Knowledge Base

Altium Designer

KB: (Re-)Install or repair Microsoft Office dependency to resolve unexpected error or hang

Altium has dependency on Microsoft Excel and Access such that if they are not installed/setup correctly, it may throw an error such as "You must have Microsoft® Excel installed on your machine..." and "Microsoft Excel is not found on your computer...", or at the very worst hang silently.

Altium Designer

1

KB: A warning message "Could not start Vault Explorer ....." upon starting Altium Designer

A warning message ”Could not start Vault Explorer. Please make sure that Vault Explorer extension is installed properly” appears upon starting Altium designer.

Altium Designer

KB: Access addon features/panels such as MCAD CoDesigner

[Why] Access addon features/panels such as MCAD CoDesigner [What] Cannot locate some workspace panels in the installed instance of Altium such as MCAD CoDesigner panel [How] Check under Extensions and Updates to make sure corresponding extensions are installed. Features/panels may be missing due to not having a corresponding context active in the main editor pane, A365 workspace not connected, and/or appropriate license or its subscription level not used.

Altium Designer

KB: Access training resources to jumpstart on Altium for the first time or after a long break

Access training materials available to get started with Altium for the first time or after a long break, such as hands-on tutorials, reference designs, sample data, video guide, webinar, and paid training

Altium Designer

KB: Activate Power Analyzer licensing

To access Power Analyzer by Keysight feature, another license is required, in addition to Altium Designer's. A separate extension needs to be installed also.

Altium Designer

KB: Add a substitute component in ActiveBOM

[Why] Add a substitute component in ActiveBOM [What] A substitute component can be specified as Part Choice solution if it is identical in technical specs but procured differently (supplier, packaging, etc.) Or it can be specified as Alternate Part, if it varies in specs (voltage rating, tolerance, etc.) but equivalent functionally. Alternative Part option is available only for components managed in a workspace. [How] Right-click on the component to be substituted, and select 'Add Solution' to specify Part Choice solution, or 'Operation » Add Alternative Item' to specify Alternative Part.

Altium Designer

KB: Add Component to managed content server with batch file

We are tying to add components in Altium Vault/Concord Pro through .csv files. This method is working for some categories, but not for all.

Altium Designer

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KB: Add line number to a BOM template

How to format BOM template column to include line # (line number). Unable to add Line # using the Column=Line Number Format in a BOM Template

Altium Designer

1

KB: Add/delete and manage users for licensing

Users can be added, deleted, and managed to have a pool of license seats allocated by an administrator through the dashboard of the organization.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Add/delete/move a layer in a stackup

[Why] Cannot add/delete/move a layer from a stackup in Layer Stack Manager [What] There are several scenarios in a Pcb document that can prevent adding/deleting/moving a layer arbitrarily in Layer Stack Manager, such as Stack Symmetry lock preventing non-symmetrical construction, limitation enforced on some unconventional layer order, minimum of 2-signal layers constraint, and other unexpected scenarios. [How] Design » Layer Stack Manager..., in Properties panel, untick 'Stack Symmetry'. Make sure there is at least two signal layers Top and Bottom. Try File » Save As.. and File » Load Stackup from File... to see if reloading of stackup allows the deletion of a layer.

Altium Designer

KB: Advanced Routing Techniques for Circular PCBs Using Altium Designer

This article introduces valuable steps/features during PCB layout on a circular board for radial component placement and routing.

Altium Designer

KB: Allocate/assign license seats to users

Licenses are allocated/assigned by your group adminstrator in a organization from a pool of seats available in Dashboard, if on-demand/standalone type, or in your private server, either Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS) or Altium Enterprise Server (AES).

A365

5

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KB: Altium 365 Data Cleanup

How to remove all objects related to components, projects, templates, etc.

A365

2

KB: Altium 365 workspace size

Data is stored in different ways depending on the type of information. This article also covers how to find the size of certain items in your workspace.

Altium Designer

KB: Altium.PCB.DataModel.dll Crash on PCBDoc

Altium crashes with a Altium.PCB.DataModel.dll error message when I try to route or when repouring polygons on the PCBDoc.

Altium Designer

KB: Analyze Altium crashing

If the crash is not unique to a particular file/project, that it can be replicated with one of pre-installed project examples as well, there are several troubleshooting to collect data and analyze to narrow down on the source of Altium crashing.

Altium Designer

KB: Annotate components during placement

How to annotate the schematic symbols during the placement? The only way I found is by placing several components of the same type, one after the other and by configuring a number behind the ref designator in the properties. When I insert a new component the annotation is always a question mark.

A365

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1

KB: Apply lifecycle states to project

The “Project” represents a managed project whose data is stored in the repository under version control (Git/SVN) on its own. Currently, the lifecycle state is not implemented for these repository contents and is sit on the initial “Planned” state always.

Altium Designer

KB: Apply/renew student license

A student affiliated with an educational institution can apply for a free academic license with an email associated with the institution and renew every year.

Altium Designer

KB: Assign footprint information to mechanical layer in a PCB library

While there is no standardized or recommeded practice on what footprint information to include in which mechanical layer index, the best bet is to follow that of IPC Footprint Wizard (Tools » IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard) as your starting base. Subsequently, the difference in mechanical layer index assignment between two footprint libraries are consolidated through Layer Type mapping.

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Backup when FIPS is enabled

We're trying to migrate our Concord Pro server installation to a new server, and that new server has a FIPS mode requirement. I cannot perform nightly backups or do any restores on this server with FIPS mode enabled, and I can't disable it. Running the backup results in "This implementation is not part of the Windows Platform FIPS validated cryptographic algorithms."

Altium Designer

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KB: Board Cutout not in Gerber output

Board cutouts are not exported in Gerber file export. This article shows how to generate outlines for the cutouts onto a mechanical layer for documentation and inclusion in the fabrication output files.

Altium Designer

KB: Board outline on Embedded Board Array Print

To turn off the Board Outline of a printed Embedded Board Array, turn off the Multi-layer visibility in the output settings.

Altium Designer

KB: Bring back scroll bars to PCB and Schematic editor windows

I thought there were scroll bars when zoomed in sufficiently in the PCB and Schematic editors. I don't have them anymore. How do I get them back?

Altium Designer

KB: Calculate component Pick and Place Center of a footprint

How is the Centroid data determined for a footprint? How does it determine center if the footprint has no Pad primitives?

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Can't delete empty folder

Can't delete empty folder from managed content server

Altium Designer

1

KB: Can't export DXF or DWG files - Class not registered error

When I try to export a PCB as a DXF or DWG, I get an error with the following details: Class not registered at ###... SaveDxf.dll, Base Address: ###...

Altium Designer

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KB: Cannot add user in Dashboard due to "user with this email is already registered in other organization"

I cannot add an AltiumLive user through the company dashboard. Getting "Cannot add user: user with this email is already registered in other organization" or "Failed to create user account: Username: xxxx@yyyy.com already in use". AltiumLive account usernames (email addresses) must be unique in the Altium database. The AltiumLive account must be re-associated (moved) to the new organization or deactivated/deleted from the current organization so the e-mail address will then be available to use in the new organization.

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot connect to Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS) to use private license

[Why] Cannot connect to Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS) to use private license [What] Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS) software need licenses of its own which need to be setup [How] *.alf license files (Server and Client Access License) are bundled in the installation package, which need to be added along with the rest of Altium Designer licenses.

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot export DXF due to eDuplicateRecordName crash

A crash with a popup error dialog of "eDuplicateRecordName" can occur when generating DXF output with more than one layer with the same name.

Altium Designer

2

KB: Cannot find option to import KiCAD files

[Why] Cannot find option to import KiCAD files [What] A KiCAD importer was added to Altium Designer with the release of AD20.1 as an extension module [How] Locate and add the extension from the Purchased tab of the Extensions & Updates page. Once added, invoke File » Import Wizard, and KiCad Design Files should appear as one of options.

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot find/place ready-made components/contents

[Why] Cannot find/place ready-made components from Manufacture Part Search panel or locate legacy Altium Content Vault and Miscellaneous libraries previously pre-installed [What] While Altium Content Vault has be succeeded by Manufacturer Part Search panel with more live data. Likewise, Miscellaneous libraries are retired since AD23.3. You must be signed in with your AltiumLive credentials to access MPS panel and proper network access [How] The legacy Altium Content Vault can be exposed in Explorer panel in advanced preference setting. Miscellaneous libraries need to be picked up from older AD versions, possibly installed concurrently. If problem with MPS panel, try sign out and sign back in. Check Preferences, Data Management » Servers, under Known Servers, to make sure Altium Content Vault is connected. Try Clear Cache as needed.

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot install or use Altium possibly due to url and ports being blocked

Error messages like "Ciiva - The underlying connection was closed...", "Ciiva - An exception occurred during a WebClient request.", and "Push notifications service was not properly initialized" infers that your organization has strict firewall rules and/or antivirus running, that some URLs and ports need to be opened or whitelisted. If there is difficulty with installing or running Altium while connected to a VPN, but disconnecting from the VPN resolves the issues, then most likely it is due to the blockage of such network traffic.

