PCB_Cmd-RunPolygonManagerRunPolygonManager_AD

Applied Parameters: None

Summary

This command is used to manage the polygon pours on your board, from the centralized Polygon Pour Manager dialog. The Polygon Pour Manager provides a high-level view of all polygons on the active PCB document, and provides a myriad of useful polygon-related editing features.

Polygon pours are used to create a solid or hatched (lattice) area on a PCB layer. Also referred to as copper pours, polygon pours are used to fill irregularly shaped areas of a board, automatically pouring around existing objects, connecting only to objects on the same net as the polygon pour. A polygon pour is a group design object - that is, it is made up of simpler primitive objects, either regions, or tracks and arcs.

On a signal layer, you can place a solid polygon pour to define an area for carrying large power supply currents, or as a ground-connected area for providing electro-magnetic shielding. Hatched polygon pours are commonly used for ground purposes in analog designs.

Access

This command can be accessed from the PCB Editor by:

• Choosing the Tools » Polygon Pours » Polygon Manager command, from the main menus.
• Right-clicking over a placed polygon pour in the workspace, and choosing the Polygon Actions » Polygon Manager command, from the context menu.

Use

After launching the command, the Polygon Pour Manager dialog will appear. The dialog can be used to perform all non-graphical editing of polygon pours in the design, including controls to:

• Rename polygons (including the ability to use the Auto-Naming feature).
• Set polygon pour order.
• Perform repouring of all, or certain polygons (modified/selected/violating).
• Shelve or unshelve all or selected polygons.
• Lock or unlock all or selected polygons.
• Ignore or keep violations for all or selected polygons (with respect to the Online DRC).
• Add/scope the polygon connection style and clearance design rules.
• Add polygon classes for selected polygons.
• Create a new polygon from either a selected polygon, or the board outline.
• Access the Polygon Pour dialog for a selected polygon - allowing you to change the properties for that polygon on-the-fly.

Once all editing/management of polygons has been performed, click OK. Changes will be effected at this point. A dialog will prompt to repour any polygons that have been modified, with the option to also repour dependent polygons. Click Yes to do so.