I’ve hacked up a shell/python arrangement to pull the assembly parts database from JLCPCB and generate some kicad libraries.
I’ve only done basic parts (for which you don’t pay a per reel fee) and I’ve only done resistors, mlcc capacitors and leds in 0402/0603/0805/1206 (being 90% of the work by volume).
There are two kinds of libraries, one with all the components of one type (eg. all the resistors) and another with the components of one type and one package (eg. all the 0402 resistors). The advantage of the latter is that you can pick by value.
The packages are deliberately not qualified by their footprint library so you can use your own footprint of the same name and let eeschema resolve to the footprint library (old style).
I’ve been finding the jpcpcb assembly service a game changer, for little cost it takes the repetitive part out of electronics and leaves most of the fun. I’m not affiliated or sponsored by jlcpcb, just another customer.
The libraries are at https://github.com/TomKeddie/prj-kicad-jlcpcb/tree/main/libraries, the scripts at https://github.com/TomKeddie/prj-kicad-jlcpcb/tree/main/scripts. Ideally I’d use circleci to update the libraries regularly but I’m not there yet. This was hacked up without looking at the spec for the .lib and .dcm files (yes, I know…). It seems to work, please log an issue if you find anything wrong.