New Features and Updates Summary (Altium Designer 20.2)

Project Management

A range of new features has been introduced to enhance the handling of PCB projects and their file structure. These include fully synchronized project name and design file renaming, intelligent handling of a disruption in the local-remote project relationship, and smarter data clean-up options that introduce the concept of a recycle bin 'soft' delete.

Project and Design File Renaming

A file Rename command is now available from the right-click context menu in the Projects panel, replacing the Save As command. This allows you to directly change the name of a PCB project (*.PrjPcb) or any of its constituent design files (*.PcbDoc, *.SchDoc, etc) and then save the update to local and VCS remote storage (File » Save to Server).

Note that the Save As command remains available from the main File menu, and a design file also can be renamed from the Storage Manager panel right-click options.

File rename synchronization is maintained between local storage and remote server-based storage. Additionally, a renamed project file will invoke an alignment with the project Name on the server side, as outlined in the Project Renaming information below.

Managed Project Renaming

The introduction of direct project file renaming (*.PrjPcb) on the design side is also supported by automated project Name alignment on the server side. In practice, when an updated project file name has been synchronized to the server, the server automatically changes the managed project's Name parameter to match.

Conversely, when the name of a managed project is updated in the server space – via the Edit mode on the server Projects page or the design client's Explorer panel – the change is propagated to client side when the project is next opened.

When the updated project is opened (File » Open Project), an initial dialog provides the option to align the project file name with the new project Name, force the project Name to match the existing project file name, or allow the two names to be different.

Managed Project History

When working with server-based managed projects, Altium Designer provides direct access to the newly developed Project History tracking features in an Altium 365 Workspace.

The graphical-based interactive timeline presents the project's file history as a series of chronological event-based versions, which depending on the type of event, can be viewed, reverted to, or the data accessed. The full capabilities of the History timeline are available for server projects under the Workspace's native (internal) Git version control.

► See Workspace Project History for more information.

To access the server-based Project History from within Altium Designer, select the History command from the Projects menu, or in the Projects panel, right-click on the project's name and select the History option from the context menu.

Project Sharing

Along with permission-based sharing of design projects between Altium 365 Workspace team members, project sharing is now available for contributors that are not Workspace team members or not currently registered with AltiumLive. This allows both internal and external collaborators to view, or with appropriate share permissions, edit a specific project. Those outside your Workspace team can then have controlled access to a work-in-progress view (managers and other stakeholders) or editing rights to the design itself (external contract collaborators, etc).

► See Global Sharing for more information.

Projects shared from within Altium Designer or through the Workspace browser interface enable access to the invited user or Role group on an exclusive basis, without any other exposure of the hosting Workspace. Collaborators that do not have an AltiumLive account (required) are provided with the means to register one via the email share invitation.

A project shared with an Altium Designer user is accessed from the Shared With Me location option in the Open Project dialog. The user is not required to be a member of the Workspace team.

In the Projects panel, a project that has been opened from shared access is indicated by an associated Shared with me label. The project can be saved and committed back to the server if editing rights have been granted for the shared project, or saved/committed locally if the project has been shared with view-only permissions. To open the project the Altium web Viewer, select the Show in Web Browser option from the project entry's right-click context menu in the Projects panel.

Soft Delete

More flexible functionality has been introduced for removing server-based design items such as Projects, Components and Released data from within the Altium Designer Explorer panel. Operating as a 'soft delete', the removal process provides increased options and information as you proceed, including relevant links to source items for review purposes. Items can be deleted by users who have appropriate access rights to those items, and can be restored from within the Altium 365 Workspace.

To delete/restore a Project or its related files you must be the project Owner or a server Administrator. To delete/restore other server items such as Components, you need to have Edit rights to those items (the default condition).

In the Workspace, deleted items are moved to a dedicated Trash location where they can be retrieved (Restore) or completely removed (Permanently Delete) from a deleted entry's menu options (⋯).

Where a design project is using a component that has been deleted, this is indicated during project Validation and also in component access locations such as the Properties panel and the project's ActiveBOM document.

Comments Panel Update

Design document Comments, managed and accessed in the Comments panel, are now identified by the name of the document they are placed on. The Comments panel also is available when not signed-in to an Altium Account or connected to a server, where it provides guidance for the next steps to enable project commenting.

Working Copy to Server Project Sync Resolution

The application of fully managed, version-controlled PCB projects relies on the tight synchronization between the project's local working folder contents and the host server's versioned storage. If this relationship is disrupted by changes made outside of the normal processes, the managed project structure can become corrupted.

Possible changes that break the local-remote storage synchronization include manual actions such as renaming, moving, or copying/cloning a working project folder. These issues are now detected and addressed through a choice dialog that highlights a recommended action based on the situation. In general, its options are to make the folder project a new managed project, to resynchronize the folder project as the current managed project, to remove the project's relationship with the server (make the project unmanaged), or to ignore the current disparity.

