I love KiCad. Best part is that I can run a pipline in gitlab [1] that will produce Gerbers for specific fabs, automatic rule check as well as interactive BOMs exports.
Additionally the 3d export is good enough now that you can import it into Blender and do something like this within a few hours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svU7NyfJJKY
Yes, I think this is undervalued feature, which should be used more in professional contexts.
- being able to tag a commit, which automatically updates silkscreen with tag name/board revision and commit date.
- being able to run automated checks on outputs (are part numbers defined for all components? are they valid? are they in stock?)
- not being able to produce outputs if DRC fails (I have messed up real bad by exporting gerbers in Altium with shelved polygons)
- all of the outputs are produced at the same time (I have messed up with re-exporting gerbers but not BOM)
- making sure that design is atomic/does not depend on libraries present only on a particular machine
I recently went one step further and set up CI job to check symbols in my personal library using kicad-library-utils (which performs the same checks as for the symbols in official kicad libraries, which ensures consistent style and allows for custom checks (e.g. MPN/Manufacturer fields present).
JLCPCB and other Chinese fabs really revolutionized the hobby PCB market with their automated systems. Hope we will see fabs based in NA or EU doing the same. I'm tired of waiting a month for the boards.
The 3d export function is amazing, export to 3d cad software and built housing around it, or see if it will fit in an already designed enclosing/design/object.
Additionally the 3d export is good enough now that you can import it into Blender and do something like this within a few hours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svU7NyfJJKY
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31236936