Footprint Manager

Created: October 12, 2017 | Updated: May 3, 2021

Now reading version 20.0. For the latest, read: Footprint Manager for version 22

Contents

Summary
Access
Options/Controls

The Footprint Manager dialog

Summary

The Footprint Manager dialog provides controls to preview, validate, add, remove, or edit footprint associations across the entire project.

Access

The Footprint Manager dialog is accessed from the schematic editor by clicking Tools » Footprint Manager from the main menus.

Options/Controls

Component List

This is a list of all components from the schematic sheets of the currently focused PCB design project. Information includes:

Designator
Comment
Current Footprint
Design Item ID
Part Count
Sheet Name

Click a component in this list to review its footprints in the list on the right. You can add, remove or edit footprints for the selected component.

To group the list, drag a column header to the area above the list where specified. The information will be grouped into a concise listing for easier readability. Click +/- to expand/contract grouped items.
Select All is available from the right-click menu to quickly select all components in the list.

View and Edit Footprints

This is a list of footprints associated with the selected component on the Component List. Use the controls at the bottom of the region or the right-click menu commands to manipulate the footprints in the list.

Click on a footprint to see a graphical view of that footprint in the region below.
Note that the Add, Remove and Edit commands/buttons are not available when a managed component is selected. Learn more about Managing Managed Components.

Add - click to open the PCB Model dialog to choose a new footprint model to add for the highlighted schematic component. Not available when a managed component is selected.
Remove - click to remove the selected footprint. Not available when a managed component is selected.
Edit Footprint - click to open the PCB Model dialog. The PCB Model dialog defines which footprint model is linked to the schematic component, and in which libraries the schematic editor can look for the footprint. Not available when a managed component is selected.
Validate Footprint Paths - click to confirm that the highlighted footprint can be found in the allowed location. If the footprint cannot be found, Not Validated appears in the Found In field. If the footprint is validated, a full path to this footprint is displayed.
Change PCB Library - click to open the Edit PCB Library dialog to change the PCB library of the selected footprint. This dialog a simpler version of the PCB Model dialog, giving access to the PCB Library options.
Copy - click to copy the details of the currently selected footprint.
Paste - click to paste (add) the copied footprint details to the currently selected schematic component.
Select All - click to select all footprints currently visible in the View and Edit Footprints list.
Set As Current - click to set the selected footprint as the current footprint (denoted by a in the Current column).
Add to All Parts - click to add the selected footprint to all other Parts in the same schematic component (command only available if the selected component is a multi-part component, and one or more of the Parts in the component do not have this footprint specified).

Additional Controls

Menu - click to view a menu with the same controls as the right-click menu above.
Add, Remove, Edit, Validate - these buttons perform the same functions as the menu entries described above.
Accept Changes (Create ECO) - click to accept the changes to schematic components and their linked footprint models and execute the Engineering Change Order dialog. With the ECO dialog, you can validate and execute the changes after reviewing the modifications made to the footprint values for the corresponding schematic components.