I’m using Kicad v8.02 and have noticed that when i’m using the schematic symbol editor, Symbol Editor “Filter” doesn’t show all my components inside a library listing.
I currently have a few custom libraries that i made as far back as Kicad v6.x and these libraries have worked perfectly across all versions of v6.x to v7.x, although i never installed v7.11 as i chose to move from v7.10 to 8.0
My custom libraries are simply created as the following:
“Marty” - all generic everyday components that i use daily.
“Marty headers & connectors” - all my headers & jumpers etc.
“Marty picaxe” - my picaxe micro library
“Marty radio-RF” - my vintage radio parts etc.
The reason i created separate libraries was because my original library “Marty” was becoming too long and too much scrolling to locate a component.
Typically, when i enter the symbol editor, instead of scrolling down through all the Kicad libraries until i reach my “Marty” libraries, i would simply type “mart” in the filter window, which then only displays my “Marty” libraries for quick and easy access to my components.
However, since upgrading to v8.x, when i type “mart” in the filter window, my main “Marty” library only displays 2 components in the listing. (there are almost 100 components in this library).
The ONLY way i can see all the components in that “Marty” library is to clear my filter text and manually scroll down through all the kicad libraries until i get to the Marty libraries and select components from there as normal.
Have i accidentally enabled some strange filter setting?, or did something change with how the symbol editor displays components in a selected library in v8.x, a BUG???
I imagine maybe not many people have experienced this, unless you’ve made your own customer libraries and having the same problems that i’ve been seeing.
I don’t recall the selection filter for earlier Kicad versions, but in 8:
The Schematic Editor has two filters, one for Libraries and one for Symbols in the selected library.
The Symbol Editor has only one filter for symbols in any library.
What you can do to make life much easier for yourself is to move your Personal Libraries to a more convenient place in the library list: eg. at the top.
This can be done by changing your personal library “Nicknames” or “Pinning” your personal libraries.
See towards the bottom of this FAQ for full details.
What is your Operating system; in case others wish to comment on changes between Kicad 8 and earlier editions?
Thanks, i moved my libraries to the top in the symbol management page, but the libraries still appear further down the list in the symbol editor/placing components etc.
This is currently in Windows 10 Pro version. (sorry, i don’t have the exact windows revision number with me, but my Win updates are off).
That doesn’t work, and when you update your Kicad libraries, they will be pushed to the bottom again.
Kicad library nicknames are listed numeric followed by alphabetic.
To get your libraries permanently up top, you need to have nicknames lower than Kicads.
Kicad starts with the 4xxx cmos library, so you need to have library nicknames starting with 0, 1, 2, or 3.
This is done in the Manage Symbol Libraries page. Left mouse click on the appropriate “Nickname” to change.
If you change the nicknames of your libraries to eg, 1Marty picaxe and 1Marty radio-RF they will then appear on your library lists above the Kicad 4xxx library. Only change the nicknames of your libraries. Do not change the paths.
See below how I moved the Kicad “Amplifier_Audio” library by placing a 2 in front so it is now at the top of the Kicad list, but below my personal libraries which are prefixed 1a & 1b.
Alternatively, you can “Pin” your libraries to the top of the list by opening the Symbol Editor and right mouse click each of your libraries and select “Pin”.
Yes, the same old problem that any kicad update often replaces/kills all previous settings files & libraries etc etc ;-(
With regards to renaming my libraries, prefixed with a 1 as you suggested, will my existing designs complain about missing components/libraries when i open each of my (100’s) of projects?
Hopefully i don’t have to open every one of my projects to re-point the components to a new library name???
No, this is just a nickname. All it does is establish the position in the library list. This does not change the symbols or the library paths. This is the purpose of the nickname
I demonstrated moving a Kicad library above, but note, next library update will remove that 2 or a “Pin”.
Kicad Library updates have no effect on personal libraries though, so yours will always stay above the kicad libraries if you change the nickname or “pin”.
Changing Kicad library nicknames on a temporary basis can be really useful to save endless scrolling. Eg. move the Device library up to the top to copy symbols to personal libraries
