Altium Preinstalled Library? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Luke_dukeee
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 23, 2013, 07:58:55 pm
content: Hi Folks!First of all, I work as a CV Engineer for a Big Semicon Manufacturer. My department just launched recently. So there aren't many test cases which are automated. I want to change and expand this scenario and need do design a few Pcb's. My company uses Allegro and Altium. I went with the second, because I did already a pcb in the past. (~3 years ago).I installed Altium with the floating license setup I think it is called. Checked the library and oh crap.... only some FPGA Libs. So I went for the download of the Design Summer 10, which Altium offers on their Website.So I checked for some Terminal Blocks etc. ....basic stuff I think. But I'am not able to find those "basic" Components.So I'am asking if anybody has a clue where to find those components?RgdsLuke

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2013, 08:55:28 pm
content: Libraries must now be tediously individually downloaded from the AltiumLive content store, or, if you want to get into all the could based vault crap obtained from the Altium vaults.You might still be able to download the libraries from an older version (10 probably) in one go from somewhere on the Altium site.

author: Luke_dukeee
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 24, 2013, 12:14:48 pm
content: Ok. Now I understand this Altium Design Content thing.But it seems to me that I can't find Terminal Blocks, Headers, Through-hole Devices..... do you got a hint?There are really loads of devices in the libs. Maybe I am just to blind to find out where they are hiding.RegardsLuke

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2013, 03:51:42 pm
content: Quote from: Luke_dukeee on October 24, 2013, 12:14:48 pmYes there are loads of devices in the libraries, there are 100 times loads of devices in the real world.You are going to have to make your own symbols and footprints for some parts. It isn't difficult so may as well get started. Some people argue that they don't trust library components from Altium or anyone else enough to use them without careful checking and the and that checking takes almost as long as creating from scratch would.Personally I don't hold with that, if I check a part made by someone else it takes both of us to screw up and get it wrong.

author: mikeg88
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 05:36:11 am
content: Hi, I'm struggling with a related issue. I got Altium 10 Installed, but I don't know how to install the additional manufacturer libraries. They appear to all be integrated library files, organized according to subfolders named by manufacturer. Attached are screenshots of the library panel in AD10 and the /library folder in the AD10 working directory.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 05:48:30 am
content: Quote from: Rufus on October 23, 2013, 08:55:28 pmYes, it's now all online and only available via a subscription.Altium "froze" the public libraries back in 2011http://techdocs.altium.com/display/ADOH/Download+LibrariesGiven that I have an old version, that's all I've got, and yes, it's massively incomplete. Even for basic projects I'm making parts and footprints.I'd love to be able to download a full set of the latest libraries.

author: mikeg88
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 07:09:21 am
content: Thanks Dave, for getting me up to date, that helps to know I'm not the only one affected. However, let's say I follow the link you provided and download those 'frozen' libraries and I want to install them so that I can use them: how do I do it? I know you and many others are accustomed to Altium so it seems obvious to you, but I can't figure it out. I searched on YouTube and in other parts of this forum...no success.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 07:37:28 am
content: I believe in AD10 there was a folder called "Board Level Libraries" which is what you are looking for. It is about 500 MB and contains stuff from 108 manufacturer.I suggest to get a copy from AD10, install it.It doesn't necessarily needs to be legal, you never going to start that software. Just saying.Copy the libraries of it, and use it with the new Altium you have.

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 02:01:22 pm
content: Quote from: mikeg88 on June 05, 2014, 07:09:21 am1/ Download the single ZIP file (305MB) from Dave's link above.2/ Extract the ZIP files & save into a new folder.3/ Open Altium 14 & select "Design" (from the top ribbon menu) then "Add/Remove Library" then "Installed" (top of pop up menu) then "Install".4/ Now navigate to the directory where you saved all the extracted libraries. Any library with an extension "IntLib" will load fine (you can load just one library of you can select multiple libraries & then select "open").5/ You can now place these components in the usual way.All works fine - I've just done it & tested it for you

author: diyaudio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 04:28:01 pm
content: I was going ask the same question,I don't understand why the bullshit with subscriber licences... I tried an evaluation version and I still cant get libraries for it as I don't have a subscriber licence!, all I wanted was try a few new PIC24 parts. I started to re-think why I'm actually into this software, is it just the hype?, I started looking into Eagle PCB its not the best, but its just more friendly where libraries are concerned.To many people are still in love with the legacy Altium "had".

