Modifying footprints and saving them for further use

I have many components with the same library footprint. I have modified one of the footprints in the footprint editor but can’t find a tutorial that uses the current version of KiCad that explains how to save modified footprints to the built in library. I hoped that my modified footprint would replace all of the same footprints in the PCB layout. I could modify each one separately (on 24 components) but i’m hoping to get some guidance to do it more efficiently. I would appreciate any suggestions or links that may be helpful.

Hello and welcome @barrie

You cannot save modified footprints or symbols to Kicad libraries.
You must create personal libraries then save symbols and footprints to those. This is your first step.

Are you familiar with personal libraries yet?

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Don’t do that, the build-in library might get updated when you update or reinstall KiCad, which would make you lose your changes.

Just save any footprint you edit to a personal library. You can quickly set these new footprints through the assign footprint dialog.

I agree with jmk and Jonathan. Just don’t ever modifiy the default libraries, but manage your own libraries instead.

That said, In KiCad, the schematic is the reference. So first create your own library and put your modified footprint in it (The footprint editor doubles up as the library creation / management tool). then use Schematic Editor / Tools / Edit Symbol Fields t change the footprint links to point to your new library, and then use Schematic Editor / Tools / Update PCB from schematic and make sure the Options / Replace footprints with those specifiec in the schematic checkbox is on.

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Thank you all for your guidance. I finally changed all 24 footprints with one click after setting up a custom library.

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Your method seems to be different from mine.
In a test I counted 8 mouse clicks, inclding the selection of the new footprint in the footprint browser, and that is still without the Schematic Editor / Tools / Update PCB from Schematic and it’s mandatory setting for updating the footprints.

Oh! I didn’t count the multitude of clicks before I discovered the option to change all LED’s. It then became a one click wonder. :smiley:

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