topic Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor in EAGLE Forum

Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

scott — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 00:44:28 GMT

It would be helpful to have a Replace option for the Symbol in a Device, similar to the Replace option for the Package. I have a lot of duplicate symbols, an artifact of dragging Devices from a library in Control Panel into an Open library. When multiple Devices reference the same Symbol, dragging and dropping them into a new library creates duplicate Symbols, and I want to clean this up. An example: I now have symbols called RES, RES-1, RES-2, RES-3, etc., which are all the same.

Thanks,
Scott

Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

jorge_garcia — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 17:25:49 GMT

Hi @scott,

I hope you're doing well. In this scenario I think your are better off cleaning up the libraries. Long term the reduntant symbols will create confusion. The EAGLE library Table of contents view does a good job of telling you what devices use what symbol so you can remove consolidate the devices to just use one resistor symbol.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

scott — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 17:42:38 GMT

Hi Jorge,

Indeed, I want to clean this up, and my requested feature would make it much easier. Currently, here are the steps I have to take:

- In the Table of Contents, click on one of the duplicate Symbols to see which Device is associated with it.

- Open the Device, delete the Symbol and add the correct Symbol.

- For every Package in the Device, reconnect the pins.

- Go back to the Table of Contents and remove the duplicate Symbol.

- Rinse and repeat.

In some libraries I have literally dozens of these duplicate Symbols; in one library there are 75 of them! It would take me hours to clean them all up using the above workflow.

Regards,

Scott

Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

jorge_garcia — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 23:16:42 GMT

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the clarification, for some reason I thought you were requesting this for the board and schematic editors. I'll make an enhancement request for this. That's what I get for not paying attention to the thread title.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 03:21:17 GMT

Any update on if this feature is getting traction? I too would find it helpful.

Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

davidspady — Thu, 26 May 2022 22:43:05 GMT

I agree with the OP. It would also be nice to be able to import something like a capacitor into a library without it creating a new C-1, C-2, C-3 ... symbol that then has to be changed back to just C. I've tried to edit the library .lbr file directly, but somehow the changes don't stick after Library->Create new Version.

Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

mooreQAWLU — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 12:32:31 GMT

I agree. This has been a problem for years. As well as the library's buggy search feature. It's time for the library's UI to get a makeover.

Re: Feature request: Replace Symbol in Device Editor

mooreQAWLU — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 12:28:39 GMT

Any progress on this?

The library manager is extremely difficult to work with. I currently have multiple devices, each pointing to their own symbol, and their own footprint and each footprint points to its own 3d model. I only need one resistor/capacitor/inductor/etc symbol, one 0402/0603/0805/etc footprint and one 0402/0603/0805/etc 3d model.

Is there really no easy way to clean this up?