If I change a footprint in the footprint editor, how do I get the PCB to update?
I assumed it would change on the PCB automatically or when I hit update from schematic?
I have Update Footprints checked in the Update PCB from Schematic page.
There are different ways to do this.
The simplest is to select a footprint from the PCB, then hit [Ctrl + e] to directly load it in the footprint editor, do your edit, and then put it back on the PCB directly from the Footprint editor with the “Save changes to Board” button:
However, if you use the “Update footprints” option while updating the PCB from the schematic, I would expect the changes to be undone, and fresh parts loaded from the library. This does not appear to happen though.
A more robust way, (but more work) is to make a (probably project specific) new library from within the footprint editor, then put your modified footprints into that, then in the schematic, change the footprint links to use the modified versions in your personal library and then update the PCB with those footprints.
Small changes (moving a pad, or changing pad hole or copper size and type (SMT / THT) can even be done directly in Pcbnew.
You have to decide yourself what works best for your situation.
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I don’t have a “Save changes to Board” icon on my footprint editor?
To make things more awkward, the footprint I want to use is for a locating hole. Rather than use the built in mounting holes I just added a new footprint. I wanted to have a hole of the same diameter in the solder paste mask too. So I added a circle in the solderpaste layer of the same diameter as the hole.
I write from memory (don’t have KiCad here).
At PCB you can go into footprint (double click I think). There you have Update Footprint from library button (or something like that). In the window that opens you can select that you want to update all footprints at PCB.
Not seeing it?
I do have Update Footprints checked in Update PCB from Schematic, but the footprint is for a hole, which is not in the schematic!
Found it! I have to select a footprint. Right Click it, this brings up an options menu, in there is the Update Footprint option and this then brings up the option of Selected or All footprints.
Found it?
Why did you miss it?
It’s in the same location as in my screenshot, but it’s greyed out in yours, either because no footprint was loaded from a PCB, or because it was not changed yet, so there was nothing to new to put back on the pcb.
That’s the Save Changes to Library, not Update.
Ah ha! If you click Footprint Editor you get a differnent Footprint Editor with different options, to what you get if you press Control+E. Also found footprint update in the tools menu.
The function (and the icon) of that button changes, depending on how you started the Footprint editor.
If you start the footprint editor, and then browse to a footprint in a library, it’s the “Save to library” button.
However if you select a footprint in Pcbnew, then transfer that footprint to the Footprint editor with [Ctrl + e] then it has the “Save changes to board” (With a PCB in the icon instead of a disk drive) in that location.
Thanks, that was confusing me… Anyway got it now. I just have to ignore the Footprint Editor button… Or is there a reason why it brings up different options. Are there other options that change?
One other (and pretty big) difference is with how Pcbnew or Eeschema is started. If you start Pcbnew from within a project (so from the project manager) then it just works with that project.
If you open Pcbnew directly from your file manager (or by clicking on a KiCad PCB file, instead of a project file) then it has some functions for loading multiple PCB’s. This can be used for making panels with different PCB projects for example.
There may be more changes too. I just noticed the difference between the “save to” functions because of the discrepancy between my screenshot and yours in the Footprint Editor.
I think in your screenshot is how to update footprint if you open footprint from PCB in Footprint Editor (I have never done it) but he writes that he found (I suppose) what I was telling about - how to update footprint (or all footprints) at PCB without entering its edition.
I newer enter footprint edition from PCB. Didn’t checked if I will then edit that footprint in library (I want) or only its copy at PCB (I don’t want). So whenever I do some changes in my footprint libraries I then update all footprints at PCB (to be sure that all are compatible with my libraries). I understand library management as a separate task then PCB design.
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