So is there a better way than going into the switches.lib file and editing
DRAW
C -80 0 20 0 0 0 N
C 80 -100 20 0 0 0 N
C 80 100 20 0 1 0 N
P 2 0 1 0 -60 10 65 90 N
X A 1 200 100 100 L 50 50 1 1 P
X B 2 -200 0 100 R 50 50 1 1 P
X C 3 200 -100 100 L 50 50 1 1 P
X A 4 200 100 100 L 50 50 2 1 P
X B 5 -200 0 100 R 50 50 2 1 P
X C 6 200 -100 100 L 50 50 2 1 P
You can bring it up into the parts editor and make it to your liking. This is one reason to have a personal library to save it to. Once you have verified it to your liking/use you don’t have to do it every time. Just don’t get too comfortable because things change.
Not frustrated at all. I have been working with open source since before there was Slackware. I am thankful for the forums. If I come across as frustrated, sorry!
I only replied as if I had the same experience; it would aggravate me!
Basically, in your case, with the DPDT switch symbol, someone decided to make it a multi-part symbol. And, it seems this can make sense in some designs. For reasons of reading this forum and the problems with them I have avoided them.
The Symbol Library and the Footprint Library are done in KiCad two completely different ways. The Symbol Libraries are downloaded with the KiCad program. The very small upgrade may well have changed the symbol for the part you selected.
Again, the answer is to learn to create your own libraries; including Symbol, Footprint, and 3D model libraries. It is not that hard, and everything ends up how you like them.
All libs have gotten lots of contributions over the last few years.
But only symbol and 3d model libs are shipped with a default installation. (footprint libs are online libs.)
Having said that, even footprint lib repository are tagged with the kicad version number. So it is possible to have local footprint libs of a specific release. (python script that adds this functionality)
Also remember that a lot of footprint libs have been declared obsolete, while many more new libs have been added.
Do you have your projects in the system directory? This would be very bad practice.
If your projects are in your user directory kicad will not delete or otherwise change them on update.
The same holds true for personal libraries. Do not ever store your personal symbols, footprints or 3d files into the system libs. Make your own libs that you store in a user directory (Linux does not let you store to the system libs. Not sure how windows does handle file access for system files.)
Yes the latest is 4.0.7
To be honest the libs should not automatically update without user input. But because of the default footprint lib setup we don’t really have a choice
A better way would be to have the libs separated from the core package with their own release cycle. But the current infrastructure does not allow this. (One repo per footprint lib nonsense dictated by the stupid github plugin.)
Multipart switch symbols could make sense for dip switches where each switch is independent.
For DPDT keeping the two parts together is essential to remind you that the two units are locked
Possibly. My opinion, default libraries should be independent of the tools. That is you should be able to update the software separate from the libraries. But if you choose to update the ‘base’ libraries then they should get updated. If you make changes to the ‘base’ libraries then that is why you have user libraries.
Both arguments have merit. However, trying to simultaneously support both approaches in a library would be a nightmare with the program’s current user interface.
So if I turn the nightmare into a dream, I may as well dream in vivid colors. How about . . . the ability (in EESchema) to place ALL the sections of a multi-part symbol at once. Yeah, both halves of the DPDT switch, or all four gates of the SN7400, or both amplifiers of an LM358, etc, all parked on the schematic with one mouse click. You could use them as they land on the page, move them around as a group, etc. Or . . . . with another mouse click (perhaps an addition to the “Properties” menu invoked by the “E” hotkey) you could treat each unit as an individual part - essentially the way it works now. Name the option “Uncouple”, or “Separate”, or “Explode”, or some other name you like.