Port to KiCad 10 (fixes #87 and #86)

README.md

@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 # KiCAD Replicate Layout Plugin
 
 > [!NOTE]
-> The functionality of this plugin is now available in KiCad natively! As such, this plugin is no longer updated. For details on KiCad's multichannel implementation, see [official KiCad documentation](https://docs.kicad.org/10.0/en/pcbnew/pcbnew.html#multichannel).
+> This change ports the plugin to **KiCad 10** (targets KiCad 10.0). KiCad 10
+> removed the `pcbnew.ID_V_TOOLBAR` constant the dialog relied on, which made the
+> plugin raise on every run (issue #87); this is fixed with a fallback that still
+> works on KiCad 9. It has been verified to reproduce the KiCad 9 behaviour exactly
+> (see *Testing* below). Similar functionality is also available in KiCad natively;
+> see the [official KiCad multichannel documentation](https://docs.kicad.org/10.0/en/pcbnew/pcbnew.html#multichannel).
+> The plugin remains useful for replication driven by hierarchical sheets.
 
 The repository includes code for KiCad Action plugin which replicates part of the PCB layout.
 
@@ -25,7 +31,32 @@ By default, only objects which are fully contained in the bounding box constitut
 
 The preferred way to install the plugin is via KiCad's Plugin and Content Manager (PCM). Installation on non-networked devices can be done by downloading [the latest release](https://github.com/MitjaNemec/ReplicateLayout/releases/latest) and installing in the PCM using the `Install from file` option.
 
+## Testing
+
+The plugin ships with a headless, GUI-free test-suite driven entirely through the
+pcbnew scripting API (`test_replicate_layout.py`). It runs a number of replication
+scenarios (inner/outer hierarchy levels, flipped anchors, "contained" vs.
+"intersecting" selection, removal of existing copper, grouping and footprint-text
+replication), plus regression tests for issue #86 (already-grouped destination
+footprints). Each replication result is checked for **geometric correctness**:
+every replicated section must keep the same internal geometry (pairwise distances,
+relative orientation and relative flip) as the source section. This check is
+independent of any coordinate convention, so it validates the result on its own
+merits.
+
+Run it with the Python interpreter bundled with KiCad, for example on macOS:
+
+```bash
+/Applications/KiCad/KiCad.app/Contents/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/bin/python3.9 test_replicate_layout.py
+```
+
+The suite can additionally compare output against committed reference signatures to
+prove byte-for-byte parity with a previous KiCad version: run with `--gen-refs`
+under that KiCad (writing `test_refs/*.json`), then a normal run under the new KiCad
+verifies the output matches. This is how the KiCad 9 → 10 parity was confirmed.
+
 **Author :** doc.dr. Mitja Nemec
+**KiCad 10 port :** 2026
 **Date :** 2025
 
 

action_replicate_layout.py

@@ -374,6 +374,38 @@ def __init__(self):
     def defaults(self):
         pass
 
+    def get_dialog_position(self, dlg_size, logger):
+        """Compute where to place the dialog, next to the right vertical toolbar.
+
+        KiCad 9 exposed ``pcbnew.ID_V_TOOLBAR`` which let us query the toolbar's
+        on-screen position. KiCad 10 removed that constant when the toolbars were
+        reworked, so we try it for backward compatibility and otherwise fall back
+        to the right edge of the PCB editor frame. Returns a ``wx.Point`` or
+        ``None`` (in which case the dialog keeps its centred position)."""
+        # KiCad 9 path: query the vertical toolbar directly
+        toolbar_id = getattr(pcbnew, 'ID_V_TOOLBAR', None)
+        if toolbar_id is not None and self.frame is not None:
+            try:
+                toolbar = self.frame.FindWindowById(toolbar_id)
+                if toolbar is not None:
+                    toolbar_pos = toolbar.GetScreenPosition()
+                    logger.info("Toolbar position: " + repr(toolbar_pos))
+                    return wx.Point(toolbar_pos[0] - dlg_size[0], toolbar_pos[1])
+            except Exception:
+                logger.info("Could not query toolbar position, using fallback")
+        # KiCad 10 fallback: place at the right edge of the editor frame
+        if self.frame is not None:
+            try:
+                frame_pos = self.frame.GetScreenPosition()
+                frame_size = self.frame.GetSize()
+                x = frame_pos[0] + frame_size[0] - dlg_size[0]
+                y = frame_pos[1] + 100
+                logger.info("Using frame-relative dialog position")
+                return wx.Point(x, y)
+            except Exception:
+                logger.info("Could not compute frame-relative position")
+        return None
+
     def Run(self):
         # grab PCB editor frame
         self.frame = wx.FindWindowByName("PcbFrame")
@@ -505,15 +537,16 @@ def Run(self):
         try:
             dlg = ReplicateLayoutDialog(self.frame, replicator, src_anchor_fp_reference, logger)
             dlg.CenterOnParent()
-            # find position of right toolbar
-            toolbar_pos = self.frame.FindWindowById(pcbnew.ID_V_TOOLBAR).GetScreenPosition()
-            logger.info("Toolbar position: " + repr(toolbar_pos))
-            # find site of dialog
+            # place the dialog next to the right (vertical) toolbar
+            # KiCad 9 exposed the toolbar window id as pcbnew.ID_V_TOOLBAR, but this
+            # constant was removed in KiCad 10 (the toolbars were reworked). Fall back
+            # gracefully to placing the dialog at the right edge of the editor frame so
+            # the plugin keeps working across both KiCad versions.
             size = dlg.GetSize()
-            # place the dialog by the right toolbar
-            dialog_position = wx.Point(toolbar_pos[0] - size[0], toolbar_pos[1])
-            logger.info("Dialog position: " + repr(dialog_position))
-            dlg.SetPosition(dialog_position)
+            dialog_position = self.get_dialog_position(size, logger)
+            if dialog_position is not None:
+                logger.info("Dialog position: " + repr(dialog_position))
+                dlg.SetPosition(dialog_position)
             dlg.Show()
         except Exception:
             logger.exception("Fatal error when making an instance of replicator")

