KiCad EDA Changelog

What's new in KiCad EDA 5.1.0

Mar 19, 2019
  • Improved 3D model library path configuration.
  • Cairo canvas is now used for printing support on all platforms.
  • Schematic and symbol library editors now use the modern canvases for rendering.
  • Symbol pin table is now editable.
  • Pcbnew scripting support for Python 3 has been added.
  • Snapping for graphical object drawing in board and footprint editors.
  • Significant user interface improvements.
  • Major dialog box improvements.
  • Both the footprint and symbol library editors now share the same user interface paradigm with a library tree view pane.
  • Symbol, footprint, and 3D model library improvements.
  • Documentation and translation improvements.
  • Less pain for Linux package maintainers, now all features should be easy to support.

New in KiCad EDA 4.0.3 (Aug 8, 2016)

  • The third bug fix version of the stable series 4 branch of KiCad has been released. Thanks to the the KiCad development team for making this possible.

New in KiCad EDA 4.0.2 (Feb 14, 2016)

  • This is a bug fix release only.

New in KiCad EDA 4.0.1 (Dec 10, 2015)

  • It fixes one known severe bug and one potential severe bug. You should upgrade as soon as possible.

New in KiCad EDA 4.0.0 (Dec 4, 2015)

  • Major Items:
  • New graphics rendering backend GAL (OpenGL and Cairo) [currently pcbnew only and does not yet support all legacy tools]
  • New s-expression based pcb format (.kicad_pcb)
  • New footprint library format (.pretty folder with .kicad_mod footprints)
  • Updated footprint editor (only usable with GAL renderer)
  • More advanced footprint manager concept called footprint library table (fp-lib-table)
  • Ability to download footprints on the fly from git repositories
  • Official libraries are now stored on github and regularly updated
  • Awesome/Advanced Push and Shove (PnS) router (only usable with GAL renderer)
  • Interactive differential trace routing and tuning
  • Interactive trace length tuning
  • Much more realistic 3D board rendering
  • Intelligent library search with preview in Eeschema
  • Initial Python api for Pcbnew
  • Infrastructure Updates:
  • New website
  • Continuous integration tools via Jenkins (http://ci.kicad-pcb.org )
  • Nightly builds for windows, OS X, fedora, ubuntu, and openSUSE (see downloads for information)
  • Minor Items:
  • Wording of many dialogs and errors has been improved
  • Some excessive dialogs have been removed
  • New icons for many tools
  • New schematic library browser
  • Docs now available in several different formats online (http://docs.kicad-pcb.org )
  • More intelligent component search in EESchema
  • Component rescue helper to identify when components have changed in EESchema and rescue the old version
  • Undo limit default increased and now configurable

New in KiCad EDA R2356 (Jan 14, 2011)

  • Numerous features were enhanced and added: vector fonts added, layout undo added, polygon fill added, etc.