Problem with using Altium's custom libraries - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Dodecahedron
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 30, 2018, 09:05:02 am
content: Greetings!After using Eagle for several years I am now trying to learn to use Altium 17. I did not expect however how much difficulty I would encounter trying to set up libraries. I don't know if I was doing something wrong, but after searching in vain for some fairly basic component symbols and footprints I decided to create a set of my own.I created a new integrated library project in which I then created PCB and schematic libraries and added several components to it. This is how it looks in the projects menu:However when trying to use the library in a project the library window shows only one component in it (the one one that was initially made).It was suggested to me to compile the library before saving it, which I did after each added component. I also recompiled it and compiled it again afterwards (I don't quite understand the difference yet). All with no effect. Can anyone tell what am I doing wrong?P.S. It's my first post on the forum so sorry if I didn't follow some conventions or posted in the wrong thread

author: voltsandjolts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 30, 2018, 06:33:01 pm
content: I'm not 100% clear on what you have done but first off I would say that .schlib and .pcblib are intended to hold multiple components. You only need one of each extension for your project. Since you are just starting out, you should create all your footprints in one .pcblib file and all schematic symbols in one .schlib file. You can just add these to your project, you don't have to create an integrated library, worry about that later.I would recommend that you create one component for each orderable part you are using. Don't have one resistor and change the comment field for different values. For example, my simple library of common Yageo resistors to get you started:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/altium/altium-standard-resistors-capacitors-and-inductors/msg840139/#msg840139Checkout You Tube for some good Altium videos. Watch everything by Mr Feranec, he is a fount of knowledge:https://www.youtube.com/user/matarofe

author: Dodecahedron
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 31, 2018, 09:10:13 am
content: Thanks so much for the explanation and recommendations! Yes, I was confused by different types of libraries and whatnot. Anyways the problem is solved now. Thanks again!

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2018, 09:45:39 am
content: Opinions do vary a lot on this, but IMO the integrated library thinking complicates and prevents reuse and modularity, and hence I stopped making integrated libraries quite soon after I started with Altium.You may want to have a several libraries, however. For example, one for connectors, one for passives... So that browsing through it is nicer.So you need an .schlib and .pcblib and it's easy to add them as existing files (links) to all your projects. No compiling the libraries needed.You'd usually have the library files open all the time in Altium, so you just add a new part and it's instantly usable with minimum amount of clicks.

author: Philfreeze
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2018, 09:07:41 pm
content: Here is a pretty nice library of the forum user free_electron (Vincent Himpe):http://www.siliconvalleygarage.com/downloads/altium-library.htmlJust as a reference and as a way to copy some things instead of doing them from the ground up.

author: Ankur
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 02, 2018, 06:26:34 am
content: Hi,Like you, i have also moved to altium from eagle,My doubt is thatfor example imported any library of an IC using import wizard, but after importing i had to make some changes in drawing of it's symbol as well as in footprint, how can i do that, when i am right clicking in library tab over that particular component then i see the edit option as grey, i.e. disabled.Please tell me the steps to edit it.Also find attatched the screenshoythanks