Pl_Editor reads or writes page layout description files *.kicad_wks (KiCad worksheet).

An internal default page layout description to display the default KiCad title block is used until a file is read.

The current page layout description can be written in a *.kicad_wks file, using the S-expression format, which is widely used in KiCad.

This file can be used to show the custom page layout in Eeschema and/or Pcbnew.

Basic page layout items are:

Therefore:

These basic items can be repeated.

Texts which are repeated accept also an increment value for labels (has meaning only if the text is one letter or one digit).

Each position, start point and end point of items is always relative to a page corner.

This feature ensure you can define a page layout which is not dependent on the paper size.

For rectangles and segments, which have two defined points, each point has its reference corner.

Items which have a position defined by just one point (texts and poly-polygons) can be rotated:

Normal: Rotation = 0

Rotated: Rotation = 20 and 10 degrees.

Items can be repeated:

This is useful to create grid and grid labels.

Texts can be simple strings or can include format symbols.

Format symbols are replaced by the actual values in Eeschema or Pcbnew.

They are like format symbols in printf function.

A format symbol is % followed by 1 letter.

The %C format has one digit (comment identifier).

Formats symbols are:

%% = replaced by %

%K = KiCad version

%Z = paper format name (A4, USLetter …​)

%Y = company name

%D = date

%R = revision

%S = sheet number

%N = number of sheets

%Cx = comment (x = 0 to 9 to identify the comment)

%F = filename

%P = sheet path (sheet full name, for Eeschema)

%T = title

Example:

"Size: %Z" displays "Size: A4" or "Size: USLetter"

User display mode: activated. Title block displayed like in Eeschema and Pcbnew

"Native" display mode: activated. The native texts entered in Pl_Editor, with their format symbols.

Texts can be multi-line.

There are 2 ways to insert a new line in texts:

Here is an example:

Setup

Output

In the page setup dialog, text controls do not accept a multi-line text.

The "\n" 2 chars sequence should be inserted to force a new line inside a text.

Here is a two lines text, in comment 2 field:

Here is the actual text:

However, if you really want the "\n" inside the text, enter "\\n".

And the displayed text:

When using Eeschema, the full schematic often uses more than one page.

Usually page layout items are displayed on all pages.

But if a user want some items to be displayed only on page 1, or not on page 1, the "page 1 option" this is possible by setting this option:

Page 1 option:

Only for texts, one can set 2 parameters :

which define a bounding box.

When these parameters are not 0, when displaying the text, the actual text height and the actual text width are dynamically modified if the full text size is bigger than the max size X and/or the max size Y, to fit the full text size with this bounding box.

When the actual full text size is smaller than the max size X and/or the max size Y, the text height and/or the text width is not modified.

The text with no bounding box. Max size X = 0,0 Max size Y = 0,0

The same text with constraint. Max size X = 40,0 Max size Y = 0,0

A multi line text, constrained:

Setup

Output

The image below shows the main window of Pl_Editor.

The left pane contains the list of basic items.

The right pane is the item settings editor.

The top toolbar allows for easy access to the following commands:

The status bar is located at the bottom of the Pl_Editor and provides useful information to the user.

Coordinates are always relative to the corner selected as reference.

An item can be selected:

When selected, this item is drawn in yellow.

When right clicking on the item, a pop-up menu is displayed.

The pop menu options slightly depend on the selection:

If more than one item is found, a menu clarification will be shown, to select the item:

To add a new item, right click the mouse button when the cursor is on the left window or the draw area.

A popup menu is displayed:

Pop up menu in left window

Pop up menu in draw area.

Lines, rectangles and texts are added just by clicking on the corresponding menu item.

Logos must first be created by Bitmap2component, which creates a page layout description file.

The Append Page Layout Descr File option append this file, to insert the logo (a poly polygon).

When clicking on the option, a dialog is opened:

Adding line or rectangle

Adding text

Position of end points, and corner reference can be defined here.

However they can be defined later, from the right window, or by moving the item, or one of its end points.

Most of time the corner reference is the same for both points.

If this is not the case, define the corner reference at creation is better, because if a corner reference is changed later, the geometry of the item will be a bit strange.

When an item is created, if is put in move mode, and you can refine its position (this is very useful for texts and small lines or rectangles)

To add a logo, a poly polygon (the vectored image of the logo) must be first created using Bitmap2component.

Bitmap2component creates a page layout description file which is append to the current design, using the Append Page Layout Descr File option.

Bitmap2component creates a page layout description file which contains only one item: a poly polygon.

However, this command can be used to append any page layout description file, which is merged with the current design.

Once a poly polygon is inserted, it can be moved and its parameters edited.

You can add an image bitmap using most of bitmap formats (PNG, JPEG, BMP …​).

A bitmap can be repeated, but not rotated.