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot make project available online due to Unknown Server

When it is opened, the project is shown in the projects panel under 'Unknown Server'. Even though I am logged into a workspace, I am not presented with the option to 'make project available online' when I right click on the project name in the projects panel. If I try to share the project, I am presented with a 'please switch to workspace to share this project' message. Or I am getting "target server specified in current project is not connected"

A365

KB: Cannot save project due to Git Error with status code 471

The git server of A365 workspace has protection against misuse: it does not allow binary files larger than 256 MB of the following types: zip, 7z, and rar. Pushing those files to repositories can lead to significant slowdown in both client-side and server-side processing of customer data, up to denial of service. Once the user tries to save such a file to the server from Altium designer, the save operation will be rejected by the server with the Git Error: request failed with status code 471

Altium Designer

4

KB: Cannot select a specific object in PCB to copy, delete, or modify

If there is a specific object in PCB that cannot be copied, deleted, or modified, it may be due to several filtering/locks that prevent a object from being selected and modified inadvertently

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Cannot use a private license as the seat is occupied

If all seats of private license are occupied inadvertently, an adminstrator can still log into the server machine directly where the on-premise server product is installed (Vault/Nexus Server/Concord Pro/AIS/AES) either locally or via remote desktop to release the seat through a web interface

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot use an on-demand license as the seat is occupied

[Why] Cannot use an on-demand license as the seat is occupied, possibly due to a software crash previously or some change in network environment [What] Force-release a seat of on-demand license occupied illegitimately [How] If the user occupying the seat is yourself, you can attempt to release in Licnese Management page within Altium Designer. A group adminstrator can also force-release any seat in the organization's Dashboard.

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot use an on-demand license renewed but showing outdated subscription date

[Why] Cannot use an on-demand license renewed but showing outdated subscription date [What] A renewed on-demand license shows the incorrect old subscription date [How] Sign out and back in. If still failing, close Altium, clear the license file cached at C:\ProgramData\Altium\Altium Designer {}_Security, and restart Altium to have a new file regenerated.

Altium Designer

KB: Cannot use cross select mode for the selection of pins or nets in the PCB document

When Cross Select Mode is enabled, selecting a schematic pin or net does not select the corresponding PCB document pin or net.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Cannot use standalone or private server license due to "This installation of Altium Designer is not supported..."

Unable to use standalone or private server license due to "This installation of Altium Designer is not supported...", also possibly "Version Not Supported" and "Subscription Expired" message, despite the subscription renewed recently.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Cannot view objects in 3D mode of PCB editor

In general, the 3D view in PCB editor (View » 3D Layout Mode, or keyboard shortcut '3') is configured in View Configuration panel. Separately, opacity of 3D Body objects can be configured in PCB panel or, with the object selected, in Properties panel. If there are other objects such as solder mask not being rendered properly, it could be that Layer Stack assignment is broken somehow.

A365

1

KB: Change folder path location of managed project

[Why] Pull master server project repository to a local folder path different from the previous/default or change the local folder path before pushing it back to the master server project repository [What] The folder path can be changed in Preferences as a default behavior, or on the fly in File » New » Project, or File » Open Project dialog. If the project folder is moved locally again, the dialog prompts you to confirm the new folder path upon opening the project. [How] The default folder path location C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium can be modified in Preferences, Data Management » Design Repositories, Properties. Or on the fly, you can also specify each time during project creation, or pull a project from the server to a custom local path. If the project folder is moved locally again, File » Open Project, Browse.., navigate to the new location and double-click on *.PrjPCB upon which you are prompted to use the path as a new location for your local repository for the project.

A365

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2

KB: Change project release revision naming scheme

I have a project in Altium 365 cloud which already have one release done, and I want to change project release number from standard scheme A.1 to something else.

Altium Designer

KB: Change the board origin in MCAD

We can't rely on the relative ECAD origin because it can be easily changed in ECAD, and it's not realistic to synchronize the changes with MCAD in that case.

A365

KB: Change the lifecycle state for all components in a project at once

Once components are used in a project, it is sensible to change their lifecycle states, for example from Draft to Prototype. All components that have been used in a project can have its states changed in one go in Explorer panel.

Altium Designer

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KB: Change the Port Cross Reference display

I'd like to add port references to my schematic, but I don't want to include the zone or grid references in order to save space.

Altium Designer

KB: Change/reset AltiumLive username due to email address no longer valid

[Why] Change/reset AltiumLive username due to email address no longer valid [What] AltiumLive username needs to match with your email address exactly. If you still have an access to the email corresponding to the username, you will be able to change/reset on your own. Otherwise, your group admin can change/reset it for you. [How] Sign in to access https://profile.altium.com/, click 'Change Email' blue text button, and confirm from both old/new emails. If you have no access to one of these emails, your group admin can change/reset for you at https://dashboard.live.altium.com/, on Users tab, click on the user that needs change from "Edit Profile" button.

Altium Designer

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7

KB: Clarify error "Solution is not recognized" in BOM

I have a violation called "Solution is not recognized" yet some of the components within that violation group actually have solutions. I have solutions in the parts so why am I still getting this error?

Altium Designer

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122

KB: Clearance Constraint between polyregion on multilayer and pad

I have an error stating "Clearance Constraint between polyregion on multilayer and pad on top layer" on my PCB layout. Every pad is having this error, as well as a through hole component. When I click to "jump to" the violation... It goes to the corner of the board and just says there is a clearance violation.

Altium Designer

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0

KB: Collect additional data with PerfView to analyze an application issue

This article details the steps and settings to collect additional data for your support issue using Microsoft's PerfView tool.

Altium Designer

KB: Combine OrCAD Schematic Import and PADS/Allegro PCB import into single Project

[Why] Create a single project linking imported OrCAD Schematic Project and imported PADS/Allegro PCB Project [What] Place all imported files in one project folder along with *.prjpcb and add them all within the project opened [How] Copy the pcbdoc imported from PADS/Allegro to the project folder imported from OrCAD. WIth the project opened, right click in Projects panel and invoke 'Add Existing to Project...' to specify the pcbdoc.

Altium Designer

KB: Compare netlist generated from schematic to that transferred to PCB layout

[Why] Compare netlist generated from schematics to that transferred to PCB layout to verify the design [What] As a unified environment, Altium synchronizes schematic data with PCB layout behind the scene such that there is no exchange of intermediate netlist of text file form. [How] To compare the data between the project (schematics) and pcbdoc, invoke Project » Show Differences..., select pcbdoc and click OK.

Altium Designer

0

0

KB: Components not shown in MCAD Fusion 360 Personal

This version of Fusion 360 is for non-commercial use.

Altium Designer

KB: Configure and animate the bending of PCB that is flexible entirely

How make a PCB that is entirely Flex How to add bending lines onto a Flex design How do you animate a fully flex design I want to make a Flex design How do I configure my design to be flex How do I add split and bending lines Is it possible to make a fully flex design Where can I go to configure my bending lines How do I animate my flex design

Altium Designer

KB: Confirm subscription level to clarify features available

Depending on your level of subscription, features available both in Altium Designer client and A365 workspace to which you are connected vary.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Control appearance of lines connecting same net objects

[Why] Control appearance (visibility, color, behavior) of lines connecting same net objects in PCB [What] Connection lines between same net objects can be shown/hidden and can be colored differently also. [How] The connection lines can be shown/hidden statically from menu View » Connections or dynamically during component move command with keyboard shortcut 'N'. Visibility/colors on connection lines can be configured in View Configuration panel and possibly also in PCB panel on an individual net basis in Nets mode as a part of Net Color feature.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Control component parameter appearance in schematic

Location/font/size/color/visibility of Comment, Designator, as well as other component parameters can be configured at the time of component creation in a library or A365 workspace.

A365

KB: Control permissions on lifecycle transition of managed objects in Altium 365

[Why] Control permissions on lifecycle transition of managed objects in Altium 365 [What] Lifecycle definition and permissions to allow users/group to transition is available with Pro/Enterprise subscription levels. With Enterprise level, an additional option to control the workflow with approval is possible. [How] In Altium Designer, Preferences Data Management - Servers, click on Properties » Lifecycles..., and right-click on the transition to be modified and Edit. On web browser, the same is achieved by signing into 365.altium.com, click to open Admin - Settings - Lifecycle Definitions, and double-click on the transition.

Altium Designer

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KB: Convert a Fill or Region into a Polygon

When I try to create a polygon from the outline of overlapping shapes using Fills and Regions it does not work.  When I try to run the command it tells me it cannot find an enclosed shape (Tracks, Arcs, Full Circle) and when I click YES nothing happens.  How can I get this to work?

