Delete footprint

Hello, I am looking for the possibility of deleting a footprint or moving it to another category.
Kind regards

In KiCad footprint library is a directory and footprint itself is a file so you can use any file manager to delete, move or copy them between libraries.

I thought so too and deleted files. But the library remains and I don’t get it deleted. it is also difficult to delete the correct file when two identical footprints are in different libraries. You also get an error message if the files cannot be found. Errors loading symbols:
Error loading symbol library 3544-2.
Library file ‘${MY_SYMBOL}\3544-2.lib’ not found.
Error loading symbol library S1J-E3_61T.
Library file ‘${MY_SYMBOL}\S1J-E3_61T.lib’ not found.
It should actually work, but the deletion was surely forgotten to implant.


You asked about footprint libraries but *.lib files are not footprint libraries.

Deleting libraries is basically easy: as was said, footprint libraries are just file system folders with footprint files in them, so you can use a file manager. Symbol libraries are files with one or more symbol in each library file, and they, too, can be deleted.

However, deleting a library from the current setup requires one more step. For a library to be available it must be in a library table. The line describing the library will stay there even when the library itself has been deleted. You have to open Preferences → Manage Footprint/Symbol Libraries and remove the corresponding line from the library table. That way it will not be shown anymore in library lists.

But yes, it’s interesting that deleting a library isn’t possible from KiCad. I wonder why.

Because the personal libraries are not actually in Kicad?
Kicad just allows or prohibits access to personal libraries?

Why should that matter at all? New libraries can be created and added, footprints can be deleted from them, but the libraries itself can’t be deleted. That doesn’t sound intuitive.

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Slightly off-topic: why can symbols be duplicated and footprint not so. Footprints have to be copy-pasted.
Talk about inconsistency…

@eelik
I see your point.

Maybe no developer has ever thought of deleting libraries? Maybe this is the first time the subject has surfaced?
This is the first time I have thought about your observation.

Personally, I’ve never created a library with Kicad. I’ve always created folders with files for libraries then used Manage Libraries to find and access those libraries.
Personal libraries and projects, and copies of personal libraries and projects are kept on different drives to the Kicad programme. I have always “shuffled” them around outside Kicad.

OK, I’ll go along with that one too… something else I’ve just not even noticed!!!
Or just taken for granted.

That’s fine for libraries as a whole. Not so for symbols. It’s real a PITA to move multiple symbols to another library. You cannot even select mutiple symbols to speed up the process.
Footprints are easy, they are files.

Geesss, you just stirred up the bad memories with that comment.:grimacing:
Sometimes it is just easier to copy and rename a library and delete what you don’t want.

Cleansing and liberating process, fitting for the new moon we are having :slight_smile:

That’s what I did every now and then. Would be tolerable if it wasn’t for the missing multiple selections. Deleting one by one and aging quickly and noticeably.

Back to serious: I think reason is nobody put any effort in the library/parts managment UI at that time. I think they plan to have an epic about library management for V7. No idea whether UI aspects of parts management will be part of that. Perhaps I will come up with a feature request later on, when 6.99 has reached a certain level.

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I spent a whole two days sorting out personal libraries in preparation of 6. It was neither cleansing nor liberating… it was plain hard, frustrating work that I had been delaying for … years!!! :slightly_frowning_face:

I repeat:

Don’t leave it too long!!!

Bad idea right now. They pumped out a lot of features held back due to the various pre-6.0 freezes and things are a bit shaky. Refer to the bug tracker if there would be any doubt about that.

I’ve used this in the past - certainly works on KiCad 5 - doesn’t seem to be updated for 6 yet.
https://www.compuphase.com/electronics/kicadlibrarian_en.htm

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I didn’t mean now. Let them get over their New Year hangovers first. :slightly_smiling_face:

@John_Pateman
Thankyou John. I’ll keep observing that for a 6 update to lessen the next trauma. :slightly_smiling_face:


Hi, I don’t understand why when symbols are exported, they have to be saved in “Global or Project”! This leads to the symbols being duplicated.

Addendum: I just saw that it doesn’t say cancel, but omit. Which causes a bit of confusion.

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