All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.
- Try to download missing tools and Python modules. The user also gets more information when something is missing. It can be disabled from the command line.
- A global option to cross components without a body (#219)
- Imports:
- Now you can nest imports (import from an imported file) (#218)
- Preflights can be imported (#181)
- The outputs help now display the more relevant options first and highlighted. Which ones are more relevant is somehow arbitrary, comments are welcome.
- General stuff:
- Outputs now can have priorities, by default is applied.
Use
-n
to disable it.
- Outputs now can have priorities, by default is applied.
Use
- New outputs:
navigate_results
creates web pages to browse the generated outputs. Example
- New globals:
environment
section allows defining KiCad environment variables. (See INTI-CMNB/KiAuto#21)
- GitHub discussions are now enabled. Comment about your KiBot experience here
- Components with mounting hole where excluded (#201)
- GenCAD output targets.
- Problems expanding multiple KiCad variables in the same value.
- XML BoM: Fixed problems with fields containing / (#206)
- pcb_print: vias processing was disabled.
- pcb_print: problems with frame in GUI mode and portrait page orientation.
- svg_pcb_print: page orientation for portrait.
- KiCad environment variables: more variables detected, native KiCad 6 names, all exported to the environment (#205)
- Consequences of the priorities implementation:
qr_lib
outputs are created before othersnavigate_results
andcompress
outputs are created after others
kibot-check
tool to check the installation- New outputs:
- KiCad netlist generation
- IPC-D-356 netlist generation (#197)
- Internal BoM:
- Pattern and text variables expansion in the title (#198)
- Customizable extra info after the title (#199)
- Already configured outputs not created (i.e. when creating reports)
- KiCost+Internal variants: UTF-8 problems
- KiCost+Internal variants: problem with
variant
field capitalization
- General stuff:
- KiCad 6 support
- Import mechanism for filters, variants and globals (#88)
- Outputs can use the options of other outputs as base (extend them). (#112)
- A mechanism to avoid running some outputs by default. (#112)
--cli-order
option to generate outputs in arbitrary order. (#106)--quick-start
option to create usable configs and outputs.
- Filters and variants:
- Options to better control the rotation filter (#60 and #67):
- invert_bottom: bottom angles are inverted.
- skip_top: top components aren't rotated.
- skip_bottom: bottom components aren't rotated.
- Generic filter: options to match if a field is/isn't defined.
- Another experimental mechanism to change 3D models according to the variant. (#103)
- Support for variants on KiCost output. (#106)
- Options to better control the rotation filter (#60 and #67):
- Expansion patterns:
- %g the
file_id
of the global variant. - %G the
name
of the global variant. - %C1, %C2, %C3 and %C4 the comments in the sch/pcb title block.
- %bc, %bC1, %bC2, %bC3, %bC4, %bd, %bf, %bF, %bp and %br board data
- %sc, %sC1, %sC2, %sC3, %sC4, %sd, %sf, %sF, %sp and %sr schematic data
- %V the variant name
- %I user defined ID for this output
- Now patterns are also expanded in the out_dir name.
- %g the
- Global options:
- Default global
dir
option. - Default global
units
option. - Global option to specify
out_dir
(like -d command line option) - Global options to control the date format.
- Added global options to define the PCB details (
pcb_material
,solder_mask_color
,silk_screen_color
andpcb_finish
)
- Default global
- New preflights:
- Commands to replace tags in the schematic and PCB (KiCad 5). (#93) Also a mechanism to define variables in KiCad 6. (#161)
- Annotate power components. (#76)
- Annotate according to PCB coordinates (#93)
- New outputs:
- 3D view render
- Report generation (for design house) (#93)
- QR codes generation and update: symbols and footprints. (#93)
- Print PCB layers in SVG/PDF/PS/EPS/PNG format.
- Join PDFs. (#156)
- Export PCB in GENCAD format. (#159)
- Datasheet downloader. (#119)
- XLSX BoM: option to control the logo scale (#84)
- PDF/SVG PCB Print:
- option
hide_excluded
to hide components marked by theexclude_filter
. https://forum.kicad.info/t/fab-drawing-for-only-through-hole-parts/ - mechanism to change the block title. (#102)
- KiCad 6 color theme selection.
- New
pcb_print
output with more flexibility and faster.
- option
- Internal BoM:
- option to avoid merging components with empty fields.
Is named
merge_both_blank
and defaults to true. - when a
Value
field can't be interpreted as anumber+unit
, and it contain at least one space, now we try to use the text before the space. This helps for cases like "10K 1%". count_smd_tht
option to compute SMD/THT stats. (#113)- option to add text to the
join
list. (#108) - two other options for the sorting criteria.
- XYRS support (you can generate position files using it)
- CSV
hide_header
option
- option to avoid merging components with empty fields.
Is named
- Drill:
- Excellon: added
route_mode_for_oval_holes
option. - Support for blind/buried vias. (#166)
- Excellon: added
- SCH PDF Print: monochrome and no frame options.
- Compress:
- Now you can compress files relative to the current working directory. So you can create a compressed file containing the source schematic and PCB files. (#93)
- Added an option to remove the files we compressed. (#192)
- Support for new KiCost options
split_extra_fields
andboard_qty
. (#120) - Position files now can include virtual components. (#106)
- Support for
--subst-models
option for KiCad 6's kicad2step. (#137)
- Internal BoM: now components with different Tolerance, Voltage, Current
and/or Power fields aren't grouped together.
These fields are now part of the default
group_fields
. (#79) - JLCPCB example, to match current recommendations (g200kg/kicad-gerberzipper#11)
- Internal BoM: the field used for variants doesn't produce conflicts. (#100)
- The
%v/%V
expansion patterns now expand to the global variant when used in a context not related to variants. I.e. when acompress
target expands%v
. - Now you get an error when defining two outputs with the same name.
- The
%d/%sd/%bd
expansion patterns are now affected by the globaldate_format
. Can be disabled usingdate_reformat: false
. (#121) - The default output pattern now includes the
output_id
(%I) - The
source
path forcompress
now has pattern expansion (#152)
- Position files now defaults to use the auxiliary origin as KiCad. Can be disabled to use absolute coordinates. (#87)
- Board View:
- flipped output. (#89)
- problems with netnames using spaces. (#90)
- get_targets not implemented. (#167)
- Schematic
- load: problems with fields containing double quotes. (#98)
- Paper orientation was discarded on v5 files. (#150)
--list
: problems with layers and fields specific for the project. (INTI-CMNB/kibot_variants_arduprog#4)- Makefile: %VALUE not expanded in the directory targets.
- KiCost variants:
- empty DNF fields shouldn't be excluded. (#101)
- problems when setting a field in a variant that doesn't exist when no variant is selected. (#105)
- KiCost: list arguments wrongly passed. (#120)
- PCB Print: to show the real name of the PCB file. (#102)
- Compress: not expanding %VALUES in target dirs. (#111)
- Gerber: job file didn't use the global output pattern. (#116)
- Warnings count
- Update XML: Removed the side effect Bom. (#106)
- Problems when using a hidden config file, using an output that needs the SCH, not specifying the SCH and more than one SCH was found. (#138)
- 3D: problems to download 3D models for native KiCad 6 files. (#171) (not imported from KiCad 5)
- Problems when using page layout files with relative paths. (#174)
erc_warnings
preflight option to consider ERC warnings as errors.- Pattern expansion in the
dir
option for outputs (#58) - New filter types:
suparts
: Adds support for KiCost's subparts feature.field_rename
: Used to rename schematic fields.var_rename_kicost
: Likevar_rename
but using KiCost mechanism.
- New KiCost variant style.
skip_if_no_field
andinvert
options to the regex used in the generic filter.- Board view file format export (#69)
- Experimental mechanism to change 3D models according to the variant.
- Support for width, style and color in "wire notes" (#70)
- Level and comment to columns in the XLSX BoM output.
- Basic KiCost support (experimental).
- Basic internal BoM and KiCost integration (experimental).
- Errors and warnings from KiAuto now are printed as errors and warnings.
- Schematic dependencies are sorted in the generated Makefiles.
- Makefile variables KIBOT, DEBUG and LOGFILE can be defined from outside.
- Reference ranges of two elements no longer represented as ranges. Examples: "R1-R2" is now "R1 R2", "R1-R3" remains unchanged.
- Problem when using E/DRC filters and the output dir didn't exist.
- Not all errors during makefile generation were caught (got a stack trace).
