Kicad Templates

This wiki document is an example of how to create Kicad Templates. 
The steps are the same for Kicad Versions 5 and 6. 
Any template created in Kicad 5 will not work in Kicad 6 without converting the files.
You don’t need to follow the files system structure I used in this this example.
I have selected this file system method for personal ease of use on my Raspberry Pi 4
This document was written to support Kicad 5.X but can be used with Kicad 6.X
The same process works for other Linux and Windows versions.
As of the time of writing this document (January 2022) there was not a Kicad Version 6 for the Raspberry Pi. 

Set or Change the Path for User Templates in Kicad Example 1: Using the defaults.

 Open Kicad
 Select: Preferences Tab 
 Select Configure Paths
       : |       Name                 |	             Path       |
 Select: | KICAD_USER_TEMPLATE_DIR    |	/home/pi/kicad/template |
 Create the needed folders for Version 5:
 mkdir /home/pi/kicad/template.

Windows Note: Kicad 6.0 has already created the folders needed for templates  
 C:\Users\username\Documents\KiCad\6.0\template\ 
 No need to change the path for Windows Versions.

Set or Change the Path for User Templates in Kicad Example 2: Creating your own user path.

In your home directory create a directory named Kicad-projects.
mkdir /home/pi/Kicad-projects
Then CD to your new directory.
cd Kicad-projects
In the Kicad-projects directory make another directory named kicad-templates.
mkdir kicad-templates 
 or
mkdir /home/pi/Kicad-projects/kicad-templates
Open Kicad
 Select: Preferences Tab 
 Select Configure Paths
       : |       Name                 |	             Path       |
 Select: | KICAD_USER_TEMPLATE_DIR    |	/home/pi/kicad/template |
 Under Path column change to: /home/pi/Kicad-projects/Kicad-templates

Start Project

 Open: KiCad
 Select: File,  Click on: New, Click on: Project
 Select: Kicad-Projects folder
 Select: Kicad-templates folder
 Enter project name: 50mmX50mm-Template
 Click on: Save
 Select: Schematic Layout Editor
 New users note:
 Configure Global Symbol Library Table will appear.
 Select: Copy default global symbol library table (recommended) Click: OK 

Setup the page layout

 Select: File tab: Page Setting or Click on Edit Page settings Icon.
 Change Paper size to A 8.5X11
 Update Title Block fields

Configure the Grid size

 Select: View: Grid Settings
 Note: Kicad Version 6 has changed this to Grid Properties.   
 Set to appropriate size

Start editing in the schematic

 Select : Place Symbol Icon on right side tool bar. Click in schematic work sheet area.
 A window called Choose Symbol will open.

 In search filter enter mount.
 Select: MountingHole_Pad  Mounting Hole with connection.
 Place Mounting Hole on schematic work sheet area.
 Click on Select item icon on right side tool bar. (Looks like mouse cursor)
 Hover over mounting hole pad and hit the “C” to Copy. Note: ver6.0 use: “Control C”
 Repeat two more times. You should now have 4 Mounting Holes.
 Select: Place graphic lines or polygons icon on right side tool bar.
 Draw square around the 4 mounting holes.
 Select: Annotate schematic symbol Icon on top tool bar.
 Click: on Annotate tab then close
 Click: Save Icon on top tool bar to save drawing.

 Select: Assign footprint to schematic symbols icon on top tool bar.

 New users note:
 Configure Global Footprint Library Table
 Select: Copy default global footprint library table (recommended)

 Select  MountingHole
 Select in drop down menu: MountingHole_3.2mm_M3_Pad_Via
 Click:  Apply, Save Schematic & Continue. Click: OK
 Select: Generate netlist icon on top tool bar.
 Select: Generate netlist in Netlist window.
 Note for Kicad Version 6: The Netlist is created automatically so this part can be skipped. 
 Click Save in file window.

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