Kobee Studio: component callouts and arrays

A Component Callout makes a label around a component-sized envelope while leaving the electrical footprint separate. A Component Array repeats that idea in a row or column. Use them for LEDs, buttons, switches and other parts whose body should stay visually clear.

Create a callout around a button

1. Save the board and open Labels → Component Callout.
2. Enter a name such as BUTTON or RESET.
3. Choose a suitable component preset, or use a custom envelope if the part does not match the available sizes.
4. Check the body's width and height against the actual part and its datasheet. A nominal package name is only a starting point.
5. Set clearance around the body and choose where the label should sit.
6. Choose a compatible cutout/enclosure shape. Adjust the gap between the body region and the label.
7. Add a symbol if useful, then tune container, typography and padding.
8. Select the output layer and place the callout around the component in KiCad.

The callout tool does not determine the correct mechanical envelope from a part number. Include connector housings, switch caps and assembly access if they extend beyond the bare footprint.

Understand the envelope

A larger text gap is useful when a tall component might obscure nearby silkscreen. Increasing a border does not create mechanical clearance. Inspect the full combination with the intended text and symbol.

Common passive, LED and tactile-switch presets speed up setup. If you use a custom part, enter dimensions explicitly and retain the source measurement with the board. In 1.5, open Settings → Component presets to add an accurately measured personal or project preset. Choose its scope deliberately and review the dimensions when applying it.

Create a labelled LED bank

1. Open Labels → Component Array.
2. Choose the relevant component envelope.
3. Enter one label per component, for example:

1   POWER
2   STATUS
3   FAULT
4   

4. Set the array count and choose a horizontal row or vertical stack.
5. Set pitch to the centre-to-centre distance between real components. Pitch is not the free gap between their edges.
6. Adjust alignment and the label side, then inspect the first, middle and last items.
7. Place the array and compare every generated component opening to the electrical footprints.

Use a regular array when the physical parts share a repeatable spacing. For irregular placement, separate callouts may be clearer and easier to align.

Style and placement choices

Keep hierarchy consistent: LED identifiers should use the same text height and appearance unless a difference carries meaning. An array with one long line can need a wider label region than the others. Check the longest name before committing to the enclosure size.

The artwork remains a separate footprint. Rotating or moving an electrical part will not automatically resize a callout around it. Reopen and update the callout when the package, pitch or label changes.

Worked example: three status LEDs

Measure three LEDs on 5 mm centres. In Component Array, choose the matching LED envelope, use a count of three, enter POWER, STATUS, FAULT, and set the row pitch to 5 mm. Place the text consistently on the board's outward side. Review the full body plus clearance, not only the pad centres. Finally view the board in 3D with the LEDs present to see whether a raised body obscures the legends.

Check before fabrication

Confirm the correct package, centre spacing, label order and clearances. Keep silk away from exposed pads and allow for the fabricator's silk-to-mask clipping. Copper and mask callouts need the same manufacturing checks as other artwork; see layers and fabrication.