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 04:51:29 pm
content: Quote from: diyaudio on June 05, 2014, 04:28:01 pmI don't think you need a current subscription to access downloadable libraries from Altium Live. You do need an Altium Live account but I would think you need that to be able to get an evaluation license anyway.Altium vault access needs a current subscription.Quote from: diyaudio on June 05, 2014, 04:28:01 pm? People love Altium for it's schematic and PCB capability and usability, they put up with the price and paying for the crap they didn't use. More than ever Altium is concentrating on the stuff people do use, Altium's legacy is something people want to forget not love.

author: diyaudio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 06:34:38 pm
content: Quote from: Rufus on June 05, 2014, 04:51:29 pm

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 07:30:55 pm
content: Quote from: diyaudio on June 05, 2014, 06:34:38 pmI recall being able to download such libraries while my subscription had lapsed so maybe it was buggy or maybe they changed it.

author: tinhead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 09:35:30 pm
content: i've uploaded an set of altium libs, collected by ppl with subscription, some selfmade, some from manufacturers directly, etc.No idea how is Altium when "sharing" some of their libs, so i've used this time not my OneDrive but LShttp://luckyshare.net/4500011552/lib_extra.zipfor content list see attachement.The best is to download the legacy libs and unzip the lib_extra.zip over them. That should cover lot of parts.EDIT: MD5faa2c91a6dfcc61abdbfc7eb5a2eed85 *lib_extra.zip

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2014, 10:33:46 pm
content: Quote from: tinhead on June 05, 2014, 09:35:30 pmWill you please upload to Dropbox or similar so users don't have to go through all the c*rap demanded by Luckyshare. As their name says, you are "lucky" if you don't get a virus/spamware/malware/spyware from them with the download.Thanks.

author: diyaudio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2014, 11:45:16 am
content: Quote from: tinhead on June 05, 2014, 09:35:30 pm@tinheadThanks dude. that was very thoughtful, just downloaded moments ago seems complete. (for my needs)Anyone else got a nice collection of passives to share ?

author: tinhead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2014, 02:58:12 pm
content: one of the subdirs is named "Libs_RRutledge", this are libs from Ryan Rutledgehttp://code.google.com/p/altium-designer-addons/wiki/Libs_RRutledgethey covering for sure lot of passives

author: mikeg88
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 06, 2014, 06:59:39 pm
content: Quote from: DerekG on June 05, 2014, 02:01:22 pmThanks...I got through those steps, but it seemed 'wrong' to just lump all the IntLib files in the same installation window...I had this idea in my head that they ought to be organized according to some logical structure, but now I see that won't hinder how they are used in making schematics. Probably leftover stupidity from using Eagle too long.

author: mikeg88
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 06, 2014, 07:00:30 pm
content: Quote from: tinhead on June 06, 2014, 02:58:12 pmThanks for this, much appreciated!

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2014, 11:08:44 pm
content: Quote from: mikeg88 on June 06, 2014, 06:59:39 pmGreat news.Many users who have enough processing power just open most/all the libraries so the search feature has the largest chance of success in finding what you want.Once your schematic is finished you can make a new library that contains just the components used in that schematic. You can then close all the other libraries so your computer runs at full speed again

author: GarbageCan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 12:29:35 am
content: Quote from: DerekG on June 05, 2014, 02:01:22 pmHey, this is a real old topic, but I was looking into installing all of the old altium libraries similar to how it's described in this post. However, I'm confused, there's hundreds of folders that include libraries. Is there a faster way than individually going through each one and selecting all of the libraries to install. And then repeatin again and again for each folder? I can't see a way of just installing everything applicable within a folder and would feel foolish manually installing each folder's libraries.

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 01:48:31 am
content: Quote from: GarbageCan on February 03, 2015, 12:29:35 amI guess you could copy the contents of each library folder into a single folder & then carry out 4/ as listed above.But then everything will become much more difficult to find, the search function will take for ages & your PC will run like a dog with just 1 leg.Seriously, Free_Electron has a great library. Add that to the generic parts library supplied by Altium & you will probably have 90% of everything you need.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 07:08:39 pm
content: Quote from: GarbageCan on February 03, 2015, 12:29:35 amDon't install all those libraries at once. Install them as-needed.To answer your question, though, push F3 while you're looking at the list of folders, and type *.IntLib and then you can cut or copy them all out of the results and into another folder. That folder will then hold all the library files.Again, though, don't install them all. Only install what you need, as you need them. Altium slows down a lot when you have a ton of libraries installed.