I know what you mean. Remember that libs are NOT footprints it's the modules that provide the footprints. A device can have ,many different footprints depending on the package. So it makes sense to separate the two functions. I will admit that the docs do tend to call both the parts and modules "libraries" in some places, which can cause a bit of confusion.
In the main documentation of PCBnew (from the help menu) section 11.11 describes a recommended practise for documenting modules by creating A4 circuit boards. That seems a very good idea, and something that I really must start doing :-) But simply dropping the modules onto such a board would be a big help in sorting through them. Andy On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:16:43 +0000 (GMT) Oster Chrisi <[email protected]> wrote: > Yeah thanks for that. I knew this options but to me it's also important to > have a look at footrpints which where not included in the first place, i:e. > downloaded .libs from which I don't know the footprints and also can't have a > look at in the pdf-file. > > Would be so nice to have everything together in ONE single browser... But > maybe this isn't just the way KiCad is working... > > > > > ________________________________ > Von: Andy Eskelson <[email protected]> > An: [email protected] > Gesendet: Dienstag, den 28. Juli 2009, 14:58:40 Uhr > Betreff: Re: [kicad-users] SEARCH and look at PARTS and FOOTPRINTS and > everything at the same time > > > Not sure if you can do exactly what you describe, but in cvtPCB there are > a couple of options that might help you. > > The most obvious is the view selected footprint. 4th Icon along from the > left. > > The other thing available which i find very helpful is the display > footprint list documentations. 10th icon from the left. This shows a pdf > file of all the footprints included. I have a printout of this to hand > when selecting the device footprints. > > Andy > > On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:20:08 -0000 > "osterchrisi" <osterchrisi@ yahoo.de> wrote: > > > Hey there, > > > > I'm quite new to KiCad (although I already managed to fabricate a working > > PCB ;) and I have a question: > > I was also using Eagle for a very short time and in that program it is > > possible to search the library and while doing that it is possible to look > > at the part and the footprint at the same time. > > > > Like for example you search for "electrolytic capacitor" and then you get a > > list and in this list there is for example 3 times a 4700uF cap but with > > different measurements which can be very helpful if you have a specific > > part in mind already in the schematic. > > > > Is it possible to do that also in KiCad? I see that the footprints are not > > pre-linked to parts in KiCad but it is very annoying finding out what name > > your desired footprint could have to fit your PCB. > > > > Or is it at least possible to search like inside the library browser WHILE > > looking at the parts in some way? > > > > Thanks for any help and suggestions! ! > > > > > > > > ------------ --------- --------- ------ > > > > Please read the Kicad FAQ in the group files section before posting your > > question. > > Please post your bug reports here. They will be picked up by the creator of > > Kicad. > > Please visit http://www.kicadlib .org for details of how to contribute your > > symbols/modules to the kicad library. > > For building Kicad from source and other development questions visit the > > kicad-devel group at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/kicad- develYahoo! > > Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > >
