Insert footprint to module, from standard library

[FrancescoC]

I hereby certify that I am not simply asking someone else to design a footprint for me.

Hi all,
I am designing a footprint for a PCB module. (using footprint editor)
I have made the outline of the module. and now i want to insert a couple of different
connectors on this design.

I cannot find a way of doing this.
can you help?

Thank you.

Francesco C

[paulvdh]

Short version:

KiCad’s libraries are read-only (for good reasons), so any footprint you want use more then once has to be put in a library you create yourself. (For one-offs you can load a footprint directly from the PCB into the Footprint Editor to modify it)

Once you’ve put a footprint in a library (and added that library to the library table) you can use as many instances of it as you like in all your projects.

Longer version:

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 How to get a downloaded symbol, footprint or full library into KiCad version 5? Summary KiCad does not automatically detect libraries! There is no special library location (you might still ca…

[FrancescoC]

Hi,
Thank you for your replay.
I think you have misunderstood my question.

Using Footprint Editor, I am designing the footprint of a PCB module.
This module requires two different connectors to be added.

Having constructed the outline of the module, is there a way to insert any footprint in my module’s footprint so that at the end i will have a PCB module (as a component) with the connectors of my choice?

Regards
Francesco C

[FrancescoC]

Hi Found the solution myself.
I realized that you can copy and an paste from one footprint to another.
Regards

[paulvdh]

It’s sometimes difficult to interpret the intention of questions properly.

I do not know of a way to “nest” footprints into each other. Footprints are pretty simple objects. They have pads and graphics (on different layers) and that’s about it. (some extra functions for complex pads and “net ties”, but those are another subject)

This leaves you with the method you’ve already discovered, by copying items from one footprint to another.
I’ll elaborate for others reading this:

1. Save your partially designed footprint (Footprint editor can only edit one footprint at a time)
   • Maybe it’s possible to work with two instances of the footprint editor.
2. Open another footprint in the footprint editor.
3. Select some items, then press [Ctrl + C] to copy them to the clipboard and select a reference point.
4. Go back to the footprint you are designing.
5. Paste the items from the clipboard to your own footprint and select a position.
6. Paste again if you want more copies of those items.
7. Cleanup: Delete items you have too many, renumber pads, etc.