UI-improvements.md

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ this issue is to put all persistent settings into one big
 (tool-)global  
 preferences dialog. If you have a look at commercial EDA/CAD tools,
 they  
-have humongous preferences dialogs, with hundreds if not thousands of  
+have homogenous preferences dialogs, with hundreds if not thousands of  
 settings. Yes, this is cumbersome. But at least you have a chance to
 find  
 a setting there, even if it means to check each sub-dialog.
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ Heck, I love this\! I wish more tools had an accessible list like
 this,  
 that is only two mouse clicks away\!
 
+### Hot keys mapping
+
 The third rule most important rule (in an CAD like application) is the  
 placement of keys and symbols. The farther they are apart the more
 mouse  
@@ -134,6 +136,15 @@ a good idea to stick with the defaults, as it helps when working in
 different  
 environments).
 
+There were also requests for unification of the hot key mapping
+between  
+eeschema and pcbnew. Perhaps similar actions could be assigned to the
+same  
+key (e.g. 'place wire'/eeschema & 'add new track'/pcbnew, 'add  
+component'/eeschema & 'add footprint'/pcbnew, changing grid size, add
+'find  
+next item' in pcbnew).
+
 Ok, now for the real part:
 
 General:
@@ -151,7 +162,8 @@ General:
     can  
     (and often does) lead to problems. Either cache the
     symbols/footprints  
-    in the project or versionize them such that changes can be caught.
+    in the project or versionize them such that changes can be caught.  
+    Orson: I think this is handled by 'rescue old components' dialog.
 
 <!-- end list -->
 
@@ -181,6 +193,24 @@ General:
 
   - Get rid of plot vs print. Use one that does the right thing
 
+<!-- end list -->
+
+  - Orson: There are cases when the user may get a **really** long error
+    message (e.g. after  
+    starting cvpcb with fp-lib-table misconfigured). It could be shown
+    in a scrollable  
+    text field instead of a huge message box (WX\_HTML\_REPORTER?) I am
+    sure there are cases  
+    when the error message does fit on the screen, and surely it does
+    not allow to copy  
+    paste the message.
+
+<!-- end list -->
+
+  - Orson: Be sure that everything option available on toolbar and in
+    context menus is also  
+    available in the window menu. 
+
 ## Eeschema
 
 ### Schematic entry
@@ -283,15 +313,44 @@ General:
     the  
     library?)
 
+\* Orson: I am not sure if footprints added in the 'Footprint Filter'
+tab in the  
+symbol editor are actually used anywhere. They could be used as the
+first entries  
+shown after clicking 'Assign Footprint' in the schematic editor? There
+could be  
+a popup menu, e.g. for a resistor:
+
+``` 
+  0603
+  0805
+  THT 3mm
+  THT 5mm
+  Other..
+```
+
+Where 'Other..' launches the footprint viewer offering all libraries and
+entries.
+
+  - Orson: Search field in cvpcb.
+
+<!-- end list -->
+
+  - Orson: When assigning a footprint in eeschema, one of the buttons in
+    the footprint viewer  
+    is labeled 'Insert footprint in board', but it actually assigns the
+    footprint. It might be  
+    a bit confusing.
+
 ## Pcbnew
 
 ### Layout editor
 
   - I do not really like the idea of having the board on a sheet, though
-    i  
+    I  
     can understand the reasoning. IMHO it comes from the old pen and
     pencil  
-    times, when people drew on pre-made sheets of paper. Today, i don't
+    times, when people drew on pre-made sheets of paper. Today, I don't
     really  
     see a point here. Yes, having some text describing the layout
     somewhere  
@@ -312,7 +371,7 @@ General:
     at the board edges for production reasons. For PCB separation by
     scoring  
     this goes up to 2-3mm).  
-    To make be able to call this wizard at a later stage (or not cal it
+    To make be able to call this wizard at a later stage (or not call it
     at all)  
     would be also a good idea.
 
@@ -417,16 +476,23 @@ General:
 
 <!-- end list -->
 
-  - Create an un-select key shortcut.
+  - Create an un-select key shortcut.  
+    Orson: It is available under ESC in the GAL canvases. If you want to
+    unselect  
+    individual parts, it can be done with Shift+LMB.
 
 <!-- end list -->
 
-  - Zoming centers the window at the point where the mouse pointer was  
+  - Zooming centers the window at the point where the mouse pointer
+    was  
     pointing to. This sudden jump is very annoying. Instead the point
     the mouse  
     pointer is pointing to should be kept fixed and the zoomed window
     moved  
-    accordingly.
+    accordingly.  
+    Orson: There is a huge battle on the subject, currently it is
+    selectable in  
+    the General preferences dialog ("Center and warp cursor on zoom").
 
 <!-- end list -->
 
@@ -593,7 +659,45 @@ General:
 <!-- end list -->
 
   - Create a "snap to nearest center/vertex" option (also important for
-    measurement)
+    measurement)  
+    Orson: temporarily disabled with a key modifier (e.g. Alt)?
+
+<!-- end list -->
+
+  - Orson: Add button/menu entry for creating a new library (currently
+    the only way is to use  
+    'Save footprint in a new library'). After creating a new library
+    (i.e. picking the folder  
+    where .kicad\_mod files will be stored), the user should be offered
+    to add the library to  
+    the fp-lib-table: either global or project-specific one, if it is
+    available).
+
+<!-- end list -->
+
+  - Orson: Footprint editor should automatically switch to the just
+    created library (no matter  
+    if it was done with currently non-existent 'create a new library' or
+    'save the footprint in  
+    a new library').
+
+<!-- end list -->
+
+  - Orson: \!\! Refreshing the library list requires restarting the
+    whole program, once a library  
+    is added using the Footprint Library Manager or Footprint Library
+    Wizard.
+
+<!-- end list -->
+
+  - Orson: Even though a footprint is saved, there is a dialog shown on
+    quit asking whether you  
+    want to save the footprint. It also does not allow you to save it,
+    if there is no active library  
+    set (which is usually the case if you start creating a new
+    footprint, without selecting the  
+    active library first). ([related bug
+    report](https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1494766))
 
 ## Other sources
 
@@ -612,6 +716,9 @@ General:
     (Henner Zeller)
   - [Evaluation du logiciel de CAO électronique
     KiCad](https://www.ohwr.org/project/timex3/wikis/Documents/FR-Evaluation-de-KiCad) (might be outdated)
+  - [KiCad footprint creation
+    woes](https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg20148.html)
+    (contains a youtube video)
   - [Wishlist based on the bug tracker
     contents](https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bugs?field.searchtext=&orderby=-importance&field.status%3Alist=NEW&field.status%3Alist=CONFIRMED&field.status%3Alist=TRIAGED&field.status%3Alist=INPROGRESS&field.importance%3Alist=WISHLIST&assignee_option=any&field.assignee=&field.bug_reporter=&field.bug_commenter=&field.subscriber=&field.structural_subscriber=&field.tag=&field.tags_combinator=ANY&field.has_cve.used=&field.omit_dupes.used=&field.omit_dupes=on&field.affects_me.used=&field.has_patch.used=&field.has_branches.used=&field.has_branches=on&field.has_no_branches.used=&field.has_no_branches=on&field.has_blueprints.used=&field.has_blueprints=on&field.has_no_blueprints.used=&field.has_no_blueprints=on&search=Search)