Project text variable not resolved in pcbnew standalone
Note: Perhaps this is rather a feature request than a bug report, but apparently I can't create the former.
Project text variables are not resolved if the *.kicad_pcb file is opened stand-alone.
Use Case
I like to use a project text variable REVISION
that I use everywhere, in the sheet frame as well as on the silkscreen.
This works great as long as I have the complete KiCad-project opened including the *.kicad_pro file.
I sent only the *.kicad_pcb file to a board house for production, my board came back with literally ${REVISION}
printed on the silkscreen.
If I open the *.kicad_pcb file with pcbnew (standalone) I get the same result, the variable is not resolved.
By peeking inside the *.kicad_pcb file with a text editor, I found the line
(property "REVISION" "1.1")
so it seems that the value of the variable is contained.
Proposed Behaviour
As far as I understand the project text variables are stored inside the *.kicad_pro file. If the variables are also stored in the *.kicad_pcb file, then the variable could be updated in the pcb when the complete project is open. If only the pcb is open and the *.kicad_pro is not present, the variable stored in the pcb file is used as fallback.
Steps to reproduce
- Create Text Variable
- Use Text variable e.g. in PCB as text on silkscreen
- Save Project, Close it.
- Open pcb file in stand-alone mode or copy it somewhere else and open it there.
- The text variable is not resolved.
KiCad Version
Application: KiCad
Version: 6.0.7-f9a2dced07~116~ubuntu20.04.1, release build
Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.0.4
libcurl/7.68.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1f zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.2.0) libssh/0.9.3/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.40.0 librtmp/2.3
Platform: Linux 5.13.0-41-generic x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, plasma, x11
Build Info:
Date: Jul 26 2022 19:32:41
wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8) GTK+ 3.24
Boost: 1.71.0
OCC: 7.5.2
Curl: 7.84.0
ngspice: 36
Compiler: GCC 9.4.0 with C++ ABI 1013
Build settings:
KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
KICAD_SPICE=ON