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Road Map

This document is the KiCad Developer's road map document. It is a living document that should be maintained as the project progresses. The goal of this document is to provide an overview for developers of where the project is headed to prevent resource conflicts and endless rehashing of previously discussed topics. It is broken into sections for each major component of the KiCad source code and documentation. It defines tasks that developers an use to contribute to the project and provides updated status information. Tasks should define clear objective and avoid vague generalizations so that a new developer can complete the task. It is not a place for developers to add their own personal wish list It should only be updated with approval of the project manager after discussion with the lead developers.

Each entry in the road map is made up of four sections. The goal should be a brief description of the what the road map entry will accomplish. The task section should be a list of deliverable items that are specific enough hat they can be documented as completed. The dependencies sections is a list of requirements that must be completed before work can begin on any of the tasks. The status section should include a list of completed tasks or marked as complete as when the goal is met.

[TOC]

Project

This section defines the tasks for the project related goals that are not related to coding or documentation. It is a catch all for issues such as developer and user relations, dissemination of information on websites, policies, etc.

Stable Release

Goal:

Provide a lightweight stable release mechanism that is robust enough to meet the requirements of Linux packagers and corporate users but avoid the burden of back porting fixes to a maintenance branch to avoid the additional work for developers.

Task:

  • Devise a process to have some type of reasonably stable release protocol to provide "stable" releases for Linux distribution packagers and corporate users.
  • Document "stable" release procedure.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • Completed. See the KiCad Stable Release Policy for mor information.

Website Improvements

Goal:

Make the website at www.kicad-pcb.org as the definitive resource for both users and developers which will provide a single point of reference instead of the many separate websites currently in used.

Task:

  • Define the content and design of the website.
  • Implement the new design.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

General

This section defines the tasks that affect all or most of KiCad or do not fit under as specific part of the code such as the board editor or the schematic editor.

Convert to a Single Process Application.

Goal:

Merge common schematic and board code into to separate dynamic objects to allow Eeschema and Pcbnew to run under a single process.

Task:

  • Convert the majority core code in Eeschema and Pcbnew into dynamic libraries.
  • Provide a robust method for communicating between code running under a single process.
  • Revise the schematic editor and board editor main windows run under a single process instead of multiple stand alone applications.
  • Design a method for passing information between the dynamic libraries running under the same process.
  • Remove inter-process communications between Eeschema and Pcbnew.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • Completed.

User Interface Modernization

Goal:

Give KiCad a more modern user interface with dockable tool bars and windows. Create perspectives to allow users to arrange dockable windows as they prefer.

Task:

  • Take advantage of the advanced UI features in wxAui such as detaching and hiding.
  • Study ergonomics of various commercial/proprietary PCB applications (when in doubt about any particular UI solution, check how it has been done in a certain proprietary app that is very popular among OSHW folks and do exactly opposite).
  • Clean up menu structure. Menus must allow access to all features of the program in a clear and logical way. Currently some functions of Pcbnew are accessible only through tool bars
  • Redesign dialogs, make sure they are following same style rules.
  • Check quality of translations. Either fix or remove bad quality translations.
  • Develop a global shortcut manager that allows the user assign arbitrary shortcuts for any tool or action.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • No progress.

Build Tools

This section covers build tools for both the KiCad source as well as the custom dependency builds required to build KiCad.

Create Separate Build Dependency Project

Goal:

Move the library dependencies and their patches into a separate project to developers to build and install them as required instead of requiring them at build time. Give developers the flexibility to build and/or install library dependencies as they see fit. Remove them from the KiCad source code to reduce the build footprint.

Task:

  • Create a separate project to build all external dependency libraries that are currently build from source (Boost, OpenSSL, etc).
  • Use CMake to create a package configuration file for each library so the KiCad find package can pull in header paths, library dependencies, compile flags, and link flags to build KiCad.
  • Use CMake find package to pull external dependencies.
  • Remove all build from source dependencies for KiCad source code.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • In progress.

Platform Binary Installers

Goal:

Provide quality installers for all supported platforms.

Task:

  • Bring OSX installer up to the level of the Window's and Linux installers.
  • Possible use of CPack to build platform specific installers as long as they are of the same or better quality than the current independent installers.

Dependencies

  • None

Status

Common Library

This section covers the source code shared between all of the KiCad applications

Unified Rendering Framework

Goal:

Provide a single framework for developing new tools. Port existing tools to the new framework and remove the legacy framework tools.

