Hi,
I always copy a footprint i need to a specific folder. I rename the footprint to the component name _ footprint,
for example:
DAC5578SPW_SOP65P640X120-16N
Next to the footprint is a description for footprints from kicad libraries, but when i import a footprint from snapeda or make one myself, it doesn’t have a description. I can’t find the feature where to add descriptions to footprint, anyone can point me to the right direction? I would like to name the footprint the same as the component and then in the description add the specific footprint.
Thanks, for some reason i keep missing the footprint properties feature. Maybe it would be a nice addition if you right click the footprint in the libraries that you can edit the footprint properties. I had the same before with the 3D footprint functionality.
If I understood correctly, you want to right click the name of the footprint in the left hand list of all footprints and reach the properties from there.
I think there are usability problems with the current footprint editor. The footprint editor and the library editor are in the same window. It’s difficult to know what is affected when you select something. Basically the left hand list is about the library, not about the footprints themselves. You only select with double click the footprint which you want to open and edit. The top File menu has actions related to library, but Edit menu has both library and footprint editing actions. You can’t also intuitively tell what item is affected when you double click a footprint to be edited but then single click on another footprint. You have three items highlighted (on Windows): the library, the opened footprint and the footprint under the cursor. Right click on an item gives different actions depending on where you click, but none of those are for editing a footprint (except opening a footprint in the editor).
All this is very confusing. In my opinion the whole window UI should be redesigned. I don’t know if it would change your feeling about the missing feature, though.
I disagree with your assessment for the source of confusion. Having the treeview visible is a good idea and i would argue should be a known thing to any computer user as it is very similar to every file browser out there. (even windows has a treeview on the left that shows you your file system.)
It might however be confusing to users who have been used to the old “active library/asset” workflow that was the way the library editors worked in v4. To these users i would say they simply need to take the time and relearn how kicad v5 works.
What would be nice however is an indication which lib is global and which is local. And on the symbol side maybe a clearer separation of aliases from normal symbols.
The treeview is a good idea, but mixing two different high-level tasks (editing footprints and managing libraries) to this one window is difficult, and how it’s currently implemented in UI level is confusing. I’m not saying it would be impossible to make it better. I have already filed at least one bug report about it.