I’m a newbee user of Kicad version 4.0.6
I need to create new footprint library elements, this is in itself no problem.
The problem is that I can’t set an “active library” to store the newly created footprint. I think the first problem is that I have to create an local footprint library.
In Preferences/Footprint Library Manager I see the tab “project specific library” but this is and remains empty.
Do you see/have this button in your KiCAD version (screenshot is from a nightly version)?
or this option in the File menu?
@Joan_Sparky
Yes I have/see both.
But after creating something here, and storing it in a local .pretty , I can’t retrieve it. I learned from other remarks that I better would create an local library and set this to active.
Now you need to append the recently created library to your project.
Preferences -> Footprint library manager
As @pedro says and I wrote here (project specific depicted in image):
If you want to have this new library for all projects you do the same steps, just in the global tab.
The steps “Preferences -> Footprint library manager” worked, and I could retrieve. Thanks.
Why is the “set active library” for local footprints not working ?
I don’t understand that question. What are you trying to do?
The set active library command is only needed in the library editor. For general use, all the libraries into the project are available.
@pedro and Joan
Understood about the availability of the libraries. THANKS
but… In library editor, can you set a local library to active ? I ask this because when I want to create add a second footprint to the library the file is overwritten with the new footprint.
It is not overwritten if you save the footprint with a different name.
Creating a new library takes a roundabout route, but I think you are already past that.
However, once you have created a library, and added an entry for it in the global or project library table, then the process is the same for any library