kicad:footprint_management
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kicad:footprint_management [2013/06/26 02:37] – [Third-party footprint libraries] mithat | kicad:footprint_management [2013/06/26 02:50] – [System footprint libraries] mithat | ||
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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 '' | ||
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===== 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 ==== | ||
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//**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.**// | //**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.**// | ||
- | Instead, you should add new footprints to personal | + | Instead, you should add new footprints to user footprint libraries. See "User footprint libraries" |
- | ===== Personal | + | ===== User footprint libraries ===== |
- | While footprints contained in predefined system and third-party footprint libraries will be enough to create many designs, at some point you will almost certainly | + | While footprints contained in predefined system and third-party footprint libraries will be enough to create many designs, at some point you will probably |
- | It is highly recommended that you use only libraries you have created yourself---what we will call //personal | + | For creating new footprints and for making changes to footprints in system or third-party footprint libraries, it is highly recommended that you use only libraries you have created yourself---what we will call //user libraries// |
- | //**Even though you can create/ | + | //**Even though you can create/ |
==== The Module Editor ==== | ==== The Module Editor ==== | ||
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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: | ||
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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 " | ||
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(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' | ||
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- 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 === |
kicad/footprint_management.txt · Last modified: 2018/09/09 14:12 by mithat