cant draw certain layers in footprint editor

[Nicholas Savenlid]

can no longer draw a Dwgs.User line directly in footprint editor

need to draw silkscreen then change property.

see attached picture

Application: kicad
Version: (2017-01-29 revision 75ffcbc)-makepkg, release build
Libraries: wxWidgets 3.0.2
           libcurl/7.51.0 OpenSSL/1.0.2j zlib/1.2.8 libssh2/1.8.0 nghttp2/1.16.1 librtmp/2.3
Platform: Windows 7 (build 7601, Service Pack 1), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW
- Build Info -
wxWidgets: 3.0.2 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8)
Boost: 1.62.0
Curl: 7.51.0
KiCad - Compiler: GCC 6.3.0 with C++ ABI 1010
        Settings: USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=OFF
                  USE_WX_OVERLAY=OFF
                  KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
                  KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
                  KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
                  KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=OFF
                  BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
                  KICAD_USE_SCH_IO_MANAGER=OFF
                  KICAD_USE_OCE=ON

[Chris Pavlina (pavlina-chris)]

I don't think it's a bug per se, but it strikes me as a strange design choice. Why should I be blocked out in the footprint editor from using layers? Copper I understand, maybe edge cuts, but anything else? It's just an annoyance. Sounds like another "I don't see a use for it, therefore I'll block you from doing it"...

[Nicholas Savenlid (nicholas-z)]

its very helpful to be able to draw lines in footprint as aid during drawing.

but also sometimes a component can relate to another component and you want to be able to match them to mounting holes or other components (connectors typically)

this was doable before and now been removed for reasons unknown to mankind ?