Hello, There! I didn't use that functionality in KiCad, but in my other designtool I ran into the following case:
- There is a finished design X. - The footprint library envolves over a year and lots of footprints get migrated in it's zero orientation from pin 1 is on lower left to pin 1 is on upper left. - Now, design X needs an update. I want to update all my footprints to be up-to-date with my latest library. Then, the footprints with the changed zero orientation need an additional added +-90° or +-270° rotation while they get updated from library. This was not easy to achieve without manual work. Regards, Clemens On 2016-04-13 08:16, David Godfrey wrote: > Hi Chris, > > A rotation of the selection is not the same as a rotation of the > individual components. > Consider you already have the components roughly in a grid, and you need > to rotate them by 20 degrees. > Rotating the selection means you have to do major repositioning of every > component to get them back in the correct area. > > However rotating the components within the selection means they are > still in about the right position, so only minor placement adjustments > are required. > These minor adjustments can likely be made using the align and > distribute tools > > I Agree half-implemented features are bad, better to update them and > properly implement. > > Regards > David G > > On 13/04/16 08:53, Chris Pavlina wrote: >> GAL already has this. Block or multi select, Ctrl-M for "move exactly" (or >> use >> the context menu), and type an angle. Just rotates the whole selection, then >> you can place your rotated resistors. >> >> Considering legacy is on its way out, I'd rather not keep crusty old >> half-implemented legacy features around to require maintenance. >> >> >> On Wed, Apr 13, 2016 at 08:50:38AM +0800, David Godfrey wrote: >>> Hmm, >>> >>> I'v not used it on Kicad but the ability to change the orientation of an >>> arbitrary selection of footprints is something I've used many times in >>> Altium. >>> >>> Ideally you want to be able to set an absolute orientation, and also a >>> relative (to current) angle adjustment. >>> >>> This is especially useful when designing boards like LED matrices and >>> wanting to put all resisters on a specific angle (eg: 21.3deg). >>> You can then do an array alignment with the same outer limit you used >>> for your LED alignment. >>> Then move the group of resistors into position relative to the LED's. >>> >>> Now running your tracks becomes trivial. >>> >>> Without the ability to auto adjust the orientation on a selection of >>> parts the job becomes long and tedious. >>> Some of the PCB's I've done this on have over 1000 LED's and resistors, >>> and generally you need to orient both the resistors and the LED's >>> >>> So in summary, I'd like to keep the ability to do this, but on a >>> selection instead of globally. >>> And being able to alter it as an absolute angle, or as a relative to >>> current (prefix the new angle with + or - to get relative movement) >>> would be beneficial. >>> >>> Regards >>> David G >>> >>> On 13/04/16 06:40, Chris Pavlina wrote: >>>> I wonder how many of you are even aware of DIALOG_ORIENT_FOOTPRINTS. It's >>>> hidden in the Secret Menu in pcbnew (the spread-and-place) one, menu item >>>> Orient All Footprints. The code hasn't been touched since 2010 except a few >>>> cleanups, and it seems really simplistic and useless to me. I was going to >>>> upgrade it to floating-point angle entry like everything else, but.... >>>> >>>> Does _anybody_ even use this? It seems utterly useless. I have no idea when >>>> you'd want to globally apply an orientation to footprints. Can I just tear >>>> it >>>> out? :P >>>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >>> Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net >>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >>> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
