I am having trouble with a certain component, and I am not sure if this is a wider problem. I cannot get the 3D view for the component to work. I am new to KiCad.
I started a schematic, and the first component was a Micro USB connector. I chose the “USB_B_Micro” symbol, and placed it on the schematic. I then went to “Tools: Assign Footprints”, and chose the “Connector_USB:USB_Micro-B_Amphenol_10118194_Horizontal”. I placed the component, then went to the PCB Editor to have a look. It looked OK, but the 3D view showed only the pads, not the 3D model.
OK, off to the Footprint Editor to associate a 3D model with the footprint. In the filter box, I typed “micro usb”, and was taken to the “Connector_USB” folder, and I selected the “Connector_USB:USB_Micro-B_Amphenol_10118194_Horizontal” footprint. Now to “File:Footprint Properties”. Under the “General” tab, I set the “Footprint” to “Connector_USB:USB_Micro-B_Amphenol_10118194_Horizontal”. Now to the “3D Models” tab. The .wrl file was shown as not existing, so I went looking for a 3D model by clicking on the “folder” icon. I found the “Connector_USB.3dshapes” folder, and selected the “USB_Micro-B_Amphenol_10118194_Horizontal.step” file as my 3D model. I had to rotate X by -90 degrees to get it to sit properly on the little pcb in the preview window. I clicked “OK” on that, and “OK” on the “Footprint Properties” window.
Now on the “Footprint Editor” window, I hit the “Save” icon to save the changes that I had made. I got an error message that read, “Library ‘C:\Program Files\KiCad\8.0\share\kicad\footprints/Connector_USB.pretty’ is read only.” Trying “Save as” got me the same response.
So the problem is that I cannot save the changes that I made to the Footprint Editor, associating the footprint to the 3D model. I am very green to KiCad, and must have just missed something. Can anyone advise?
The default libraries are deliberately made ‘read only’ and you are very strongly advised not to alter this. You have to make your own copy of the footprint to edit it or add a 3d model. This is a deliberate choice as otherwise any changes you might make would all be wiped out next time you update KiCad. Have a look in the FAQs to see how to manage your own libraries.
Wow! Thank you for the fast response, under five minutes!
So, the answer is to copy the footprint to a new name/folder, and then associate the wanted 3D model to it. I will try that right away.
It confuses me that the Footprint Editor will allow me to associate 3D models already in the folder with the footprint if it will not allow me to save the change. Even stranger is that the .wrl file for the 10118194 connector is not there but a .step file for it is. The creators must have missed it and there is no altering the directory or the file association. I guess that I have to think on this some more, but I went round and round for three hours last night. Thank you again for your suggestion.
Whenever I use a footprint (or symbol *) included with kicad I always save it to my company library which, as John points out, means you have all the footprints if they are altered or wiped out with the next install.
Whenever I make a symbol (which I always store in my symbol library) it always gets associated with a footprint in my footprint library. That way, whenever, in the future I place a symbol I am guaranteed it always has the correct footprint associated with it.
I also store my stock code in the symbol so I can create a BOM easily with proper full part numbers.
It’s a little bit of extra work at the start, but the bigger the personal libraries you build up, the more and more time you save in the long run and you are never going to get borked if things change in the supplied repos or symbols/parts go missing.
(*) I do the same in the incredibly rare occasions I use a library symbol, but most of them are inconsistently drawn and almost never bunch pins together in terms of functionality, so I usually make my own that make schematics easier to read.
I don’t really see any issue though with allowing you to add 3D models to a footprint in the supplied repo and not be able to save it. It doesn’t take long before you remember to save a footprint to your library before modding it. I suppose the developers could maybe grey out the boxes where you can add another model, but that would be just as confusing until you worked out what was going on.