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Electronics => PCB/EDA/CAD => KiCad => Topic started by: Simon on October 05, 2020, 03:47:30 pm

Title: difficulty editing traces
Post by: Simon on October 05, 2020, 03:47:30 pm

I have my solution to why KiCad does this but i still see it as a problem. I have traces that are 150µm to pass small gaps but for the most part need to be 250µm. I can't see any way to change mid run. If i go back and change the traces to 250µm I cause a rule violation (the trace ran close to another one) and can no longer use the 45 degree drag tool but can use the free angle drag tool because apparently of the violation. If I change the traces back to 150µm I can then drag them around.

Ironically having broken the rules I am not allowed to fix the issue. Funnily enough I think I ran into similar in circuit studio.

Title: Re: difficulty editing traces
Post by: Doctorandus_P on October 05, 2020, 07:45:46 pm

You're intermixing multiple different (but overlapping) issues here.

First: Changing track widht on the fly.
While drawing a track, click on your mouse's right ear and select: "Select Track/Via width" from the popup menu.

If you make a list of pre-defined track widths in:
**Kicad / File / Board Setup / Design Rules / Tracks & Vias**
then you can loop through this list with "w" and  [Shift + w] during laying of the tracks.

If you make tracks wider, and this wider track causes DRC violations, you can change this behavior with:
**Pcbnew / Route / Interactive Router / Settings**
If you set the mode to "Highlight Colisions" you can also "Allow DRC Violations**

Currently the interactive router has some problems with track segments of different widths. It is not able to move the point where the width changes. This is a known current limitation

Title: Re: difficulty editing traces
Post by: Simon on October 05, 2020, 08:23:14 pm

Ah, right, thanks.