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Document Version v2026.10.17.0
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First import and new project

Supported platforms

Apple builds: macOS 14+, iOS / iPadOS 17+. Screenshots in this page are from macOS. Narrow-shell screenshots show window layout, not an iPhone device.

Intended audience

People preparing to open a PCB, schematic, or manufacturing package.

Prerequisites

Keep the complete source files together. Project dependencies, child sheets, and models should be retained with the input.

Steps

  1. At the top of the library, choose the file icon (File…) or the folder icon (Folder…). The question-mark button opens Library Guide, which you can read first for input notes.
  2. Use File for a single file or a supported archive. Use Folder for a complete KiCad project directory that contains a valid .kicad_pro.
  3. Pick the source in the system picker. IPC-2581 then asks whether to import as design or manufacturing data.
  4. Wait for import and first-frame preparation. A project may run schematic and PCB as two steps; do not treat the loading page as a blank design before it finishes.
  5. Open the result and check the source, canvas, and revision. A complete project can switch PCB and schematic from Project → Source Documents.
Source Entry Notes
Allegro PCB (.brd; Android 1.2.4+) File Import as design data; Board Diff and original-format writeback are unavailable. Other formats sharing this extension are unsupported.
DSN, KiCad PCB, standalone KiCad schematic, Altium PCB / library, IPC-2581 XML / PCB Binary (.pcbbin) File A standalone schematic cannot reference child sheets that were not included
Supported archives of KiCad, ODB++, or Gerber / Drill File Whether it opens depends on the package structure, not the extension alone
Complete KiCad project directory Folder Must contain a valid .kicad_pro; do not select only the project file itself
Manufacturing data directory Add Manufacturing Revision, when available on an existing document The library Folder create entry is not a generic manufacturing-directory importer

File accepts standalone .kicad_sch and supported legacy KiCad .sch files. Legacy content is checked and its working copy upgraded; other EDA formats sharing .sch are not thereby supported. Multiple sheets still require complete dependencies. ZIP paths normalize repeated separators and can unwrap a single chain of nested directories. Path traversal, normalized-name collisions, and incomplete projects produce explicit errors.

Import notes in the library Library Guide

Start from a blank schematic

  1. Click New schematic project at the top of the library (the file icon with a plus).
  2. Fill in Name and Root sheet name, and choose Page size.
  3. Click Create. After the new document opens, the root schematic appears in Project.
  4. Enter schematic editing from Edit on the 2D toolbar; see Basic editing for usage and limits.

New schematic project: name, root sheet, and page size

Result

The source is in the library, and you can open the matching PCB or schematic workspace.

FAQ

Why did folder import fail?

Folder is for a valid KiCad project. If .kicad_pro is missing, dependencies are absent, or the contents cannot be read, fix the source or use the matching File entry.

Why did importing a same-named file not create a new card?

Same-name, same-format input is checked against the original bytes. Unchanged input is ignored; changed input can become a new revision of the same document. See Library and revisions.

Last verified

2026-09-11: hands-on check of Library Guide, new schematic, opening an existing KiCad project, and sheet switching; formats were not re-imported one by one.

2026-10-13: instructions and translations checked against current source; historical screenshots retain their capture dates. This documentation review is not new physical-device or store-purchase acceptance.