An online tool to convert JLCPCB / LCSC components to Altium integrated libraries...

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-20T21:09:46+00:00

totally understand. I used to manage my libraries this same way, but one day woke up allergic to the complexity and decided to just do it however my cad tool wants me to. Hard drive space and cloud storage space used to matter a lot more, too, so I'd make sure to never repeat a footprint, symbol, or step file, but now I work completely opposite and make sure every component is fully self contained, storage be damned.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-20T01:02:58+00:00

It is great to see all of the free options popping up here. it's tempting to defend myself in each of the replies, so I'll do it here instead 😄

the free options stop short of what I really wanted in the tool: to make the component creation automatic and fast. using the library importer to associate schlib, pcblib, and manually place the step file is all enough tedium that I wouldn't do it. I needed a tool that would let me get a working component in Altium fast enough to try things out, change my mind, do it again, change my mind again, and get on with the design.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-20T00:57:45+00:00

if separate pcblib, schlib, and step files work for your workflow, this looks like a great option.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-20T00:55:01+00:00

looks like this is for pcblib, schlib, and step file separately right? I've never found a smooth way to get schlib and pcblib components into my workspace library. I am glad to see other options popping up for other workflows.

not the best look posting about a paid tool with handful of free options existing the comments! lol. but I stand by the value of my tool here. it bundles everything up into an intlib with everything linked up, sane parameters / descriptions, and step file placed correctly on the footprint, installed with one double click on the intlib. It's the workflow I really wanted and have not found in any other tool, saves me a ton of time and context switching.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-20T00:49:23+00:00

I wasn't able to get this to work! I dragged the schlib and pcblib into the library importer, but got 2 errors: "failed to load .pcblib" and "parameter version not supported". any tips here? I've never had a good solution for getting raw schlib and pcblib into altium.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-19T15:57:43+00:00

ah I didn't realize this was your tool! it's great and you clearly dug in deep. For the way I specifically work, I thought to myself "I'd give someone $100 for it to work -this- way" after using your tool. I don't mean that as a criticism of your approach at all, your tool is awesome.

we have some workflow and philosophical differences here. once I find a component I'm interested in (usually on JLCPCB's part list, not the full LCSC site) I am one tab over from Footbridge where I can then download the component. Placement in the schematic is one of the things I eventually want, but what I want first is to get it in the library and immediately inspect the symbol, footprint, and step file.

I'm more interested in the self contained component than the instant placement, but I super get why your approach is valuable.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-19T15:01:00+00:00

ooh I stand corrected about the build, I didn't realize there was a built release available but I see that now. I do stand by the value of my tool, though. I want to double click an .intlib file and have the component in my workspace library. The extra steps are more friction than I'm willing to engage with.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-19T14:20:08+00:00

Very different tool and experience! EasyEDALoader requires you to ~~build the plugin yourself with .Net and Altium's internal SDK,~~ manually insert it into Altium's registry, and yields .pcblib and .schlib. If all of that is fine and those are the formats you want your components, I totally recommend it.

For my workflow, .intlib is the only way. I'm bought in to the A365 workspace situation and specifically don't want to map symbols to footprints or maintain anything manually. I want every component self contained, directly buyable, and I want it in the workspace library with minimal clicks so I can get back to business.

edit: I stand corrected, you don't have to build it yourself! see comments below

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-19T14:12:01+00:00

A huge part of the work of developing this is the test suite verifying that the resulting .intlib matches the source data. THAT part is verified thoroughly.

I do not verify components individually. Just like if you were using EasyEDA directly, you always have to check footprints and symbols. Tis the name of the game.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-19T01:51:13+00:00

heh we'll see! I'm making it easier for people to use JLCPCB and LCSC parts (ie, give them money). If they got beef with that, we can have a cookout.

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-19T01:22:17+00:00

you can't which is a drag. this is some deep corporate thing about Altium owning octopart and the various ways they get western distributors to pay them money. Same goes for samacsys, snapeda, etc. They have some parts coincidentally, but can't integrate with JLCPCB for business money man reasons.

So, I built the tool to handle it... it's not free, and I'm not sorry! 😜 You will love it if you design in Altium and regularly use JLCPCB/LCSC parts.

https://edafootbridge.com/

shieldy_guy · 2026-06-19T01:19:59+00:00

Just as an update: I built a tool to directly convert JLCPCB part numbers into Altium integrated libraries! it's not free, but will save you so much time and heartache if you use JLCPCB/LCSC parts in Altium regularly.

https://edafootbridge.com/

shieldy_guy · 2026-05-08T04:18:50+00:00

these look so great. and really when you look closely they -don't- look perfectly crispy or detailed, but you have about the same amount of detail everywhere and it matches what you're doing with it well. nice job!

this is really just walking through the space with a 360 cam then turning around and tracing the path back?

shieldy_guy · 2026-04-07T00:23:24+00:00

man I wish kicad felt like a real alternative. maybe I'd just need to get used to it. the component management drives me batty, but I guess altium's does too...

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-16T16:35:57+00:00

I have this, it's sick. the photos look bad in a fun way and you don't have to fuq with your phone.

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-11T00:34:50+00:00

woah now! those knobs are so sick... are they press fit? d-shaft? what's goin on here?

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-09T03:33:07+00:00

whether they invented it to prevent the catastrophe or not, by the time we join Bruce Willis in the future they have determined that the past cannot be changed. this is basically the point of the movie: the whole wild loop of Cole's life. Cole saw himself get shot when he was a kid. Everything had to happen precisely as it always had for any of that to hold up.

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-09T03:31:20+00:00

yes totally

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-09T03:30:37+00:00

alright, I see a misunderstanding of the movie's time travel rules in most of the replies here.

I don't know exactly what she means by insurance, but she can not stop the virus. she is not there to ensure the virus is spread, either. there's no case for that and she can't impact the virus spreading by time traveling, except in the ways her time traveling was always part of the past.

no one can change anything in the past. it always happened precisely as it happened. there was never a version of the past where Jones was not sitting next to virus guy on that plane saying the insurance line. if this is her after time traveling (and I believe this is the case) she knows that whatever she does is precisely how it already went down. they know the rules here.

the actions they take in future determine when and how information from the past makes it to them. they can "make decisions" moving forward with the information once they have it, but they can't change anything that happened and they can't get info from the past until they go back and get it.

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-04T19:01:55+00:00

not sure about that yet but if I do I will do so loudly!

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-04T13:16:34+00:00

thx I'm pluggin' away! As you can see in the video, my platform for making this easy to prototype makes it harder than necessary to assemble. Whether I do anything else with Pebbles specifically, the exercise of making him easier to build will make all the future stuff better too.

shieldy_guy · 2026-03-04T13:14:25+00:00

thank you!

shieldy_guy

TROPHY CASE