Installation, Licensing & Management

Installation of any software application should be straightforward, intuitive, and, perhaps above all, fast. Furthermore, when you have the software installed, you want to be able to update it as and when you deem necessary, and in a streamlined fashion.

Altium Designer provides a fast, efficient installation management system that caters to this very need – a system that not only expedites the initial installation process but lets you handcraft the features available to that software at any time after installation.

Initial Install

Main page: Installing Altium Designer

Initial installation of Altium Designer is performed using the Altium Designer Installer. This wizard-based installer is accessed by running an executable – AltiumDesignerSetup_<Version>.exe. This executable is downloaded from the Altium Designer section of the Altium Downloads page and can be saved anywhere on your hard disk.

Streamlined installation courtesy of the Altium Designer Installer.

There are two key elements to installation that are definable across the various pages of the installation wizard, allowing you to control what gets installed, and where:

• Design Functionality – allows you to specify which features are installed initially. The PCB Design option provides the base software and core technologies required to perform PCB design. It is always installed and cannot be deselected. Use the remaining options to tailor the installation to suit your needs. This will also have an impact on the initial installation time.

• Install Location – allows you to specify the destination folders for the installation in terms of both the Program Files and Shared Documents install locations. These locations become especially important when installing multiple instances of Altium Designer.

The installation itself is streamlined and expedient. This allows you to get the software installed and up and running in the quickest time possible. Once installed, you can further refine your installation in terms of available features and functionality.

Licensing Altium Designer

Main page: License Management

Altium Designer includes a streamlined licensing system that enables you to get licensed and up and running with your Altium Designer instance in a timely and efficient manner. The system offers various licensing types to suit your licensing needs.

• On-Demand – client-side license acquisition is administered by an Altium cloud server.

• Standalone – client-side license acquisition is managed by the user through the use of a licensing file (*.alf).

• Private Server – client-side license acquisition is administered by the Private License Service of an Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server (a distinct server-based solution for design data management) or Altium Infrastructure Server (a free, on-premise server that provides remote Altium product installation and license management).

Within Altium Designer, licenses are managed from the dedicated License Management view which is accessed by clicking the Current User control at the top right of the design space and then choosing  from the menu.

Accessing the License Management view – command central from where you can efficiently manage available software licenses.

Extending the Capabilities of Altium Designer

Main page: Extending Your Installation

Facilitating the ability to enhance your Altium Designer instance, customization of the software is made possible through the concept of Extensions. An extension is effectively an add-on to the software that provides extended features and functionality. Customization of an Altium Designer installation essentially boils down to the management of the available extensions. Install, update, or remove available extensions as and when you need to. Many extensions are available from Altium for use with Altium Designer.

Within Altium Designer, extensions are managed from the dedicated Extensions and Updates view, which is accessed by clicking the Current User control at the top right of the design space and then choosing  from the menu.

Accessing the Extensions and Updates view – command central from where you can efficiently manage the functionality available in the software.