Applied Parameters: None
Summary
This command is used to search for a particular component, or model, in the current Available Libraries, or in all libraries along a specified search path.
Access
This command is accessed from the Schematic Editor, and Schematic Library Editor, by choosing the Tools » Find Component command from the main menus.
In the Schematic Editor, the command can also be accessed by right-clicking within the design workspace, and choosing the Find Component command on the context menu.
Use
After launching the command, the Libraries Search dialog will appear. Use this dialog to search for a particular component or model, either from within the Available Libraries, or in libraries found along a specified search path. If you have Database Libraries currently added to the Available Libraries, you can conduct a search for a component record within a specific table of the linked database.
The searching process can be summarized as follows:
- Searching is performed by defining Filters that are applied to all libraries that can be searched according to the current search Scope.
- The Scope includes the type of libraries to search, only one type can be searched at a time (Components, Footprints, 3D Models or Database Components).
- The Scope defines which libraries will be searched: it is either the libraries Altium Designer currently has access to (Available libraries), or all libraries within a folder (Libraries on path).
- When searching libraries on a path the target is a specific folder, and can also Include Subdirectories.
- You can also search within the search results, by setting the Scope to Refine last search.
The dialog can be set to operate in either
Simple, or
Advanced modes. In
Simple mode, you have a defined set of filters to select entries from, or type entries into. In
Advanced mode, you have access to defining a logical query expression of any complexity, to precisely target the component/model you are after. A logical query expression is a string you enter using specific keywords and syntax - from an established
Query Language - which will return the targeted objects, when the search is performed. When searching for Database Components, this mode effectively shows, and allows manual editing of, the SQL query.
After the search has been defined as required, click the Search button - the search will be performed, with results listed in the Libraries panel. Search results are listed in terms of component/model name, associated library and any description.
If a resulting component/model has been found in a library that is not currently part of the Available Libraries - i.e. the search was performed in a specified folder - you can add its parent library to the Installed Libraries listing for Altium Designer, therefore making it available to all projects. Simply right-click on the component/model's entry in the Query Results listing on the Libraries panel, and choose the Install Current Library command from the context menu. The Installed Libraries list, on the Installed tab of the Available Libraries dialog, will be updated to reflect the addition.
Tips
- When defining search criteria, use the * wildcard to increase chances of an effective search, as different manufacturers use different prefix and suffixes. For example, use *RES* to search for a generic resistor.
- If searching along a specific library path and your search produces no results, check that the path is correctly specified. Also, try searching for a component that you know is in a library to check that everything is set correctly.
- The Query Results entry will only be displayed if the corresponding browse mode option for the Libraries panel is enabled. For example, if the search was conducted for Components, ensure that the Components browse mode option is enabled, to be able to view the Query Results.
- The full list of libraries available to the current project (the Available Libraries) is made up of the following:
- Project Libraries - those libraries that have actually been added to the active project, and appear listed as constituent documents for the project in the Projects panel.
- Installed Libraries - those libraries that are available for all projects. This list is persistent across design sessions. Project libraries may be added to this list, but are not initially part of it. Supported library formats can be installed from file (on a local or network drive), or from an Altium Vault. In the latter case, you are simply creating a named collection of Vault folders, containing the Component Items that you wish to have access to through the Libraries panel.
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Libraries that have been found along the Library Search Paths defined for the project. These paths are defined on the Search Paths tab of the Options For Project dialog. Clicking the Paths button will take you directly to this tab, from where you can define further search paths, or modify existing ones as required.
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The Libraries Search dialog can also be accessed directly from the Libraries panel, by clicking the Search button, at the top of the panel.
Altium Designer Documentation
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Command Reference
IntegratedLibrary Commands