Altium Designer

1

KB: Convert Gerber/ ODB++ fabrication data back to PCB

Converting Gerber/ODB++ fabrication data back to *.Pcbdoc (in other words, reverse engineering the board design data into Altium) involves reading corresponding fabrication data files into CAMtastic, configuring layer stack and drill pairs, extracting netlist, and finally exporting to PCB editor.

Altium Designer

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8

KB: Convert P-CAD file to Altium

When trying to import a P-CAD PCB file using the Import Wizard, I get a "file not recognized" message.

Altium Designer

KB: Convert Plated via Backdrills to Non-Plated in ODB++ output

Exporting ODB++, as of AD20.1.7, the exported backdrills are incorrectly set as VIAs which are plated. This shows how to modify the output to set the vias as NON-PLATED

Altium Designer

KB: Copy and paste a component from/to a library

Symbols or footprints can be copied and pasted from one file-based schematic or footprint library to another library, including all properties. Components placed in the schematic or PCB editor or components found in the Manufacturer Part Search panel can also be copied to libraries.

Altium Designer

KB: Copy Circuit Selection From One Project to Another

What is the best method if I want to transfer a section of a schematic circuit and the associated layout from an existing project to another project?

Altium Designer

KB: Copy Multiline text to a string

When copying multiple lines of text from a PDF document to paste into a single string, only the first line will paste.

A365

KB: Create and add templates referenced by projects managed in A365 workspace

[Why] Create and add templates referenced by projects managed in A365 workspace [What] New template can be created afresh or existing local template can be migrated to A365 workspace in Preferences, Data Management » Templates or in Explorer panel, Managed Content » Templates [How] While connected to A365 workspace, in Preferences, Data Management » Templates, with Templates tab active, select template type from Add pulldown button to create afresh or load from file. Similarly, in Explorer panel, Managed Content » Templates, select template type and in the right pane, right-click to either Create New or Upload

Altium Designer

2

KB: Custom pad shape

Custom Pad Creation instructions, as well as explanation of single schematic pin assigning net to multiple PCB Pads with same designator

A365

KB: Decipher A365 workspace items with prefix ID of BLI

Your Altium 365 workspace might contain some so-called BLI ( Bom Line Items), which are created when a design is uploaded that uses components which are not managed in the same workspace.

Altium Designer

KB: Decipher beige color marker on PCB

The default beige color marker/icon/symbol on PCB are Design Rule Check marker indicating some violation on rules/constraints set forth on a given design file that need to be resolved one by one.

Altium Designer

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128

KB: Default grid unit and Comment/Designator visibility in Schlib

How can I change the grid from mil to mm or set my designator to visible in a Schematic Library

Altium Designer

4

KB: Define single layer stackup

This article covers how to define a single layer board such as of a single-sided flex cable. You may notice that In the Layer Stack Manager, excessive copper layer cannot be deleted. It is possible to invoke Design » Layer Stack Manager and Tools » Features » Rigid/Flex (Advanced), shift-select layers from the top down to the core dielectric (not including bottom copper layer), drag them to right to introduce another substack, and back in the main pcb editor, assign this substack in Board Planning Mode (keyboard shortcut '1') to the board region.

A365

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3

KB: Delete an Altium 365 Workspace or change its ownership

If an Altium 365 workspace is no longer in use and/or it is preventing the current owner from joining another organization/account, the workspace can be deactivated either by the owner or the Group Administrator of the organization on the workspace tab of their profile page (or company dashboard) or its ownership can be changed to another active user by a Group Administrator from the company dashboard.

A365

KB: Delete items from Altium 365 Workspace permanently

[Why] Delete an item from Altium 365 Workspace permanently [What] Delete Item command in Explorer panel is a soft delete which moves the item to Trash. From here, the item can be deleted permanently, granted there is no parent items referring it [How] Access your workspace at 365.altium.com, click on Trash to open its pane, select the item and hit 'Permanently Delete' button

Altium Designer

2

KB: Deploy Altium installation silently on multiple machines

[Why] Deploy Altium installation silently on multiple machines [What] The Altium Designer Installer accepts a limited number of command line parameters which (for example) could be used to allow the initiation of a silent install [How] AltiumDesignerXXSetup.exe -Programs:"C:\Program Files\Altium\ADXX" -Documents:"C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium\ADXX" -UI:None -AutoInstall -InstallAll -User:"firstname.surname@domain.part.region" -Password:"password"

Altium Designer

KB: Deposit copper thieving pattern to achieve uniform plating distribution

Copper thieving may be requrired or desired on the outermost layers to achieve uniform plating distribution by a fabricator. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward command/feature in one go to achieve copper theving currently, but there is a workaround identified to leverage Via Stitching feature to realize a thieving pattern.

Altium Designer

KB: Design Item IDs are reset and lost on update or placement from Schematic Library

Every time I update the schematic symbols, the Design Item IDs of some schematic symbols are reset. The same happens when I place these components from the components panel for components of Schematic (*.SchLib) and Integrated Libraries (*.IntLib).

Altium Designer

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14

KB: Disable or customize Active Bar

The Active Bar can be disabled or customized.

Altium Designer

KB: Display 3D view of a Cavity in PCB

I would like to display my component in 3D while it is placed within a cavity, is this possible?

Altium Designer

2

KB: Display silkscreen in SOLIDWORKS

ECAD / MCAD CoDesigner transfer is not showing silkscreen in SOLIDWORKS. Sometimes the decals that represent copper and silkscreen and solder mask are not shown in SW 2019+ because of problems with the rendering on some video cards. The solution can be to change this flag in SOLIDWORKS preferences.

Altium Designer

1

0

KB: Display version or revision on SCH, PCB, Draftsman documents

There are multiple ways for slightly varying objectives to display the version or revision on a document, prescribed as a parameter so it can be identified and traced back upon opening or printed out

Altium Designer

KB: Draftsman Drill Table Plated Column is in Russian

It appears that the Plating column data in Draftsman Drill Table objects only displays in Russian - I cannot find a language setting somewhere to modify the language of the information in this column.

Altium Designer

KB: Draw dashed or dotted line as silkscreen

As there is no line style attribute or line/arc primitives to draw dashed line as silkscreen for reference such as of component outline on the other side of board. Paste Special command can be used to paste the array of same primitives or alternatively represent with a text string of a series of punctuation characters such as hyphen '-', underscore '_', period '.', and bullet '·'.

Altium Designer

KB: DRC not catching unconnected nets

I have a PCB design in which the DRC doesn't catch unconnected nets, although the check is enabled in the design rules.

Altium Designer

KB: DRC violation for the Footprint via and copper objects in the PCB

We have added a Thermal via and Custom copper shape for the pads to the footprint. But once we place those footprints in the PCB, we get a DRC violation for those objects. How can we resolve the violations?

Altium Designer

5

182

KB: Duplicate Net Names error on Multi-Channel buses

[Error] TopSheet.SchDoc Compiler Duplicate Net Names Bus Slice - I am receiving this error on the buses from my multi-channel sheet, and my buses do not look like they are properly connecting in the netlist. The buses look to be properly formed. How do I fix this Duplicate Net Name on Multichannel design error?

Altium Designer

0

3

KB: ECAD-MCAD model not properly imported warning

Transfering to MCAD domain, a message indicating there is a problem with 3D model and it will be substitute with simple geometry.

Altium Designer

KB: Edit a script to accommodate the latest changes in Altium API

Due to progressive updates to the Altium Designer API, and therefore the scripting system Interfaces and their methods and properties, some legacy script examples may not work as originally intended, such that some edit on those need to be made to have them work in the latest Altium Designer.

Altium Designer

8

25

KB: Edit Bending or Split lines or select board region

How do I add and modify a bending line to my Rigid Flex design?

Altium Designer

17

35

KB: Edit board shape

How to edit the board shape.

A365

KB: Edit Name or Description of items managed in A365 workspace

[Why] Edit Name or Description of items managed in A365 workspace [What] A popup dialog is presented with Right-click 'Properities...' on an item managed in A365 workspace in Explorer panel such as component and template. Title and Description fields here are read-only as the item has been already released in the version control. To modify them, you will need to go through another release. [How] Right-click and 'Edit..., make necessary changes, and Save to Server (Ctrl+Alt+S)

Altium Designer

1

30

KB: Edit Net Name on wire

This article describes how to assign a net to a wire

Altium Designer

1

KB: Edit primitives locked in schematic template such as of title block

[Why] Edit primitives locked in schematic template such as in title block [What] If you have some primitives in a sheet that you cannot edit, it is most likely because it belongs to another sheet template, where you would need to edit them. [How] You can locate the template used for the current sheet in Properties panel, on General tab, under Page Options section. What is the trick to enable complete editing of a schematic template document? Whether I load a .SchDot document or rename it to .SchDoc, the title block and parameters remain completely unselectable and uneditable.

