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The Project Manager is the main window of KiCad that provides centralized access to all tools and manages project files. It serves as the launch point for all design activities.

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Overview

The Project Manager organizes your PCB design workflow by:
  • Managing project files and hierarchy
  • Launching specialized design tools
  • Tracking recent projects
  • Managing design libraries and settings
  • Coordinating between schematic and PCB editors

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Key Features

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Project Tree

The project tree displays all files associated with your project:
  • Project files (.kicad_pro)
  • Schematic files (.kicad_sch)
  • PCB files (.kicad_pcb)
  • Symbol libraries (.kicad_sym)
  • Footprint libraries (.pretty folders)
  • Gerber files and manufacturing outputs
  • Documentation and reports
Right-click files in the project tree for quick actions:
  • Open files in appropriate editors
  • Open files in text editor
  • Delete or rename files
  • View file properties
  • Export to external formats

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Application Launchers

Schematic Editor

Create and edit circuit schematics with symbols and connections

PCB Editor

Design printed circuit board layouts with footprints and routing

Symbol Editor

Create and modify schematic symbol libraries

Footprint Editor

Design and edit PCB footprint libraries

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File Menu

1

New Project

Create a new KiCad project from scratch or from a template
2

Open Project

Open existing .kicad_pro files
3

Recent Projects

Quick access to recently opened projects
4

Import Project

Import projects from other EDA tools:
  • EAGLE projects
  • Altium projects
  • CADSTAR archives
  • EasyEDA/JLCEDA files
  • gEDA/Lepton EDA

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Project Operations

# Key project management functions from source:
- Create new projects with stub files
- Load and save project settings
- Archive projects (zip all files)
- Unarchive projects
- Clone/save as new project
Project files use JSON format (.kicad_pro) and contain settings, design rules, and metadata.

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Toolbar Features

  • New Project: Create fresh project
  • Open Project: Browse for projects
  • Save: Save current project state
  • Archive: Zip all project files
  • Reload: Refresh project tree

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Local History Panel

The Local History feature automatically tracks project changes:
  • Commits snapshots of project state
  • Browse historical versions
  • Restore previous states
  • View differences between versions

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Enabling Local History

Access via View → Panels → Local History History tracking is configured in Preferences → Common Settings → Data Management

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Plugin and Content Manager

Package Management

Install and manage:
  • Python plugins
  • Additional libraries
  • 3D model packages
  • Color themes

Auto-Updates

Automatic checking for:
  • Plugin updates
  • Library updates
  • Package notifications

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Project Settings

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Configuration Files

{
  "board": {
    "design_settings": {},
    "layers": {},
    "stackup": {}
  },
  "schematic": {
    "annotate_start_num": 0,
    "drawing": {},
    "legacy_lib_dir": ""
  },
  "text_variables": {}
}

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Workflow Integration

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are context-dependent and differ between tools
ActionShortcut
New ProjectCtrl+N
Open ProjectCtrl+O
Save ProjectCtrl+S
PreferencesCtrl+,
QuitCtrl+Q

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Tips and Best Practices

Project Organization: Keep all project files in a single directory for easy archiving and version control
Templates: Create project templates for commonly used designs to speed up new project creation
Version Control: Use Git or similar VCS with .gitignore configured for KiCad temporary files

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Advanced Features

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Job Sets

Automated fabrication output generation:
  • Configure multiple output formats
  • Define layer combinations
  • Set manufacturing parameters
  • Batch process outputs

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Cross-Probing

Seamless integration between editors:
  • Select components in schematic to highlight in PCB
  • Navigate between related objects
  • Synchronized selection across tools

Schematic Editor

Learn about circuit design

PCB Editor

Explore PCB layout tools

Configuration

Configure project settings

Libraries

Manage symbol and footprint libraries

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