Default KISYS3DMOD path broken after extras installation

[Jörg Hermann]

KiCad 4.0.6 release, applies to nightly as well
Mac OS 10.9.5

After fresh KiCad install path configuration KISYS3DMOD points to /Library/Application Support/kicad/modules/packages3d

Directory /Library/Application Support/kicad contains various subdirs, notabely modules and packages3d. modules contains a README and a symlink for packages3d pointing one directory upwards to the physical location of the 3d packages - everything fine, all works.

Now user installs KiCad extras, with a modules directory full of footprints but WITHOUT a packages3d symlink. By shoving the modules directory from dmg to Applications Support/kicad/modules, the original modules directory is overwritten. Although a warning pops up, the user accepts it, because he WANTS to overwrite modules.
Now KISYS3DMOD points to a non existing symlink.

A novice user will then wonder, why he can't generate 3D views.

Suggested Fix: Have KISYS3DMOD point to /Library/Application Support/kicad/packages3d right from the start, drop symlink in modules and all is fine.

I don't know how this is implemented in other OS, I imagine similar problems there.

[Adam Wolf (adamwolf)]

I think I proposed this, years ago, but I will dig up the email archives and figure out what happened.

Thanks for the report.

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

If the extras distribution contains more modules, what's to say that module set doesn't refer to more packages than the old one did? Seems like the extras distro needs to ship with its own 3dpackages, no?

[Adam Wolf (adamwolf)]

I think this is true. Right now, I'm focussing on a "joined"
installer for the 5 release, so let's revist this after that!

On Thu, Mar 8, 2018 at 8:12 AM, Jeff Young <email address hidden> wrote:
> If the extras distribution contains more modules, what's to say that
> module set doesn't refer to more packages than the old one did? Seems
> like the extras distro needs to ship with its own 3dpackages, no?
>
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> Default KISYS3DMOD path broken after extras installation
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[Seth Hillbrand (sethh)]

Seems fixed in current builds