Custom library with most used components

Schematic Library Symbols
1

Hi, all.

I’m trying to create a custom library with the most used components.

My problem is that I failed to find out how to select specific components from some existing libraries and copy them to my custom library.

Whenever I try to save an exported component Library Editor wants to overwrite the custom library. It has no option to append it.

Could anyone one tell me how can I achieve this?

I intend to do the same thing with footprint libraries.

Regards.

2

The wording could be better, but when it writes to the active library it is appending. Keep in mind that not all of the developers speak English as a first language. If it makes you feel better, make a back up copy of your library first. :wink:

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3

So if I first saved (say) a relay symbol from relays.lib to my_custom.lib and then I saved a microcontroller from microchip.lib to my_custom.lib I in fact will have both the relay and microcontroller symbols on my_custom.lib file?

I would never suspect of this behaviour due to the message presented by Library Editor.

I’ll give a try and then I will report the results.

Thank you for your help.

4

That’s how mine works. For peace of mind, back it up first.

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5

Remember to change the symbol name in your new library. KiCad grabs the first instance of a part it finds in the library list

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6

Or move your library to the top of the list if you plan on making frequent use of it.

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7

That does work, but is not certain to as the read order is not defined in the documents. It also breaks things if you share your project

8

If I know I’m going to share a project I keep the lib in the local project file and move that to the top. That way I just zip it all up together.

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9

I make copy of the cache library, call it after the project, myproject.lib, and remove any other library from the component library table. Then I also zip it altogether.

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10

I’ve done that but not removed the other entries. The guy on the Mac said he’d get some errors but everything loaded. That probably would have solved that. Thanks for that tip.

11

Hi, guys.

It didn’t work for me (for sure I’m doing something wrong).

My steps:

1 - I opened “Library Editor”

2 - I selected device.lib (in “Library Editor”: File -> Current Library)

3 - I clicked on “Load component to edit from current library” button

4 - I Selected “Anntena” component.

5 - I Renamed it to “AntenaTV”.

6 - I clicked on “Save current component to new library” button and then I named the new library as “my_custom.lib”

7 - I made a backup o “my_custom.lib”

8 - I selected display.lib (in “Library Editor”: File -> Current Library)

9 - I clicked on “Load component to edit from current library” button

10 - I Selected “7SEGM” component.

11 - I Renamed it to “7_SEGMENTS_K_COMMON”.

12 - I clicked on “Save current component to new library” button and then I saved it to “my_custom.lib” file.

13 - A message box saying “my_custom.lib” already existed and asking whether I wanted to replace it. I clicked on “yes” button.

After that the previous content was erased and only the last component (“7_SEGMENTS_K_COMMON”) were in “my_custom.lib” file.

I then repeated the whole process but this time, instead of clicking on “Save current component to new library” button I used the “Export component”.

O got the same problem: just the last component were saved on the library.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

PS: I’m using kicad 4.0.6 on Windows 10;

12

Instead of using save component to new lib, set your target lib as active and use the update component in current lib button (green arrow pointing towards the top) followed by the save lib to disk button.
After that you of course need to switch back to your source lib to get the next component loaded.

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13

Now it worked like a charm.

Thank you a lot.

And thank you for all of you guys for sharing your knowledge and experience.

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