We're glad to announce we're simplifying the way spacing works between the different objects.

To allow enough flexibility without too many new rules, we're introducing a single KeepOut rule. Applying a KeepOut rule to an object means that

The new KeepOut rule comes to replace a few existing rules:

Entering as a value will keep all objects 0.15mm away. However, entering will keep all fills 0.5mm away and all pads 2mm away, while every other object type will stay away by 0.15mm.

Pads come in many different forms. IC footprints, antennas, and other connectors have specific pad-shape requirements. Flux now supports creating pads of any shape. To learn how to create custom shaped pads, take a look at our documentation.

This has been one of the most requested features for a while, and it's finally here! All traces in the PCB editor now show the net name they belong to.

To change the name of a net, first select the target net in the "objects" menu on the left. Then change its designator on the top right menu.

Quickly measure the distance between pads, traces, etc in the PCB editor

We just released one of the most requested features, the ability to measure distances in the PCB editor. To measure a distance, right-click and select "Measure distance" or use the key. You will see a line with the real-time distance between the point you started and your current mouse location.

to measure distances in 90 degrees only, simply press and hold the key.

We put a ton of care into redesigning our keyboard shortcuts, and at last today they launched!

We redesigned our shortcut system from scratch so it could be more cohesive, extensible, and powerful. You can read about the new mapping in the Keyboard Shortcut dialog in Flux by typing ⌘ / on Mac or Ctrl / on Windows.

These are some of our favorite shortcuts:

Assign Part to Hotkey: ⇧ + 1-5

Zoom to Fit All or Selection: 0

Find Part: ⌘/Ctrl + F

Few things are more annoying than changing trace widths multiple times during the layout process.

We just made it a breeze with the new “Trace width” menu. You’ll find it when you right-click on a trace, allowing you to select any of your preferred trace widths. We’ve added a few default preferred widths, but you can add your own by creating a new “preferred width” rule in your Layout and entering a few values. For example “10mil 20mil 30mil”

You can use the “W” key as a shortcut to circle through your preferred widths

Few things are more annoying than changing trace widths multiple times during the layout process.

We just made it a breeze with the new “Trace width” menu. You’ll find it when you right-click on a trace, allowing you to select any of your preferred trace widths. We’ve added a few default preferred widths, but you can add your own by creating a new “preferred width” rule in your Layout and entering a few values. For example “10mil 20mil 30mil”

You can use the “W” key as a shortcut to circle through your preferred widths

Top-tier hardware companies typically fill all empty space in the PCB with ground-connected copper to improve signal integrity, power and heat distribution, and overall mechanical strength with no additional manufacturing cost.

We believe that every PCB designer should have access to the same tools as top companies. Today we’re introducing ground fills by default on every design, including a quick and easy way to add via stitching. Ground fills can also be easily disabled with a single rule for circuits with specific grounding requirements (think analog or RF).

Do you want to see how it looks? Here’s a cool example, but you can test it on any other project containing a ground symbol! Just make the ground fill visible through the layer view menu.

Top-tier hardware companies typically fill all empty space in the PCB with ground-connected copper to improve signal integrity, power and heat distribution, and overall mechanical strength with no additional manufacturing cost.

We believe that every PCB designer should have access to the same tools as top companies. Today we’re introducing ground fills by default on every design, including a quick and easy way to add via stitching. Ground fills can also be easily disabled with a single rule for circuits with specific grounding requirements (think analog or RF).

Do you want to see how it looks? Here’s a cool example, but you can test it on any other project containing a ground symbol! Just make the ground fill visible through the layer view menu.

How many times have you found yourself searching for a new part just because you needed to change a single property? Flux lets you seamlessly add new information to a part as it becomes available,

You start with a fully generic part, like a resistor for which you don't even know the value. As you start adding properties, Flux will update all the internal systems to use the newly added information. Let's take the resistor example and see what happens when we update its properties:If you want to learn more about generic components, head over to our docs

For those of you interested in the under-the-hood, generic components were enabled by a few improvements on our API, mainly:As always, those improvements are publicly available so that you can create your own generic parts! We’ve created a few generic parts as an example of what can be accomplished, but we’d love to see what you can come up with. We’re happy to answer any questions if you want to give it a shot.