Other more complex synchronization disruptions may be caused by changes in the server identity, such as when the server itself has been renamed or moved, when a local project file has been overwritten with one that contains different server identity parameters, or the project's target repository has changed. Such issues create a disparity between the server and the local project repositories, and are reported by warning dialogs or dialogs that provide a resolution choice.

PCB Editor

Via Propagation Delay Calculation

The calculated propagation delay through routed PCB nets now takes into consideration the used barrel length of connecting Vias, based on the proportion of their specified Propagation Delay. In practice, the applicable Via barrel length is determined by the track entry and exit layers. This net propagation delay calculation aligns with existing net length calculations which take into account the proportional path through connecting Vias.

Component Editor

Component Editor Cross Probing

Symbol Pin to Footprint cross-probe highlighting is now available when editing a server-based managed Component in the Single Component Editor. The editor can be accessed by selecting the Edit option from a component entry's right-click options in the Components panel.

ECAD-MCAD CoDesign

Altium's CoDesigner technology connects the mechanical and electrical design domains, allowing the mechanical and electronic engineers to pass the loaded PCB back and forth. CoDesigner continues to be developed as part of this release.

Rigid-Flex Board Definition in MCAD

Stronger Support for Complex Board Shapes

Improved Component Synchronization

Improved Transfer of ECAD Component Properties

• Rigid-Flex Board Definition in MCAD - substantial improvements to rigid-flex support; the board shape and bending definitions can be now be defined and modified in SOLIDWORKS^® and components can be placed and moved in SOLIDWORKS. ( image )
• Stronger Support for Complex Board Shapes - improved support for board shape definition issues; micro-segments and self-intersections in the ECAD board sketch are now detected and reported on Push. Their locations are detailed, and are fixed automatically in MCAD where possible. ( image )
• Improved Component Synchronization - handling of locked components has been simplified; Fixed or Constrained MCAD parts now translate to Locked components in ECAD, and Locked in ECAD becomes Fixed in MCAD. Changes to the Locked/Fixed state now synchronizes between MCAD and ECAD.
• Improved Transfer of ECAD Component Properties – all ECAD PCB component parameters now transfer to the MCAD part. ( image )

Platform

Third-party Sign-in

Providing more flexibility in how you can connect to the Altium 365 Platform, Altium Designer now offers popular third party AltiumLive sign-in options. To link an alternative sign-in option to your account, click the desired connection (Google^® shown here) and sign in to that service if required. Enter your existing AltiumLive credentials in the following page to establish the third-party link to your account.

Confirmation of the account linkage can be seen in your Altium Account, which also serves to remove the association if necessary (Unlink).

Single Sign On

To enhance compatibility with existing company systems, you can now sign in to Altium Designer using your organization's Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication system. Along with the benefits of increased security and more efficient IT user access management, the application of SSO schemes provides the convenience of signing in to Altium software using the same set of credentials that apply to your company-wide systems and services. Your company's Altium Account is configured for SSO interaction by an account Administrator in the Authentication page of the Altium Dashboard.

► See the Single Sign On section of the Licensing page for more information.

Supply Chain Database to Workspace Sync

Component supplier data, such as stock levels and pricing, held on a shared database can now automatically be propagated to component supply chain data in an Altium 365 Workspace using a new configurable Custom Parts Provider interface.

When enabled, the synchronization feature can be configured to access and map data from a range of sources such as shared spreadsheet/database formats and preconfigured OLE interfaces. It allows companies that centrally manage their component supply chain in a shared database or enterprise system (PLM, PDM, ERP, etc) to harness the benefits of a Workspace while maintaining synchronization with their own parts provider data.

► See Supply Chain Database to Workspace Data Synchronization for full information on this feature.

Library Migrator Updates

A range of usability enhancements has been made to the Library Migrator user interface and its library handling functions. These include:

• General interface usability improvements.
• The parameter key-word detection logic has been expanded for improved automatic library splitting.
• Better handling of missing component symbol/footprint models:
  • For missing footprints, this is now automatically resolved with the addition of a PCB library that contains the required footprints.
  • Missing footprints are correctly detected by the Validation process, which also provides a Choose a Library option in its error report (under Details). Where more than one component footprint has been detected as missing, an Apply PcbLib Selection dialog provides options to use the specified PcbLib for this instance or for all components with missing footprints.

Altium Designer Security Upgrades

The security for remote connections has been improved with the following Altium Designer updates:

• Stored sign-in passwords are now encrypted.
• HTTPS certificates are verified.
• TLS 1.2 support is provided.

Note that the default account portal address has changed as part of these upgrades.