Altium Designer

KB: Enable a license to be used after software installation

[Why] Enable a license, so the software can be put to use [What] Grab a seat from a pool of license allocated by your group administrator [How] Open the License Management page in Altium Designer (Current User Control button > Licenses) where you will log in with your AltiumLive credentials, or connect to your private license server, select a license with available seats and click the "Use", "Activate", or "Roam" buttons.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Enable mirroring Gerber layers

In the previous versions, there was an option to mirror Gerber outputs which I cannot find with the latest versions.

Altium Designer

1

2

KB: Error - Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library

I'm getting the error: Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Export copper in MCAD

I can only see the bare board and components. How can I see the copper traces in SOLIDWORKS MCAD?

Altium Designer

0

0

KB: Extract impedance of routed copper traces

Piecewise ohmic DC resistance of each copper track/arc/via primitive is calculated using IPC2221 formula starting in AD22.8, while capacitance/inductance can be computed by setting up impedance profile(s) in Layer Stack Manager.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Fail to commit to SVN repo possibly due to file locking

[Why] Fail to commit to SVN repo possibly due to file locking [What] Commit fails with an error - Commit failed - Previous operation has not finished; run 'cleanup' if it was interrupted. [How] Run "C:\Program Files\Altium\[version]\Subversion Client\SVN cleanup"

Altium Designer

KB: Fail to install possibly due to lack of admin privilege or virus protection software

Installer may fail to access particular folder path and registry and throwing error such as 'Failed to Create Key' or 'System Error' due to lack of admin privilege or virus protection software.

Altium Designer

12

35

KB: Fail to launch Altium with no error message

There are multiple circumstances where Altium can fail to launch possibly even with no error message.

Altium Designer

KB: Fail to use evaluation license with a dialog "You can use this license only on a single PC"

[Why] In an attempt to use a trial version of Altium (Evaluation License), a dialog pops up with the title bar of "Warning License Renewal Failed", and the message, "You can use this license only on a single PC". [What] The evaluation licenses that are provided by automation are "node locked" and can only be used on one machine, tied to the MAC address of its network adapter. [How] Contact account manager to have an evaluation license manually placed into your organization (after explaining the situation). Alternatively, the account manager can ask Operations to change the license type from "On-Demand Evaluation" to "On-Demand".

Altium Designer

KB: Filter Database 'value' Parameter in Components Panel

Using a Database Library with Microsoft Excel, formatting in the Excel file can cause the filter to not work correctly when read by Altium Designer. For example, setting the filter to "greater than or equal to #" does not filter correctly. We will look at how to format the column in the Excel database so it can be processed correctly.

Altium Designer

3

KB: Freezing or long delays

This article covers troubleshooting for the cause, when you experience freezing or long delays and Altium Designer hangs. This is usually the result of a communications issue with network traffic. Altium may be making a network request for which it never gets an answer or something is causing a delay.

Altium Designer

6

51

KB: General Slowness

Here is a long list of things that may help you track down an underlying cause.

Altium Designer

4

20

KB: Generate IPC-D-356A document and compare to extracted netlist

I am trying to export an IPC-356 file from the Altium CAM editor. I am receiving the following error Cannot Open File for Netlist Output!

Altium Designer

KB: Get Viewer license

Obtaining and using Viewer license is convenient for the purpose of read-only tasks strictly so as not to take up a full license seat from the organization's pool.

Altium Designer

KB: Getting a Validation Error on Project Schematics

When validating schematics in a Project, various messages can be generated by the compiler. Please review the list of messages provided here for more information

A365

KB: Graphics Support in Altium 365 Web Viewer Interface

This knowledge article details the limited support of graphics in Altium 365's web-browser interface.

Altium Designer

KB: Have min/max/close window buttons on the title bar at the top-right shown as icon rather than text characters

Minimize, maximize, and close window buttons can be displayed as characters '0', '2', and 'r' respectively, and this behavior of title bar buttons shown as text characters is attributed to the Windows environmental option "Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support".

Altium Designer

KB: Hide Draftsman designators

Quickly disable / enable display of component designators in Assembly view.

Altium Designer

KB: Hide old expired licenses

To hide old expired licenses to unclutter and avoid confusion in License Management page of Altium Designer client, Group Administrator can remove the allocation of expired licenses in Dashboard of the organization.

Altium Designer

KB: Hide/unhide supplementary text information of component in pcb

[Why] Hide/unhide supplementary text information of component in pcb such as extra designator [What] Text attribute of a component can be instantiated in a form of Special String within the corresponding footprint, typically in one of mechanical layers, which then can be set to be shown/hidden in View Configuration panel when the footprint is placed in PCB [How] Text attribute can be defined on component/footprint-level when editing the footprint in Properties panel, on Footprint tab, Parameters section. Once defined, its Special string can be placed by Place » Text on any layer, typically one of mechanical layers. When the created footprint is placed on PCB, the Special Strings overlay can be shown/hidden within the View Configuration panel: switch to View Options Tab and, under Additional Options, toggle the visibility of Special Strings.

Altium Designer

KB: How can I copy everything to a new PCB

I suspect some sort of corruption with my PCB. I want to try copying as much as I can from my current PCB to a new "clean" one. I read that this might resolve my issue with "undo not working" in one particular PCB.

Altium Designer

1

1

KB: How do I enable pin mapping

To enable pin mapping for components, a workspace administrator needs to enable the setting from the workspace via a web browser.

Altium Designer

KB: How to Create a polygon from DXF outline

How to create polygon from the DXF outline

Altium Designer

KB: How to create an area on the PCB where component footprint placement is restricted based upon footprint height

When there is a requirement to define an area on the PCB where component footprint placement is restricted based upon the footprint's height. This can be achieved by defining the height properties for a PCB component footprint, and then defining a target area in the PCB document using a room definition (design rule), and then using a height design rule scoped for within room (room definition). The design rule check system will then report violations when a component footprint's height exceeds rule limits when within that defined area on the PCB.

A365

KB: How to edit components in Altium 365

Working with and editing managed components in Altium 365

Altium Designer

KB: How to update the page properties of all the draftsman sheets at the same time

In Schematic we can update the Sheet template for all the schematic sheets in single shot, is there a similar option for updating all the draftsman sheet templates in single shot?

A365

KB: How-To A365 Workspace Members Bulk Addition and Deletion of Users

If there is a requirement to add multiple users to an Altium 365 workspace Workspace Members list, this can be done using a suitably formatted list of email addresses. If there is a requirement to remove multiple users from an Altium 365 workspace Workspace Members list, this is not possible, users must be removed manually and one at a time. There may be a small subset of contexts where bulk removal of users can be done by deactivating (deleting) a workspace, and then creating (activating) a new one.

Altium Designer

KB: How-To Determine the entitled version of Altium Designer for a license

If an Altium Designer license is no longer under subscription, then the entitled version needs to be determined in order to ascertain which version can be installed and licensed for use.

Altium Designer

KB: How-To determine the scale units of a DXF-DWG file

The PCB import of a provided DXF/DWG file resulted in the wrong PCB document primitive dimensions (due to the scaling settings used). How can the provided DXF/DWG file scale units be determined in order to set the proper Import from AutoCAD scale value?

Altium Designer

1

KB: Import a mechanical outline to PCB

Our mechanical engineer has created a PCB board outline complete with hole sizes & dimensions, and has sent it in 3D step file format. How to create a board shape from this file and other mechanical file types.

Altium Designer

2

KB: Import Allegro files to Altium

[Why] Import Allegro files to Altium [What] To import the files, Altium Designer ultimately needs the ASCII versions. Binary versions need to go through a conversion process that  requires a local installation of extracta.exe that is installed as part of Allegro to convert the *.brd file to the Allegro ASCII *.alg file that Altium needs for the import. [How] use extracta.exe to convert binary *.brd to ASCII *.alg. File » Import Wizard and select 'Allegro Design Files' to convert to Altium *.pcbdoc

A365

KB: Import file-based library components to A365 workspace

[Why] Import file-based library components to A365 workspace [What] Use Library Importer to migrate file-based library components to A365 workspace [How] Invoke File » Library Importer

Altium Designer

74

42

KB: Import or export Design Rules

How to import and/or export design rules?

Altium Designer

KB: Improve precision of polygon clearance to more decimal places

Polygon clearance to object is destined to contain a slight deviation from the value specified in a clearance rule, and this deviation depends on Arc Approximation attribute of the polygon.

Altium Designer

KB: Increase the quality of the decals in SOLIDWORKS MCAD

This article has some options that can affect the quality of decals.

Altium Designer

23

36

KB: Indicate visual cues at the coordinate limit of PCB design space beyond which objects should not be placed

[Why] Objects cannot be moved (or selected by mouse if already placed, say, from mechanical dxf import) at some extreme coordinates beyond PCB design space limit [What] The PCB design space is bounded to the coordinates between (0,0) and (100000mil,100000mil) or 100x100 inches or 2540x2540 mm. No objects are allowed beyond this bounding box. [How] Placing a horizontal/vertical guides (yellow line) through the absolute origin would serve as visual cues thereafter indicating anything to the bottom/left of these guide lines need to be moved upward or to the right. Since you will not be able to select these objects already outside the limit merely by a mouse click, you will have to use PCB List panel to locate them and type valid positive coordinates.

