Can not import .kicad_sym

Dear Comunity Members,

I can not import t.kicad_sym files to the kicad 8. Is this an error or .kicad_sym is not available anymore?

Best Regards

Enter *.* for the filename then select your .kicad_sym file.

Sorry, I am not sure what you meant. Could you please elaborate it a bit more? I changed the name of the file to .kicad_sym and it did not work. I also put a . in the file name section in tle file explorer it did not work either.

I think the problem is .kicad_sym extension is not a valid extension and not included all supported formats list, even though it should.

Here is the file content:

Sorry . . . what I typed is not what got posted . . .

It should read . . . Enter *.* for the filename then select your .kicad_sym file

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That worked! Thanks :slight_smile:

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The joys of Markdown.

Your original post showed an italicised full stop :expressionless:

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I downloaded KiCad 8 from having 7, after doing so
I opened a previous project and it was converted. But now, when I go to edit symbols, the library I use, import symbol, I cannot see any of my symbols. It is the same with footprints. The supported formats do not include any .kicad_sym files. If I download symbol/footorints from digikey but instead of selecting kicad 6+ download format, if I choose altium, this method of selecting symbols and foot print works. I’m not sure what changed here

Did you tell version 8 where to find your personal Symbol and Footprint libraries ?

I didn’t tried V8 yet. Does that mean that V8 schematic and PCB at first run don’t ask to tell them which library lists to use or people don’t read displayed questions?

Here is my event list - open kicad project, I need a new symbol added to my library, my current library (global) can be seen in the list, if I hit the drop down menu I can see all my symbols. So I click the title of it, click file, import symbol, go to my file destination (I created a folder named “PCBs” in which I have separate folders to keep my projects) I keep my symbols and footprints in individual folders inside my project folder.

I did this, and I was able to now see my .kicad_sym files, but when I click on them to import I get this

Could you please try another .kicad_sym file? It seems like problem is in your file rather than kicad.
e.g. try this: DS18B20Z+T&R EDA | CAD 3D Model Download | Digikey

I have read this fragment 5+ times and can’t understand (it can mean that I’m stupid enough).
For example ‘click title of it’ (for all symbols) means library name containing those all symbols?
As library name was already ‘clicked’ then how to understand “click file”. Does it mean clicking File in main menu. Clicking it means all previous actions are rather not important - we start from beginning.

I’m sorry. So this is my usually process for importing a symbol into my KiCad library.

  1. go to symbol editor from main menu
  2. click on destination library on left side of screen
  3. file → import symbol → find folder for the downloaded symbol → select file and import

This would normally populate the symbol onto the editor in which I could edit the name in the library and save.

The issue now is that when I go to search for that file I downloaded, it is not visible, because the format of the symbol file is not one of the “supported formats”

write * . * in to the file name bar then you will be able to see all the files


I did and this is what I get

Instead of trying to import (what I think is a KiCad symbol library) can’t you just simply add it to your list of symbol libraries ?

Could you please try this file?

2024-02-28_07-19-58.kicad_sym (3.1 KB)

…that worked for me for some reason, but I had to do . in order too see the file

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It seems like problem is in the file you tried to import initially.