FEDEVEL
Platform forum

Pixel , 03-30-2020, 01:02 PM

I built a database on SQL like in the video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2BxPHTeHC4&t=1271s )
Question: What to do if the database is used by more than one person. Adding a footprint and a symbol is confusing, because when you add an element the second person doesn't have it and the database only provides a connection between the symbol on the footprint and the full data on the given component in the database. I was thinking about GIT, but I think this tool won't work in this case. Is there any solution to the problem of using the same database by several users?

Beko , 03-31-2020, 12:41 AM

This is something that I tried as well but Altium looks for symbols and footprints only on the local folders or network. You would think you should be able to address an s3 storage, ftp, http (or git for that matter) address for location of symbols/footprints but I could not make it work. This is a big feature missing, especially now that we are all working from home and not being able to share our DB library entirely with colleagues is a pity. Maybe Robert can notify Altium that this is an important feature request.

Beko

robertferanec , 03-31-2020, 07:51 AM

I noticed the same thing - you can only use a local path. What I did, I created git repository and everyone who would like to use the DB Library, has to clone the repository (and keep it up to date). I have not found a better way to do it. Any ideas for something better?

Pixel , 03-31-2020, 10:48 AM

OK thank you. I also searched the internet and my private "Altium Designer guide" and there is only a solution with SQL database and spreadsheet database (.xlsx).

Beko , 09-23-2020, 04:36 PM

Hi,

I noticed that sharing the symbols and footprints from a cloud server may be possible with an SVN Database Library instead of Database Library. I tried playing this by creating a github space and uploading symbols and footprint and then refering to their path in the SVN Library Options. It seems to be working for now but I just started playing with it and do not know if I need to be careful about anything. I also only could do this with github, my trials to upload symbols to another cloud server (ie Amazon) failed. Not sure why. Please let me know your experience.

Robert - It would be a great if you made a follow-up video to your database video on keeping symbols/footprints in the cloud as well.

Thanks.

Beko

qdrives , 09-25-2020, 12:51 PM

Why would Altium make an GIT option when they want to sell their Concord Pro.
But another question: how often do you need to add a new component or footprint?

robertferanec , 09-26-2020, 02:21 AM

- I believe, that is also reason why database library support in altium is so rubbish ... they would like to sell subscriptions for their cloud services, I would be very surprised if they would be spending time fixing or improving anything what could be used instead of their cloud. Altium would be a great company, but they are super money oriented - my opinion.

- I am not sure if this is what you mean, but, that is what I am currently testing: https://youtu.be/7p-VeVCl3QI

Beko , 09-26-2020, 05:09 AM

- I am not sure if this is what you mean, but, that is what I am currently testing: https://youtu.be/7p-VeVCl3QI
[/QUOTE]

This is the video I was referring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2BxPHTeHC4&t=1354s
This video was awesome but it does not address what to do if we also want to keep our symbols and footprints somewhere in a shared space in the cloud (without using Altium 365 or Concord Pro). I am figuring out now that it is possible with SVN DB Libraries.

qdrives , 09-26-2020, 10:02 AM

When I started with Altium, they advised to use the database library. I looked at it, but did not like it. Everything is done with standard schematic and pcb libraries.
Now I work for another company where they use a database library. No, I still do not like it.

For schematic libraries I have:
Pas - resistors
Pas - capacitors
Act - discrete
Act - MCU
Act - Power
Mec - mounting
etc.
PCB libraries:
SMD - actives
SMD - Passives
etc.

With the big database library it is much harder to know if a component already exists.


By the way @robertferanec , does Concord allow you to create a structure for symbols and footprints too?

robertferanec , 09-28-2020, 06:42 AM

- ah, I started building DB library + github, but then I had to start working on a project with number of engineers working from different places and all involved in one project. And it was much easier and faster to start using AD356, than trying to explain everyone how to use DB + github. So I have not finished my DB library and github ... yet.

- it should be possible (I have not tried it)

You can create folders


and inside folders you can create items (so I guess you can create symbols and footprints in different folders)