kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Lorenzo Marcantonio <l.marcantonio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 05 Sep 2015 17:27:54 +0200,
Jacob Schmidt wrote:

> Long on the list, devs have been asking for cmp files to go away, and
> cvpcb to become less prominent as a method for assigning footprints to
> components. I am totally fine with that.

In fact cmp files are no longer here. I party-ed really hard for that :D

*But* cvpcb is still meant to be the main component assigner, it's only
'better hidden' in eeschema. In fact there is no real reason to keep it
as a separate module, I think it's only for legacy/don't have time to
properly migrate the code in eeschema.

> Long on the list, devs have told users to make their own footprints
> because you can't trust the libraries to stay the same for your designs.
> I am totally fine with that.

That was me, mainly; however it's completely unrelated with cvpcb issues.

> EXCEPT the alternative methods are horrible.

Well you are not supposed to select each footprint from eeschema field
dialog; that's for minor modification (like for the d'oh, that resistor
needs to be bigger if I don't want a flaming ball of fire situations...)

The cvpcb panel is still the main association tool IIRC.

> is remarkably unintuitive; making a footprint is EASY, saving it is
> HARD.

Where is the unintuitive part? Select library, save footprint; end of
the story. Slightly more complex if you use the master board repository
approach (see manual for that).

> The "Select" button sends us to the "Library Browser" when assigning a
> footprint to a schematic symbol, and that feels like I just travelled
> back to the dark ages.

Can't really relate with that since 90% of the times I simply *type* the
footprint name, but maybe that's depend on how you have the library
organized. Agree that having to click thru for selecting a footprint is
not optimal but that's expected to be used for lesser modifications, as
I said before. *Could* get better, I agree on that. Would need
volontaries for that :P

Nifty trick: pre-set the footprint field in eeschema for the components
you use usually (some companies actually have a list of approved part
numbers, that would be easier...). When 90% of your resistors are in
0603 it pays to have a '0603 format resistor' component in eeschema :D I
actually have a '10µF/50V capacitor in 1210 package' component with
everything already set (as a bonus I don't need to check if the 10µ/50
is 1206 or 1210...).

BTW Zuken has this approach for *every* passive part number (so they can
boast millions of parts in the library:D:D). Zuken also sucks for other
reasons...

-- 
Lorenzo Marcantonio
Logos Srl