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 [2013/06/26 02:44] – [System footprint libraries] mithat | kicad:footprint_management [2016/03/20 17:50] – [KiCad Footprint Management] mithat | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
====== KiCad Footprint Management ====== | ====== KiCad Footprint Management ====== | ||
+ | <WRAP center round important 60%> | ||
+ | This article needs updating to KiCad 4. | ||
+ | </ | ||
===== Footprints, modules, libraries ===== | ===== Footprints, modules, libraries ===== | ||
Line 6: | Line 9: | ||
<WRAP center round tip 60%> | <WRAP center round tip 60%> | ||
- | KiCad uses the term " | + | 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 14: | Line 20: | ||
===== 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 ===== | ||
Line 20: | Line 26: | ||
==== 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 35: | Line 41: | ||
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 | + | You should add new footprints |
- | Instead, | + | <WRAP center round important 60%> |
+ | **Even though | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is because when you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system | ||
+ | </ | ||
===== User footprint libraries ===== | ===== User footprint libraries ===== | ||
Line 44: | Line 54: | ||
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// | 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/ | + | <WRAP center round important 60%> |
+ | **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 54: | Line 68: | ||
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 67: | Line 81: | ||
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 75: | Line 89: | ||
(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 92: | Line 106: | ||
- 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