Task:

  • Port wxDC to GAL or get Cairo rendering to nearly the performance of the current wxDC rendering so that we have a single framework to develop new tools and we can continue to support systems that don't have a complete OpenGL stack.

Dependencies

Status

  • No progress

Unified Geometry Library

Goal:

Select a single geometry library so that all applications share a common base for 2D objects. Remove any redundant geometry libraries and code to clean up code base.

Task:

  • Select the best geometry library (Boost, etc.) for the task.
  • Port all legacy geometry code to the selected library.
  • Remove any unused geometry library code.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • In progress as part of push and shove router.

Conversion to wxWidgets 3

Goal:

Stop supporting the version 2 branch of wxWidgets so that newer features provided by version 3 can be utilized.

Task:

  • Make wxWidgets 3 a build requirement.
  • Remove all wxWidgets 2 specific code.

Dependencies:

  • wxWidgets 3 is widely available on Linux distributions.

Status:

  • Completed. Build now requires 3.0.0 or greater.

Linux Printing Improvements

Goal:

Bring printing on Linux up to par with printing on Windows.

Task:

  • Resolve Linux printing issues.

Dependencies

Status

  • No progress.

Object Properties and Introspection

Goal:

Provide an object introspection system using properties.

Task:

  • Select existing or develop property system.
  • Add definable properties to base objects.
  • Create introspection framework for manipulating object properties.
  • Serialization of properties to and from files and/or other I/O structures.
  • Create tool to edit property name/type/value table.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • No progress.

Dynamic Library Plugin

Goal:

Create a base library plugin for handling external file I/O. This will allow plugins to be provided that are external to the project such as providing solid model file support (STEP, IGES, etc.) using OpenCascade without making it a project dependency.

Task:

  • Create a plugin to handle dynamically registered plugins for loading and saving file formats.
  • This object should be flexible enough to be extended for handling all file plugin types including schematic, board, footprint library, component library, etc.
  • See blueprint on Launchpad for more information.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • No progress.

KiCad: Application Launcher

This section applies to the source code for the KiCad application launcher.

Eeschema: Schematic Editor

This section applies to the source code for the Eeschema schematic editor.

Coherent SCHEMATIC Object

Goal:

Clean up the code related to the schematic object(s) into a coherent object for managing and manipulating the schematic.

Task:

  • Move most if not all of the code from SCH_SCREEN to the new SCHEMATIC object.
  • Add any missing functionality to the SCHEMATIC object.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • In progress.

Hierarchical Sheet Design

Goal:

Create a more robust sheet instance design rather than recreating them on the fly every time sheet information is required.

Task:

  • Choose a data structure to contain the sheet hierarchy.
  • Create helper class to manipulate the hierarchy data structure.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • In progress.

Schematic and Component Library Plugin

Goal: Create a plugin manager for loading and saving schematics and component libraries similar to the board plugin manager.

Task:

  • Design plugin manager for schematics and component libraries.
  • Port the current schematic and component library file formats to use the plugin.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • No progress.

Graphics Abstraction Layer Conversion

Goal:

Take advantage of advanced graphics rendering in Eeschema.

Task:

  • Port graphics rendering to GAL.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • No progress.

Port Editing Tools

Goal:

Use standard tool framework across all applications.

Task:

  • Rewrite editing tools using the new tool framework.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • No progress.

S-Expression File Format

Goal:

Make schematic file format more readable, add new features, and take advantage of the s-expression capability used in Pcbnew.

Task:

  • Finalize feature set and file format.
  • Discuss the possibility of dropping the unit-less proposal temporarily to get the s-expression file format and SWEET library format implemented without completely rewriting Eeschema.
  • Add new s-expression file format to plugin.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • File format document nearly complete.

Implement Sweet Component Libraries

Goal:

Make component library design more robust and feature rich. Use s-expressions to make component library files more readable.

Task:

  • Use sweet component file format for component libraries.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • Initial SWEET library written.

Component Library Editor Improvements

Goal:

Make editing components with multiple units and/or alternate graphical representations easier.

Task:

  • Determine usability improvements in the library editor for components with multiple units and/or alternate graphical representations.
  • Implement said useability improvements.

Dependencies:

  • None.

Status:

  • No progress.

