typeCAD-gitdiff

Visual PCB comparison tool for KiCAD files with interactive diff viewer

Online Demo 🛺

A tool that generates interactive HTML reports showing differences between KiCAD PCB files. Features include layer-by-layer comparison, multiple viewing modes, and customizable color schemes for highlighting changes.

✨ Features

• Interactive Viewer: Modern web-based interface with zoom, pan, and multiple view modes
• Layer-by-Layer Analysis: Compare individual PCB layers (copper, mask, paste, silkscreen, etc.)
• Multiple View Modes: Side-by-side, overlay, onion skin, swipe compare, and diff-only views
• Customizable Colors: Configure colors for modified and new features
• Theme Support: Can use KiCAD themes
• Git Integration: Integrate with git workflows

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• KiCAD v8 or later - Required for PCB file processing
• Node.js - For running the tool
• git (optional) - For git integration features

Installation

Install globally via npm:

npm i -g @typecad/typecad-gitdiff

📖 Usage

Basic Comparison

typecad-gitdiff <original.kicad_pcb> <modified.kicad_pcb>

Command Line Options

| Option | Description | Example | |--------|-------------|---------| | --full | Process all layers including User layers (User.1, User.2, etc.) | --full | | --theme <name> | Specify KiCAD theme for SVG export | --theme "Monokai" | | --color-modified <hex> | Color for modified features | --color-modified "#ff6600" | | --color-new <hex> | Color for new features | --color-new "#4caf50" | | --help, -h | Show help information | --help | | --version, -v | Show version information | --version |

Examples

# Basic comparison (standard layers only)
typecad-gitdiff board_v1.kicad_pcb board_v2.kicad_pcb

# Full comparison including all User layers
typecad-gitdiff --full board_v1.kicad_pcb board_v2.kicad_pcb

# Custom theme and colors
typecad-gitdiff --theme "typeCAD-light" \
                --color-modified "#ff0000" \
                --color-new "#00ff00" \
                board_v1.kicad_pcb board_v2.kicad_pcb

🔗 Git Integration

Integrate with git to compare committed versions:

# Compare current file with last committed version
git difftool <file.kicad_pcb> --extcmd 'typecad-gitdiff'

# Full comparison with git
git difftool <file.kicad_pcb> --extcmd 'typecad-gitdiff --full'

# With custom colors in git
git difftool <file.kicad_pcb> --extcmd 'typecad-gitdiff --color-modified "#ff6600"'

🎨 Interactive Viewer Features

The generated HTML report includes:

• Layer Selection: Toggle individual PCB layers on/off
• View Modes:
  • Diff Only: Show only the differences
  • Side by Side: Original, differences, and modified views
  • Overlay: Layered comparison with blend modes
  • Onion Skin: Semi-transparent overlay
  • Swipe Compare: Interactive left/right comparison
• Zoom & Pan: Zoom in/out/reset functions
• Theme Toggle: Switch between light and dark themes
• Layer Transparency: Adjust opacity for better visibility
• Dark/Light Mode: Helps with seeing changes

🔗 Links

• Homepage: https://typecad.net/
• Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/typecad

Part of the typeCAD ecosystem - bringing modern development practices to PCB design