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Documentation Altium Designer Documentation ... Dialog Reference A to F

Center Dimension

Created: July 28, 2015 | Updated: June 16, 2017 | Applies to versions: 15.1, 16.0, 16.1 and 17.0
Now reading version 16.1. For the latest, read: Center Dimension for version 17.1

The Center Dimension dialog.

Summary

This dialog allows the designer to specify the properties of a Center Dimension object. A center dimension is a group design object. It allows for the center of an arc or circle to be marked.

For information on how a placed center dimension object can be modified graphically, directly in the workspace, see Graphical Editing.

Access

The Center Dimension dialog can be accessed prior to entering placement mode, from the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog. This allows the default properties for the center dimension object to be changed, which will be applied when placing subsequent center dimensions.

During placement, the dialog can be accessed by pressing the Tab key.

While attributes can be modified during placement, bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

After placement, the dialog can be accessed in one of the following ways:

  • Double-clicking on the placed center dimension object.
  • Placing the cursor over the center dimension object, right-clicking and choosing Properties from the context menu.
  • Using the Edit » Change command and clicking once over the placed center dimension object.

Options/Controls

  • Size - the current length of the dimension's crosshair lines.
  • Rotation - the angle of alignment of the dimension, measured anti-clockwise in degrees from the horizontal.
Quickly change the units of measurement currently used in the dialog between metric (mm) and imperial (mil) using the Ctrl+Q shortcut. This affects the dialog only and does not change the actual measurement unit employed for the board, as determined by the Measurement Unit setting in the Board Options dialog (Design » Board Options).

Properties

  • Layer - the layer the dimension is currently assigned to. Dimensions can be assigned to any available layer, click on the list to view and select a different layer, from all those currently defined for the board.
  • Locked - enable this option to protect the dimension from being edited graphically.
If attempting to graphically modify an object that has its Locked property enabled, a dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the edit. If the Protect Locked Objects option is enabled on the PCB Editor – General page of the Preferences dialog, and the Locked option for that design object is enabled as well, then that object cannot be selected or graphically edited. Double click on the locked object directly and disable the Locked property, or disable the Protect Locked Objects option, to graphically edit the object.

 

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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.

If you don’t see a discussed feature in your software, contact Altium Sales to find out more.