Component and Netlist Attributes

Goal: Provide a method of passing information to other tools via the net list.

Task:

  • Add virtual components and attributes to netlist to define properties that can be used by other tools besides the board editor.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • No progress.

Net Highlighting

Goal: Highlight wires, buses, and junctions when corresponding net in Pcbnew is selected.

Task:

  • Add communications link to handle net selection from Pcbnew.
  • Implement highlight algorithm for net objects.
  • Highlight objects connected to net selected in Pcbnew.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • No progress.

CvPcb: Footprint Association Tool

This section covers the source code of the footprint assignment tool CvPcb.

Footprint Assignment Tool

Goal:

Merge the footprint assignment functionality of CvPcb into Eeschema so footprints can be assigned inside the schematic editor eliminating the need to launch an separate program.

Task:

  • Merge footprint assignment capability into Pcbnew shared library.
  • Remove CvPcb as a stand alone tool.
  • Add functionality to both the schematic and board editors so users can assign footprints as they prefer.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • Completed. CvPcb is now launched as a child window of Eeschema and the intermediate component assignment file (*.cmp) has been eliminated.

Pcbnew: Circuit Board Editor

This section covers the source code of the board editing application Pcbnew.

Tool Framework

Goal:

Unify all board editing tools under a single framework.

Task:

  • Complete porting of all board editing tools to new tool framework so they are available in the OpenGL and Cairo canvases.
  • Remove all duplicate legacy editing tools.

Dependencies:

  • In progress.

Status:

  • Initial porting work in progress.

Linked Objects

Goal:

Provide a way to allow external objects such as footprints to be externally linked in the board file so that changes in the footprint are automatically updated. This will all a one to many object relationship which can pave the way for real board modules.

Task:

  • Add externally and internally linked objects to the file format to allow for footprints and/or other board objects to be shared (one to many relationship) instead of only supporting embedded objects (one to one relationship) that can only be edited in place.

Dependencies:

  • None.

Status:

  • No progress.

Modeling

Goal:

Provide improved solid modeling support for KiCad including the file formats available in OpenCascade.

Task:

  • Design plugin architecture to handle loading and saving 3D models.
  • Back port existing 3D formats (IDF and S3D) to plugin
  • Add STEP 3D modeling capability.
  • Add IGES 3D modeling capability.

Dependencies:

Status:

Push and Shove Router Improvements

Goal: Add features such as matched length and microwave tools to the P&S router.

Task:

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • Match trace length implemented.

Layer Improvements

Goal:

Increase the number of usable technical and user defined layers in Pcbnew.

Task:

  • Extend the number of copper and mechanical layers.
  • Develop a type safe flag set template or adapt something already available.
  • Refactor Pcbnew code to use new flag and remove the 32 layer limitation.
  • Extend the board file format to handle the additional layers.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • Work complete on 32 copper and 32 technical layers is complete.

Pin and Part Swapping

Goal:

Allow Pcbnew to perform pin and/or part swapping during layout so the user does not have to do it in Eeschema and re-import the net list.

Task:

  • Provide forward and back annotation between the schematic and board editors.
  • Define netlist file format changes required to handle pin/part swapping.
  • Update netlist file formatter and parser to handle file format changes.
  • Develop a netlist comparison engine that will produce a netlist diff that can be passed between the schematic and board editors.
  • Create pin/part swap dialog to manipulate swappable pins and parts.
  • Add support to handle net label back annotation changes.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • No progress.

Intelligent Selection Tool

Goal:

Make the selection tool easier for the user to determine which object(s) are being selected.

Task:

  • Determine and define the actual desired behavior.
  • Improve ambiguous selections when multiple items are under the cursor or in the selection bounding box.

Dependencies:

  • Tool framework.
  • Unified geometry library.

Status:

  • Initial design committed to product branch.

Clipboard Support

Goal:

Provide clipboard cut and paste for footprints..

Task:

  • Clipboard cut and paste to and from clipboard of footprints in footprint editor.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • No progress.

Design Rule Check (DRC) Improvements.

Goal:

Create additional DRC tests for improved error checking.

Task:

  • Replace geometry code with unified geometry library.
  • Remove floating point code from clearance calculations to prevent rounding errors.
  • Add checks for component, silk screen, and mask clearances.
  • Add checks for keep out zones.
  • Remove DRC related limitations such as no arc or text on copper layers.
  • Add option for saving and loading DRC options.

