Hi, once again, after upgrading, all of my symbols and footprints have to be added back in. This is frustrating, it is a huge waste of everybody’s time.
In my case, I have 121 of directories under myparts, each with a symbol and foot print. This is the way we obtain them from the parts vendors.
Each of these parts has to be added in two places, the symbols and the footprints, and each such with about 10 mouse clicks,.
It takes 2,420 mouse clicks to restore my parts libraries after an upgrade.
Maybe I am doing something wrong?
But the issue keeps coming up from other users too.
Upgrading between which versions? For a bug fix upgrade (change in the third digit of a version number) there should be no missing libraries at all. When upgrading / installing a new mayor KiCad version (First digit), then KiCad creates a new configuration directory with fresh defaults.
That is a quite horrible library organization. Sure, if you get “parts” from some external source they are separate, but there is nothing from preventing you from putting them together into only a handful of libraries.
Meh. First invest a bit of time into how KiCad’s library configuration works. Especially the sym-lib-table and fp-lib-table files. Then you can use a sourcecode merge program such as meldmerge to transfer selective settings from one KiCad configuration to another. Some 8+ years ago it was common to do some things in KiCad with a text editor. In these more modern times this is almost never needed anymore, but comparing and merging configuration directories of different KiCad versions is one of the few areas where this is still useful. All the configuration files are human readable text files, and a text editor or meldmerge works quite well.
I haven’t tested the wizard, but this will be a more specific enhancement:
EDIT: I tested the wizard, and it doesn’t help with personal libraries. Hopefully library table chaining will be ready for v10 (and integrated to the wizard, too).
After upgrading mayor version I only had to point KiCad to two files: symbol library list and footprint library list (KiCad ask for it at first run of new version schematic and first run of PCB editor). It takes seconds only. Didn’t counted mouse clicks but definitely less then 10.
In my case it is so simple because I have never used KiCad libraries (it was my first decision after reading KiCad manuals and before even downloading KiCad for the first time) so my library lists go with me from KiCad V4 through V5, V6, V7 to V8 (I didn’t tried V9 yet).
I have about 300 footprints (and more symbols) but they are collected in about 15 symbol libraries and 15 footprint libraries so even if I will be using them together with KiCad libraries I would have (after mayor version upgrade) to add only 30 libraries to default KiCad library lists. If it were my way I suppose I will find the way how to add them by Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V between old and new library list files.
It is first time I see conception: “one symbol (one footprint) per library”.
This is what I do. I see no point to an additional level of indirection - when I am adding a part, I have an MPN in mind, so it is obvious where to find it on disk.
However, I have never had an issue when upgrading, possibly because all my libraries are kept in the project libraries tables.
I have never thought about it as an additional level of indirection but as just sorting elements by their kind.
Something about 55 years ago I was collecting matchboxes to then made from them cabinets (9 rows x 8 columns). One for resistors, next for capacitors, next for diodes, next for transistors,…
I use the same way of sorting with KiCad libraries. When I am adding at schematic the resistor I am selecting it from resistor library and not from one global library of everything. In my opinion sorting helps and not disturbs.
In a broader sense, is it really useful that symbol and footprint libraries are always separate from each other? Especially for distribution of single “parts” it would be advantageous if the symbol and the footprint can be combined in a single file.
Currently, if I have project specific libraries, then I put all the footprints into a directory (Because that is how KiCad handles footprint libraries), and I also put the project specific symbol library (usually a single file) into that same directory, because I see no advantage of cluttering the project tree.
While for me it’s only one footprint library and one symbol library, it’s still annoying to have to do it each time, on all of my devices (currently 3). It also seems to me it likes to forget the custom path variables I define.
I’d also say that on Mac it does this not just for major upgrades but each time I download and install KiCad, but maybe I’m misremembering. I’ll watch for that next time and report back.
The frustrating thing is that KiCad already has so much invested in good library management, how come it can’t do this one little thing (which most other software does manage, it should be noted) and keep my user settings between releases? How about a .kicad-settings file?