kicad:footprint_management
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revisionPrevious revisionNext revision | Previous revisionNext revisionBoth sides next revision | ||
kicad:footprint_management [2011/12/09 12:23] – mithat | kicad:footprint_management [2013/06/26 03:27] – [Adding individual third-party footprints to system and third-party libraries] mithat | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
KiCad places footprints into **footprint libraries**. Footprint libraries use the '' | KiCad places footprints into **footprint libraries**. Footprint libraries use the '' | ||
- | Note that KiCad uses the term " | + | <WRAP center round tip 60%> |
+ | KiCad uses the term " | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | <WRAP center round tip 60%> | ||
+ | There are two kinds of libraries in KiCad: **footprint libraries**, | ||
+ | </ | ||
Individual footprints can be stored in '' | Individual footprints can be stored in '' | ||
Line 11: | Line 17: | ||
===== System footprint libraries ===== | ===== System footprint libraries ===== | ||
- | KiCad ships with a large set of predefined | + | KiCad ships with a large set of predefined footprint libraries. The locations of these footprint libraries will depend on your operating system, but they are typically installed in a system level (rather than user level) subdirectory. PCBnew and CVpcb by default |
===== Third-party footprint libraries ===== | ===== Third-party footprint libraries ===== | ||
- | Third-party KiCad footprint libraries are available from many sources.((A good source of additional libraries is http:// | + | Third-party KiCad footprint libraries are available from many sources.((Examples include http:// |
==== Adding a third-party footprint library to a project ==== | ==== Adding a third-party footprint library to a project ==== | ||
- | To use a third-party footprint library in your project, you must first make the library available to the project.((There is probably a way to configure KiCad to include access to additional libraries in new projects by default. I have yet to learn how to do it.)) The procedure is as follows: | + | To use a third-party footprint library in your project, you must first make the library available to the project.((There is probably a way to configure KiCad to include access to additional libraries in new projects by default, but I have not yet looked into this.)) The procedure is as follows: |
- Place the '' | - Place the '' | ||
Line 24: | Line 30: | ||
- Use the top part of the resulting dialog to //Add// or //Insert// the additional '' | - Use the top part of the resulting dialog to //Add// or //Insert// the additional '' | ||
- Click " | - Click " | ||
- | - You will be prompted to apply the changes to the current project' | + | - You will be prompted to apply the changes to the current project' |
You should now be able to access the third-party library' | You should now be able to access the third-party library' | ||
Line 32: | Line 38: | ||
In addition to distributing collections of footprints in libraries (stored in '' | In addition to distributing collections of footprints in libraries (stored in '' | ||
- | //**Even though you can import footprints into system and third-party libraries, you are strongly advised against making any changes to system and third-party libraries.**// When you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system libraries will be overwritten, | + | You should add new footprints only to user footprint libraries. See [[#User footprint libraries]] and [[#Adding existing footprints to an existing user library]] below. |
+ | |||
+ | <WRAP center round important 60%> | ||
+ | **Even though you can import footprints into system and third-party libraries, you are strongly advised against making any changes to system and third-party libraries.** | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is because when you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system libraries will be overwritten, | ||
+ | </ | ||
- | Instead, you should add new footprints to personal | + | ===== User footprint libraries |
+ | While footprints contained in predefined system and third-party | ||
- | ===== Personal footprint libraries ===== | + | For creating new footprints and for making changes to footprints in system |
- | While footprints | + | |
- | It is highly recommended that you use only libraries you have created yourself -- what we will call //personal libraries// -- for creating new footprints and for making changes to footprints in system | + | <WRAP center round important 60%> |
+ | **//Even though you can create/add/edit footprints in system | ||
- | //**Even though you can create/ | + | This is because when you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system libraries will be overwritten, |
+ | </ | ||
==== The Module Editor ==== | ==== The Module Editor ==== | ||
Line 51: | Line 65: | ||
Unless stated otherwise, the processes described below all happen in the Module Editor. The processes below do not exhaustively describe all of the functionality in the Module Editor; rather they describe what I consider to be the most important. | Unless stated otherwise, the processes described below all happen in the Module Editor. The processes below do not exhaustively describe all of the functionality in the Module Editor; rather they describe what I consider to be the most important. | ||
- | ==== Creating a new personal | + | ==== Creating a new user library ==== |
As far as I can tell, there is no GUI-driven way to create a new and empty library. To create a new library you must save a footprint into it. | As far as I can tell, there is no GUI-driven way to create a new and empty library. To create a new library you must save a footprint into it. | ||
- | ==== Creating a new footprint in a new personal | + | ==== Creating a new footprint in a new user library ==== |
The basics of adding a new footprint to a new library is summarized below: | The basics of adding a new footprint to a new library is summarized below: | ||
Line 64: | Line 78: | ||
The new library will //not// be available to your project by default. To make the new library available to your project, follow the process described in " | The new library will //not// be available to your project by default. To make the new library available to your project, follow the process described in " | ||
- | === Creating a new footprint in an existing | + | === Creating a new footprint in an existing |
- | First, make sure that the library to which you want to add the new footprint is available to the project. Then, the process is the same as " | + | First, make sure that the library to which you want to add the new footprint is available to the project. Then, the process is the same as " |
- Click the //Select working library// icon in the top toolbar and select the library to which you want to add the new footprint. (This sets the " | - Click the //Select working library// icon in the top toolbar and select the library to which you want to add the new footprint. (This sets the " | ||
Line 72: | Line 86: | ||
(Note: You can actually //Select working library// at any time before //Save Module in working library//.) | (Note: You can actually //Select working library// at any time before //Save Module in working library//.) | ||
- | === Copying an existing footprint to an existing | + | === Copying an existing footprint to an existing |
First, make sure both the footprint' | First, make sure both the footprint' | ||
Line 89: | Line 103: | ||
- To save edits back to the original library, click the //Save Module in working library// icon in the top toolbar. To save your edited footprint into a different library, first click the //Select working library// icon in the top toolbar and select the library to which you want to save the edited footprint, then click the //Save Module in working library// icon in the top toolbar. | - To save edits back to the original library, click the //Save Module in working library// icon in the top toolbar. To save your edited footprint into a different library, first click the //Select working library// icon in the top toolbar and select the library to which you want to save the edited footprint, then click the //Save Module in working library// icon in the top toolbar. | ||
- | //Note that you are discouraged from making changes to system and third-party libraries. You should save changes to personal | + | //Note that you are discouraged from making changes to system and third-party libraries. You should save changes to user libraries instead.// |
=== Exporting footprints === | === Exporting footprints === | ||
- | Exporting a footprint creates a file with an '' | + | Exporting a footprint creates a file with an '' |
To export a footprint, | To export a footprint, |
kicad/footprint_management.txt · Last modified: 2018/09/09 14:12 by mithat