How to share local project footprint libs with other projects or making them global?-(solved using one method)

I have created and placed footprints inside three “local” libraries, by selecting the option: “for this project only”. So I have three local Libraries, one for each project, like: Lib-1 for project-1, Lib-2 for project-2 & Lib-3 for project-3.

Now, if I start a 4th. new project, the Lib-1, or Lib-2, or Lib-3 won’t show up, unless I start this 4th. new project inside one of these old folders, then still, only one Lib. will show up.

I once tried to select the option: “github library” in place of “for this project only”, but then error started coming up in the search path showing my local library name in that error. So I want to avoid adding or changing the default library.

How to copy footprints from one of my local library to another?
(if I can do that, it will serve my purpose well for now, till I get to learn more).

Or, how to make all my three local libraries common to any new project?
I am using KiCad 4:0.6. Kindly help.

This would entail to copy your project libraries into a common place and adding them to the global library list.
They will then be added to the global fp-lib-table file in the KiCAD program settings folder.

Just copy the Lib-1.pretty, or Lib-2.pretty, or Lib-3.pretty folders into your new project folder - probably still have to add them manually to the project as project libraries afterwards though.
This is because there is a fp-lib-table file in the project folder which contains the local project lib links.

If you would like to keep local libraries for each project you made (to achieve portable projects), you can create your own project template with all necessary files. http://docs.kicad.org/stable/en/kicad.html#_using_templates
Next time you start new project use “New project from template” and all local project libs, most of settings and schematic/PCB origins will be copied from template to destination project folder.

You can update your project template at any time to add new libs or change settings. Of course this modification will affect only next projects you made using this template.

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Ha, I knew I forgot one permutation there… shame on me. :worried:

Thanks. I have first tried the method given by Sir @Joan_Sparky:-
So, I have copy / pasted Lib-1, from old project-1, into my current project-2 folder, where Lib-2 was already there.
But I was not able to ADD it. So Lib-1 is still not visible in project-2 library list.

Though via the “footprint editor”, I was able to add a 'footprint" from Lib-1 into Lib-2 successfully.

Yet the full Lib-1 could not be ADDED, to project-2, even though the folder Lib-1 is copied there.
I don’t know the steps to add it.

That part above, I could not do. Once I had added a library selecting the “global library” option, …but then I had trouble & error involving that library. So I am shy to attempt that. (May be I did not do the precise steps?)

(However, by being able to copy the “footprint” only, from the old Lib-1, into Lib-2, my present problem was solved 90 %)

Thanks Sir,
That is interesting too, & next, when I start a New Project, I will study, and try to do it the “template” method.

Though this was also about “library”, but I think the subject had changed: So the new heading,
But what was that,… which you forgot? It may be useful for me, to know the details.

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Thank you.
Very useful feature I just learnt in KiCad. I can now put all three old Libraries together, in any one of my single project…- - WoW…!!.. Problem solved 100% … :smile: