Defining Schematic AutoFocus Preferences for Altium Designer

The Schematic - AutoFocus page of the Preferences dialog.
The Schematic - AutoFocus page of the Preferences dialog.

Summary

The Schematic – AutoFocus page of the Preferences dialog provides numerous controls related to auto focus operations in the schematic.

Access

The Schematic – AutoFocus page is part of the main Preferences dialog (DXP » Preferences) and is accessed by clicking the AutoFocus entry under the Schematic folder, in the left hand pane of the dialog.

Options/Controls

Dim Unconnected Objects

  • On Place - Enable this option and you have the ability to dim all the connected objects of a net when you are placing a object on this net.

    You can toggle the Electrical Grid in the Preferences dialog to help you with the ease of placement of electrically aware objects.
  • On Edit Graphically - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to dim all unconnected objects on the schematic sheet when you are re-sizing a connected object. 
  • On Move - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to dim all unconnected objects when you are moving a object connected to a network of connected objects on the schematic sheet. 
  • On Edit In Place - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to dim unconnected objects on the schematic object when you are editing this connected object.
  • Dim Level - Moving the dim level to the right increases the dimming effect, increasing the level of contrast.
  • All On - Click this button to turn all the options related to dimming unconnected objects on the schematic ON.
  • All Off - Click this button to turn all the options related to dimming unconnected objects on the schematic OFF.

Thicken Connected Objects

  • On Place -  Enable this option if you want to have the ability to thicken the surrounding connected objects when you are placing a new object on a network of these connected objects on the schematic sheet. You can toggle the Electrical Grid in the Grids section of the Preferences dialog to help you with the ease of placement of electrically aware objects.
  • On Edit Graphically - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to thicken all the connected objects of a network on the schematic sheet when you are re-sizing a connected object part of this network.
  • On Move -  Enable this option if you want to have the ability to thicken the surrounding connected objects when you are moving a object connected to a network of connected objects on the schematic sheet.
  • Delay - The time delay before connected objects are thickened. Move the sliding bar to the right to increase the delay.
  • All On - Click this button to turn all the options related to thickening of connected objects on the schematic ON.
  • All Off - Click this button to turn all the options related to thickening of connected objects on the schematic OFF.

Zoom Connected Objects

  • On Place -  Enable this option and you have the ability to zoom in all the connected objects of a network when you are placing a object on this network.

    You can toggle the Electrical Grid in the Preferences dialog to help you with the ease of placement of electrically aware objects.
  • On Edit Graphically - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to zoom in all the connected objects of a network on the schematic sheet when you are re-sizing a connected object of this network.
  • On Move - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to zoom in the surrounding connected objects when you are moving a object connected to a network of these connected objects on the schematic sheet.
  • On Edit In Place - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to zoom in the connected object that is being edited.
  • Restrict To Non-net Objects Only - Enable this option if you want to have the ability to zoom in the non-net objects that is being edited. 
  • All On - Click this button to turn all the options related to zooming connected objects on the schematic ON.
  • All Off - Click this button to turn all the options related to zooming connected objects on the schematic OFF.
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Note

The features available depend on your Altium product access level. Compare features included in the various levels of Altium Designer Software Subscription and functionality delivered through applications provided by the Altium 365 platform.

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