- Output dirs created when generating a makefile for a compress target.
- Problems with some SnapEDA libs (extra space in lib termination tag #57)
- The "References" (plural) column is now coloured as "Reference" (singular)
- GitLab CI workaround
- Verbosity level is now passed to KiAuto
- Problem using Python 3.6 (ZipFile's compresslevel arg needs 3.7)
- Problem using Python 3.6 (StreamHandler.setStream introduced in 3.7)
- Missing python3-distutils dependency on Debian package.
- The multipart id to references of multipart components others than part 1.
- Internal BoM:
no_conflict
option to exclude fields from conflict detection.- HTML tables can be sorted selecting a column (Java Script).
- You can consolidate more than one project in one BoM.
- Support for KICAD_CONFIG_HOME defined from inside KiCad.
- Now layers can be selected using the default KiCad names.
- More control over the name of the drill and gerber files.
- More options to customize the excellon output.
- Custom reports for plot outputs (i.e. custom gerber job generation)
- Example configurations for gerber and drill files for:
- Support for ZIP/TAR/RAR generation.
- Makefile generation.
- KiAuto time-out control.
- Now you can import outputs from another config file.
- Now the default output name applies to the DRC and ERC report names. This provides more coherent file names.
- Internal BoM: The "Quantity" column no longer includes the DNF/C status.
This status was moved to a separated column named
Status
. You can join both columns if you want. - Internal BoM: HTML rows are highlighted on hover (not just the cell).
- Now information messages go to stdout (not stderr). Debug, warning and error messages still use stderr.
- Now InteractiveHtmlBom can be installed just as a plugin.
- Extra data about drill marks in gerber files.
- Problems using internal names for drill maps in gerb_drill output (#47).
- Problems using layer suffixes containing non-ASCII chars (i.e. UTF-8).
- Problems when using components with more than 10 subparts.
- iBoM output: file name patterns are allowed for the
netlist_file
option. - File name patterns: %F is the name of the source file without extension, but with the path.
- A hint for pip installations without using
--no-compile
. - Support to field overwrite according to variant.
- Support to generate negative X positions for the bottom layer.
- A filter to rotate footprints in the position file (#28).
- The step output now can download missing 3D models.
- Now position files are naturally sorted (R10 after R9, not after R1)
- Position files in CSV format quotes only the columns that could contain an space. Just like KiCad does.
- Now we support missing field names in schematic library entries.
- Generic filter
include_only
option worked only when debug enabled.
- Internal BoM HTML: highlight cell when hover.
- Internal BoM HTML: allow to jump to REF of row number using anchors.
- Internal BoM separator wasn't applied when using
use_alt
- Problems loading plug-ins when using
pip
.
- The KiBoM and internal BoM generators now support configuring the separator used for the list of references.
- Help for filters and variants.
- Support for new
pcbnew_do export
options. - Filters for KiBot warnings.
- Columns in position files can be selected, renamed and sorted as you like.
- KiBom variants when using multiple variants and a component uses more than one, specifying opposite rules.
- Problems when using the
pdf_pcb_print
output and variants to remove a component with ridiculous pads that only has solder paste (no copper, nor even solder mask aperture). - Excellon drill output when using unified output and not using default KiCad names.
- Now variants are separated entities. Two flavors implemented: KiBoM and IBoM.
- New filters entities. They work in complement with variants. All the filtering functionality found in KiBoM and IBoM is supported.
- Most outputs now supports variants. You can:
- Mark not fitted components with a cross in the schematic
- Mark not fitted components with a cross in the *.Fab layers of the PCB
- Remove solder paste from not fitted components
- Remove adhesive glue from not fitted components
- Exclude components from the BoM (also mark them as DNF and/or DNC (Do Not Change))
- Exclude components from the interactive BoM
- Remove not fitted components from the STEP file
- Exclude components from the position (pick & place) file
- Default output file name format and default variant can be specified from the command line.
- Virtual components are always excluded from position files. Note you can change it using the variants mechanism.
- Discarded spaces at the beginning and end of user fields when creating the internal BoM. They are usually mistakes that prevents grouping components.
- The variants logic for BoMs when a component resquested to be only added to more than one variant.
- Removed warnings about malformed values for DNF components indicating it in its value.
- Problems with PcbDraw when generating PNG and JPG outputs. Now we use a more reliable conversion method when available.