deprecation_dialog_GUI.fbp

@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
             <property name="gripper">0</property>
             <property name="hidden">0</property>
             <property name="id">wxID_ANY</property>
-            <property name="label">&lt;b&gt;Deprecation warrning&lt;/b&gt;</property>
+            <property name="label">&lt;b&gt;Notice&lt;/b&gt;</property>
             <property name="markup">1</property>
             <property name="max_size"></property>
             <property name="maximize_button">0</property>
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
             <property name="gripper">0</property>
             <property name="hidden">0</property>
             <property name="id">wxID_ANY</property>
-            <property name="label">This plugin will only be supported until KiCad 10.0 is released</property>
+            <property name="label">This plugin has been ported to work with KiCad 10.</property>
             <property name="markup">0</property>
             <property name="max_size"></property>
             <property name="maximize_button">0</property>
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@
             <property name="gripper">0</property>
             <property name="hidden">0</property>
             <property name="id">wxID_ANY</property>
-            <property name="label">After KiCad 10.0 is released I will neither port the plugin neither continue with maintenance.</property>
+            <property name="label">Note: KiCad 10 also includes a native multichannel layout tool. This plugin remains available for hierarchical-sheet based replication and continues to work on KiCad 10.</property>
             <property name="markup">0</property>
             <property name="max_size"></property>
             <property name="maximize_button">0</property>

make_a_package.sh

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ inkscape replicate_layout_light.svg -w 64 -h 64 -o replicate_layout.png
 # refresh the GUI design
 wxformbuilder -g replicate_layout_GUI.fbp
 wxformbuilder -g error_dialog_GUI.fbp
+wxformbuilder -g conn_issue_dialog_GUI.fbp
+wxformbuilder -g deprecation_dialog_GUI.fbp
 
 # grab version and parse it into metadata.json
 cp metadata_source.json metadata_package.json

metadata_source.json

@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
         {
             "version": "VERSION",
             "status": "stable",
-            "kicad_version": "9.0",
-            "kicad_version_max": "9.1",
+            "kicad_version": "10.0",
+            "kicad_version_max": "10.99",
             "download_url": "https://github.com/MitjaNemec/ReplicateLayout/releases/download/VERSION/ReplicateLayout-VERSION-pcm.zip",
             "download_sha256": "SHA256",
             "download_size": DOWNLOAD_SIZE,

replicate_layout.py

@@ -414,10 +414,14 @@ def prepare_for_replication(self, level, settings):
             for fp in dst_sheet_fps:
                 fp_group = fp.fp.GetParentGroup()
                 dst_group = "Replicated Group {}".format(sheet)
-                if (fp_group is not None) and (fp_group != dst_group):
-                    raise LookupError(f"Destination footprint {fp} is a member of a different group ({fp_group}). "
-                                      f"All destination footprints have either have to be members of destination group "
-                                      f"({dst_group}) or no group at all.")
+                # GetParentGroup() returns a PCB_GROUP (or None), so compare its
+                # name to the expected destination group name. Comparing the object
+                # directly to the string is always unequal and made the plugin fail
+                # whenever a destination footprint was already grouped (issue #86).
+                if (fp_group is not None) and (fp_group.GetName() != dst_group):
+                    raise LookupError(f"Destination footprint {fp.ref} is a member of a different group "
+                                      f"({fp_group.GetName()}). All destination footprints either have to be "
+                                      f"members of the destination group ({dst_group}) or no group at all.")
 
     @staticmethod
     def get_footprint_id(footprint):