How to use Tab Annotation

[iharshadec]

Hi,
Just saw a really nice feature about the tab placement. It's really amazing to have this feature as this makes more sense to break the board.
I tried to place tabs in my deign this way.

my command

kikit panelize \
> --layout 'grid; rows: 2; cols: 2; space: 5mm;' \
> --tabs annotation \
> --source 'tolerance: 15mm' \
> --cuts 'mousebites; drill: 0.5mm; spacing: 1mm; offset: 0.2mm; prolong: 0.5mm' \
> --framing 'railstb; width: 5mm; space: 3mm;' \
> --post 'millradius: 1mm' \
> SVB1.kicad_pcb panel.kicad_pcb

Output:

PS: I copied Tab footprint to my library and placed that. Is Tab annotation works only with Stright PCBs?

[yaqwsx]

Tab annotation requires that the footprint is placed in a library called kikit. When you copy to your custom library, it does not work( when it works, the annotation symbols get stripped). You can just run kikit-plugin registerlib when Pcbnew is not running and KiKit will register its library into the global footprint libraries. Then replace the footprints with footprints from the kikit library.

[iharshadec]

Ah ! I see so we have to create a lib so kikit.pretty folder and register this library?
Having kikit as a global library will work without registering?

[yaqwsx]

I think you are making things more complicated than they are. Keynotes:

• KiKit has a kikit.pretty somewhere in its package.
• You should put this kikit.pretty into the global libraries in order to use it conveniently.
• It is hard to find the path for the users, so kikit-plugin registerLib will make all the necessary steps for you.

Therefore, just calling kikit-plugin registerLib should be enough. Once you open Pcbnew again, you should see KiKit library in the footprint selector.

[iharshadec]

I got that point ! Done that way and now it's generating tab at desired location itself.
Thank you @yaqwsx

[Willem-Bever]

This should be written here: https://yaqwsx.github.io/KiKit/v1.3/panelization/examples/#basic-panels-layout
It took me 2 day's before I had the TABS working.
Vcut was easy, but I have a odd shape PCB!

I picked the tabs from the internet and placed it in a private Library.
Of course I only got the TABS symbol in my Panel. (see the first message by iharshadec)

Then I copied (ctrl C, ctrl V) the TABS from the "conn.kicad_pcb" (The demo PCB)
And It worked, but I had no clue why.

Then finally I found this Discussion!
Therefore please add this information to the guide.

Thanks
Wim

[yaqwsx]

@Willem-Bever: Since then, we updated the installation instructions: https://yaqwsx.github.io/KiKit/v1.3/installation/gui_and_libs/