KiCad

Cut/Copy/Paste via Clipboard

Asked by Robert on 2011-06-28

The methods used by kicad to achieve cut, copy, and paste have been raised on the users list a few times, probably because they are non-standard and confusing (Copy works differently in PCBNew from EESchema, and copying between EESchema sheets is impossible unless one "saves" a block). Also, copying and pasting between instances is completely impossible.

What I would like to know is why kicad doesn't achieve Cut, Copy, and Paste via the system clipboard? I appreciate that the Linux clipboard supports only text, but since kicad saves its files in text it should be possible to copy blocks as text to the system clipboard. That would also work with Windows, but I admit I know nothing about the Mac clipboard or even if it uses the concept.

Cut, Copy and Paste via the system clipboard as text would not only make kicad behave more conventionally, it would also allow the creation of a clipbook in a text editor file, and external manipulation of the clipboard contents using the text editor (as can be done with kicad files).

The main difficulty I can see (apart from the work required) would be that kicad would have to have a means of differentiating between kicad blocks being pasted in and random text from another application. That could be achieved by adding a kicad header, and/or by rejecting anything that fails a parse of the content. Better would be to create a graphical text object from anything that is rejected as not being a kicad block but which is of reasonable length.

I've raised this idea a couple of times on the users list and not had any response at all, positive or negative. What do you think of it?

Question information

Language:: English Edit question

Status:: Expired

For:: KiCad Edit question

Assignee:: No assignee Edit question

Last query:: 2011-06-28

Last reply:: 2011-07-17

Link existing bug

Revision history for this message

Ivica Kvasina (kvasina) said on 2011-07-11:

i agree, here is my kicad wishlist:

- force autorouter to actually use design settings instead of using default trace width for everything (Java router works

ok, also manual routing)
- remember selections or make user settings (for everything, including 3D view that axes are turned off)
- better compatibility for VRML, wings3d is fine but awkward to use (seem to be more geared for free hand design like for

artists designing fairy tale creatures, instead of engineering where dimensions are everything). i tried exporting from

Solid Edge but no luck.
- better navigation through libraries (applies to both schem part editor and footprint editor). there is no telling where

the similar parts are so sometimes same "new" part ends up in multiple libraries. how to check for duplicates? why not allow

browsing libraries while saving so there is no confusion?
- using clipboard to copy and paste, this should allow much easier and cleaner reuse of project portions (schematics for example)
- smarter grid display. if one selects 0.001" grid, do we really need to display it as such? i miss AutoCads ability to

handle grid and snap as two separate entities. i can set grid to be 0.5" and snap to be 0.1" so between grid lines i have 5

steps that mouse cursor snaps to but grid is only displayed to major steps ("grid", not "snap"). this is great help to align

elements. suppose you are making schematic (or PCB) with 0.050" grid and then for some reason you have to get to finer level

such as 0.010". KiCad blindly plots horizontal and vertical lines corresponding to each 0.010" step so anything that may

have been added here could be missaligned. there is no telling if this is ok or not. same is with part symbol and footprint

editors. why? i would really really appreciate option to leave visible grid at one setting even if finer selection is made.

that way even though i can place part anywhere that grid settings allow, i can at least see where the major grid lines are

and choose to place things in what i consider right place.