I can say that Paul is always helpful and his purpose was to tell that drawing symbols is a very basic and easy task in KiCad. That is true: if you are going to continue with KiCad, you will need to learn that anyway and it will be a useful skill.
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Thanks for the comment. Point taken!
Most if not all of the 2D CAD skills I possess are now are "very basic and easy tasks" in the same way that you and Paul evaluate this âcreate new symbolsâ challenge in KiCad.
However, I perceived them as not so âbasic and easyâ before I learned them.
Itâs a question of if you are already accomplished, like Paul clearly is, or just starting out and not accomplished, as I am.
I intend to find out how and learn that skill, of that I am quite sure. Independently if necessary!
In order to do so, I will look at more youtube videos; no doubt there will be clear step by step instructions on one of them.
@Jim_Thompson
Just a couple of remarks:
The schematic is just an abstract diagram. You could use a generic plug âConn_Wallplug_Earthâ as found is âconnectorsâ and then specify an Au. Standards product.
If you wish to âroll your ownâ, seeing you are brand new to this, Iâd suggest placing that plug on your schematic to get an idea of the size you require, then place that generic in your symbol editor and build your own symbol beside it. This way you will get the size right first time.
When you have completed your own symbol, just delete the generic.
See below.
Thanks jmk. I will give both options a go.
More laterâŚ
Jim.
I am confused about the intention of your sarcasm.
Iâll leave it at that.
In KiCad, schematic symbols need a place to live, and that is in a library.
So, before you can create a new schematic symbol, you have to create a library.
You can not add new schematic symbols to KiCadâs default libraries, they are read-only.
I thought that the new âGetting started in KiCad V6â guide I linked to was a quite clear step-by-step explanation of the steps to take to add that library and create a schematic symbol in it. The link even points to the right chapter: #tutorial_part_4_custom_symbols_and_footprints in that document.
I am aware that for people with more experience itâs sometimes hard to see where (and why) beginners get stuck, and how to help them get unstuck, precicely because things seem easy and logical once youâre used to them. But part is also on your side. Instead of making general remarks and sarcasm (neither are helpful), tell us what you have done, which tutorial you are following and where you get stuck. Before we can help, we have to know what is the missing piece on your side.
Eric S Raymond has some experience with questions from inexperienced users, and he wrote an article about asking questions in a smarter way:
[quote=âpaulvdh, post:26, topic:35411â]
âŚ
I thought that the new âGetting started in KiCad V6â guide I linked to was a quite clear step-by-step explanation of the steps to take to add that library and create a schematic symbol in it. The link even points to the right chapter: #tutorial_part_4_custom_symbols_and_footprints in that documentâŚ[/Quote]
Paul,
I have no doubt that it is, to the more experienced reader. I have never been really good at interpreting complex instructions on first or second reading; that is my considerable shortcoming. Iâll go back to it. The fact is I am under some pressure from colleagues to get a drawing out and I am jumping ahead too fast.
[Quote]
I am aware that for people with more experience itâs sometimes hard to see where (and why) beginners get stuck, and how to help them get unstuck, precisely because things seem easy and logical once youâre used to them. âŚ[/Quote]
Ok. Fair comment.
Thanks. I will read that.
In the meantime, I will refrain from posting questions on this forum until I become more competent in this regard, if at all.
In my own defence, I have close to 20,000 posts on another major forum and I have only ever been complemented on my behaviour there. This includes one of my own build threads with over 80, 000 hits. ButâŚI have been unintentionally clumsy in the beginning due to not knowing the unwritten code of behaviour that is considered acceptable on that particular site.
So clearly I need to learn what you suggest in order to fit into this forum, or go elsewhere, or both.
But thanks for your critique.
Edit:
I just clicked on the link you provided. I received a security warning. This site not safe!
Do you have another avenue to find the document?
Jim.
I also got that ânot safeâ warning.
