KiLog

A KiCad 9/10 PCB Editor plugin for recording live board edits, replaying JSON logs, exporting selected components, and applying copper-zone and fanout helpers. It communicates with the active editor through KiCad's IPC API.

Installation

Copy this repository to the KiCad plugin directory:

• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\KiCad\<version>\plugins\KiLog
• macOS: ~/Documents/KiCad/<version>/plugins/KiLog
• Linux: ~/.local/share/KiCad/<version>/plugins/KiLog

In PCB Editor, enable the IPC API under Preferences > Plugins, then reload plugins or restart PCB Editor. Open a board before launching KiLog.

Usage

• Record — Set the Log prefix and start recording. Back/Next and the progress bar preview recorded states; Reset continues from the preview and discards later steps. Stop accepts the current position and writes <prefix>.json; Mark saves a numbered PCB copy beside the board, such as ref_000.kicad_pcb. Recording stays in memory until Stop; closing KiLog does not save it.
• Replay — Load a KiLog JSON file, seek or play at 0.25×–4× speed, and mark PCB copies. Continue recording resumes at the current step and discards later steps. Playback edits are undoable and are not saved automatically.
• Trace — Toggle component references or select footprints in KiCad; selection stays synchronized. Mark exports the current selected footprints and direct copper paths between them, including unsaved edits, while removing other footprints and ordinary copper zones. Locked footprints are hidden but always included. The current board and recording history stay unchanged. A path through a third footprint's copper pad is not a direct connection, even when the trace is continuous. For A–C–B, selecting only A and B removes that path; selecting C too can retain the direct A–C and C–B connections. Exports go to the current board directory. Mark saves <board>_001.kicad_pcb, <board>_002.kicad_pcb, and so on, continuing after the largest existing number for that board in its directory. Existing files are kept; failed exports do not consume a number. Locked-only exports use the same numbering.
• Skill — GNDfill creates and fills zones on F.Cu, B.Cu, or both, with separate ground regions and magnetic-body keepouts. Review the resulting copper. Fanout routes matching SMD pads to through vias using the entered net, fallback trace width, via diameter, and drill. Both helpers use undoable commits.

Starting a recording or loading a replay restores the saved PCB and discards unsaved edits. Save unrelated work first; replay requires the board referenced by the log. Replacing an existing recording log requires confirmation.

Recording follows observed board states, so edits between polls may share a step. Native Ctrl+Z remains under KiCad's control; returning to an earlier recorded state rewinds the in-memory history.

Development

Requires Python 3.10 or newer.

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pytest -q

See AGENTS.md for project development rules, DESIGN.md for UI style and interaction conventions, the log schema for the JSON format, and CHANGELOG.md for release history.