Here's what I do. I have a library of IPC standard parts for 99.9% of the industry, and I have a library of 'vendor X' footprints. When I need to go to 'vendor X' I simply change my env settings so it points to their library. Else I leave it alone and design for 99.9% of the market. The trick is, when you start with the general industry, and someone comes along a decides "hey, let's use 'vendor X' because they're cheaper, it's not easy to solve. But it can be done (export placement; change placement text file; delete components; read placement file back in). Like Dale mentions though - what is guiding their difference in footprints? If they are hand assembling vs. auto-assembly, I can see a possible reason. But highly unlikely. I have dealt with vendors that like placement constraints different from one another (e.g. one vendor likes .15mm between components, and one likes .2mm between those components, etc.). In that case I have differing DFA constraints files for the different vendors. If I change midstream I simply re-direct the DFA constraints; run the DRC rules and move things around. But honestly, I've never run into assembly houses that couldn't handle the IPC standards. Even off-shore vendors --> never had them questioning footprints. Good day.
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