Working with a Component View Object on a Draftsman Document in Altium Designer
Parent page: Draftsman Objects
Summary
The Draftsman Component View feature allows a specified component from the current PCB design to be placed as a single drawing view object – the view includes the related profile section of the host PCB. The view angle, display style and content of a Component View is configurable in the Properties panel.
Availability
The Component View command is available when one of the main Draftsman views (Board Assembly View, Board Fabrication View, etc.,) has been placed in a Draftsman document. The placement command for the Component View is accessed from the Draftsman Editor as follows:
- Choose the Place » Additional Views » Component View command from the main menus.
- Click the Component View option () in the view objects drop-down on the Active Bar located at the top of the workspace. Click and hold an Active Bar button to access other related commands. Once a command has been used, it will become the topmost item on that section of the Active Bar.
- Right-click in the drawing workspace then select Place » Additional Views » Component View from the context menu.
- Click the entry on the Drawing Views toolbar (View » Toolbars » Drawing Views to enable).
Placement
After launching the command, drawing data is retrieved from the source PCB file, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and the rendered Component View is attached to the cursor. Move the cursor to the desired position then click to confirm the placement.
A default component is initially shown, however, the view selection can be changed in the Properties panel to specify any available component from the source PCB design.
Graphical Editing
The position of a placed Component View may be graphically changed by selecting the object in the workspace then dragging it to a new location.
Non-Graphical Editing
Properties page: Component View Properties
The non-graphical method of editing a Component View is available in the Draftsman Properties panel, which provides a comprehensive range of editable properties and graphic options for placed Draftsman views.
To open the Properties panel and access the properties of a placed Component View:
- Double-click on the Component View object in the workspace.
- Right-click on the Component View then select Item Properties from the context menu.
If the Properties panel is already active:
- Click on the Component View object to access its properties in the panel.