PCB_Cmd-SetupPreferencesSetupPreferences_AD

Applied Parameters: Tab = Colors

Summary

This command is used to access the Board Layers And Colors tab of the View Configurations dialog. This tab provides all necessary controls and options to configure the display of layers for the board when viewed in 2D, and colors assigned to those layers.

Access

This command can be accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors, when configured in 2D Layout Mode:

• PCB Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Use the O keyboard shortcut, then choose the Board Layers & Colors entry on the subsequent pop-up menu.
• PCB Library Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Right-click in the design workspace (in free space) and choose the Options » Board Layers & Colors command from the context menu.
  • Use the O keyboard shortcut, then choose the Board Layers & Colors entry on the subsequent pop-up menu.

Use

First ensure that the Editor is placed in 2D Layout Mode. This can be done by choosing the View » 2D Layout Mode command, from the main menus, or by using the 2 keyboard shortcut.

After launching the command, the View Configurations dialog will appear, with the Board Layers And Colors tab active. All currently defined layers for the board are presented, and each layer grouped according to layer category (Signal, Mechanical, Internal Planes, etc..). Use the dialog to:

• Control layer visibility. All layers that are display-enabled, will be visible in the design workspace and accessible from a corresponding layer tab at the bottom of the main design window.
• Control coloring assigned to each layer.
• Enable mechanical layers, and optionally link those layers to the PCB 'back sheet'. The visibility of all linked mechanical layers is disabled if the option to display the back sheet is disabled. If this option is enabled, you cannot disable the visibility of an individual mechanical layer unless it is first unlinked from the sheet.

Tips

1. These options are stored with the document. Changing a document option affects the current document only.

Applied Parameters: Tab = Show/Hide

Summary

This command is used to access the Show/Hide tab of the View Configurations dialog. This tab provides all necessary controls and options to configure the mode used to display each of the various design items within the workspace, when viewed in 2D.

Access

This command can be accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors, when configured in 2D Layout Mode:

• PCB Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Using the Ctrl+D keyboard shortcut.
  • Use the O keyboard shortcut, then choose the Show/Hide entry on the subsequent pop-up menu.
• PCB Library Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Right-click in the design workspace (in free space) and choose the Options » Show/Hide command from the context menu.
  • Using the Ctrl+D keyboard shortcut.
  • Use the O keyboard shortcut, then choose the Show/Hide entry on the subsequent pop-up menu.

Use

First ensure that the Editor is placed in 2D Layout Mode. This can be done by choosing the View » 2D Layout Mode command, from the main menus, or by using the 2 keyboard shortcut.

After launching the command, the View Configurations dialog will appear, with the Show/Hide tab active. Each of the following types of design primitive can be independently controlled with respect to their on-screen display mode: Arcs, Fills, Pads, Polygons, Dimensions, Strings, Tracks, Vias, Coordinates, Rooms, Regions and 3D Bodies. Three modes are available, choose which mode is active as required:

• Final - display design objects of this type using outline and fill.
• Draft - display design objects of this type using outline only.
• Hidden - do not display design objects of this type.

Options are also available to control the display of Embedded Board Arrays and Design Views, as well as configure settings for From-Tos.

Tips

1. These options are stored with the document. Changing a document option affects the current document only.

Applied Parameters: Tab = Transparency

Summary

This command is used to access the Transparency tab of the View Configurations dialog. This tab provides all necessary controls and options to set the transparency of each object type individually, and on a per layer basis, for each layer that can be used in board design, when viewed in 2D.

Access

This command can be accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors, when configured in 2D Layout Mode:

• PCB Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Use the O keyboard shortcut, then choose the Board Layers Transparency entry on the subsequent pop-up menu.
• PCB Library Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Right-click in the design workspace (in free space) and choose the Options » Board Layers Transparency command from the context menu.
  • Use the O keyboard shortcut, then choose the Board Layers Transparency entry on the subsequent pop-up menu.

Use

First ensure that the Editor is placed in 2D Layout Mode. This can be done by choosing the View » 2D Layout Mode command, from the main menus, or by using the 2 keyboard shortcut.

After launching the command, the View Configurations dialog will appear, with the Transparency tab active. The main area of the tab presents a grid with rows representative of each layer, and columns representative of each design object type. Each cell of the grid (a layer-object intersect) displays the current transparency level for that object, on that layer. Use the controls available to set the transparency for the required (and selected) cell(s) in the grid. Not only does the grid facilitate a unique transparency setting to be defined for a particular object across different layers, it also allows different objects to have different transparencies on a specific layer.

Tips

1. These options are stored with the document. Changing a document option affects the current document only.
2. Although the transparency settings can be defined for any 2D view configuration, Altium Designer features a dedicated default 2D view configuration for this very purpose – Altium Transparent 2D. It is identical in all other aspects to the Altium Standard 2D view configuration. It differs only by its Transparency tab, with example transparencies defined ready. By configuring transparency settings in this dedicated view configuration, you then have the ability to quickly switch between transparent (Altium Transparent 2D) and standard (Altium Standard 2D) views for your board, essentially turning transparency ON or OFF. This view configuration (Altium Transparent 2D.config_2dsimple) can be found alongside all other default view configurations installed with Altium Designer, in the \Users\<ProfileName>\AppData\Roaming\Altium\Altium Designer <GUID>\ViewConfigurations folder of your installation.
3. When wanting to setup a global configuration for transparencies – that can be used for any board design – it can be a good idea to disable the Only show used layers option, then configure transparency settings for each and every layer. In this way, if additional layers are added to a particular board design, the transparency settings will already be defined, and ready for use from the outset.