Dependencies:

Progress:

  • Planning

Segment End Point Snapping.

Goal:

It is not uncommon for board edge segment end points to inadvertently not be closed causing issues for the 3D viewer and exporting to different file formats due the board outline not being a fully enclosed polygon. This feature would add segment end snapping support to allow the board outline to be fully enclosed. This feature would only need to be supported by the GAL rendering.

Tasks

  • Mark board edge segment ends with a drag indicator to make it visible to the user that the segment end does not have an endpoint with any other board edge segment.
  • Allow the user to smap the unconnected segment end to the nearest segment end point.
  • Automatically connect unconnected segments with and additional segment when opening the 3D viewer or exporting the board to another format. Warn the user that an addition segment has be added and should be verified.

Dependencies:

  • None

Progress:

  • Initial discussion.

Keepout Zones.

Goal:

Add support for keepout zones on boards and footprints.

Task:

  • Add keepout support to zone classes.
  • Add keepout zone support to board editor.
  • Add keepout zone support to library editor.

Dependencies:

Progress:

  • Planning

Gerber File Attributes

Goal:

Add file attributes to gerber files for defining layer stacks. See this document and this document for more information.

Task:

  • Implement gerber file attributes as an optional setting when plotting gerber files.

Dependencies:

  • None

Progress:

  • Done both in Pcbnew and Gerbview.

Net Highlighting

Goal: Highlight rats nest links and/or traces when corresponding net in Eeschema is selected.

Task:

  • Add communications link to handle net selection from Eeschema.
  • Implement highlight algorithm for objects connected to the selected net.
  • Highlight objects connected to net selected in Eeschema

Dependencies:

  • None.

Status:

  • No progress.

GerbView: Gerber File Viewer

This section covers the source code for the GerbView gerber file viewer.

Graphics Abstraction Layer

Goal:

Graphics rendering unification.

Task:

  • Port graphics rendering layer to GAL.

Dependencies:

  • None.

Status

  • No progress.

Documentation

This section defines the tasks for both the user and developer documentation.

Conversion to Markup/down Format

Goal:

Make documentation more VCS friendly and separate document content and formatting for more uniform formatting across all user documentation.

Task:

  • Convert the documentation to a mark up/down language to reduce the VCS footprint, to be able to actually use the VCS to see what changed, and improve the formatting consistency.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • Completed. The documentation has been converted from ODT to [Asciidoc] [asciidoc]. The documentation can be found on the KiCad website.

Grammar Check

Goal:

Improve user documentation readability and make life easier to for translators.

Task:

  • Review and revise all of the English documentation so that it is update with the current functionality of the code.
  • Translate the update documentation into other languages.

Dependencies:

  • None

Status:

  • No progress.

Maintenance

Task:

  • Keep screen shots current with the source changes.

Dependencies:

  • None.

Status:

  • No progress.

Convert Developer Documentation to Markup/down Format

Goal:

Improve developers documentation to make life easier for new developers to get involved with the project.

Task:

  • Convert platform build instructions from plain text to new format to be merged with the developer documentation.
  • Convert how to contribute to KiCad instructions from plain text to the new format to merged with the developer documentation.

Dependencies:

  • None.

Status:

  • In progress. Most of the developer documentation has been convert to Doxygen markdown and the output is rebuilt automatically when a commit is made to the KiCad repo.

Unit Testing

Goal:

Improve the quality of KiCad and ensure changes do no break existing capabilities.

Task:

  • Explore the possibility of including a C++ unit test framework in addition to the existing Python framework.
  • Create robust enough test coverage to determine if code changes break any core functionality.

Dependencies:

  • Completion of the initial release of this document.

Status:

  • In progress.

Circuit Simulation

Goal:

Provide quality circuit simulation capabilities similar to commercial products.

Task:

  • Evaluate and select simulation library (spice, gnucap, qucs, etc).
  • Evaluate and select plotting library with wxWidgets support.
  • Confirm current spice netlist export is up to the task and add missing support for simulations.
  • Use plotting library to handle simulator output in a consistent manor similar to LTSpice.
  • Develop a tool that allows fine tuning of components on the fly.
  • Use plugin for the simulation code to allow support of different simulation libraries.
  • Create a library of simulation components such as voltage source, current source, current probe, etc.

Dependencies:

Status:

  • No progress.