Is there a way or interface to assign footprints and actually see them? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2016, 12:17:06 am
content: In Kicad when you go to assign footprints, it's just a HUGE list of footprints, that's super tedious. Is there a way I can assign footprints but preview them at same time? Idealy, when creating a new component, is there a way to just have a default foot print? For example I created an entry for an Atmega chip. I find it's easier if the pins in the schema match the physical pins so I can layout my circuit as close as I can to the pcb and when deciding what pins to use for what I can choose accordingly. I want it to just default to the dip package, with proper pin assignments. But instead when I go to assign foot prints I get a huge list of all sorts of stuff, like air coils etc... is there an easier way to do this?

author: Neverther
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2016, 07:44:58 am
content: If you are creating new component, in the library editor just assign the footprint filter properly in component properties.For example "DIP-28*" will filter all fooprints with DIP-28 in the beginning as by default there are options to choose from (different widths and pads).Then in the footprint selection just turn the "Filter list by keywords" on and it will only show DIP-28* from all footprint libraries.I guess most of the filters are broken as some ready atmel libraries are missing wildcard * and the - between the housing and pincount.For preview you need to open the separate window from cvpcb "view selected footprint" as most of the time the name should be enough.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2016, 06:20:12 pm
content: I was playing around with this further, I can't seem to even find how to make the foot print, I was able to get into the editor for the actual component, but how do I go into foot print mode from there? I found the foot print editor to make unassigned foot prints, but I want to make a foot print that goes with my component and is part of my library.

author: ElektroQuark
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 01, 2016, 06:46:38 pm
content: To make a footprint you have to open Footprint Editor directly from KiCad or from PCBnew.If you assign footprints with CvPcb you can open to additional views, one with the footprint and another one with the 3D view, so you can see the footprints when browsing them.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2016, 04:41:43 am
content: Is there a good written tutorial on this? I'm so confused with all this library stuff. Playing around and found the footprint maker but now it wanted to make a folder AND library file but it's not letting me save to it because it says it's not the active library. I just want to save this in my existing library and assign it to the component. Ex: I made an atmega168 footprint, I just want that to be part of my atmega168 component. Basically this is just a reusable library I have stored on my network server that I want to keep adding to and reusing for each project. Is the component and foot print library separate?

author: Neverther
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2016, 06:08:20 am
content: The schmatic symbol and footprint are separated.Save both somewhere, then in preferences -> component/footprint libraries you add them both.Now I think there was a bug that you needed to restart for it to load them, I'm not sure if it is fixed.Then add the component in your schematic. Then if you added footprint filter in the component, or just named the footprint straight, it should find it in cvpcb (turn keyword filter on).I do not see any reason to make another DIP/TQFP/X footprint for atmega168, the standard pin numbering takes care of that.For example the DIP packages are in "Housings_DIP" library.If the footprint filter is not working: in cvpcb select filter by library and pincount from top, then select the Housings_DIP from left and you should be left with only couple choices.For me the atmel schematic symbols come with kicad-library package (4.0.1).I think this one has the naming wrong so the footprint filtering wont work.