PcbNew group components

Bug #1494079 reported by Matan Gal Katziri
210
This bug affects 49 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
KiCad
Expired
Wishlist
Unassigned

Bug Description

I wish there was a cnvenient way to group several objects (eg. Several footprints and interconnecting traces) to each other in pcbnew. The purpose is that all grouped members move/rotate/flipped together.
This has at least three major advantages:

1. Productivity enhancement. No need to re-organize sub-pcb domain if modifications required that affect its location.

2. Potential workaround for hierarchical layout. Assume a board is imported with "append layout", and immediately grouped. The module's re-referenced components can correspond to schematic hierarchical sheet annotation and be de-facto layout sub-hierarchy. This way you can design your switching DC-DC domain once, and use it in all your projects.

3. Major risk reduction when panelizing with " append PCB". No more copying/moving only SOME of the components/layers by mistake when arranging the board.

Actually, there are many other advantages I can think of concerning RF domains design and productivity..
Cheers, Matan

Tags: pcbnew
description: updated
Changed in kicad:
importance: Undecided → Wishlist
Revision history for this message
Richard Howlett (richard-howlett) wrote :

Thanks for making the request, I'm sure this would be one of the more helpful improvements.

Revision history for this message
Evan Shultz (evan-shultz) wrote :

I would also love to see this. In addition to grouping parts and interconnecting traces, there are two other elements that I believe should be included also:
1. Non-interconnecting traces. For example a "stub" trace that would ultimately go to different places from each group of elements.
2. Vias. Fanout, thermal vias for a component/zone, or connections to internal zones are obvious use cases.

I can see how this feature would tie nicely with Bug #1521062.

Revision history for this message
Kristoffer (kristoffer-odmark) wrote :

Is this bug fixed in the new version?

Now you can group components based on their subschematics/hierarchical sheets

Revision history for this message
Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw) wrote :

This wishlist report will not be fixed until at least revision 6. We still have to write the new schematic and symbol library file format to support this.

tags: added: pcbnew
removed: whishlist
Revision history for this message
Jeff Young (jeyjey) wrote :

One you have grouping, you'd also likely want mirror and rotate.

See also: https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1780318 for mirroring.

Revision history for this message
Giorgi Maghlakelidze (dracid) wrote :

I wonder when is implementation of this planned? Would be very VERY convenient to have! :)

Revision history for this message
NhatKhai (nhatkhai) wrote :

I have python script replicate the routing for multiple channels. This script automatically recognize multiple channels through schematic hierarchy structure, then ask user for what to replicate....So it kind of able to grouping channel too if you can identify the first one for it.

Revision history for this message
NhatKhai (nhatkhai) wrote :

This https://github.com/MitjaNemec/Kicad_action_plugins is more feature than mine. May also help you grouping channels too.

Revision history for this message
Maarten Bakker (maartenjb) wrote :

Would be very nice to have!

I think it would be best if you group components from within eeschema. This would make it much easier when you import the components to pcbnew, because you would be able to select components by group and not have to search for components that belong together.

Jeff Young (jeyjey)
summary: - PcbNew group components - Whishlist
+ PcbNew group components
Revision history for this message
KiCad bug report (kicad-bug-report) wrote :

+1 upvoted

Could you please re-evaluate grouping/ungrouping as a base editing function for graphic work ?
Grouping also locks sets of elements, when element-sets represent nested non-convex figures (which cannot easily be selected with a mouse rectangle).
This would apply to at least EeSchema and PcbNew.

Revision history for this message
KiCad bug report (kicad-bug-report) wrote :

Apparently, a solution is already available for a future release of KiCad :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJp-aJ8i0H4

Any idea when it will be released ?

Revision history for this message
Seth Hillbrand (sethh) wrote :

While not an exact duplicate, this will be addressed by the same fix for lp:1521062

Revision history for this message
Otto Mikkonen (ottomaani138) wrote :

I was forwarded here from:
https://forum.kicad.info/t/lock-and-unlock-groups-in-pcbnew/1394/12

I upvoted this general feature, since locking/unlocking groups of components reliably would be a time- and nerve-saving feature!

Revision history for this message
RyanFav (rerouter) wrote :

Any news if this is planned to be added to V6, Has been some time since it was last discussed,

Do not feel this was a duplicate of the other bug entry as this focuses on grouping for transforms such as moving / flipping, where the other was more about adding components to the PCB in grouped areas

Revision history for this message
Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh) wrote :

KiCad has moved to GitLab. You can follow this issue here: https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/issues/1998

Revision history for this message
KiCad Janitor (kicad-janitor) wrote :

KiCad bug tracker has moved to Gitlab. Try searching for "lp:#1494079" on https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues

Changed in kicad:
status: New → Expired
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