- More robust behavior on GUI dependent commands.
- Incorporated mcpy, no longer a dependency.
- Problems when using
pip install
without --no-compile. At least for user level install.
- Internal BoM generator, based on KiBoM code. This generator doesn't need the netlist, works directly from the SCH. It features enhanced HTML and XLSX outputs, in addition to the CSV, TSV, TXT and XML traditional outputs.
- Support for full KiBoM configuration from the YAML
- Added output to print to an SVG file.
- Added default output file name pattern. Can be applied to all outputs.
- Unified output name:
pdf_pcb_print.output
can be used instead ofpdf_pcb_print.output_name
gerber.gerber_job_file
option to control the gerber job file name.output
option to control the file name to all plot output formats.drill
,drill.map
andposition
file names can be configured.- Output file names supports expansion of various interesting values (base name, sheet title, revision, etc.).
- The filters now accept the following aliases (suggested by @leoheck):
filter_msg
->filter
error_number
->number
regexp
->regex
- Default file names for:
- pdf_pcb_print: includes the used layers
- drill maps: uses drill instead of drl
- drill: uses drill instead of drl, used in gbr and drl.
- position: no -pos in CSVs
- step: adds -3D
- pdf_sch_print: adds -schematic
- IBoM: contains the project name.
- Removed the "plot" option "check_zone_fills". Use the preflight option.
- Drill outputs: map.type and report.filename now should be map and report. The old mechanism is currently supported, but deprecated.
- Now the command line usage is more clearly documented, but also more strict.
- The --list option doesn't need a PCB file anymore. Note that passing it is now considered an error.
- Now we test the PCB and/or SCH only when we are doing something that needs them.
- The layers entry is much more flexible now. Many changes, read the README.md
- PcbDraw output.
- -e/--schematic option to specify any schematic (not just derived from the PCB name.
- -x/--example option to generate a complete configuration example.
- --example supports --copy-options to copy the plot options from the PCB file.
- Help for the supported outputs (--help-list-outputs, --help-outputs and --help-output)
- Help for the supported preflights (--help-preflights)
- Better YAML validation.
- Added HPGL options:
- pen_number
- pen_speed
- Added metric_units to DXF options
- Added KiBoM options
- number
- variant
- conf
- separator
- Added the following InteractiveHtmlBom options:
- dark_mode
- hide_pads
- show_fabrication
- hide_silkscreen
- highlight_pin1
- no_redraw_on_drag
- board_rotation
- checkboxes
- bom_view
- layer_view
- include_tracks
- include_nets
- sort_order
- no_blacklist_virtual
- blacklist_empty_val
- netlist_file
- extra_fields
- normalize_field_case
- variant_field
- variants_whitelist
- variants_blacklist
- dnp_field
- The
sketch_plot
option is now implemented. - 'ignore_unconnected' preflight wasn't working.
- The report of hwo many ERC/DRC errors we found.
- STEP 3D model generation
- Support for unpatched InteractiveHtmlBom
- Better debug information when a BoM fails to be generated.
- Support for compressed YAML files.
- Allow operations that doesn't involve a PCB to run if the PCB file is missing or corrupted.
- The 'check_zone_fills' option is now independent of 'run_drc'
- Error codes that overlapped.
- Tolerate config files without outputs
- Mechanism to filter ERC/DRC errors
- All pcbnew plot formats generated gerber job files
- Most formats that needed layers didn't complain when omitted
- Now kicad-automation-scripts 1.3.1 or newer is needed.
- Problems for kibom and print_sch outputs when the PCB name included a path.
- List available targets
- KiBoM temporal files, now removed
- preflight tasks that didn't honor --out-dir
- Problem when the excellon drill target directory didn't exist (now created)
- Documentation for current functionality
- Now the -b and -c options are optional, we guess the values
- Inner layers sanitation, support for the names used in the PCB file
- Better error report
- Print the PCB and SCH in PDF format (we had plot)
- KiBoM and InteractiveHtmlBoM support
- Pre-flight: generation of the BoM in XML format
- Pre-flight: DRC and ERC
- Option to skip preflight actions
- Option to select which outputs will be generated
- Progress information
- --version option
- Debian dependencies
- Pick & place position
- Debian package
- Gerber job generation