I am converting from Eagle to KiCad and I want to download some parts from SnapEDA. I looked at https://snapeda.com/about/import/#KiCad - but was confused by "rename to Common Part Library"
I'd like to download the parts into a single user library, rather than have an individual library for each part.
However I'm not sure how to go about doing that in KiCad. Any suggestions?
I see people in GitHub with .pretty directories with .kicad_mod files underneath them and that structure looks promising.
Added 7 years, 2 months ago.
HI Mark,
for the schematic symbols, you can just copy and paste the different parts in the different .lib files into one giant .lib file
Just make sure you have the header only once in the file
EESchema-LIBRARY Version 2.3
#encoding utf-8
and the footer
#
# End Library
(even though I think the # lines are not being rad any way
each part begins with DEF and ends with ENDDEF
As for the footprints, I just used the import wizard but am not quite confident how this works in detail. Hope this helps anyway.
Answered 7 years, 2 months ago.
Hi Mark,
That renaming step should actually be removed. Thanks for letting us know about that.
Hopefully for the second point on merging libraries into one single library the community can chime in on.
We also have the ability to batch export multiple parts into one single library too. Let me know if you want more info on that. But it sounds like you want to know how to do it on the KiCad side.
Hope that helps as a start....
Answered 7 years, 2 months ago.
I actually found a way to do this as a side effect of struggling with the that the part I download specified a solder mask clearance on the pads.
After opening the part in the footprint editor (launched from footprint properties in pcbnew) I discovered that I could not save an edited version of the part because it was not in a library. However I File --> Save in new library allowed me to create a new library with the part in it. So now I have a SnapEDA.pretty library with a <part>.kicad_mod in it.
I could then add that library to the project with the Footprint Libraries Wizard. I can then save existing parts into it be opening a part in footprint editor, setting the active library to SnapEDA and saving the part to the active library.
To add a new part from SnapEDA:
- open footprint editor
- import footprint from file, select * as the filter and select the *.mod file
- set active library to SnapEDA
- save part to active library
It would be nice if the SnapEDA footprints were in .kicad_mod format and specified default (0) clearances.
Answered 7 years, 2 months ago.