kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Pedro Martin <pkicad@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I want to add a new feature to pcbnew: block repetition, replication or 
whatever its name is.

I have already tested my program, but it is a C program (I'm a disaster 
as a C++ programmer) working outside Kicad.
So I need some help from other developers while I learn C++...

If someone is interested in collaborating in this feature, help is more 
than welcome!

My program places block modules in the same relative positions as an 
original block that has been placed by hand.
It is very useful when the layout has at least two twin circuits with 
dozens of modules.

How do I define a block? A block is integrated by all the components 
into a hierarchical sheet. Two hierarchical sheets with the same 
hierarchical file are two twin blocks.

Unfortunately, it takes me some manual steps to extract the blocks from 
the .sch file, order the items by hierarchical sheet, read the 
coordinates of each module of the first sheet, set the coordiantes of 
the rest of the modules and edit the kicad_pcb file with the new module 
coordinates.

Furthermore, I'm sure this is not the way it must be done.

Regards,
Pedro.