Post History

You didn't say what the specs for the various options are, so unless someone has Altium (which I don't) they can't really answer your question.

Personally, I always make my own footprints.  Vetting someone else's footprint to my own standards and preferences wouldn't save any time.

There are different footprints for the same part because there are different standards and criteria that can be applied for each design.  These issues include: <ul>

<li>Min trace/space width design rules.  If you are using rather wide spacing, then pads under tight parts may need to be made smaller sideways, possibly just to the width of the pin.

<li>Overall board density.  If you're designing a cell phone, then you want to cram everything as close as possible.  That might mean making each pad only big enough for the pin.

<li>Prototyping and debugging.  If a board has room and is for debugging, you might want to add an extra 20 mil or so outward from each pin.  That makes it easier to hold a scope probe to or temporarily solder a wire to.

<li>Surface tension balancing.  This is important for asymmetrical SMD parts.  For example, if you add extra area for heat dissipation to the tab of a TO-220 package, you have to think carefully about how that will pull the part when the solder is liquid, and design the remaining pads accordingly.

<li>Will you try to route traces between adjacent pins?

<li>Current-carrying ability.

</ul>

These criteria vary from design to design, so this is no one right answer.  As always, you need to <i>understand</i> the reasons for the various options.  When you do, you can design your own solution as needed.