Magnetic pads - Always doesn't work

Please provide accurate version info.

Sorry... For example this:

Application: kicad
Version: (5.0.0-rc2-dev-501-g50588dcd1), release build
Libraries:
    wxWidgets 3.0.3
    libcurl/7.54.1 OpenSSL/1.0.2l zlib/1.2.11 libssh2/1.8.0 nghttp2/1.23.1 librtmp/2.3
Platform: Windows 7 (build 7601, Service Pack 1), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW
Build Info:
    wxWidgets: 3.0.3 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8)
    Boost: 1.60.0
    Curl: 7.54.1
    Compiler: GCC 7.1.0 with C++ ABI 1011

Build settings:
    USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=OFF
    USE_WX_OVERLAY=OFF
    KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=ON
    BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
    KICAD_USE_OCE=ON
    KICAD_SPICE=ON

But I have been trying to find a workaround for several days and versions. Also on Linux IIRC.

It was discussed here first: https://forum.kicad.info/t/magnetic-pads-always-snap-to-center-of-a-pad-nightlies/10452, where "pedro" told about the legacy canvas where it is working.

See also https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1759044 where setting the coordinates was fixed in routing mode. Now I feel it may be enough for my use case, but the preferences dialog text isn't very descriptive because if it says "Always" I would presume it to work "always". It should somehow signal that it works only in the routing mode.

The magnetic pad/track logic never got moved to the GAL tool framework (other than the router).

It's probably too risky to implement it tool-wide for 5.0, but I did at least enable it for the measurement tool for now.

Fixed in revision 5342aacf9729ccb337a8a96909ca85b0eb406fca
https://git.launchpad.net/kicad/patch/?id=5342aacf9729ccb337a8a96909ca85b0eb406fca

Thanks! It works nicely with the measument tool. It snaps to pads and I can set the user origin there. I don't know if there would be any use for it in the basic non-tool mode or other tool modes. As I said, only the preferences dialog is a bit misleading. Even that could be cured with more accurate tooltips.

Hmmm... good point. And if it's really only routing and the measurement tool, then there's very little reason for two different settings: we could just have a checkbox for "Magnetic Pads".