One of the missing feature in KiCad IMO is a good sketcher to create a complex PCB Edge.

For complex shapes, it is possible to import a dxf file as Edge of the board in pcbnew, but in this way there is little room to make modification inside KiCad.

Then I decided to use the powerful FreeCAD Sketcher to design the pcb Edge and using StepUp to Push & Pull versions back and forward KiCAD pcbnew.

With StepUp now is possible to create, modify, read and write back a pcbnew board Edge using all the facilities of the FreeCAD Sketcher.

Lines, Circles, Polylines are available, but also BSplines and Ellipses can be used to create a board Edge and can be pushed to KiCad pcb file.

The push can be done on an empty board as well on a populated board with tracks and footprints. Only Edge will be touched and updated as for the requirements/changes done in the MCAD environment.

Here a little tutorial:

(no audio, so be sure to enable subtitles ;) )

I forgot the main thing: how can you install kicad StepUp tools?

Then now it much easier than ones, it is a FC official WorkBench, and can be installed by the FC addons installer.

https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-addons

Moreover I added the ability to generate even complex footprint (i.e. for RF parts) using the Sketcher and exporting those directly to KiCAD footprint.

polylines-fpand a small tutorial for generating a footprint from a 3D STEP manufacturer model


An other complex footprint, made in FreeCAD using the datasheet as image background.

The main Pad is complex, made with poly-lines and arcs.