I have an issue with a invalid library path that keeps popping up. The folder: " j_FOOTRPINT_DIR" does not exist. I’m not sure but I don’t think it ever existed. I initially was using a ${path} to identify the footprint, 3D and symbol libraries but I found it easier to just use the full path.
I’m at the point I’m thinking of a clean install, however using a text search I found “j_FOOTRPINT_DIR” in some of the project files.
Any ideas on how to reset this library path?
Thanks
John
The footprint links in the Schematic Symbols are the source of which footprints to use. So first change those links in the schematic, and then update the PCB.
Thanks, but not so easy. I know I could just delete it then readd it later however It’s a little frustrating that it keeps popping up. Kinda like wack-a-mole.
if I try to update the device from the library I get: The error popup occurs when I click on the library ICON in an attempt to change the j_FOOTPRINT_DIR path.
Library ICON
It is the path chosen by using the library icon and selecting the path. I know the / or \ are different than the software would generate but is seems to work in either.
I have deleted the J_USER_LIBRARY so I’m good right now. It still find it puzzling where the “j_FOOTPRINT_DIR” came from as its not my habit to use t he “_DIR”
but just the regular: … / Tools / Update PCB from Schematic [F8]. This copies the properties of the “part” from the schematic symbol to the PCB footprint, including the fields.
Used the footprint editor to attach the appropriate 3D model (for the transistors in 7 locations). Check with Alt-3 to verify the 3D was really attached, it was.
Went on to do some more PCB editing and when I opened the 3D viewer the transistors the 3D models for the transistors did not appear.
Opened up the footprint on the pcb with the footprint editor and found the path to the 3D file was changed.
The path to my 3D models is: “C:\Users\john\Documents\CAD Data\j_Kicad_Library\j_Library\3dpackages”
and has not changed in quite a while. AND I never entered any path with “_DIR” appended to the name.
It would appear Kicad is “creating” its own version of the path to my 3D files using my “j_” and appending “3DMOD_DIR”
My only thought at this point is that for some reason Kicad doesn’t like full paths called out for the libraries. I will add some Kicad like shortcuts i.e.
${C:\Users\john\Documents\CAD Data\j_Kicad_Library\j_Library}
and see if the issue goes away.
I finished up editing the same board and did not have any issues related to the library paths changing.
My assumption is that Kicad doesn’t like using the full paths. I will attempt to create a project that shows this with a minimal amount of size and steps. We’ll see.
In the innermost internals, KiCad uses only “full paths” because it must replace path variables with actual paths before using a path string. On the other hand, KiCad is designed so that in many situations path variables make some workflows much easier.
For the end user using full paths is easier, but only if the paths never change. If they change for some reason or another – be it a moved library or a project moved to another machine/setup with different file locations – it would have been better to have used path variables from the beginning. You can call it “liking”, but in the end KiCad is agnostic about full vs. variabilized paths. (Gosh, I like -izing!) If variables are used, they of course must be learned to be used correctly.
Look, I’m just reporting what was happening to me. With full paths for the libraries and no environmental variable path defined, Kicad repeated wanted to “Create” a base library path. No emotions here (reference the claim of anthropopathism in my posts) just what I observed.
as for
You can call it “liking”, but in the end KiCad is agnostic about full vs. variabilized paths. (Gosh, I like -izing!) If variables are used, they of course must be learned to be used correctly.
You apparently like making up words, or at least variations of legitimate words. And it seems you do not understand that “likes” is a euphemism for “there’s something not working here but I can’t pin it down to a few words”.
And, all these responses are well and good, but until someone else tries it and gets a different result you are just making assumptions that I made mistakes in my configurations and paths.
I don’t know if you made a typo here but a path variable name can only contain letters, digits and underscore, i.e. like a programming language identifier. Definitely no path separators like / and \ or drive indicator like :. To use the variable it’s put inside ${}, e.g. ${MY_FOOTPRINTS}.
Not so much a typo but trouble trying to make it clear and got carried away with the syntax. My post 10 shows what I did even though I showed the “original” version of footprints and the changed version of symbols.
I specifically used “j_SYMBOL_LIB” to be sure it was NOT the same as what Kicad seems to want to change it to “j_SYMBOL_DIR”
