Kikit

This release fixes packaging problem (see [details](https://github.com/yaqwsx/KiKit/discussions/420)). There are no new features. If you managed to install KiKit, there is no need to update.

This release brings a large number of new features and several bug fixes. Since the feature list is quite long, we discuss them in depth in a related [blog post](https://blog.honzamrazek.cz/2022/09/kikit-v1-1-whats-new/).

This is also the first version that drops KiCAD 5 support, as most of the new features require KiCAD 6. If you use KiCAD 5 you can continue to use v1.0.5.

Overview of the new features

- KiKit CLI now supports plugins that allow you to tweak the process (e.g., specify a custom layout)
- DRC exclusions and net classes are now properly handled
- Improved copper fill and zones handling
- Sheet placement and origin specification
- Cutouts in full tabs
- Text improvements
- Footprint correction patterns for assembly (automatic rotation)
- User-specified annotations
- GUI improvements
- option to load and save a preset
- platform-aware commands
- Skippable backbones
- You can specify minimal panel size
- macOS & Flatpak support

**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/yaqwsx/KiKit/compare/v1.0.5...v1.1.0

How to upgrade

There is no need to update the PCM plugin, updating the python package is sufficient.

Acknowledgments

Having all these new features & bug fixes wouldn’t be possible without the support of my [Github Sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/yaqwsx/). Your support allows me to allocate more time to maintain my open-source projects. I really appreciate your trust in me.

I would also like to thank all of you who hired me to fix a bug in KiKit, implement a feature or build a custom workflow for you. When I started KiKit two years ago, I didn’t imagine what could be accomplished using KiKit.

This is only a small release that fixes problems with a broken dialog when no KiKit backend is found in the GUI plugin. This affects only the new users, if you already use KiKit, there is no need to update at the moment.

This release is initiated by the release of the click library v8.1.0 which removes some deprecated API we were using in order to ensure compatibility with both, click v7 and v8, and thus, lower the risk of package incompatibility. When users try to freshly install KiKit v1.0.3, click v8.1 is downloaded and KiKit fails.

This version brings in changes that ensure compatibility with the newest click version (8.1) and also the currently most frequently used one (7.1). Therefore, it fixes problems with the fresh installation of KiKit.

Also, all numerical problems in KiKit were solved so KiKit is now "nanometer-precise". The reason for (what I originally believed to be) numerical imprecision was actually quite silly. More details in the changes of `kikit/common.py` in e146259e37c71a0a3a537fa8a8e3986f5cd53355.

In addition, this release brings several fixes:

- KiKit lowers the required version of Python from 3.8 to 3.7.
- KiKit GUI plugin is adapted to the changes in KICAD 6.0.4.
- mitigation of assertion failure regarding locale settings inside KiCAD was added as the fix in KiCAD has been postponed indefinitely. KiKit no longer shows blocking graphical error messages on Windows.
- The alternation pattern was not working when rotation was specified, this is fixed now (thanks eddwhite)
- We try to detect if KiCAD API is available during installation and if not, we give the user a list of probable causes.
- KiKit no longer fails on boards with polygonal outlines.
- When KiKit backed was not found, the Pcbnew process was impossible to kill. This is now fixed.
- The users aren't allowed to panelize an already opened board as it leads to KiCAD crash.

To update, please update both, the Python package and PCM plugin.

This release brings fixes to numerous bug fixes in KiKit. There is no new functionality in this release.

- dimension objects in Edge.Cuts layer are ignored,
- a bug when KiKit didn't operate correctly on boards without DRC rules was fixed,
- title blocks are now properly inherited into the panel, thus custom labels aren't broken,
- a bug with small arcs in the outline was fixed,
- usage of OpenSCAD in the stencil generator on Windows was fixed,
- a problem with GUI plugin preventing KiCAD from closing was addressed,
- Kikit was adapted to changes in KiCAD API.

To update, please update both, the Python package and PCM plugin.

A new version of SolidPython was released and, therefore, we can simplify the installation procedure on Windows. This is the only change in this release - a bumped dependency on SolidPython.