When I use KiCad Symbol Editor in version 7.0.9, I found “Ctrl + S” and “File → Save as…” point to different location, the former is OK, and the latter didn’t work:
Ctrl-S is a shortcut for Save, not Save As.
I have saved my file edited in “Symbol Editor” as “MCU_Microchip_PIC16F13145_Curiosity_Nano.kicad_sym”, when I “Add Library…”, then “Import Symbol…”, there was nothing, what’s wrong with it?
Further to Retiredfeline’s comment:
File “save as” works correctly. Notice your third screen grab.
You are able to re-name your symbol and also scroll through the library list to find a library, with a write function, in which to place your re-named symbol.
You will need a personal library in which to place your “saved as” symbol, as Kicad libraries are “read only”.
“Add Library” means add an existing library to the Kicad list. “Add Library” does not mean create library. To create a library you need to use “New Library”, but first you must create somewhere to place a new library.
These links explain how to create libraries:
https://forum.kicad.info/t/kicad-7-8-beginners-guide-to-personal-symbol-and-footprint-libraries/38738
https://docs.kicad.org/8.0/en/getting_started_in_kicad/getting_started_in_kicad.html
I selected a symbol “PIC16F18346-IP” as the basement, edited it and I got this:
this is what I want, I saved it as “MCU_Microchip_PIC16F13145_Curiosity_Nano.kicad_sym”, how can I import it into KiCad? When I “Add Library…” this file and “Import Symbol…” this file, I found it was empty and there was a copied library named “MCU_Microchip_PIC16F13145_Curiosity_Nano*” under the original library.
Must a symbol be stored in a library first, then it could be imported in?
A symbol from an existing Kicad library can be modified and placed on a schematic without placing it in a personal library, BUT, that symbol can only be used for that schematic. If you wish to re-use it in the future, you will need to store it in a personal library.
An imported symbol, from a third party (not a kicad library symbol), must first be imported to a personal library before it can be used or altered.
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