Cartesian Grid Editor

Created: May 24, 2021 | Updated: November 18, 2021 | Applies to version: 21

Now reading version 24. For the latest, read: Cartesian Grid Editor for version 21

The Cartesian Grid Editor dialog when you select a Cartesian Grid from the Grid Manager region of the Properties pane and the version of the dialog when you select
another grid type, such as a Global Board Snap Grid from the Grid Manager region of the Properties panel.

Summary

This dialog allows you to view and modify properties for the selected Cartesian grid. This can be either the default global snap grid or a customized local grid. The latter is used for object placement and movement in a specific area of the board, while the former is used in any area of the board not covered by a dedicated local grid.

Access

The dialog can be accessed from either the PCB editor or PCB library editor in one of the following ways:

In the Properties panel in Board mode, select the desired grid in the Grid Manager region then click the Properties button.
In the Properties panel in Board mode, double-click the desired Cartesian Grid within the Grid Manager region.

To add a Cartesian Grid to the Grid Manager region of the Properties panel while in Board mode, use the Add drop-down then select the desired grid to add.

The dialog also can be accessed using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+G. This accesses the dialog with the default global snap grid definition loaded.

Options/Controls

For the default global snap grid, only the Settings, Steps and Display regions will be presented in the dialog.

Settings

Name – enter a meaningful name. For example, you might name the grid using a format that reflects its purpose (e.g., Grid for Component-Side Memory).
Unit – specifies the measurement units used for the grid either Imperial or Metric.
Rotation – specifies whether the grid is to be rotated (about the specified origin point) and by how much.

Steps

Step X – the distance between grid lines in the X plane. Enter the required step size directly or select from a range of common sizes available in the associated drop-down.
Step Y – the distance between grid lines in the Y plane. Enter the required step size directly or select from a range of common sizes available in the associated drop-down.

By default, the two fields are linked as indicated by the continuous chain depicted on the button to the right of the fields –

. In this state, whatever you specify for the Step X field will be copied and used for the Step Y field. To break this link and enter step sizes individually, click the chain link. The link will display a broken chain –

– and the Step Y field will be available for editing.

The following controls also are available that allow you to define the X and/or Y step sizes directly from within the PCB design space. In each case, you will be taken to the design space to specify two 'calculating' locations and the resulting step size will be calculated accordingly.

Set Step X in PCB View – the resulting size is taken as the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by the chosen points in the design space.
Set Step Y in PCB View – the resulting size is taken as the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by the chosen points in the design space.
Set Step X from Delta X – the resulting size is taken using just the difference in the X coordinate.
Set Step Y from Delta Y – the resulting size is taken using just the difference in the Y coordinate.
Set Both Steps from Delta – the resulting sizes are taken using just the differences in the X and Y coordinates.

Note that when Step Y is following Step X (with the chain "linked"), only the Set Step X in PCB View and Set Step X from Delta X controls are available.

Origin

Show Origin – enable to show an origin marker in the design space.
Origin X – specifies the X coordinate for the center point of the grid in the design space.
Origin Y – specifies the Y coordinate for the center point of the grid in the design space.
Set Origin in PCB View – click to be taken to the PCB design space, in which you can click to define the centerpoint for the grid's origin. The resulting coordinate values will be loaded into the Origin X and Origin Y fields.

Display

Fine – use the associated drop-down to define the markers used for the fine-level display of the grid in the design space, either Lines, Dots, or Do Not Draw. Choose Do Not Draw if you do not want to use the fine-level display grid. The step size used for the markers is that defined in the Steps region. Click on the associated color swatch to access the standard Choose Color dialog from where you can specify the color to be used for the fine-level display grid in the design space. You also can reset the color back to its default using the Reset to Default button.
Coarse – use the associated drop-down to define the markers used for the coarse-level display of the grid in the design space, either Lines, Dots, or Do Not Draw. Choose Do Not Draw if you do not want to use the coarse-level display grid. The coarse-level display grid is the fine-level display grid with an increased step size, in accordance with the entry selected in the Multiplier field. Click on the associated color swatch to access the standard Choose Color dialog from where you can specify the color to be used for the coarse-level display grid in the design space. You are free to choose a completely different color to that used for the fine-level display grid. You also can quickly lighten or darken the shade of the color currently used for the fine-level display grid by clicking the Lighter or Darker buttons.

The default display colors that are assigned to the Fine and Coarse display grids when the Reset to Default button is clicked are defined in the System Colors region of the View Configuration panel (shortcut L).

Multiplier – use this field to specify the required multiple of the grid's step size, either 2x Grid Step, 5x Grid Step, or 10x Grid Step.

Extents

Width – use this field to define the width of one quadrant of the grid.
Height – use this field to define the height of one quadrant of the grid.

By default, the two fields are linked, as indicated by the continuous chain depicted on the button to the right of the fields –

. In this state, whatever you specify for the Width field will be copied and used for the Height field. To break this link and enter values individually, click this chain link. The button will now depict a broken chain –

– and the Height field will be available for editing.

Controls are also available that allow you to define the width and/or height directly from within the PCB design space. In each case, you will be taken to the design space to specify two 'calculating' locations, and the resulting width and/or height will be calculated accordingly.

Set Width in PCB View – the resulting width is taken using just the difference in the X coordinate between the chosen points in the design space.
Set Height in PCB View – the resulting height is taken using just the difference in the Y coordinate between the chosen points in the design space.
Set Width and Height in PCB View – the resulting width and height are taken using just the differences in the X and Y coordinates.

Note that when Height is following Width (chain is linked), only the Set Width in PCB View control is available.

Quadrants

Use this region to specify which quadrants the grid is to occupy. The grid area is the same for all enabled quadrants as defined by the setting for Width and Height in the Extents region of the dialog.

Example of using the Quadrants region options. Note that only 1, 2, and 4 quadrants are enabled for use, and the resulted grid occupies only these quadrants relative to the grid origin.

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