Questions managing libraries

[SrSosio]

I’m having a couple of issues working with Libraries:

• When I’m creating a new library, I’m not sure what’s the difference between Global and Project:
  

• Also, when I open the Library manager, I always have this error message:
  
  That’s a library (and symbol) I created some days ago, but it’s in another project. I guess I created it Global and now every new project I open, it’s like it was looking for it, but it’s looking it in the project’s folder. That PCF8575.kicad_sym file it’s in another project folder. Why is it asking for it as if it needed to be in each new project’s folder? how can I build a library and symbol that it’s available for any future project but doesn’t ask for it every time?

[paulvdh]

@SrSosio

When I’m creating a new library, I’m not sure what’s the difference between Global and Project:

Global libraries are global (visible from all projects), while project specific libraries are project specific. it is a bit hard to understand what is not clear about that. (Maybe a translation thing?)

A library file can also either have an absolute path, or a path local to the project. You likely made it a global library, but used a path relative to the project (With the ${KIPRJMOD} variable), and that is a combination that does not make sense. So go back to the project you wanted that library for, and then:

1. Copy the library nick name and library path into some temprorary location (for example a text file
   ).
2. Delete the global library entry.
3. Make a project specific library entry for that project, and use the nickname and library path you saved.

Another way to do the same is to open the global sym-lib-table file (Which is in your KiCad configuration directory) in a text editor, cut the line for that library, then open the sym-lib-table file and then paste that line in the sym-lib-table file for the project (Which is in the project directory, but it may not exist when there are no other project specific libraries yet)

[retiredfeline]

@jmk RU MIA? (Twenty)

[jmk]

(Twenty)?

too cryptic for me PM?

[retiredfeline]

To pacify the silly twenty character check.

[jmk]

Oh!

[jmk]

Hi @SrSosio

I wrote this FAQ some time ago.

Reading it should answer most of your questions regarding creating and using personal libraries.
Please ask here if you have any questions regarding this FAQ.

To fix your problem:

After you have read the FAQ, create a new Global Symbol Library as the tutorial suggests and name that library “Switches”.
Move your created symbol to the new “Switches” library.
To do that:

• Open your symbol editor and right click your created symbol in your old Library.
• Select “Save as”
• In the new window, modify the name if you wish.
• Scroll through the underneath library list and left click select your new “Switches” library.
• Save

You now have your switch symbol in your new Global Symbol library named “Switches”.

For your footprint, repeat the whole above process, with a newly created "Switches " Global Footprint Library using the footprint editor.

Next, replace your old symbol in the project you completed some days ago with the same symbol that is in your new “switches” symbol library and assign the footprint in your new “Switches” footprint library to that symbol.

If there is nothing else in your old personal library, that old library can be deleted.
Go to Preferences > Manage Symbol Libraries and delete your old library, then go to Manage Footprint libraries and delete the old library.

Finally, using your Operating System, find the old libraries in D:\Documentos\Kicad\ etc. and remove the old libraries from there.

This will all take a little time but when this is all completed, you will no longer have the error message and you will have your symbol and footprint in correctly made and named Global libraries in which more symbols and footprints can be placed in the future.

Some final words on your library structure:
You used:
D:\Documentos\Kicad\7.0\projects\4wayswitch\PCF8575.kicad_sym

It would be better to use something like:
D:\Documentos\Kicad Personal Libraries\Symbols\Switches\4wayswitchPCF8575.kicad_sym

Reasons are:

• Your personal libraries will still be used in some years time. Having \7.0\ will probably annoy you when you are up to Kicad 8 or 9 or 10.
• Using \Documentos\Kicad Personal Libraries\ Symbols.… folders makes it convenient to use \Documentos\Kicad Personal Libraries\Footprints.… to keep the Symbol libraries folder in the same folder as the Footprint libraries folder.
• \4wayswitchPCF8575. allows you to be able to name a 2 way switch \2wayswitchABC123 and place it in the same “Switches” Library.

These comments are only guides. It is worth spending a little time planning your personal library system now so it will serve you for years to come and you won’t, like me, and many others, regret their original setup then have to spend countless hours reorganizing them sometime in the future.