Can't find MY Library Folder

Am 14.07.2020 um 06:55 schrieb Patricia Hann:

Hello   I  m totally new to Eagle but I have used Autodesk's TinkerCad   so I have use some CAD (however basic) before.

 

I am totally frustrated with even the most basics ops of Eagle.

I tried to draw a new schematic, so I selected <NEW> and <schematic>.

I went to ADD (a part) and I cannot find MY library.

The only library that opens is the Eagle one (managed).

How do I find MY library folder after hitting ADD?

I know it's there because I can see it in the control panel. Thanks

 

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Hi Patricia,

basically in a first statement you should mention your operating system

and the eagle version so others know "what you are talking about"

  In windows basically in control-panel/options you should place the

paths to your libraries separated by semicolons.

I'm using a non AD-Version of eagle, so I don't know if MY lib exist

from beginning or it must be created by you, In any case check the

control panel options.

btw. hit F1 key for help

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Mit freundlichen Grüßen / With best regards

Joern Paschedag

Im using Windows 10

Eagle 9.6.2

As for the rest of what you said to do....really I have no idea what you telling me to do.

Shouldn't I be able to click on "libraries" tab at the top of the schematic page and just open the folder I need?

Patricia,

The libraries available are listed in the control panel.  As you

mentioned, your library is listed there.  From that presence, your

library path is correct and does not need to be changed for this purpose.

Every design uses a specific enumerated set of libraries.  There's no

reason for Eagle to load /all/ of the libraries when only a few will be

used.  The USE command will open a dialog box and allows you to pick

which libraries will be included in the current project.  I suspect that

your custom library is not in that list.  To get to this, you can type

"USE" into the command text box, or you can click on Library->Use.

To reverse this process (i.e. to un-use a library), use the ADD

command.  This is the same command used to add components to a

schematic.  The dialog box provides the opportunity to select a library

and "Un-Use" it, thus removing it from the list of libraries used by the

project.  To do this, you can type "ADD" into the command text box, or

you can click on Edit->Add.

It is pertinent to note that removing a library from the list does NOT

remove the devices already one the schematic that were sourced from that

library.  Un-using the library merely takes it off the list of libraries

from which components can be /added/ to a schematic.

Caveat emptor: This advice applies to Eagle v7.7.

Best regards,

    - Chuck

On 7/14/20 01:43, Patricia Hann wrote:

Im using Windows 10

Eagle 9.6.2

 

As for the rest of what you said to do....really I have no idea what you telling me to do.

Shouldn't I be able to click on "libraries" tab at the top of the schematic page and just open the folder I need?

 

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To view any images and attachments in this post, visit:

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Patricia,

The libraries available are listed in the control panel.  As you

mentioned, your library is listed there.  From that presence, your

library path is correct and does not need to be changed for this purpose.

Every design uses a specific enumerated set of libraries.  There's no

reason for Eagle to load /all/ of the libraries when only a few will be

used.  The USE command will open a dialog box and allows you to pick

which libraries will be included in the current project.  I suspect that

your custom library is not in that list.  To get to this, you can type

"USE" into the command text box, or you can click on Library->Use.

To reverse this process (i.e. to un-use a library), use the ADD

command.  This is the same command used to add components to a

schematic.  The dialog box provides the opportunity to select a library

and "Un-Use" it, thus removing it from the list of libraries used by the

project.  To do this, you can type "ADD" into the command text box, or

you can click on Edit->Add.

It is pertinent to note that removing a library from the list does NOT

remove the devices already one the schematic that were sourced from that

library.  Un-using the library merely takes it off the list of libraries

from which components can be /added/ to a schematic.

Caveat emptor: This advice applies to Eagle v7.7.

Best regards,

    - Chuck

On 7/14/20 01:43, Patricia Hann wrote:

Im using Windows 10

Eagle 9.6.2

 

As for the rest of what you said to do....really I have no idea what you telling me to do.

Shouldn't I be able to click on "libraries" tab at the top of the schematic page and just open the folder I need?

 

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To view any images and attachments in this post, visit:

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On 14/07/2020 13:36, Chuck Huber wrote:

 

Caveat emptor: This advice applies to Eagle v7.7.

... back when things were simple.

The recent AutoDesk versions have a "library manager" which makes all of

this choosing of libraries more "modern". To my mind, that translates as

"harder and less intuitive" but then I'm a dinosaur who's gone back to

V7.7 because I prefer it.

Thank you Chuck.....I had kind of figured it out before you answered, but, as you say, things are never simple.

And you clarified the order of how to access a library in a way that is helpful for me to remember it.

I did not know that if I removed a device from the library it does not affect the device if it is already "in use"   schematic or layout.  Good to know.

