Defining PCB Editor Board Insight Display Preferences for Altium Designer

The PCB Editor - Board Insight Display page of the Preferences dialog.

Summary

As its name suggests, the PCB Editor – Board Insight Display page of the Preferences dialog provides numerous controls relating to the functionality of the Board Insight feature within the PCB workspace.

Access

The PCB Editor – Board Insight Display page is part of the main Preferences dialog (DXP » Preferences) and is accessed by clicking the Board Insight Display entry under the PCB Editor folder, in the left-hand pane of the dialog. Alternately, right-click the PCB Editor and select Options » Board Insight Display from the context menu.

Options/Controls

Pad and Via Display Options

• Use Smart Display Color – enable to have the software automatically control the font characteristics for the display of pad and via details. Disable this option to manually set the font characteristics.
• Font Color – click to access a standard Choose Color dialog, from where you can select the font color for pad/via details. This field is not available when the option to Use Smart Display Color is enabled.
• Transparent Background – enable to display pad/via details without any visible background. Disable this option to apply a specific color using the Background Color field. This option is not available when the option to Use Smart Display Color is enabled.
• Background Color – click to access a standard Choose Color dialog, from where you can select a background color to be used for pad/via details. This field is not available when the option to Use Smart Display Color is enabled, nor is it available if the former is disabled, but the Transparent Background option is enabled.
• Min/Max Font Size – shows the minimum and maximum font sizes to be used to display pad and via details, regardless of the zoom level. Edit these fields to change the minimum and maximum font sizes respectively.
• Font Name – shows the current TrueType font to be used to display pad and via details. Click to view and select a font from the list.
• Font Style – shows the current TrueType font style to be used to display pad and via details. Click to view and select an option from the list (Bold, Bold Italic, Italic, or Regular).
• Minimum Object Size – shows the current minimum size (in screen pixels) of objects that will show pad and via details. This is regardless of zoom level, so at low levels of zoom you can still maintain visibility of pad and via details. Edit this field or use the up and down arrows to change the minimum size.

Available Single Layer Modes

• Hide Other Layers - In single layer modes, only the selected layers will be shown, other layers will be hidden.
• Gray Scale Other Layers - In single layer modes, the selected layers will be highlighted,  all primitives on other layers are displayed in gray scale.
• Monochrome Other Layers - In single layer modes, the selected layers will be highlighted, all primitives on other layers are displayed in the same shade of gray.

Live Highlighting

• Enabled – enable to have nets highlighted when you hover the cursor over them. Disabling this option will prevent any live net highlighting.
  • Live Highlighting only when Shift Key Down – enable this option to apply live net highlighting only when the Shift key is being pressed.
  • Initial Intensity – represents the brightness of the highlight when it first appears. Use the slide bar to set the percentage, which is shown to the right of the control.
  • Ramp up Time – represents the time, in milliseconds, it takes for the highlight to reach full intensity once the cursor has been moved over an object to be highlighted. Use the slide bar to set the time, which is shown to the right of the control.
  • Ramp Down Time – represents the time, in milliseconds, it takes for the highlight to fade once the cursor has been moved off the highlighted object. Use the slide bar to set the time, which is shown to the right of the control.
  • Outline Strength – represents the width of the highlight, in pixels. Width values range between 1 and 5 pixels. Use the slide bar to set the width, which is shown to the right of the control.
  • Outline Color – click to access a standard Choose Color dialog, from where you can select an outline color to be used.

Show Locked Texture on Objects

The locked texture is a visible cue so that you can easily tell locked objects apart from non-locked objects. The locked object texture is shown as a 'key'. Enable one of the following options:

• Never – enable this option to never show the locked texture for locked objects. 
• Always – enable this option to always show the locked texture for locked objects.
• Only When Live Highlighting – enable this option to only show the locked texture for a locked object when that object is being highlighted using the live highlighting feature.

Others

• Jump to Active View Configuration - Click this hyperlink to jump to View Configuration dialog.