Applied Parameters: Tab=PreferredWidths

Summary

This command is used to access the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths dialog, with which to predefine your favorite track widths, for use when interactively routing a board, using the Interactive Router.

Access

This command can be accessed from the PCB Editor by:

• Right-clicking in the design workspace (in free space) and choosing the Options » Favorite Routing Widths command from the context menu.
• Use the O keyboard shortcut, then choose the Favorite Routing Widths entry on the subsequent pop-up menu.

The dialog can also be accessed by clicking the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths button, on the PCB Editor - Interactive Routing page of the Preferences dialog, or by clicking the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths button in the Interactive Routing dialog. The latter is accessed while interactively routing, by pressing the Tab key.

Use

After launching the command, the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths dialog will appear. Use this dialog to configure a desired set of favorite routing widths, across metric and imperial measurement systems.

Tips

1. When you run the Interactive Routing command and click to start routing, a series of track objects are created from the nearest pad up to the current cursor location. The width of these tracks is either taken from your preferred width, or the applicable routing width design rule. The former is referred to as User Choice, and it is the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths dialog that provides the cornerstone of this feature.
2. When using the User Choice feature, and predefined routing widths, you still have the full protection of the rules system. If a chosen predefined routing width is outside the applicable min-max rule setting, the width will be clipped back to the minimum or maximum, whichever is appropriate.
3. An incarnation of the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths dialog is accessed when wanting to change the current routing width to one of the predefined favorites. Simply press Shift+W, while interactively routing, to access the Choose Width dialog.

Applied Parameters: SingleLayerMode = Toggle

Summary

This command is used to cycle through the available single layer viewing modes. Being able to view a single layer using one of these modes enables you to more easily see what you need to see on that layer, without the clutter of other layers and their objects.

Access

This command is accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors, by using the Shift+S keyboard shortcut.

Use

After launching the command, the next available single layer mode - in the following sequence of modes - will be employed in the design workspace, depending on the mode previously employed:

• Gray Scale Other Layers - displays the current layer, all primitives on other layers are displayed in gray. The shade of gray is based on a layer's color scheme.
• Monochrome Other Layers - displays the current layer, all primitives on other layers are displayed in the same shade of gray.
• Hide Other Layers - displays the current layer, all primitives on other layers are not displayed.
• Not In Single Layer Mode - displays all visible layers as normal.

Use the command repeatedly to cycle through the available modes.

Tips

1. The available modes are determined by enabling the corresponding options in the Available Single Layer Modes region, on the PCB Editor - Board Insight Display page of the Preferences dialog.
2. The current single layer mode is reflected (and can also be selected directly) through the Single Layer Mode field, on the View Options tab of the View Configurations dialog.

Applied Parameters: RoutingMode = Cycle

Summary

This command is used to cycle through the available routing conflict resolution modes, while routing your board using the Interactive Router.

Access

While in an interactive routing mode (interactive routing, interactive differential pair routing, interactive multi-routing), this command is accessed from the PCB Editor, by using the Shift+R keyboard shortcut.

Use

After launching the command, the next available routing conflict resolution mode - in the following sequence of modes - will be employed in the design workspace, depending on the mode previously employed:

• Ignore Obstacles - enable this option to have the Interactive Router allow the track to pass through obstacles while routing.
• Walkaround Obstacles - enable this option to have the Interactive Router route around existing tracks, pads and vias while routing. If this mode cannot walkaround an obstacle without causing violation, an indicator appears to show the route is blocked.
• Push Obstacles - enable this option to have the Interactive Router move existing tracks out of the way while routing. This mode can also push vias to make way for the new routing. If this mode cannot push an obstacle without causing violation, an indicator appears to show the route is blocked.
• HugNPush Obstacles - enable this option to have the Interactive Router hug existing tracks, pads and vias as closely as possible while routing and, where necessary push obstacles to continue the route. If this mode cannot hug or push an obstacle without causing violation, an indicator appears to show the route is blocked.
• Stop At First Obstacle - enable this option to have the Interactive Router stop routing when it encounters the first obstacle in its path.
• AutoRoute Current Layer - enable this option to have the Interactive Router autoroute to the current cursor location on the current layer.
• AutoRoute MultiLayer - enable this option to have the Interactive Router autoroute to the current cursor location across different layers. Vias will be placed as required to change to alternate signal layers.

Use the command repeatedly to cycle through the available modes.

Tips

1. The available modes are determined by enabling the corresponding options in the Routing Conflict Resolution region, on the PCB Editor - Interactive Routing page of the Preferences dialog.
2. The current routing conflict resolution mode is reflected (and can also be selected directly) through the Current Mode field, in the Routing Conflict Resolution region, on the PCB Editor - Interactive Routing page of the Preferences dialog.
3. Available modes and the current mode can also be changed on-the-fly, from the Interactive Routing dialog (accessed by pressing Tab while interactively routing).

Applied Parameters: ShowDifferenceObjects=Toggle

Summary

This command is used to toggle the display of the Difference Map Overlay in the main design workspace, On or Off. The overlay is used to display the resulting differences from performing a comparison through the Collaborate, Compare and Merge panel. This panel is command central for Altium Designer's collaborative PCB design features.

Access

This command can be accessed from the PCB Editor by:

• Choosing the View » Differences » Show/Hide Difference Overlay command, from the main menus.
• Using the Shift+O keyboard shortcut.

Use

After launching the command, the difference map overlay will either be hidden, or displayed, depending on its previous state.