Discussion:
[kicad-users] Saving project loses schematic symbols [2 Attachments]
Brendan Simon Brendan@BrendanSimon.com [kicad-users]
2017-10-04 12:44:27 UTC
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I have a Protel 99 project, which was converted to an Altium project by
a friend, and then ran it through the `altium2kicad` conversion tool
(https://github.com/thesourcerer8/altium2kicad).

I then open the newly generated schematic with eeschema (v4.0.7 on macOS
Sierra 10.12.6).

The project imports almost perfectly.  Kicad complains about one symbol
and asks if I want to substitute it with another (I think).  One
resistor symbol displays incorrectly (a fat square with "??" inside --
see attached `*Altium_1*` pdf)

After saving the file/project (even if I make no changes to it, and
regardless of whether I substitute components or not), and then reload
the project, the schematic has lots more symbols that are unknown and
represented with fat squares with "??" inside (see attached
`*Altium_**5*` pdf)

*What could cause Kicad/eeschema to represent most of the symbols
correctly on first import/load, but after saving the files they los**e
information ??*

*Is it something to do with the local sy**mbol cache?

Is it likely to be something wrong with the conversion from altium? (but
why does it import ok before saving?)
*
*Is this likely to be a bug that I should report, or is there likely to
be some**thing I'm doing wrong?*

Thanks, Brendan.
bobcousins42@googlemail.com [kicad-users]
2017-10-04 20:09:23 UTC
Permalink
It's a bug in the converter, I have seen this before. Maybe it worked with older versions of KiCad. The converter creates -cache.lib, but it shouldn't do that. KiCad rewrites the cache.lib when saving the schematic based on what is in the current schematic, so if anything failed to load it will be lost. KiCad always uses the libraries on the library list to load from.

I suggest renaming -cache.lib to "project.lib" after conversion and before opening in KiCad. Only then open in KiCad and add "project.lib" that to the library list.
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