:52:08 pm
content: Quote from: stryker on January 29, 2025, 06:40:30 amIt does work properly here with 8.0.8. Are you sure you use the "flip" function, and don't just change the assigned layer manually instead?

author: stryker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2025, 12:28:38 am
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on January 29, 2025, 11:52:08 pmYou're 100% right - I've not been using "Change Side/Flip" but just reassigning to the different layer. I see using Flip automagically activates the mirror so the text is right way aroundI'll be sure to do that ongoing. Thanks!

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2025, 01:09:05 am
content: Quote from: stryker on January 30, 2025, 12:28:38 amNo problem. I have always used the "Flip" function for this, so I didn't know that past versions may have automatically reversed text if you changed the layer manually to the opposite layer.

author: Miti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2025, 06:34:17 pm
content: Not flip the layer, flip the board view, a check box under the layer display, right side.