How to use text parameter?

[gwideman]

Based on page https://github.com/yaqwsx/KiKit/blob/master/doc/panelizeCli.md, I attempted to use the 'text' parameter for the kikit panelize CLI command, but could not get it to produce any output. What am I missing?

Using Kikit:nightly, downloaded 2021-07-12

I inferred that the syntax should be something like:

kikit panelize \
    --layout 'grid; rows: 3; cols: 4;' \
    --tabs full \
    --cuts vcuts \
    --post 'millradius: 1mm' \
    --framing 'frame; width: 5mm; space: 2.0mm; '  \
    --text 'text: 1093A; layer: Dwgs.User; anchor: bl; hoffset: 2mm; voffset: -2mm; width: 12mm; height: 12mm; thickness: 0.15mm; orientation: 0deg; ' \
    $pcbname.kicad_pcb       \
    PanelPCB/$pcbname"_pnl.kicad_pcb"

However, I couldn't get the text to show up, despite trying various combinations of values. Kikit appears to be digesting the text parameter (it gives errors if I get the syntax wrong, like failing to add 'deg' to the orientation sub-parameter). But it just doesn't seem to output any actual text onto the panel.

Some points of ambiguity:

• Which sub-parameters are actually required? And what are the default values for those not specified?
• anchor: Do tl, tr etc refer to the panel? So that bl is bottom left corner of the panel?
• voffset: Is positive number downward?
• width, height: Are these width and height of the complete text? Or width and height of individual characters, as usually specified in Kicad?

[yaqwsx]

You miss --text 'simple; text: ...

As described in the introduction to the CLI - each group always has a parameter type which dictates the style. This allows us to further extend the functionality of KiKit without having too many CLI options. The default style for text is none, therefore, no text is shown.

If you are wondering why KiKit does not complain about excessive parameters the reason is simple - excessive parameters checks do not play nicely with the composition of presets. The idea is to have several presets you use often and to only override the parameters you are interested in. In the context of your question; imagine you have a preset that always puts the name of your company on the panel. Now, you would like to have no text on the panel, therefore you specify -p myCompany.json --text none and the text is gone, but everything else is preserved. In this case, KiKit cannot complain about excessive parameters - it would be extremely annoying.

About your other notes - I reflected them in 122a0c8.

[gwideman]

OK, thanks. You're right, I didn't realize that the --text command (group?) has a style (type) parameter.