When I copy a block from one project's schematic to another project it tells me rescue symbols are not available

[DiBosco]

Hi,

On v5.1.12 on Linux FWIW.

I’m trying to just copy a block from one schematic to another across two separate projects. When I do so it tells me that the symbols from the source block have all come from my rescue library in the source schemtic and of course they are not available in the target schematic.

Is there a way round this?

I never quite got the way these rescue symbols work. I get that it’s good that it means someone without your libraries can open up and read them. DOS p-cad did the same, but there was never any problem copying from one schematic to another.

I guess what is needed is for the source block to use my libraries that I have all the parts I use in so the target schamtic can access them. I suppose I could add the rescue library to the target schematic’s library, but that strikes me as starting to get v. messy.

[paulvdh]

What are the cache and rescue libs and how does the schematic rescue dialog work? (KiCad version 5.x and earlier)

The purpose of the cache library KiCad version 5 and earlier do not include symbol information in the schematic file format. Without any counter measure changes to the libs would change the schematic without user control (worst case a symbol is deleted from the lib and the project looses its information). This is where the cache lib comes in. Anytime a user adds a symbol to the project it is copied to the cache lib for save keeping (unless the same symbol is already in the cache). If now the li…

In KiCad V6 these files do not longer exist and the schematic symbol information is stored directly in the schematic file itself.

@DiBosco

Is there a way round this?

Both the “rescue” and “-cache” libraries are temporary ad-hoc solutions. You can use the schematic symbol editor to copy schematic symbols between libraries. That way you can create a “real” project specific library. A caveat is that neither the “-cache” nor the “-rescue” libraries are normal schematic symbol libraries in KiCad V5 (I think they were in KiCad V4). There are several scripts around for “archiving projects” that can create a library from the used schematic symbols though.