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

Favorite Interactive Routing Widths

Created: July 28, 2015 | Updated: June 17, 2017 | Applies to versions: 15.1, 16.0, 16.1, 17.0 and 17.1
Now reading version 16.1. For the latest, read: Favorite Interactive Routing Widths for version 22

The Favorite Interactive Routing Widths dialog.

Summary

This dialog allows you to predefine favorite track widths for use when interactively routing a board when using the Interactive Router.

When the designer runs the Interactive Routing command and clicks to start routing, a series of track objects are created from the nearest pad up to the current cursor location. The width of these tracks is either taken from the designer's preferred width, or the applicable routing width design rule. The former is referred to as User Choice, and it is the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths dialog that provides the cornerstone of this feature.
When using the User Choice feature, and predefined routing widths, you still have the full protection of the rules system. If a chosen predefined routing width is outside the applicable min-max rule setting, the width will be clipped back to the minimum or maximum, whichever is appropriate.
Click here for more information about interactive routing.

Access

The dialog is accessed from the PCB Editor in the following ways:

Options/Controls

  • Widths Grid - this main region of the dialog presents a listing of all currently defined interactive routing widths (the default set are shown in the image at the top of this page). For each defined width, the following information is presented:
    • Imperial - the width in imperial units (mil).
    • Metric - the width in metric units (mm).
    • System Units - the preferred system units when using the defined width (Imperial or Metric).
Entries without shading indicates that the preferred system units will be used when those widths are chosen. The board units are switched automatically.
The display of the Imperial, Metric, and System Units columns can be toggled through commands available on the region's right-click menu. These main columns can also be re-ordered. Simply drag a main column horizontally - vertical green positional arrows indicate a valid position. Data can also be sorted by the various sub-columns.
Double-click an entry to access the Preferred Routing Width dialog, from where the value for the width can be changed as required.
  • Add - click this button to add a new routing width to the list. The Preferred Routing Width dialog will appear, enter the value required.
If you enter a value with no units, it will default to Imperial preferred system units. To control the preferred system units used for the width, ensure to specify the units (especially if wanting Metric).
  • Delete - click this button to delete the currently selected routing width(s) from the list.
The grid supports standard multi-select techniques (Ctrl+click and Shift+click).
  • Edit -  click this button to edit the currently selected routing width. The Preferred Routing Width dialog will appear, with which to do so.

Right-Click Menu

The following commands are available from the grid's right-click menu:

  • Add - use this command to add a new routing width to the list. The Preferred Routing Width dialog will appear, enter the value required.
  • Delete - use this command to delete the currently selected routing width(s) from the list.
  • Show Imperial - use this option to toggle the display of the Imperial column and its data.
  • Show Metric - use this option to toggle the display of the Metric column and its data.
  • Show System Units - use this option to toggle the display of the System Units column and its data.
  • Properties - use this command to edit the currently selected routing width. The Preferred Routing Width dialog will appear, with which to do so.

Using Favorite Widths

An incarnation of the Favorite Interactive Routing Widths dialog is accessed when wanting to change the current routing width to one of the predefined favorites. Simply press Shift+W, while interactively routing, to access the Choose Width dialog.

The Choose Width dialog.

Options/Controls

  • Widths Grid - this main region of the dialog presents a listing of all currently defined interactive routing widths. Simply click on an entry to switch to using that routing width (in accordance with the boundaries of the applicable min-max routing Width rule).
  • Apply To All Layers - enable this option to use the chosen routing width on all of your signal layers.

 

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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.