Quite strange, probably overzealos web browsers on someone forgot a punctuation mark on that website.
https://html.duckduckgo.com/html?q=Eric+S+Raymond+"how+to+ask+questions+the+smart+way"
Or:
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way.pdf (162.0 KB)
Thanks. I will go to those alternatives.
I just edited my previous post.
It appears that Visio is a Microsoft program. I am using Linux Mint. Is there another Unix compatible drawing program that you can suggest?
EDIT: A silly comment, as this will just cause more angst and confusion to yourself;.
For any real newbee, there are huge numbers of hurdles to jump. Many really look like brick walls, and, typically for niche, FOS programmes, documentation leaves a little to be desired.
This site seems mainly populated with âno longer 20 year oldsâ each with better than 40 years a piece experience with many electronic CAD programmes⌠they know stuff.
If they were not willing to help, they wouldnât be here, so please keep asking so you can ease the pain of learning. 
Inkscapeâs quite good. Saves in SVG format.
Use it quite a lot, but I donât think you can export DXF/STEP or STL.
DXF, Yes from inkscape⌠You âSaveâ, not ExportâŚ
And that itself was a bit careless comment, or was ironical in a way which isnât obvious. 
But I donât see anything abnormal in any comment here. People just make communication mistakes because this kind of faceless messaging is against human nature. If I give the benefit of doubt for everyone, I see only good will. Jim, you really are welcome to ask more âstupidâ questions.
As a general remark, the only people who are not welcome here are
- those who donât give more information about their problem when asked and then start to get angry when the answers start to show some impatience, and they start blaming the software and others for their problems, continuing with personal attacks against those who try to help
- shout out loud that KiCad is bad and people here are evil fanboys and the KiCad developers are incompetent.
- (and spammers, of course)
I donât see anything like that here.
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Perhaps a better term is âsilly commentâ with respect to this statement:
As I concluded:
Hi, Jim
I have a hard enough time finding alternates to Visio in Windows; doing so for Linux is more difficult (for me) yet. I have tried Inkscape (in Windows) and got nowhere with it. I have also tried a few others, the names of which escape me at the moment.
I have seen this type of outlet design in schematics covering the same product for diferent places in the world
Also the symbol at the pin 3 as standalone is a complete outlet in multiline schematic designs.
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Thanks Mike. I will take a look at it.
Thanks. I have no doubt I will do so again before I quit. I was resolved to close this thread this morning before reading the above; you have changed my mind.
Jim.
Footnote
Question: What is the difference between stupid and ignorant?
Answer; Ignorant can and will read!
Many standards were based on IEC 60617 until after about 2012 (EN 60617 was mandatory for the European Union with sometimes modified local editions like BS/ÄSN/DIN/DS/EVS/NF/UNE/UNI 60617 in the UK/Czechia/Germany/Denmark/Estonia/France/Spain/Italy, NEN 5152 in the Netherlands, etc., SEV 150 in Switzerland, TGL 16000 in East Germany, ĐĐХТ Đ 60617 in Russia, IS 12032 in India, JSIA 118 in Japan, GB-T 4728 in China, AS/NZS 1102 in Australia/New Zealand, NMX-J-136 in Mexico, ANSI/IEEE Std 315A in the USA, etc.).
Many of above standards (notably not in the US) were also mandatory in certain technical fields. Then the IEC got greedy and started to charge some $600 for a database subscription with shoddy graphics and some countries initially published a snapshot of it or simply referred to it but eventually dropped the standard altogether. IPC then tried similar with IPC-2612[-1] (apparently based on older ANSI/IEEE Std 315) but nobody seems to be willing to pay some $600 for unprintable PDFs either (but a printed edition is available in CERNâs library)âŚ
1 Like
Thank you!!
I wasnât aware of that.
My personal opinion is that having standards describing symbols given out for a cost is a very stupid thing someone can decide.
After all, why should schematics worldwile use the same âlanguageâ ?? 