Sch_Cmd-PastePaste_AD

Applied Parameters: None

Summary

This command is used to place the last content cut/copied to the clipboard, into any open Schematic Editor or Schematic Library Editor document.

Access

With one or more objects already available on the clipboard, this command can be accessed from the Schematic Editor, and the Schematic Library Editor by:

• Choosing the Edit » Paste command from the main menus.
• Clicking the  button on the Schematic Standard toolbar (Schematic Editor), or Sch Lib Standard toolbar (Schematic Library Editor).
• Using the Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut.
• Right-clicking within the design workspace and choosing the Paste command from the context menu.

Use

After launching the command, the latest clipboard content will appear floating on the cursor. The cursor position relative to the content is determined by the reference point designated when Cut or Copy was used to add the selection to the clipboard. Position the content at the required position within the design workspace and click, or press Enter, to paste.

The following additional operations can be performed while the content is still floating on the cursor:

• Press the Spacebar to rotate the content anti-clockwise, or Shift+Spacebar for clockwise rotation. Rotation is in steps of 90°.
• Press the Tab key to access the Paste To Position dialog, from where you can specify XY coordinates in the workspace, at which to paste the content.
• Press the X or Y keys to flip the content along the X-axis or Y-axis respectively.
• Press the Alt key to constrain the direction of movement to the horizontal or vertical axis, depending on the initial direction of movement.

Tips

1. Content can also be pasted directly from the Clipboard panel. The panel can store a number of objects that can be added (pasted) to various document types within Altium Designer at any stage, allowing for multiple copy/paste operations.
2. The Clipboard panel supports a variety of data formats, depending on the origin and object type. It can be set to display either only objects copied or cut from within the Altium Designer environment, or the entire Windows clipboard - controlled by the Monitor clipboard content within this application only option, on the System - General page of the Preferences dialog. Be aware that not all data types are supported by each design editor (PCB Editor, Schematic Editor, etc), and that objects that are not supported will not be pasted.

3. Clipboard panel content is not persistent across design sessions. All content will be cleared when the software is closed and restarted.

Applied Parameters: Action=PasteSpecial

Summary

This command is used to access the Smart Paste dialog. The Schematic Editor’s Smart Paste feature allows copies of a selected object to be optionally transformed and pasted as a different object. For example a selection of Net Labels could be copied and Smart Pasted as Ports, or a group of selected Sheet Entries could be pasted as Ports+Wires+Net Labels with busses expanded into individual wires.

Access

With one or more objects already copied to the clipboard, this command can be accessed from the Schematic Editor by:

• Choosing the Edit » Smart Paste command, from the main menus.
• Clicking the  button on the Utility Tools drop-down () of the Utilities toolbar.
• Using the Ctrl+Shift+V keyboard shortcut.

Use

First, ensure that the object(s) required for the smart paste operation, have been copied to the clipboard.

After launching the command, the Smart Paste dialog will appear. Use of the feature essentially requires the following three areas of the dialog to be configured as required:

• Choose the objects to paste - this section displays a list of all the objects in the clipboard grouped by their type. Select the objects to paste using the check box beside each Schematic Object Type. Altium Designer maintains a separate clipboard to the main windows clipboard in order to have better resolution of the details of clipboard objects, but if required, the Windows Clipboard Contents can also be used as the source of a Smart Paste.
• Choose Paste Action - before new objects can be pasted, an appropriate Paste As object needs to be selected to define how the selected objects will be transformed. Pasting objects as Themselves will perform a standard paste operation. The other options will transform the source object into the chosen object, or collection of objects, prior to pasting. Additional options, where available, will be listed below the chosen paste object(s).
• Paste Array - enable this option to copy the selected objects as a two-dimensional array. The total number of copies created will be equal to the number of columns times the number of rows. For objects involving identifiers, use the Text Increment controls to determine how the Primary (and Secondary where applicable) identifiers are incremented. Use the Direction field to determine how incrementing is applied – Horizontal First or Vertical First. To obtain exact copies of the identifiers, with no incrementing, set the direction to None.

With the options configured as required, click OK. If no array is being placed, the content being pasted will appear floating on the cursor. Position the content at the required position within the design workspace and click, or press Enter, to paste.

The following additional operations can be performed while the content is still floating on the cursor:

• Press the Spacebar to rotate the content anti-clockwise, or Shift+Spacebar for clockwise rotation. Rotation is in steps of 90°.
• Press the Tab key to access the Paste To Position dialog, from where you can specify XY coordinates in the workspace, at which to paste the content.
• Press the X or Y keys to flip the content along the X-axis or Y-axis respectively.
• Press the Alt key to constrain the direction of movement to the horizontal or vertical axis, depending on the initial direction of movement.

If array placement was enabled, you simply need to define the starting location for the array - position the cursor at the required position within the design workspace and click, or press Enter.

Tips

1. As you configure options in the Smart Paste dialog, a Summary region at the bottom of the dialog provides a useful overview of what is going to happen - what you are going to get pasted in the workspace, based on the nominated clipboard content.

Applied Parameters: Action=RubberStamp

Summary

This command is used to copy one or more selected objects and then paste multiple instances of the selection wherever required in the current document.

Access

With one or more objects currently selected in the main design workspace, this command can be accessed from the Schematic Editor, and the Schematic Library Editor by:

• Choosing the Edit » Rubber Stamp command from the main menus.
• Clicking the  button on the Schematic Standard toolbar (Schematic Editor), or Sch Lib Standard toolbar (Schematic Library Editor).
• Using the Ctrl+R keyboard shortcut.

Use

First, ensure that the objects that you want to include in the process are selected in the main design workspace.

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter rubber stamping mode. The process involves the following sequence of steps:

1. If the Clipboard Reference option is enabled on the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog, you will first be prompted to select a reference point. This is the point by which the selection will be pasted. Simply move the cursor to the required position near to the selection and click, or press Enter. A copy of the selection will appear floating on the cursor.
2. Move the cursor to the desired location in the workspace and click, or press Enter to place the copy.
3. Another copy of the selection will appear floating on the cursor ready for placement.
4. Continue placing further instances of the copied selection (rather like using a rubber stamp), or right-click, or press Esc, to exit.

Tips

1. If the Clipboard Reference option is disabled, then the current cursor position is used as the reference point. In this case, it is advisable to use the shortcut to launch the command.
2. This command is used to copy and paste objects. As such, you cannot use the command for rubber stamping the children of group objects.