Altium Designer

1

5

KB: Install Altium on machines without internet or behind firewall and update notification turned off

Altium can be Installed/updated on machines without internet, behind firewall, or some inadvertent network blockage, by requesting and downloading an independent offline installer elsewhere and copying, unzipping and executing it locally.

Altium Designer

1

4

KB: Layer Stack Table missing some layers or column

You may come across some issue when placing, say, Layer Stack Table, in your *.PcbDoc for your documentation purpose, as it may not support all newly added elements, such as Surface Finish layer. Altium considers the legacy method to be somewhat obsolete and instead would like to direct you to Draftsman for this purpose.

Altium Designer

0

0

KB: Legacy Private License Server using up the system resources

This article discusses high resource usage by the legacy Private License Server (PLS.)

A365

KB: Lost Connection to Altium 365 While Working

It is possible that connection may be lost to the Altium 365 platform while working due to a number of reasons; ie. service provider outage, server outage, temporary disconnects. This Article discusses how this is handled from the server perspective.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Map Spice model pins to schematic symbol to avoid unexpected simulation result

While it is vital that all components in the design to have Spice models linked, it is even more critical that those linked models have pins mapped correctly with the corresponding schematic symbols, as there is no automated means for compiler to identify such pin mapping mismatch and can outputs result that is unexpected with no explict error.

Altium Designer

1

7

KB: MCAD CoDesigner panel is not visible in Creo

There are different resolutions based on whether the add-in is loaded, failed to initialize, or is hidden in the User Interface.

Altium Designer

0

2

KB: MCAD CoDesigner used with Solidworks Product Data Management

This article has some guidance for when SOLIDWORKS is used with SOLIDWORKS Product Data Management

Altium Designer

KB: Monitor license seat usage

An administrator can access the organization's Dashboard to check both real-time and historical license usage of on-demand license (or access AIS/AES in case of private server license type) to monitor appropriate usage frequency and duration.

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Multiple Server CAL checkout

Signing into Concord Pro or NEXUS Server, duplicate checkouts per user are happening.

Altium Designer

4

24

KB: Multiple/different designators in schematic

This article summarizes how to remove board annotation if it was accidentally added to your project, or if it is no longer wanted.

Altium Designer

2

1

KB: Nothing happens when trying to use a license

I can't use a license. I click on a license, then click the use control below, or right-click on the license and choose "use" but nothing happens.

Altium Designer

KB: Number Sheets in Multi-channel

What are the steps and requirements to number my sheets in a multi-channel design?

Altium Designer

KB: Open *.DRL file in Altium

*.DRL generated by the CAM Editor is in ASCII Format and readable. The best practice is to always provide your Fabricator with the .TXT generated from the PCB Editor, and ignore the *.DRL generated by the PCB Editor.

Altium Designer

KB: Organize components in folders by type in Explorer panel to maintain a coherent view

[Why] Organize components in folders by type in Explorer panel to maintain a coherent view as Components panel and A365 web interface [What] The Components panel as well as web view of A365 workspace shows component grouping derived from the Component Types, not the folder structure of the connected server, which you may have setup in Explorer panel. [How] The mapping between "type" and "folder" can be done in Explorer panel, right-click on the corresponding folder, 'Propoerties', and in the Edit Folder dialog, there is a pulldown selector on Component Type (for Standard) and on Component Template of the Type (for Pro/Enterprise).

A365

1

KB: Owning More Than One Workspace

By default, an organization can only have one workspace.

Altium Designer

KB: Parameterize values of circuit elements with formula in mixed-signal simulation

Values of circuit elements such as resistance can be expressed as a formula referencing other parameters in Text Frame object in mixed-signal simulation schematic.

Altium Designer

KB: PCB Panel Selection and Highlight Controls

When objects are selected in the Primitives list in the PCB panel, the behavior in the editor may not be as expected. This article reviews settings that can change behavior such as Dim / Normal / Mask, Clear Existing, and Zoom etc. and whether objects get selected in the document design editor workspace window when they are selected in the PCB panel lists.

Altium Designer

KB: Perform a thorough uninstall manually in the event of uninstaller failing

[Why] Sometimes the operating system doesn't fully uninstall a software program, possibly due to lack of administrator privilege [What] If the uninstaller through Windows 'Add or remove programs' does not execute, manual removal of folders and registries may be needed as a last resort. [How] Try a clean boot of the PC before attempting uninstallation, use a Windows user account that has (full) administrator privileges, go to Windows Control Panel ► Administrative Tools ► Event Viewer - check the Summary of Administrative Events section for items in the last hour, try Troubleshooter from Microsoft at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17588/windows-fix-problems-that-block-programs-being-installed-or-removed , or try a manual removal by deleting folders and registry entries.

Altium Designer

3

KB: Place a logo/graphic into a PCB

How to place your company logo or any Graphic object ( a non-electrical primitive that can be placed on a PCB and PCB Library document and populated with a standard image file (*.png, *.jpg, *.bmp, *.svg.).) into your PCB document.

Altium Designer

KB: Position 3D Body model precisely in PCB footprint library

Positioning a 3D model precisely with respect to the rest of a footprint in a PCB library requires several steps of: specifying Step model to place 3D Body, orienting 3D Model in 3D view for alignment, aligning the bottom surface of Step model with the top surface of the PCB, creating a snap point in the center of pin for precise pin to hole alignment, and aligning Pin to Hole using Snap Point in 2D

Altium Designer

2

KB: Pour polygon to connect the same net copper objects inside the outline

Polygon won't pour to connect the same net copper objects inside the outline There can be several factors that can prevent polygon pour from establishing connection with the same net copper objects, such as: incorrect Net Options and Polygon Fill Mode attributes, Polygon Rebuild option in Preferences, incorrect or incomplete Layer stack definition/assignment, incorrect Pour Order among multiple overlapping polygons, Electrical Clearance rule set with excessive value, Polygon Connect Style set to 'No Connect', and/or hidden Text object on the same signal layer Review each of the above, and if all else fails, start stripping the design to a simpler form (after you make a copy) to narrow down on the culprit.

Altium Designer

6

71

KB: Power Port reduced to local level warning

I get a warning when I compile my project schematics: "Global Power-Object ... has been reduced to local level by presence of port at ..." It is a Warning in the Message panel after validating the project.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Prevent Background Turning Dark when Placing Track

Pressing P, T to place track. Once a net is clicked on to route, the background turns dark. This is a problem because I am now routing my board blind. Can't find the setting to fix this

Altium Designer

KB: Prevent board redraw when ECAD to MCAD transfer

This article describes why a transfer from ECAD to MCAD redraws board shape and loses board constraints.

Altium Designer

KB: Prevent multiple license seats being used on one installation instance

[Why] Prevent multiple license seats being used on one installation instance [What] The License Management tab may show more than one license seat being used. If not explicitly by inadvertent user operation, it may be due to Automatic Leasing setup of License Allocation in Dashboard. [How] First, make sure you have no other Altium Designer instance opened either in a different machine or in the same machine. Also, the problem may be attributed to having multiple network adapters active which should be disabled if unused. Try releasing all license seats used, close Altium and then re-open to see if that resolve the issue. Have your group admin revisit Licese Allocation as a preventive measure.

Altium Designer

KB: Prevent pop-up dialog of Sign in to server on startup

The Sign in popup of custom connection is presented if you are explicitly trying to connect to the on-prem local server workspace or opening a project associated to such workspace once before.

Altium Designer

KB: Prevent the 1 in front of my schematic sheet name

There is a [1] in front of my schematic sheet name in the Projects panel. How do I get the normal filename back?

Altium Designer

KB: Prevent unexpected layout, routing, or patterning by configuring design rules with priority

PCB layout/routing/pattern/pour/connection can be unexpected or unintended with no DRC violation flagged, if design rules are not enabled and setup properly with priority.

Altium Designer

KB: Print Variant in Schematic from Output Job

Variants Not showing on the schematic prints when generated through output job.

Altium Designer

KB: Q shortcut is not working in schematic

How to use the Q shortcut for the Schematic editor like how it works for the PCB document.

