Modern toolset for eeschema

[Jeff Young]

A top-level node for eeschema GAL canvas.

Some of these just have to do with the canvas and can be fixed in 5.1. Those that have to do with the toolset will have to wait for 6.0.

=============== Fixed in 5.1 =================

Eeschema: Block sel: dont place after Rotate
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1709069

No antialiasing in Windows
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1501890

Touchpad pan 'choppy' in Eeschema, 'smooth' in Pcbnew
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1654886

Grid dots too small on high DPI displays (Eeschema)
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1660560

Eeschema: interrupted lines in some zoomlevels
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1687491

=============== Fixed in 6.0 =================

Delete keyboard shortcut for delete block
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1672022

eeschema: Operations on blocks inner selection
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1624686

Symbol always centered during panning
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1748850

Inconsistency between eeschema's wire tool and pcbnew's track tool
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1546814

Add symbol from library browser in eeschema
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/920380

Give eeschema the same trackpad center/zoom as pcbnew
https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1763862

[Nick Østergaard (nickoe)]

Mmm, why do we need this? Please use the gal and eeschema tag instead.

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

I created it to reduce clutter in the bug database. These are mostly bugs that aren't worth fixing on their own, but should be fixed automatically by the GAL canvas.

(Since the bulk of them are marked as duplicates of this one, they don't clutter up other searches, etc.)

[Nick Østergaard (nickoe)]

Ahh ok, I see what you mean now.

[Paul Hansel (paulhansel)]

It looks like the bug below is relevant again. Pressing W once no longer starts the wire - the tool must already be active for a wire to be placed.

> Inconsistency between eeschema's wire tool and pcbnew's track tool
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1546814

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

@Paul, yes, the new behaviour makes it consistent with PCBNew: pressing W the first time selects the tool; pressing it again starts a wire.

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

@Jeff, this is not the correct behavior. The 'W' key press should
enable the wire tool and immediately start drawing a wire at the current
cursor position. A separate Ctrl-W (or is it Shift+W?) entry should
only enable the wire tool. All this does is add an extra steps that are
not necessary. If users are more comfortable constantly switching
tools, that's fine. What we should not do is force users to do so.
That is the entire reason for existence of hotkeys. Hotkeys are not
menu accelerators even though we have used those terms interchangeably
in the past. Please fix this when you get a chance and make sure all
tools ported to the new framework maintain the behavioral differences
between hotkeys and accelerators as closely as possible.

On 4/24/2019 9:23 AM, Jeff Young wrote:
> @Paul, yes, the new behaviour makes it consistent with PCBNew: pressing
> W the first time selects the tool; pressing it again starts a wire.
>
> ** Description changed:
>
> A top-level node for eeschema GAL canvas.
>
> Some of these just have to do with the canvas and can be fixed in 5.1.
> Those that have to do with the toolset will have to wait for 6.0.
>
> Wishlist: Option to show invisible fields in Eeschema
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1545260
>
> eeschema: Operations on blocks inner selection
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1624686
>
> Touchpad pan 'choppy' in Eeschema, 'smooth' in Pcbnew
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1654886
>
> Grid dots too small on high DPI displays (Eeschema)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1660560
>
> Eeschema: interrupted lines in some zoomlevels
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1687491
> -
> - Inconsistency between eeschema's wire tool and pcbnew's track tool
> - https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1546814
>
> Delete keyboard shortcut for delete block
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1672022
>
> Give eeschema the same trackpad center/zoom as pcbnew
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1763862
>
> Add number hotkeys for selection clarification menu
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1785877
>
> ...
>
> Eeschema: Block sel: dont place after Rotate >>> fixed in 5.1 <<<
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1709069
>
> No antialiasing in Windows >>> fixed in 5.1 <<<
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1501890
>
> Symbol always centered during panning >>> fixed in 6.0 <<<
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1748850
>
> + Inconsistency between eeschema's wire tool and pcbnew's track tool >>> fixed in 6.0 <<<
> + https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1546814
> +
> Add symbol from library browser in eeschema >>> fixed in 6.0 <<<
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/920380
>
> ** Description changed:
>
> A top-level node for eeschema GAL canvas.
>
> Some of these just have to do with the canvas and can be fixed in 5.1.
> Those that have to do with the toolset will have to wait for 6.0.
>
> Wishlist: Option to show invisible fields in Eeschema
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1545260
> ...

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

@Wayne, they need to be consistent. Are we OK with this behaviour for PCBNew as well?

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

BTW, there are two actions in the new eeschema stuff: startWire and drawWire. The first starts drawing a wire immediately (and is hooked up to the context menu). The second selects the wire tool, and starts a wire if the tool was already selected (and is hooked up to the W hotkey).

Is the goal to have W hooked up to startWire (so it /only/ starts a wire, and never selects the tool)? If so, do we need a different hotkey for the tool, or are we OK without one there?

[Novak Tamas (novak-7)]

If you take a vote from an outsider: W hotkey for startWire (immediate starting wire from actual mouse position), and Shft-W or Ctrl-W (or no accelerator/hotkey just context menu and icon on the right menubar) for drawWire. I think I'd seldom or never use this switch-to-draw-track-but-don't-start-now function.

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

I think the intended behaviour (and how it used to be) is:

* 'Hotkey' - `w`: enable wire tool and start drawing wire immediately at current cursor position.
* 'Menu accelerator' - `Shift~w`: enable wire tool, wait for user to click

I'm sure this used to be the case in Pcbnew tools (e.g. `x`) as well but it seems to have changed.

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

@Jeff, yes. The hot key should always immediately perform the tool action at the current cursor location. This should always be the default hot key behavior for any tool in all of the editors.

[Julien Faucher (suzizecat)]

Just my 2 cents about the hotkey/accelerator behavior, we discussed a bit about that on IRC with John Beard and thought about the notion of "infix" (as in Cadence tools) which is equivalent of the "W" behavior as intended by Wayne.

It might be convenient to have at least an option to exchange "W" and "Shift-W" behavior. The initial behavior would be to have "Infix" activated (W start drawing a wire) and you could disable infix to get "W" start drawing tool and (why not) Shift-W start drawing.

I, personally, prefer the "infix" mode (much more quick to use and less mouse use) but some (new ?) people might not like that. This way, they also could be satisfied.

Keep up the awesome work !
Julien