Backplane added an Open in KiCad button beside the board and schematic viewer. It launches desktop KiCad on the design copy attached to that discussion thread, including a worktree copy when the thread has one, then writes the result or failure back into the thread activity log.
The implementation resolves the project again when clicked, prefers the KiCad project file, and falls back to the board or schematic editor. Tests cover that selection order, missing installations, and a detached launch that can outlive Backplane. This sounds like a small interface feature, but it joins two places where board work commonly splits: the review conversation and the editable computer-aided design (CAD) files.
One safeguard from the earlier version isn't present yet: the new client doesn't ask whether to open the main design or the thread's copy. Until that choice returns, teams should treat the activity-log entry as part of review and confirm the displayed path before making edits.