Applied Parameters: None
Summary
This command is used to place a Layer Stack Legend object into the active Draftsman document (*.PCBDwf). This is one of Draftsman's automated drawing views, and provides a representation of the board's internal structure as an enlarged sectional view. It includes detailed descriptions and information for each layer in the stack, including the Gerber files associated with each layer. The Layer Stack Legend also includes a graphical representation of all Drill Pairs defined for the board, including any Back Drill Pairs (which are shown with partially drilled out Via barrels).
For a high-level look at how the Altium Draftsman Drawing System provides an interactive approach to the creation of production documentation for your PCBs, see
Draftsman. For detailed information about this object type, see
Layer Stack Legend.
Access
This command can be accessed from the PcbDrawing Editor by:
- Choosing the Place » Layer Stack Legend command from the main menus.
- Locating and using the Layer Stack Legend command () on the Active Bar.
If the command has been recently used from the Active Bar, it will become the active/visible button. Where other commands are available, this is indicated by a triangle at the bottom-right corner of the button. Click and hold on the active button to access a menu of all associated commands for that grouping.
- Clicking the button on the Drawing Views toolbar.
- Right-clicking in the workspace and choosing the Place » Layer Stack Legend command from the context menu.
Use
If your PCB design project has more than one PCB, ensure that the board from which you wish to generate the layer stack legend is selected in the PCB Document field, in the Source section of the Properties panel (set to present the Document Options, when no objects are selected in the workspace).
After launching the command, data will be acquired from the source PCB document, and a Layer Stack Legend will appear floating on the cursor. Position the legend as desired and click to effect placement. If your Draftsman document has multiple sheets, you can simply zoom out and move the legend to the intended sheet, while it is still floating on the cursor.
By default, the information for each layer is derived from the corresponding attributes in the source PCB document's Board Layer Stack, as defined in the when
Defining the Layer Stack (
Design » Layer Stack Manager in the PCB Editor).
Tips
- A Layer Stack Legend can be graphically modified after placement. Click and drag the view to move it to a different location within the current sheet.
- Most aspects of a placed Layer Stack Legend are available for editing through the Properties panel. If the panel is already open, simply select a placed Layer Stack Legend to populate the panel with its associated properties. If the panel is not open, double-click on the Layer Stack Legend to access it.
- While the cells in the legend are initially populated from the board Layer Stack data, they can be changed in the Layer Information dialog. Access to this dialog is made by clicking the Layer Info button, at the bottom of the Properties section of the Properties panel, when browsing/modifying the properties of the selected Layer Stack Legend.
- If changes have been made to the PCB document, using the Tools » Update Board command will ensure that a placed Layer Stack Legend is kept in-sync. Note however, that once a cell has been manually edited in the legend, it will not be updated from the board data, when using this command.
- Note that the Layer Stack display and information options define the structure and content of the Layer Stack Legend that has been placed into a drawing document, and do not affect the Board Layer Stack configuration that is defined in the source PCB document.
- Defaults for this primitive type can be defined on the Draftsman - Defaults page of the Preferences dialog.