Using existing symbols to make new ones

Schematic
1

Is it me or is the library part of kicad still horendously primitive ?

I want to make a double bjt, do I seriously need to draw the whole thing from scratch ?

Why is it that when I give eschema a path to all of my custom libraries it’s like i did nothing?

Creating new libraries is a nightmare, it’s like something is missing in the functionality.

1 Like
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Anyone admits that this area could use some improvement and usability upgrades, but what is so hard about:

  • set an active library which contains something you want to start with
  • from load that symbol
  • make your changes/modifications/adjustments
  • set new active library
  • save symbol?

I’m 100% sure there are some double junction transistors in the transistor library… you might want to note the [Unit A] button at the top of the window (either editor or browser).

Maybe you’re after symbols with both units present, then this might be of help…DJT.lib (3.8 KB)

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I’m talking about an NPN/PNP so I’d need to merge to symbols if anything, they need to appear together not as part A and part B, if I export a part into a single part library and then re import it into another library will it add one part to another or try to replace the existing artwork ?

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See above library made by me… there are all 3 variants (NPN/NPN, NPN/PNP and PNP/PNP) in there with both transistors in one symbol.
I just mentioned units A/B as some of the native KiCAD ones are DJT’s, but with separate symbols as I thought you might have missed that.

If the name for the new/imported part is the same as for a symbol in the library and save the library/part it will be overwritten, probably without warning (or I have switched that off).
For footprints the backup has saved my sanity/ass 2 times already… didn’t had to test the backup for symbol libraries … yet :wink:

5

well what i am actually looking for is the ability to copy and paste between symbols and libraries. Why draw from scratch a dual BJT when all i need to do is copy any NPN and any PNP into the same new part.

Also why are my custom libraries not being included when I set an additional folder path to find parts in ? it means i have to add every library manually, I use dropbox so that every computer I work on has all the data I need.

6

KiCAD isn’t able to do that … yet.
You can start with something that exists and draw the missing parts or if you feel brave take a text editor and copy&paste the parts you need from one symbol into the one where you want them.
I do stuff like that all the time…

Create a project template were you set up all those things once and work from that one…