Help Saving a Footprint

[AwesomeCronk]

I am trying to create a footprint for a screw terminal with a 5mm pin space, needing 1.3mm hole diameter. I have created the footprint, though I cannot save it. When I select the “Connector” library as active, I cannot save in it because it is read only. When I create a library in the same directory as all of the generic ones, it does not appear in the active libraries list. Help please!

[SembazuruCDE]

You are trying to save your custom footprint to the standard library. But because those are in system controlled areas of the filesystem, your system is preventing you from saving changes there. This is a good thing because any changes you make to the standard library will likely be wiped out when you next update KiCad. You will need to use a custom library.

Please specify which version of KiCad (and which operating system) you are using. We want to help you, but library management is different v4 vs v5 so we want to help you with correct information for the version you are using.

And if you are using v4, please be prepared for people to (hopefully) gently suggest that you upgrade to v5. This is because v4 is no longer being developed, nor bug fixed. (Bugs in v4 are either fixed in v5, not yet fixed but will be hopefully be by v6, or no longer relevant because v5 changed the workflow/feature for what the bug was affecting in v4.)

[AwesomeCronk]

I am running KiCAD 5.2 on Windows 10. I managed to save the footprint to my documents folder via the “Export” button(with the pink arrow) and then copied it to the “Connector” library through file explorer. Hallelujah for administrator file access. This will have to be temporary, though, with the update issue. How can I save and later locate a custom library? I managed to save one in the project directory, but still could not find it in the library selector.

[SembazuruCDE]

Here are a couple links from the FAQ here that might help you.

Specifically for your current issue, footprints:

Creating a new footprint library

Introduction Where should i place my new library? Further reading: https://forum.kicad.info/t/library-management-in-kicad-version-5-1-x/14636 This depends on your personal preference. KiCad does not care where you place your libs as long as your operating system allows you to write to the selected location. If the library will be used to store project specific footprints then it makes sense to place the library file somewhere under the project directory. All other libs are best collected into…

For when you want to save your own schematic symbols:

Creating a new symbol library and a new symbol in KiCad 5

Disclaimer: Screenshots taken in a nightly from after the 5.0.x releases. (KiCad 5.0.x and 5.1.x will look very similar. KiCad version 4 had a very different symbol editor meaning this tutorial is not really suitable to teach symbol creation in KiCad version 4) Symbol libraries are always a pair of files. A .lib file that contains the symbol data and a .dcm file that holds documentation information for aliases. Any interface with kicad will only list the .lib file as it knows that it can reach…

And a general overview with a couple library organization suggestions:

Library management in KiCad version 5

Disclaimer: screenshots taken in nightly from between version 5.0 and 5.1. Version 5.0.x looks slightly different. Version 5.1.x will look like the screenshots show. This is a detailed lecture. If you want to know how to simply add some assets you downloaded to KiCad then you can read the shorter tutorial https://forum.kicad.info/t/how-to-get-a-downloaded-symbol-footprint-or-full-library-into-kicad/19485/ Summary KiCad does not automatically detect libraries! There is no special library locati…

I hope these help, and welcome to the KiCad family.