Update the libraries/modules/packages3d from github

Software
1

So it seems the https://github.com/KiCad/kicad-library has way more symbols and 3d models than what is provided in the installer and is more frequently updated? It makes sense to me to prefer this as a ‘default’ library. How do you do this? Right now I cloned the repo as /Library/Application\ Support/kicad and trying supplement it with some of the folders that are in the base install but not in the kicad-library, like demos/help. But you know this solutions sounds prone to breaking or becoming messy. Any ideas for a better approach? What is the ‘usual’ way to do this?

2

You could but this directory anywhere on your pc.
just set the KISYS3DMOD variable to point to this directory.
(in the main window of kicad: preferences->configure paths)

3

That is a good point! If I understand correctly, that would work for modules/3dmodules but not symbol libraries right?

4

well i hope changing KISYSMOD should do the trick but i never tried this myself.

5

I’ve also been trying to update footprints and packages3d from the github repository, with no luck.

Options tried so far are;

set paths for KISYSMOD & KISYS3DMOD to the github addresses, hard to tell if the footprints are coming off github (certainly takes a while to respond. But it is not finding the wrl files and when looking to add the stp files, only shows the local file system.

Use add footprints library wizard, nothing shows up in list for 'select github librarys to add

lastly updating all footprints in pcbnew shows no appreciable change / update.

Anything else I can try?

6

These should point to your local storage locations of the symbols libraries (KISYSMOD) and 3d files (KISYS3DMOD)

So now what to do?

For symbol libraries:
you need to manually checkout the repository from github and add your local repo to the searchpath of kicad. (Maybe KISYSMOD could work for that.)

For 3d models:
there is a tool called 3dshapes downloader under pcb_new->preferences. Maybe try that. (If not: see the note regarding symbols. 3d shapes are in the same repo as symbols. But the path variable is KISYS3DMOD)

For footprints:
open the footprint library manager (pcb_new->preferences) and look what is listed there. Footprints update automaticly from github if their plugin type is github and their path starts with KIGITHUB. (If you are not sure make a screenshot of this tool.)

By the way: which version of kicad are you using?
What is in the KIGITHUB variable?

1 Like
7

I’m using a nightly kicad-r7580 (will update when current instabilities are ironed out)

KIGITHUB = https://github.com/KiCad

symbol library; checkout being the same as clone? rather than fork?

I’d not seen any previous references to the 3D shapes downloader (geometry models updater / packages3d updater; alternative descriptions to help with others using forum search)
Question; does this download everything selected, or just changed files?

Thanks for the overview of the different parts.

8

well you can fork it as well. But than you need to add the official library as second remote location and merge the changes from this repository back to your personal fork.

I have not tested this tool. (I only use my personal libraries. My 3d model libs and my footprint libs are mostly script generated.)

9

You need to pull *.lib and 3D files directly from github; the tools do not currently work with github the way the footprint selector does.

1 Like