I’ve just updated my nightly version of Linux Mint and tried opening a power supply simulation example.I then tried to open the associated schematic from the project manager. A pop-up appeared asking me to choose a default design block library table. As I was not sure what to do, I just clicked the middle option. Then the template directory opened and as I could not make sense of how templates relate to libraries, I just closed the dialogue. I was then informed that the file could not be opened. So far, so good. However, is there an example I can open that explains how these new tables work? Thanks.
Paste version info please.
Application: KiCad x86_64 on x86_64
Version: 8.99.0-unknown-64d4dbb2e8~181~ubuntu22.04.1, release build
Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.2.1
FreeType 2.11.1
HarfBuzz 2.7.4
FontConfig 2.13.1
libcurl/7.81.0 OpenSSL/3.0.2 zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.9 zstd/1.4.8 libidn2/2.3.2 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.3.2) libssh/0.9.6/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.43.0 librtmp/2.3 OpenLDAP/2.5.18
Platform: Linux Mint 21.3, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, X11, cinnamon, x11
Build Info:
Date: Sep 11 2024 22:07:15
wxWidgets: 3.2.1 (wchar_t,wx containers) GTK+ 3.24
Boost: 1.74.0
OCC: 7.6.3
Curl: 7.81.0
ngspice: 42
Compiler: GCC 11.4.0 with C++ ABI 1016
Locale:
Lang: en_GB
Enc: UTF-8
Num: 1,234.5
The behaviour on the latest Windows version (kicad-nightly-8.99.0.2321.g4388df6c25-x86_64.exe) is NOT the same on the identical example project (LM317 example from the simulation example folder).
In short, “don’t worry about it right now”
That popup on the nightlies makes no sense to me either, and I’m not sure it will exist in the final version.
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What are global design blocks used for? Are they similar to hierarchical sheets? I’m guessing that they can be used for saving a schematic sub sheet into a library for later reuse in other designs. Am I correct?
Basically, yes. There will be more information and documentation once the feature is a bit more polished.
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Design blocks is a feature which is behind an advanced config flag, but the block library table dialog seems to escape the ‘false’ flag.
Creating an empty table is OK, especially because no public library exists at the moment. Basically it seems to work like a symbol library and symbols, so if you know how symbol libraries and lib tables work, you know how design block system works in that respect. If you create an empty table, you can add a library there using the GUI and save blocks there, just like you can create an empty symbol lib table and add symbol libraries there and then save symbols.
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A small correction, or clarification. A symbol library is a file inside which there are several symbol sections. A block library is a folder. Each block inside it is also a folder. Inside the block folder there is a schematic file which can be copied and pasted to a design.
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I’m looking forward to this feature. It will be very useful. Thank you.
This may be off topic. We have symbol, footprint libraries and map tables and there will be reuse block library and map table. So, these ‘parts’ will be able to be added to the projects once and updated many times. How about the drawing worksheets? Maybe we also need a drawing worksheets library and map table. Sounds like an overkill? 
Thanks
Got it! I recently updated my nightly version of Linux Mint and tried opening a power supply simulation example.