I know I will have other questions as I [attempt to!] learn Eagle,... this is probably only the first of many questions. but I am determined to learn it.

THanks again      

Patricia,

Other things to note.

A copy of every symbol, package, and device used in a project is kept in

both the schematic and board files.  Also maintained in the schematic

and board files is the source library of each device.  The purpose of

this is reproducibility.  Years from now, you should be able to open the

project and have everything exactly as you had left it, regardless of

how extensive the changes to any of the libraries from which parts were

sourced.  You can witness this by opening the .sch file with a plain

text editor like vi, emacs, or (God forgive) ed.  I'm sure Windoze has

an equivalent (Notepad?), but I don't trust MS to not embed special

characters within what otherwise should be plain text.  Maybe they

haven't lost all sanity.  Maybe they have.

Reproducibility is nice.  And it's necessary.  However, it is also

necessary from time to time to update existing elements of a design to

those contained within a library.  This is where the Library Update

comes in.  A bit backwards in the nomenclature, this does /not/ refer to

updating a library.  Instead it refers to updating a design /from/ a

library.  In this process, Eagle will scan through all the devices in

your design, searching for devices that are sourced from the library

from which you're updating.  The symbols and packages in your design are

updated from their counterparts in the library.

For example: suppose Eagle's rcl.lbr contains a resistor, and your

personal library does to.  When your design is updated from your

personal library, only resistors that were sourced from your personal

library will be affected.  The resistors in your design that were

sourced from Eagle's rcl.lbr will not be affected.

Also bear in mind that Eagle will occasionally update the libraries in

their distribution.  It is a good practice to copy devices that you use

from the distribution libraries into your own personal library.  In this

manner, /you/ control what gets changed in your design.  Thus, arbitrary

changes in Eagle's libraries do not generate problems years down the road.

The Library Update function can be accessed by clicking on

Library->Update and choosing the library from which you wish to update. 

It can also be access by typing UPDATE into Eagle's command text box,

optionally followed by the name of the library to update.

HTH,

    - Chuck

On 7/16/20 06:30, Patricia Hann wrote:

Thank you Chuck.....I had kind of figured it out before you answered, but, as you say, things are never simple.

And you clarified the order of how to access a library in a way that is helpful for me to remember it.

I did not know that if I removed a device from the library it does not affect the device if it is already "in use"   schematic or layout.  Good to know.

  I know I will have other questions as I learn Eagle,... this is probably only the first of many questions. but I am determined to learn it.

THanks again

 

On 17/07/2020 2:07 am, Chuck Huber wrote:

 

For example: suppose Eagle's rcl.lbr contains a resistor, and your

personal library does to.  When your design is updated from your

personal library, only resistors that were sourced from your personal

library will be affected.  The resistors in your design that were

sourced from Eagle's rcl.lbr will not be affected.

HI Chuck, this is not the full story if you don't specify the library

and use "Update all"

In this case a design will be updated from the first library Eagle finds

with the correct library name with a matching device within it.

So, when you set up Control Panel > Directories > Libraries, the order

of the library paths is the order Eagle uses and as soon as it gets a

Library/Device match it updates the design using that device because the

library/Device names match.

In Control Panel > Directories > Libraries, your personal libraries

paths should probably be listed first and concentrating on not naming

libraries the same as Eagle does is a good idea.

HTH

Warren

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Thank you (again) Chuck and also Warren.

I am slowly figuring this out.

Also, I am taking what both of you have said (Cut-and-paste) and putting it my own  Eagle "Help File", separate from any Autodesk/Eagle website.

(I don't trust any website not to change//archive/purge older posts, pics etc...."Once burned, twice shy.") 

Warren,

Excellent point, and right you are!  I very rarely use "Update All". 

Bringing it up escaped me at the time.

Enjoy,

    - Chuck

On 7/17/20 21:31, Warren Brayshaw wrote:

On 17/07/2020 2:07 am, Chuck Huber wrote:

 

For example: suppose Eagle's rcl.lbr contains a resistor, and your

personal library does to.  When your design is updated from your

personal library, only resistors that were sourced from your personal

library will be affected.  The resistors in your design that were

sourced from Eagle's rcl.lbr will not be affected.

 

HI Chuck, this is not the full story if you don't specify the library

and use "Update all"

 

In this case a design will be updated from the first library Eagle

finds with the correct library name with a matching device within it.

 

So, when you set up Control Panel > Directories > Libraries, the order

of the library paths is the order Eagle uses and as soon as it gets a

Library/Device match it updates the design using that device because

the library/Device names match.

 

In Control Panel > Directories > Libraries, your personal libraries

paths should probably be listed first and concentrating on not naming

libraries the same as Eagle does is a good idea.

 

HTH

Warren