Print footprint catalog - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Aeternam
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 25, 2016, 06:10:13 pm
content: Hey guys,Is there an easy way to print a catalog with all the default footprints in the Kicad libraries?I'm asking because I'm having difficulties finding the correct footprints for my components. The idea is to compare the physical component to its printed footprint (scaled 1:1 of course), thereby confirming that it'll fit on the board.

author: Watth
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2016, 02:19:06 pm
content: That's an interesting idea.Having (most of) the footprints printed to scale can be a quick way to confirm its matchingness to components for which one might miss the datasheet, or more generaly for educative purpose.Apart from doing it manually, I don't see KiCAD having such a feature, as it is sometime hard to have some more basic and common functionalities working.So, if anyone feels like making a PDF or something...

author: technotronix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2016, 01:44:41 pm
content: Yes, this is good idea. this link may help you.https://github.com/KiCad/kicad-library

author: alexanderbrevig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2016, 01:58:47 pm
content: Another idea that will benefit you in the long run is to make all the footprints yourself. Yes. I mean all.Though, I've got to say... A printed book sounds nice!I've made this before:https://github.com/AlexanderBrevig/InventorsPadwhich programmatically made a PDF forLuluand it should be easy enough to parse the library and make graphics from them.EDIT: it would be the various.pretty/*.kicad_modfiles you'd want though. For instance this:https://github.com/KiCad/Pin_Headers.pretty/blob/master/Pin_Header_Angled_1x03.kicad_mod

author: richardlawson1489
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2016, 06:54:59 am
content: Thanks, sounds good. I like the idea of alexanderbrevig.

author: Deridex
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2017, 12:31:59 pm
content: In the long term it's probaly the best to create your own librarys. Including Footprints and Symbols.For hobby use i tend to use the librarys i found here:http://smisioto.no-ip.org/elettronica/kicad/kicad-en.htm

author: awallin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2017, 02:43:24 pm
content: Quote from: Aeternam on September 25, 2016, 06:10:13 pmThis script seems to parse footprints:https://github.com/KiCad/kicad-library-utils/blob/master/pcb/kicad_mod.pyNext you'd need a graphics library that produces the output you want.Perhaps cairo?http://www.tortall.net/mu/wiki/CairoTutorialif you'd want to make it pretty there needs to be some smart nesting/ordering of footprints as well as pagination..there are enough footprints in the standard libraries to make it not so much fun to do that by hand..https://github.com/KiCad/kicad-library/wiki/Footprint-Libraries

author: alexanderbrevig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2017, 06:32:01 pm
content: I would make use of a small lisp implementation and implement the calls for graphics. The real question; would anyone buy it?