kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 6/29/2016 3:18 PM, jp charras wrote:
> Le 29/06/2016 à 11:28, Fabrizio Tappero a écrit :
>> Hello JP,
>> I noticed that in any of the documentation we talk about KiCad github Libs, how to install them and
>> how to update them. Maybe I should write a short paragraph in the KiCad main manual?
>>
>> Regards
>> Fabrizio
>>
> 
> Hello Fabrizio,
> In fact the updated doc is in Cvpcb (see cvpcb_footprint_libraries_tables.adoc) and a older doc is
> in Pcbnew.
> 
> But I agree, a short (and perhaps a not so short) paragraph in the KiCad main manual will be good.
> Many times I have the impression users think the kicad libraries can be only stored on Github, and
> all libraries on Github need to be loaded.
> 
> So a bit of explanation in the KiCad main manual is welcome.
> Good luck.
> Thanks.

There is a complete section on managing footprint libraries in both
CvPcb and Pcbnew.  This is one of the most complete pieces of
documentation in KiCad and cover most if not all use cases.  I know,
because I wrote the original version.  They were originally were both
identical (literally cut and past) since there is no difference between
managing footprint libraries in CvPcb versus Pcbnew.  Over the years
they have been tweaked (not by me) so there most likely not the same
even though they should be.  My preference would be to factor out these
sections from CvPcb and Pcbnew and create a common footprint library
management document that could be used in CvPcb, Pcbnew, and the main
manual either as a link or directly imported in it's entirety.  Write
once, use many places is applicable to documentation as well as code.
I'm sure asciidoc can handle such a document architecture.  I'll leave
it to our resident asciidoc experts to help you out with that one.

Cheers,

Wayne