Show footprints and Source library of footprints more directly in Schematic.

[[email protected]]

I am struggling with libraries and adding the right footprint to schematic symbols in libraries.
I believe it requires too much mouse clicks to find out which footprint from which library is connected to a schematic symbol.
In schematic: Rightclick symbol/Properties/scroll down/Leftclick the pencil to get -yet another- "PCB MODEL" popup. That is a lot of clicks for one footprint.
The Footprint name does not appear at the bottom of the screen as it would in in PCB-Layout (Though not on a fixed position). In neither of them the Library name appears at the bottom.

Could the footprint name and source library be shown in the "properties" panel just above the 3D image of the footprint ?

Even more would I appreciate if the "SCH LIBRARY" panel and "MODEL MANAGER" also provided columns for footprint and footprint source library.

[qdrives]

I am trying to figure out what it is you are doing.

In a schematic:


Schematic library:



I never assign a location or footprint library. Only the footprint name.


So where is the footprint located?
For passive SMD components: SMD - passives.PcbLib
For active SMD components: SMD - actives.pcblib
Through hole components: TH - parts.pcblib
General board item: Gen - board.pcblib (like fiducials, mounting holes, layer markings)

[[email protected]]

Dear Robert,

Though the libraries that come with Altium are quite impressive making our own library is hard to avoid.
So that's what I am doing. Just like my collegues already did.
I try to snatch some parts of he schematic libraries of my collegues including the corresponding footprints & 3D models, and copy them into mine.
In the "SCH LIBRARY" panel I can do that with copy paste. Then I ended up with several symbols named "0805", each referring to their own footprint in different footprint libraries.
In order to also put reduce the mess I then tried to copy the footprints into my footprint library too, and adapt the reference in my symbol library.

For this it helps to have an overview of the symbols that are in my library including the footprints and the library where they are stored.
The "SCH LIBRARY" panel does not do that.

Best regards, Paul

[qdrives]

Here is a script that lists all footprints and all symbols from libraries that you have 'installed'.
It also list the count of primitives on the PCB layers if you need to re-organise them.

[robertferanec]

When I finish schematic, I list all the symbols and then one by one I check them - including their footprints. If they are wrong I will correct them.

So, you don't have to build library just to build a library. You just need to have a way to mark in your library the symbols and footprints which are correct. For this I use custom parameters e.g. .SCHChecked or .PCBChecked. If I use a symbol in my schematic and it doesn't have these parameters set, I know I need to check them. If they are set I know I have already checked them and it is safe to use them.

Our libraries are full of symbols and footprints which are not checked or completely finished, but I don't care until they are not used in the final schematic.