SimpleRenamer - KiCad Plugin

A KiCad PCB Editor plugin for renaming footprint references (RefDes) with sequential numbering.

Demo Video

Watch the plugin in action: YouTube Demo

Features

• Multi-selection support: Rename multiple components at once
• Sequential numbering: Automatically assigns R1, R2, R3, C1, C2, etc.
• Smart grouping: Groups components by prefix (R, C, U, etc.) and numbers them sequentially
• Conflict avoidance: Automatically avoids duplicate reference designators
• Easy to use: Simple toolbar button integration

Installation

Step 1: Locate Your KiCad Plugins Directory

The location depends on your operating system and KiCad version:

Windows

• KiCad 7.0: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\kicad\7.0\scripting\plugins\
• KiCad 8.0: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\kicad\8.0\scripting\plugins\

Linux

• KiCad 7.0: ~/.local/share/kicad/7.0/scripting/plugins/
• KiCad 8.0: ~/.local/share/kicad/8.0/scripting/plugins/

macOS

• KiCad 7.0: ~/Library/Preferences/kicad/7.0/scripting/plugins/
• KiCad 8.0: ~/Library/Preferences/kicad/8.0/scripting/plugins/

Step 2: Copy the Plugin Folder

Copy the entire SimpleRenamer folder (from this repository) to the plugins directory above.

Important: Copy only the SimpleRenamer folder, not the parent KiCad-Renamer-Plugin folder.

Step 3: Create the Icon (if missing)

The plugin requires a icon.png file (32x32 pixels) in the SimpleRenamer folder. You can:

• Use the provided create_icon.py script (requires Pillow: pip install Pillow)
• Or create it manually with any image editor (Paint, GIMP, etc.) - draw a simple 'R' letter

Step 4: Restart KiCad

Restart KiCad PCB Editor to load the plugin. The plugin button should appear in the toolbar.

Usage

1. Select components: Select one or more footprints in your PCB (they can have different prefixes like R?, C?, U?)
2. Run the plugin: Click the "Simple Renamer" button in the toolbar
3. View results: A dialog will show all renamed components, and the console will display detailed logs

Example

If you select:

• 3 resistors (R?, R?, R?)
• 2 capacitors (C?, C?)
• 1 IC (U?)

The plugin will rename them to:

• R1, R2, R3
• C1, C2
• U1

Troubleshooting

Plugin doesn't appear in toolbar

• Make sure you copied the SimpleRenamer folder (not the parent folder) to the correct plugins directory
• Check that icon.png exists in the SimpleRenamer folder
• Restart KiCad completely

No components renamed

• Make sure you have selected at least one footprint before clicking the plugin button
• Check the KiCad Python console (View > Show Python Console) for error messages

Console output

• Open the Python console in KiCad (View > Show Python Console) to see detailed rename logs

Requirements

• KiCad 7.0 or 8.0
• Python 3.x (included with KiCad)

License

This plugin is provided as-is for educational and personal use.