Changes in footprint are not reflected to PCB

Layout
1

Hello!

Mostly everything is in the title. When I make some modification in a footprint, then it can’t be reflected to the PCB. The only workaround I found is:

  1. Open the schematic
  2. Edit component and change its footprint
  3. Go to PCB, update
  4. Go to schematic, edit component, restore its footprint
  5. Go to PCB, update again. The changes are taken into account.

Thanks for any hint.

Pascal

2

You described the workaround, but not the “ordinary workflow” which you would expect to work.

Also, give the KiCad version information.

3
  1. Select the footprint in the layout and press “e”
  2. Press Change footprint…
  3. Select New footprint identifier. Se also the options above. The footprint can have the same name as before.

Now, you can re-asign the footprint in the schematic the way you like.
What I do is
4. In pcbnew File->Export->Footprint association (.cmp) file, and save it
5. In eeschema Back import (First icon on the top toolbar from the right)

4

If in PCBNew you do right click and choose “Open in Footprint editor” then you can edit the current footprint in your PCB, those changes wont be reflected in the library and if you update from Eeschema those changes will be lost unless you use “lock footprint”.

If you open the footprint editor and change the fooprint, it will be changed in the library but the one in your board will remain as it was, unless you do your work around or you right click on the footprint in your board and select “Update footprint->Update selected footprint”, this will bring all changes from your library to the footprint in your board.

I hope this helps.

5

Hello!

Thanks for your reply. I think the ordinary workflow would be that if I modify a library and of course save it, then recreate the board should immediately take this modified footprint.
Of course in case you open an older board, and if you inadvertently press update PCB, then it might be good to have a warning panel because you don’t necessarily want to screw up a finished design.

Thanks,

Pascal

Addendum: I just found out that by editing a footprint on the board (shortcut E), I can choose to update from the library in the popup window. And there is an option to update all the footprints on board. I hope it means all similar footprints.

6

I don’t think it should be automatic. The layout and footprints are important to keep exactly as they are and modified only at the user’s will. A technical reason which would also make it difficult is that each instance of each footprint is in the board file and may be modified independently from the library. It’s just much easier for everyone if the user does the updates manually.

What you need is

  • Tools -> Update Footprints from Library or
  • the context menu of a footprint -> Update Footprint or
  • a footprints Properties -> Update Footprint from Library.

There are quite many options to choose what you want to update.

1 Like
7

You can see the options in the dialog, get familiar with them. You can choose to update all, update all similar (by value or by footprint library identifier), update just the selected one etc.

1 Like
8

Hello!

Thanks for your reply. Yes indeed, I found this latter solution while trying to explain what I want. I was about to suggest that it would be good to have a right click menu. I tried right click just to see what’s inside, and found out that what I want already exists.
The proverb saying that a well explained problem is halfway solved takes all its sense here and even better: it was fully solved. Sorry for the useless mess. I hope it will be useful to somebody else.

Pascal

9

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.