Editing Component Libraries

Select Tools > Edit Libraries > Components. The Edit Libraries dialog box opens on the Components tab.
Click to browse for and select a library file. The selected library file appears in the Libraries field, and its associated components appear in the grid below. Use these buttons to manage selected library objects:
Note:
Select the Show Project definitions check box to include current project elements in the Edit Libraries dialog box.

Edit Component – Edit properties or attributes for a selected component in the Component Editor. The resulting component may have the same name as the original, but it is saved to the current project, rather than back to the library. In effect, you have “checked out” the part to the project in order to edit it. If you want to write it back to the library, overwriting the original part, click Export to Library.
Add Component – Create a new object within the selected library.
Clone Component(s) – Create a copy of selected objects with a different name within the selected library.
Remove Component(s) – Remove selected objects from the library.

Export to Library – Export a selected object to a different library. Use also to export edited objects from the project to the library if necessary.

Note

When you modify a library component, the modified definition transfers to the components available to the current project. In effect, you have “checked out” the component to modify it, and it is now in the project. The original library definition is intact. To update the library definition, you must export the modified component from the project to the library.

Hint

Hierarchical components, because of their design and the possibility of subdesigns, cannot be exported to a library. Instead, hierarchical components and their referenced objects such as models and symbols can be exported to libraries of their respective types. See Exporting Hierarchical Components for details.

When finished, click OK to close the Edit Libraries dialog box.