Altium Designer

2

KB: Re-acquire a license seat revoked due to no activity with unsaved work

User can lose the connection to Altium license server or on-prem private server (Altium Enterprise Server/Altium Concord Pro Server/Altium Infrastructurer Server) due to no activity or sleep/hibernated system for a long duration. Upon waking up, a popup message “License Issue” (Your editing and saving capabilities are unavailable due to an insufficient license) implies that the previously acquired license seat is lost preventing to perform a save action on prior work. In case of on-prem server, the license management window will show the Server connection but Licenses are unavailable

A365

KB: Re-add a project under A365 version control cleanly

[Why] Re-add a project under A365 version control cleanly, such as those once deleted from A365, brought from external VCS, added to A365 without version control enabled, etc. [What] For a project that was managed under version control once, the corresponding local repository of the same project may still contains links to the deleted master server repository (e.g. .git folder). It need to be de-coupled first, so the project can be committed and pushed again as a fresh project. [How] Use Project Packager to create an independent copy of the project. Unzip and open it as an unmanaged project, after which right-click 'Make Project Available Online..' option to add the project under A365 version control. Version Control option needs to be ticked in the dialog to have the project under built-in VCS (git).

A365

1

KB: Recall or roll back a revision of project already released to manufacture in A365

[Why] Recall or roll back a release of manufacture server items in A365 [What] A managed project's Manufacture section contains Project Releases of various outputs configured from the Project's output job files that can be shared to any user's email address, both inside and outside of the company/organization. For this reason, they are frozen at the instance of a release as server items under revision control system in the workspace, and the revisions cannot be altered or removed thereafter. [How] If adjustments need to be made, say, to the revision's naming scheme or lifecycle definition assignment, you will need to release the project as a new server item package. With subscription level of Pro or Enterprise, there is an option to hide those revisions by changing its lifecycle.

Altium Designer

KB: Receiving Error code 68

I'm getting one of these errors when starting Altium Designer: Exception loading Wpf UI Error initializing licensing service Error code 68

Altium Designer

1

1

KB: Recess copper away on power plane layer

[Why] Recess copper away on power plane layer from board edge/cutout and via/pad [What] The pullback from the board edge/cutout is setup in Layer Stack Manager. Clearance with respect to vias and throughhole pads are governed by a rule Plane » Power Plane Clearance [How] Invoke Design » Layer Stack Manager, select the plane layer, and edit its Pullback distance in Properties panel. Invoke Design » Rules..., expand Design Rules » Plane » Power Plane Clearance, select the catch-all default 'PlaneClearance' to modify or right-click 'New Rule...' to add an additional overriding rule

Altium Designer

KB: Reduce repetitive documentation tasks with parameterized project template

[Why] Reduce repetitive documentation tasks with parameterized project template [What] Parameters can be defined and instantiated as text string objects within various document types of a project. This parameter indirection goes by the name of Special String. Each of these documents, templates on its own, can be managed as one project template in its entirety to be re-used across all projects down the road. [How] User-defined parameters can be specified at multi-level with priority to resolve any contention. Once parameters defined, the corresponding Special Strings can be placed as text objects (Place » Text String) with prefix prescribed in each domain (e.g. '=' in schematics and '.' in pcb). Pre-defined Special Strings also vary across different domains. How some parameters are resolved depends on or limited by external factors and the state of project.

Altium Designer

4

5

KB: Release not available

"Release not available: Project is not registerd [sic] in PLM" may show up when using Project Releaser, if you have a PLM extension installed.

Altium Designer

KB: Remove a line item from BOM for a component not subject to procurement

Those components not subject to procurement such as testpoints can be made to not show up as a line item in BOM, ActiveBOM or Draftsman, in the first place.

Altium Designer

2

2

KB: Remove Managed Servers from Environment

How to remove previously connected managed servers from Altium? Even when signed out, the managed servers that were previously connected to would appear in the account drop down menu.

Altium Designer

KB: Remove Off Sheet Schematic Component

There's a component outside of my sheet area and I cannot select or delete it. How to remove the component or get it back onto the sheet?

Altium Designer

11

20

KB: Remove Solder Mask and Paste Mask from PCB Pads

How to remove the Solder Mask / Paste Mask from a Pad

A365

KB: Rename a Managed Project and the local copy

This knowledge article describes how a project owner can rename an existing managed project, and how to propagate the same project name when opening the project again in Altium Designer.

A365

0

0

KB: Rename Altium 365 Workspace

If you don't like the default name given to your Altium 365 Workspace or your organization has more than one Workspace, or you want the name to better reflect it's function in your organization, the name can be changed.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Rename Output Items for a Renamed Managed Project

We would like to rename an existing project. We manage to do this by right-click on project name, rename. Trying to release it would generate output files using the old project name. How to change that?

Altium Designer

KB: Request to become an admin

The current administrators in your organization can add a user to Group Administrators to manage users and licenses.

Altium Designer

17

52

KB: Reset the Altium Designer configuration to the installation defaults

Reset the configuration of Altium Designer.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Reset/Change Password

[Why] reset the forgotten password or change it for security reason [What] Request to have the password reset upon which confirmation mail is sent to the user with a link to setup with a new password, or if the current password is known, change password after sign-in. [How] Go to https://live.altium.com/signin, enter the registered email ID and select 'Forgot Password?' option to receive a confirmation mail with a link. If the current password is known, sign-in at https://accounts.live.altium.com/, and then select the Change Password option in the top right.

Altium Designer

8

19

KB: Resolve "An error exists on this page" on PDF output

After creating a PDF via Output Job or Smart PDF creation, the Adobe Acrobat Reader throws the following error while opening the file: "An error exists on this page. Acrobat may not display the page correctly. Please contact the person who created the pdf to correct the problem" German version: Fehler auf dieser Seite. Die Seite wird unter Umständen nicht richtig in Acrobat angezeigt. Wenden Sie sich and den Ersteller des PDF-Dokuments, um das Problem zu beheben.

Altium Designer

KB: Resolve component position offset in ODB++ files

I am importing ODB++ files into a fabrication house software MacroFab. Every time the component placement file comes in, it's position is offset from the actual board origin in the Gerber files. How do I make the component placement files match the PCB 0,0 origin when importing into MacroFab software.

Altium Designer

KB: Resolve Duplicate Nets error in hierarchical design

In a hierarchical design with the Net Identifier scope set to 'Hierarchical'. Two sub sheets have duplicate net names. These are local to each sheet. I am getting a Duplicate Net Names error.

A365

4

4

KB: Resolve error "You do not have a valid subscription for Altium Designer" when connecting A365 workspace

I'm getting this error message: You do not have a valid subscription for Altium Designer (Expired at 1-Jan-2000). Subscription is required for Altium Designer to work with an Altium 365 Workspace."

A365

KB: Resolve ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS connecting to Workspace

Getting a message that "This Page isn't Working" and the page "redirected you too many times." ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS (Too many redirects)

Altium Designer

1

KB: Resolve issues attributed by Unions

When I move or drag a component other components move with it. Also covers an error about a name already exists, and "This object is part of a locked union. Continue?"

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Resolve issues that were induced after on-premise server update and data migration

After updating an On-Prem server you may experience some of these issues: The "500 Internal Server Error" error message. Component cannot be released. Health monitor may show index errors. Re-indexing likely will resolve these issues. This article tells you how.

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Resolve issues that were induced after on-premise server updates and data migrations

After updating an On-Prem server you may experience some of these issues: The "500 Internal Server Error" error message. Component cannot be released. Health monitor may show index errors. Re-indexing likely will resolve these issues. This article tells you how.

Altium Designer

KB: Resolve popup error dialog of "Could not decompress the image..." and "Runtime error 216"

Popup error dialog of "Could not decompress the image..." and "Runtime error 216" has been traced to be caused by a couple of different and indefinite sources.

Altium Designer

KB: Resolving 'Invalid Character Found in Text Content' Error During Project Release in Altium Designer

There is an error "An Invalid character was found in text content at 000...." While generating the Different Report through Project releaser or Output job,

Altium Designer

KB: Resolving SVN Repository Creation Error in Altium Designer

Creating an SVN repository in Altium Designer may occasionally result in an error indicating "Value cannot be null." The parameter name is "repositoryPath". This article seeks to clarify the root cause of this error and provide a clear solution to users who are experiencing this issue, ensuring a smooth setup for version control within Altium Designer.

Altium Designer

KB: Restore heads up display

Sometimes, the heads up display in Pcb View is not shown. Why? How can I bring it back?

Altium Designer

KB: Restore Status Bar at bottom edge

I regularly rely on the XY location shown in the bottom left corner of the window frame as well as the hints and other messages that appear along the bottom of the window frame. For some reason, these are missing now. How do I get them back?

A365

KB: Revert a managed server items to a previous revision in A365

Managed projects, components, templates, and other items can be reverted to any previous revision committed through History page from Explorer panel, by selecting the revision to be reverted to and re-saving as the head.

