The finished KiCad project and directory

Before I start this project, I want to take a few minutes to show you the completed KiCad project. First, let’s look at the project contents as they appear in the main KiCad project window (Figure 3.3.1).

The main project file has the extension “.kicad_pro”, and you can see it at the top of the hierarchy tree in the project files pane of Figure 3.3.1. Within the project structure, the two most important files are the schematic (“.kicad_sch”) and layout (“.kicad_pcb”).

The project hierarchy may contain secondary files and directories, such as the Gerber and backups directory. I will show you how to set up the automated backup feature in the next chapter.

In Figure 3.3.2 (below), you can see how a typical KiCad project looks on the file system.

KiCad projects on the file system have a flat hierarchy. You can see the “.kicad_pro” file at the same level as the “.kicad_sch” and “.kicad_pcb” files. In Figure 3.3.2, you can also see several other files:

• fp-lib-table : the global footprint library table; it contains a list of the libraries always available to a project, regardless of which project is loaded.
• fp-info-cache: a file that speeds up access to the footprint repository information.
• _autosave-…kicad_sch: this file helps restore the last saved state of the schematic file in case KiCad crashes.

The files in the table above are examples of files that KiCad generates and manages. Under normal circumstances, you will not need to do anything with these files and can even choose not to include them in an archive of your projects.

If you compare the contents of Figures 3.3.1 and 3.3.2 you will notice that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the main KiCad files. The KiCad project window does not show any of the secondary files (including the ZIP archive of the Gerber directory).