Hidden free text can still be created in footprint editor

Description

In v9 the visibility icon (eye icon) for hidden text items is removed from appearance panel-->objects tab. Not sure if this was intentional or not.

If intentional: How is the supposed workflow to work with hidden text objects? Use the footprint properties dialog works for hidden text fields. But how to find and select hidden simple text items?

Steps to reproduce

1. open pcb editor/FP editor in kicad v9
2. look into appearance panel-->objects tab

KiCad Version

Application: KiCad Footprint Editor x64 on x64

Version: 9.0.0-rc2-425-g1ecf1d97ae, release build

Libraries:
	wxWidgets 3.2.6
	FreeType 2.13.3
	HarfBuzz 10.2.0
	FontConfig 2.15.0

Platform: Windows 10 (build 19045), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW
OpenGL: Intel, Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000, 4.0.0 - Build 10.18.10.4252

	wxWidgets: 3.2.6 (wchar_t,wx containers)
	Boost: 1.86.0
	OCC: 7.8.1
	Curl: 8.11.1-DEV
	ngspice: 44
	Compiler: Visual C++ 1942 without C++ ABI
	KICAD_IPC_API=ON

Locale: 
	Lang: en_GB
	Enc: UTF-8
	Num: 1,234.5
	Encoded кΩ丈: D0BACEA9E4B888 (sys), D0BACEA9E4B888 (utf8)

added fp-editor pcbnew ui labels

added 9.0 priorityundecided statusnew labels

changed the description

The concept of "hidden text" that can be unhidden is deprecated in KiCad 9

But how to find and select hidden simple text items?

How are you creating hidden simple text?

footprint editor-->text item-->text item properties.

Also older fp files which might have hidden text inside them.

Ah, this was only removed on the board side

@kicad/code/lead_devs it seems like we need to remove this checkbox on the FP editor side and also make sure the parser is forcing these text items to be visible, or converting them into hidden fields??

Additional way to set hidden parameter: select textitem, use properties-panel-->Visible checkbox. This workflow is also available with pcbnew.

The properties panel does not show "Visible" checkbox in pcbnew for me (as is expected)

see example. This affects not textitems on board, but textitems and fields embedded in footprints. And then for these textitems/textfields the properties panel in pcbnew and in fp editor both show the visibility icon. example to check: example_hidden.zip

The intended behavior was to remove all these visibility checkboxes from properties; fields can be shown or hidden from footprint properties only, and free text is always visible (if you want "invisible" free text just delete it)

Obviously there are some bugs here, but are we missing any reason why footprint text needs to retain the visibility property? If so, it probably needs to be converted into being a field

but are we missing any reason why footprint text needs to retain the visibility property?

Not sure if this question was for me: No, in my opinion the visibility flag can be retired. Just remove also the above shown checkboxes.

If so, it probably needs to be converted into being a field

Note at this point that custom fields with custom informations defined in the footprint are not practical to use currently. The fields are not automatically imported into the board during "update pcb from schematic" step (as would be the case with a previous textitem). And even if you use "update footprint from library" (which will then import the footprint defined fields) you later risk the fields with every "update pcb from schematic" command. (because the schematic is the master in the current workflow the fields in the schematic always overwrite existing FP fields).

So I think you could throw a dice:

• Just setting "hidden textitems" as visible on import of older layouts: could break the design because suddenly there could be additional items on production layers
• Just deleting "hidden textitems" could break the workflow of users who use hidden items as flags for their python scripts, or for alignment help, or for internal documentation (user notes abaout FP changes or similar)
• Just replacing "hidden textitems" with fields: see disadvantages above

Well, I think the third option is the least bad, because it doesn't result in any data loss.

changed milestone to %9.0

added prioritymedium label and removed priorityundecided label

changed title from visibility icon for hidden text objects removed to Hidden free text can still be created in footprint editor

assigned to @jeffyoung

Turns out to be a rather big changeset. Moving to 9.0.1.

changed milestone to %9.0.1

added statusin-progress label and removed statusnew label

closed with commit 5edae825

added needs-cherry-pick statusfix-committed labels and removed statusin-progress label

removed needs-cherry-pick label

mentioned in commit a6030734