Altium Designer

KB: Roam (check out) a license for offline use

When roaming, a seat of a license is acquired for a specified time. You do not need to remain signed-in to your account to use the license in this mode. You can sign out and work offline, in essence roaming freely with your license seat. This can be done with an On-Demand or Private Server licenses (not available if you are using the legacy Private License Server (PLS)

Altium Designer

KB: Rollback entire SVN Repository

When there is an issue with the current revision of the repository, there is a method on how to rollback to a previous revision.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Route traces between flex and rigid regions

[Why] Cannot route traces between flex and rigid regions as something is blocking at the boundary [What] The most probable cause is Board Outline Clearance rule with a Split Continuation value set to non-zero value, which is causing the split line to be treated as an obstacle. [How] Design ► Rules, then, in the left pane, expand Design Rules ► Manufacturing ► Board Outline Clearance ► BoardOutlineClearance, and set "0" along the (bottom) row Split Continuation for the Track column

Altium Designer

1

1

KB: Run Altium on non-Windows platform

Our system requirement is caputured in our manual https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/system-requirements. While Altium Designer is validated to be run on Windows system strictly and formally, the best chance you have on Mac may be to run Windows by dual booting (Intel-based) or on top of some virtualization such as Parallels. Please consult other users running Mac/Linux in Forum at https://forum.live.altium.com/#/

Altium Designer

KB: Run mixed-signal simulation off of netlist generated externally to compare the results from other engines directly

Mixed-signal simulation netlist generated externally (save as a text file with *.nsx file extension) can be opened in Altium as a standalone document to run simulation off of it directly to compare/verify the output of Altium simulation engine and to rule out possible issues with schematic capture and model linking in Altium.

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Safeguard against unexpected errors/glitches during on-premise server upgrade

[Why] Safeguard against unexpected errors/glitches during on-premise server upgrade [What] Backup the snapshot of the production server running currently, restore it onto a test server to make sure everything works as expected, invoke the installer on the production server for whatever version to be upgraded to, say, when you have been using Vault and want to upgrade to Concord Pro or Altium Enterprise Server. [How] Run avbackup.exe first to backup/restore the current snapshot as detailed in https://www.altium.com/documentation/enterprise-server/backing-up-restoring, and download/run an installer of the version you need to upgrade to, upon which the current installed version is recognized automatically to carry on with the upgrade.

Altium Designer

KB: Save project back to server after external changes

I have a project that is stored on our server. I packaged it into a .zip file, and sent it out for edits. How do I replace the files in the managed content server (Workspace, Concord Pro, NEXUS, Vault)?

Altium Designer

KB: Scale schematic symbols to align on the preferred grid size in one go

While the de facto standard of grid size of a schematic symbol in Altium is 100mil, such as those available from Manufacturer Part Search, there may be a library out there in which other grid size, say, in metric, is applied. It is highly desirable to scale those component symbols upfront within the library prior to placing them in 100 mil grid schematic sheet, so as to avoid off-grid errors inducing incomplete pin-to-wire connection.

Altium Designer

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2

KB: Search Paths tab missing in Project Options

If you are used to using the Search Paths tab from previous versions, this article explains how you can bring it back.

Altium Designer

KB: Search text in PDF from PCB not found

This article covers when no results are found when searching on strings in the PDF created from a PCB.

Altium Designer

KB: Select multiple Designators

This article describes different methods to select multiple Designators in a PCB.

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

0

8

KB: Server License Not Set or All CALs in use

If you didn't get a chance to refresh the license for your on-site managed content server before it expired, you may see this error message when trying to sign in from a remote web browser. You can also use the method described in this article to log into your server when all the Client Access Licenses (CALs) are already in use.

Altium Designer

KB: Set clearance on copper primitives against board edges

[Why] Set clearance on copper primitives against board edges [What] Either enable a Board Outline Clearance rule on Outline Edges or apply a Electrical Clearance rule on Holes around the board edges [How] Invoke the menu item Design » Rules..., expand Manufacturing » Board Outline Clearance, right-click and select New Rule... Alternatively, to apply a Electrical Clearance rule (under Electrical » Clearance) instead, select the arc/line primitive representing Route Tool Path on mechanical layer and convert it first as a board cutout from the menu Tools » Convert » Create Board Cutout from Selected Primitives. The Electrical Clearance rule now can be specified on Hole representing the cutout.

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Set permissions on lifecycle change-of-state

Right now, all of our users are able to change the lifecycle state of components (i.e. draft, released, etc.) but we want to give only certain people permission. Is there a way to limit which users can change to which state?

Altium Designer

7

2

KB: Setup mixed sim in Altium Designer

How to activate the Mixed Simulation tool in Altium Designer? Where can I find more information about simulation?

Altium Designer

KB: Share my MCAD CoDesigner changes with other Mechanical Engineers

CoDesigner is not a storage system for synchronizing changes among Mechanical Engineers (MEs)

A365

KB: Share project via workspaces

Is share project via workspaces an included feature for the AD20 subscription?

A365

KB: Sharing Projects to Members Outside of the Organization Without Invitation to Workspace

Managed Projects to be edited by outside users needed to be invited to workspace, but not with the new update.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Short Circuit errors between polygons and holes in old project

Starting with Altium Designer 24 some of the PCBs threw short circuit errors during the DRC. In the previous version there is no short circuit violation. This will usually happen between a pad with no copper (hole) and a polygon around it.

Altium Designer

KB: Short two different nets intentionally

To create a footprint where two pads are ohmically shorted together for such components as planer inductor and other printed RF filters and antennas, Altium introduces a notion called a 'Net Tie' component

Altium Designer

KB: Show copper and soldermask in Fusion 360 MCAD

Copper and soldermask are hidden by default.

Altium Designer

KB: Sign In button is not active and Error From

When I start Altium, I first get an error "Error from :" which I can get past by clicking OK, but then the Sign in dialog box which follows, will not let me click the Sign in button after I enter my Username (Email) and Password. The Sign in button stays grayed out.

Altium Designer

KB: Sign into a managed content server from within Altium Designer

Messages such as "You don't have any workspaces available" and "Failed to get available workspaces. NetworkActivity: Access Denied." is soliciting you to sign into a managed content server (such as Altium 365 workspace, Enterprise, Concord Pro, NEXUS, or Vault server) where project/design contents you are attempting to access is located.

Altium Designer

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4

KB: Slowness at startup

Here are some things that can cause a slow startup.

Altium Designer

KB: Slowness in specific areas

Sometimes there are settings or things about your documents that can cause unusual slowness. Here are some things to look for.

Altium Designer

KB: Speak with agent as these articles are not relevant

This article explains a general support workflow as well as our positioning of various techinical support resource available.

A365

KB: Specify sub-folders and files within a project folder to be version controlled in A365 workspace

By default, sub-folder such as "Project Outputs..." of each managed project is excluded from version control, as prescribed by .gitignore file contained inside the git repository folder.

Altium Designer

KB: Specify via style during interactive routing

[Why] Specify via style (size, type, with or without solder mask tenting, etc.) during interactive routing [What] It is governed by Routing Via Style rule specified on a given *.pcbdoc by default. As one-off, it can be overridden by User Choice mode during interactive routing. [How] Design ► Rules ► Design Rules ► Interactive Routing ► Routing Via Style to define the rule. To overide, User Choice in Preferences, PCB Editor - Interactive Routing, under Interactive Routing Width Sources, on Via Size Mode pulldown. There is also a keyboard shortcut '4' to cycle through the modes on the fly. The User Choice can be changed further by Shift+V keyboard shortcut.

Altium Designer

1

5

KB: Switch from Constraint Manager to Design Rules

How can I switch back to using Design Rules from using the Constraint Manager.

A365

0

5

KB: Transfer workspace data

This article discusses options for migrating or synching design/component data from/to A365 workspace

Altium Designer

1

KB: Troubleshoot "Error from portal365.altium.com"

Troubleshoot popup dialog error "Error from portal365.altium.com" upon launching Altium and attempting to sign-in such as: "Error from portal365.altium.com: The server name could not be resolved" or "Error from portal365.altium.com: The attempt to connect to the server failed" or "Error from portal365.altium.com: A secure channel could not be established" or "Error from portal365.altium.com : Server SSL certificate is invalid Access to Port/URL of Altium license server may be blocked by a particular ISP, proxy server, and/or antivirus/firewall applications. It could also be due to invalid certificate due to proxy server intercepting and replacing it. Check to make sure https://portal365.altium.com can be access with a response 'OK' on your web browser. If not, consult your IT department. Next, click on lock icon next to URL, select 'Connection is secure' to confirm it is issued by Amazon

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshoot "The Internal ID Does Not Match" issue with SOLIDWORKS MCAD

This happens when several boards with the same set of components are used in a device assembly AND IF there is no common component folder set up in CoDesigner’s settings.

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshoot CoDesigner Push Error "Cannot add new revision for deleted item"

Addressing the CoDesigner push error "Cannot add new revision for deleted item" and "Unable to find a model...". Providing solutions to resolve these issues by managing items in the trash.

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshoot Electrical Clearance rule incorrect definitions error when using IsPolygon or IsPoly

When using an Electrical Clearance design rule to define the clearance between a Polygon Pour and other signal layer copper objects, a Custom Query can be used. If the Custom Query used includes the object type check IsPolygon, then an error message indicating Some Rules Have Incorrect Definitions will be given. The proper Custom Query should use the attribute check InPolygon, or the membership check InNamedPolygon.

