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Documentation Altium NEXUS Documentation Retired Documentation EOL - Components & Libraries

Managed Domain Models

Created: June 18, 2019 | Updated: June 18, 2019 | Applies to versions: 2.0 and 2.1
Now reading version 2.0. For the latest, read: Managed Domain Models for version 3.2

This documentation page references Altium NEXUS/NEXUS Client (part of the deployed NEXUS solution), which has been discontinued. All your PCB design, data management and collaboration needs can now be delivered by Altium Designer and a connected Altium 365 Workspace. Check out the FAQs page for more information.

Parent page: Working with Managed Components

From a designer's perspective, a managed component gathers together all information needed to represent that component across all design domains, within a single entity. It could therefore be thought of as a container in this respect. A 'bucket' into which all domain models and parametric information is stored.

In terms of its representation in the various domains, a managed component doesn't contain the domain models themselves, but rather links to the relevant model Items that are also in a managed content server. These links - to Symbol, Footprint and Simulation Model Items - are specified as part of the component.

If you are creating single components through your managed content server - using the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode - then not only can you create the domain models at the same time, as part of component creation, you can also search for an existing real world part and create a new managed component off that, in your server, directly. For more information, see Managed Components.
3D models can also be managed in a managed content server. A 3D Model Item is referenced through a 3D Body object placed as part of the definition of the 2D footprint. As such, it is not a model link specified as part of the component.

Use the following links to take a look at how to create the various domain models in a managed content server:

Migrating Existing Model Libraries

Main page: Streamlined Migration of Existing Libraries to Your Managed Content Server

Models can also be created in the managed content server as part of migration of existing libraries of components. Altium NEXUS, in conjunction with your managed content server, provides a streamlined, simple process to quickly migrate your existing libraries to that server. The GUI to this process - the Library Migrator view - presents an intuitive flow that takes initial selected libraries, and migrates them to a target managed content server. Catering for all types of libraries relating to older component management methodologies - SCHLIB, PCBLIB, INTLIB, DBLIB, SVNDBLIB - the Library Migrator is the perfect solution to quickly building your company's set of server-based managed components, and the many benefits that such components enjoy (high-integrity, lifecycle management, centralized storage and management, where-used functionality, ease of design resuse). And while the migration process can be configured - giving you enhanced control over how that migration is performed - at its most simplistic, you can accept the default settings and set the migration in motion within a matter of clicks.

Access the Library Migrator from any editor by choosing the File » Library Migrator command from the main menus.
While access to the Library Migrator is available in Altium NEXUS, should you wish to access an unmanaged library to make pre-migration tweaks, or access the Available Libraries list, you will need to enable the use of legacy, unmanaged component management methodologies. Use of unmanaged content is disabled by default in Altium NEXUS, as it is not recommended. You can restore this functionality by enabling the following option in the Advanced Settings dialog - accessed by clicking the  button, on the System - General page of the Preferences dialog:
  • Legacy.UnManagedLibraries

You will need to restart Altium NEXUS for the change to this settings to take effect.

All information that is present in an original source library is migrated, in order to arrive at a folder of unified components (managed components that have assigned part choices), with all referenced domain models (schematic symbols, PCB footprints, 3D Models, Simulation Models), and parametric information. Component templates can even be created, and used to create those managed components. And if your original components have multiple PCB footprints defined, you can rest assured that the Library Migrator will bring those models across, and keep the current default footprint too.

The Library Migrator view - the user interface to the component migration process.
The Library Migrator view - the user interface to the component migration process.

While migration may seem daunting, the defaults have been defined to enable you to get your collection of managed components without having to change a thing - start the process and design with the fruits of the Migrator's labor. The system conducts and handles a number of validations, for example to ensure no duplicate IDs for the resulting managed components, or to ensure no duplicate models or component templates are created, and that such entities are reused across (linked to) components where needed. And if issues do arise, the system flags them, with suggestions on how to resolve those issues, aiming to get the migration back on track as quickly, and as smoothly as possible.

 

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