Kobee Studio output is an ordinary KiCad artwork footprint with saved generation settings. That gives you two editing routes: change individual geometry in KiCad, or reopen the tool and regenerate the item from its settings. Choose the route deliberately.
New artwork versus an existing item
For a new item, clear the selection and open Kobee Studio. For an edit, select one Kobee Studio artwork footprint, then open the plugin. Its previous tool and saved settings should load.
Select the footprint as a whole, not one internal polygon. If you select several items, an electrical component, or geometry without valid Kobee metadata, do not assume the editor is updating the item you intended. Cancel and correct the selection.
Place new artwork
- Save the PCB before generating artwork.
- Choose the tool, target layers and content.
- Confirm the preview is valid and inspect every intended target.
- Choose Place artwork or the placement shortcut.
- Complete the move/placement in KiCad, then inspect the resulting footprint.
- Save the board. Reopen a test item to verify its metadata survives.
Use KiCad's normal footprint move and rotate workflow for board positioning. Treat front/back position, orientation and visibility as board properties you must inspect in context.
Update an existing item
- Save a board copy before a substantial change or version migration.
- Select one Kobee artwork footprint and relaunch the plugin.
- Confirm the content and tool match what is on the board.
- Make the change and apply the update action.
- Check that the intended item changed rather than leaving an unexpected duplicate.
- Inspect placement and orientation, then save and reopen again if the edit was significant.
Changing a connector count, payload length or font can change the artwork's bounds. Even when the item's position is retained, the larger shape may now collide with neighbouring parts.
Native geometry edits and regeneration
You can edit generated KiCad shapes directly. Those edits do not necessarily update Kobee's saved form parameters. A later regeneration can replace manual polygon changes with the geometry described by the saved settings.
For a label you will maintain through Kobee Studio, prefer changing text, padding and styles in the plugin. If you intentionally hand-edit geometry, keep a board backup and document that decision for whoever reopens it later.
Reuse an item or a style
- Use a profile when you want the same settings for new content.
- Use a quick label for frequently reused text and optional symbols.
- Use a normal KiCad duplicate when you need another copy on the board, then reopen the intended copy and check its settings.
- Use project-scoped assets when a custom mark must travel with a board.
A profile is not a board-wide linked style sheet. Updating the saved profile does not automatically redraw all placed instances.
Electrical footprints remain separate
Standard labels, header overlays and component callouts are separate artwork footprints. A component callout does not replace the electrical footprint, and moving the component does not automatically move its neighbouring artwork. Check both after layout changes.
The development editor's Board Tools can explicitly modify native reference visibility or silkscreen. Those operations are different from ordinary artwork creation; see designators and cleanup.
Share an editable project
Save the PCB, include the project's supporting KiCad files and project-side Kobee data, preserve custom SVG originals, and provide any needed personal data archive. Font and asset availability can affect future regeneration even though the already-generated polygons remain visible.
A useful handover test is to open the project on the receiving machine, select one custom-symbol label and regenerate it on a copy. Repeat for a header overlay and a code if those are important to the project.
Undo and recovery
Use KiCad's undo immediately after an unintended board operation, then inspect the complete result. If the situation is unclear, compare against a saved board rather than repeatedly regenerating artwork. Library restore/reset operations are separate from PCB undo; back up those data before changing them.