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshoot Error Provider Cannot Be Found when Translating .IntLib to .DBLib

Trying to convert an .IntLib into a .DBLib using the menu option Tools ► Import from Integrated Libraries when the .DBLib is active in the workspace brings up this Error: "An error was encountered exporting. Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed. The export has been aborted."

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshoot freeze at the status "Starting Folder Releaser ..." when releasing a component

There is a known issue when using Windows Tablet Mode that causes Altium Designer to freeze at the status "Starting Folder Releaser ..." while releasing a component to the Altium 365 workspace.

Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

KB: Troubleshoot LDAP syncing

We are having issues with LDAP syncing with our Altium Server. It was working prior and we are now receiving: "There was no endpoint listening at http://localhost:9791/LdapSyncStatus that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details."

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshoot poor performance of Fusion 360 MCAD with boards having 500+ components

This is a known issue with Fusion (reported for all big assemblies, not only with the ones built by CoDesigner.)

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshoot SOLIDWORKS CoDesigner panel error - There is no document opened

I get this message in the SOLIDWORKS CoDesigner panel, "There is no document opened or the active document is not linked with PCB design." (for PCBs pushed from Altium using MCAD CoDesigner to SOLIDWORKS) after creating a "SpeedPak" configuration in SOLIDWORKS, which prevents most parts from loading to improve performance.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Troubleshoot validation errors found in component display mode

Troubleshoot validation errors during Electrical Rule Check of schematic, such as "Missing pin found in component display mode" or "Extra pin found in component display mode"

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshooting Missing Components and Nets in Altium Designer's "Navigator" panel

Nothing is displayed in "Navigator" panel.

Altium Designer

KB: Troubleshooting Netlist Import Issues in Altium Designer

Importing a netlist into a PCB file in Altium Designer can often be problematic, particularly when using "Project>>Show Differences." This is typically due to format compatibility issues. A netlist is crucial in PCB design as it links schematic capture and PCB layout by specifying component connections. Netlist Compatibility: Supported Formats - Altium Designer supports Protel and EDIF formats for netlists. Ensuring the netlist is in one of these formats is essential for proper loading into the PCB file. Format Importance - The structure and delivery of information in the netlist must be compatible with Altium Designer. Unsupported formats prevent the software from loading necessary connection information. Solution Steps - 1.Verify Netlist Format: Ensure the netlist is in Protel or EDIF format. Convert if necessary. 2.Reload the Netlist: Load the correctly formatted netlist into the PCB file via "Project>>Show Differences."

Altium Designer

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36

KB: Unable to move components close to each other

This article goes over a typical scenario where It is not possible to place a component on the PCB close to another component.

Altium Designer

0

24

KB: Unable to sign into AltiumLive with endless loop of page redirect

The endless loop of page redirect, switching between alternate pages in forum, workspace, or live.altium.com indefinitely, so as to prevent signing into AltiumLive is caused generally by an issue with caches and cookies.

Altium Designer

0

4

KB: Unable to specify local Excel BOM templates

When signed into a managed server, why am I unable to use local file based Excel BOM templates.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Unclutter workspace panels and bring dialog window in view

[Why] Want to position cluttered floating panels in a predictable way, say, when connecting/disconnecting an external monitor or even just switching context from schematic editor to pcb editor; Also bring dialog window somewhere offscreen in view [What] Panels can be grouped by tabs and the group of tabbed panels can be docked to any four edges of application window. Offscreen dialog window can be brought in view with a standard Windows keyboard shortcut technique. [How] A panel can be moved by clicking and holding on its title bar at the top and dragging on top of another panel to be grouped by tab. Likewise, the group of tabbed panels can be dragged toward any four edges of application window to be docked. Floating panels and dialog windows can be sticked to the mouse cursour with Windows shortcut keys.

Altium Designer

KB: Understand Spice models supported in Altium

Altium Designer's Mixed Simulation (MixedSim) engine is fully SPICE3f5 compatible, as well as providing support for a range of PSpice® and LTSpice® device models.

Altium Designer

KB: Uninstall Windows Updates

I suspect a recent Windows update is responsible for a new issue I am experiencing with Altium. How do I uninstall specific Windows Updates

Altium Designer

KB: Unlink a managed component to copy to local library

[Why] Unlink a managed component to copy to local library so that it is portable [What] Components placed on a schematic or copied to a local schematic library from the Manufacturer Part Search (MPS) panel, Concord Pro, or NEXUS server (AD19 and newer) / Altium Content Vault (AD17 & 18) / A365 are still linked to the server and therefore are considered as Managed and can't be modified. You would not be able to remove/edit the existing footprint for example. [How] Design Make Schematic/PCB Library to create a library copy, and within the library Tools » Clear Server Links to break the link

Altium Designer

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54

KB: Update gives error: This application requires Windows hotfix KB3140245

I can load up to 20.1.12, anything newer than that gives me the error. I ran the hotfix but I still get the error message. The error message opens up a Microsoft window that runs through the fix but after doing that it still doesn't work. When I try to install it manually, I'm getting: The update is not applicable to your computer" I am running Widows 7 professional 64bit

Altium Designer

1

KB: Update schematic component with a new footprint

[Why] Update schematic component with a new footprint either at design-level ad hoc or in libraries/workspace at component-level. [What] There are a few ways to update unmananged file-based schematic components with a new footprint at design-level ad hoc, but it is always a best practice to make changes at component-level in your schematic libraries first and then update your schematics from those libraries. For managed components such as in A365 workspace, they are locked and the footprints cannot be changed ad hoc at design-level. [How] For managed components Tools » Item Manager. For unmanaged component Tools » Update from Libraries, Properties panel, Tools » Footprint Manager, or Project » Component Links from pcbdoc

Altium Designer

1

27

KB: Update Variant Parts from library

After updating my schematic library the part does not get updated in the project when I run the BOM tool. On close inspection I can go into the Variants and the part to be varied is not showing the correct Part Number or Manufacturer fields. Going into the select alternative part I can confirm that the part in the Library is correct but there is no way to update the Variant listing. If I deselect it as fitted and then re-choose as a variant the data is corrected.

Altium Designer

1

KB: Upgrade/downgrade Altium version to compare features and behaviors across

[Why] Upgrade/downgrade one Altium version after another to compare features and behaviors across [What] Multiple instances of Altium (same or different versions) can be installed concurrently on the same machine as independent applications, uniquely identified by hexadecimal GUID. As such, install/uninstall of each version can be done independently so long as you specify a distinct folder path at the time of installation. It is possible to update existing version to a newer minor version (x.y.z to x.y+1.z+1), but to upgrade to a newer major version (x.y.z to x+1.y.z) or downgrade to any older major or minor version, a fresh new instance of that version has to be installed separately. [How] get installer for each version at https://www.altium.com/products/downloads, and follow instruction at https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/system-installation-licensing-management-overview#!installing-multiple-instances-of-the-software

A365

KB: Use Folders to Manage Projects in Altium 365 Pro

With the latest release of Altium 365, projects can now be categorized by Folder Type.

Altium Designer

KB: Use MCAD Autodesk Vault with Autodesk Inventor

This article describes a short procedure to better enable this functionality

Altium Designer

KB: Validate transmission impedance computed in layer stack

[Why] Validate transmission impedance computated in layer stack, as the result is inconsistent with other third-party calculators/tools. [What] Under the hood, there is a fundamental difference between a web calculator based on formula of closed-form expression and the numerical computation done within Altium's Layer Stack Manager powered by Simbeor's 2D quasi-static field solver based on Method of Moment and validated by convergence, comparisons, and measurements. [How] Check for detail options such as 'Use Surface Finish' and 'Use Solder Mask' in Layer Stack Manager which could attribute to the difference from a web calculator result. Reference plane is also another parameter frequently overlooked. The bottom line, consult your board fabricator and stay with an oversized estimation for trace width/gap so you have a room to modify them later.

Altium Designer

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114

KB: Warning: License Renewal Failed

This article has steps that should stop the pop-up message: Warning: License Renewal Failed The License Manager was not able to renew your license. Altium Designer will retry periodically.

A365

0

4

KB: Warnings on duplicates during library import

This article describes how the Library Importer, used to convert local libraries to managed components in an Altium 365 workspace or a managed server (Concord Pro or Nexus), handles duplicate symbols/footprints being used across multiple components with different parameters.

Altium Designer

KB: What Does the White Arrow on Some Documents Mean?

In the Project Panel, why do some document icons have a small arrow in a white box on them?

Altium Designer

KB: When things don't display or print properly

Here are some things to try when things don't display or print properly in general

Altium Designer

KB: Why is my text upside down?

Text on my schematic is displaying upside-down

A365

3

KB: Workspace Member vs Guest vs Share with Organization

what are the differences between the different access to the Altium 365 workspace