PCB_Pnl-BoardInsightBoard Insight_AD
The feature documented here is no longer part of the software beyond version 17.1. Click to return to: Altium Designer Documentation for version 25
The Board Insight panel
Summary
The Board Insight panel allows you to view in more detail what is under the cursor in more detail. When you hover the cursor over a component, net, or violation objects, the objects are loaded into the panel. Once the information is in the panel, it remains until the cursor is paused in a new location.
Panel Access
- To display the Board Insight panel, click the PCB button at the bottom-right of Altium Designer when the PCB Editor is active and select the Board Insight entry from the pop-up menu.
- Alternatively, you can access the panel through the View » Workspace Panels » PCB » PCB sub-menu.
Content and Use
Graphical Preview
The top region of the panel displays a 2D graphical preview of the object under the cursor.
The U1 component is highlighted, as well as connected nets GND and VCCINT.
Selecting Primitives
The middle region of the panel lists all primitives under the cursor. The available information may include listing components, nets, and violations. From the list you can easily select, edit, or zoom in on any of the listed objects.
Clicking on a listed primitive will automatically open a context menu, in which you can select what you want to do with the object. Alternatively, click on any of the associated buttons to the right.
- Properties (
) - Open the object's associated properties dialog and make any desired changes. - Select (
) - Select the object in the workspace. - Zoom (
) - Zoom in on the object.
To expand or truncate information about a listed primitive, use the 
and 
buttons, respectively, located to the left of the primitive. Users can also elect to automatically expand specific kinds of primitives using the options at the bottom of the middle region of the panel: Expand Components, Expand Nets, and Expand Violations.
Close-Up View
The bottom region of the panel displays a 2D close-up view of the workspace area currently under the cursor. This section of the panel can be easily hidden be deselecting the Show Lens option, if desired.
Board Insight Sub-Menu
The Board Insight panel's sub-menu provides a number of options which allows designers to customize their use of the Heads Up and Insight Tracking features. This menu can be accessed by using the F2 shortcut key.
The Board Insight sub-menu. When enabled, a blue box displays to the left of the option.
The Heads Up display floats in the workspace and gives information about the location of the cursor in the workspace and objects under the cursor.
Two examples of the Heads Up Display.
- Toggle Heads Up Display - Turn the Heads Up Display on or off. Can also be accessed using the Shift+H shortcut keys.
- Toggle Heads Up Tracking - Turn tracking for the Heads Up Display on or off. When tracking is enabled, the Heads Up Display will follow the cursor through the workspace. Can also be enabled/disabled using the Shift+G shortcut keys.
- Resets Heads Up Delta Origin - Resets the Heads Up Display delta origin to
0. Can also be applied using the Ins shortcut key. The distance horizontally and vertically the mouse is moved from the Delta Origin is displayed in the Heads Up display. - Toggle Heads Up Delta Origin - Toggle the Heads Up Display Delta Origin on or off. The distance the mouse is moved horizontally and vertically from the Delta Origin is displayed in the Heads Up display. It also can be accessed using the Shift+D shortcut keys.
The Insight Lens.
- Toggle Insight Lens - Toggle the Insight Lens on or off. It also can be accessed using the Shift+M shortcut keys.
- Shift Insight Lens to Mouse - Move the Insight Lens to appear under the mouse instead of tracking it or remaining stationary. It also can be enabled/disabled using the Shift+Ctrl+N shortcut keys.
- Toggle Insight Lens Tracking - Turn mouse tracking of the Insight Lens on or off. It also can be enabled/disabled using the Shift+N shortcut keys.
- Toggle Insight Lens Auto Zoom - Toggle auto zoom on or off. Auto zoom can also be enabled using the Shift+Ctrl+M shortcut keys. Additionally, use Alt+Mouse Wheel Scrolling to manually zoom inside the Insight Lens.
- Toggle Insight Lens Single Layer Mode - Toggle the Insight Lens between Single Layer mode or normal layers mode. In Single layer mode, only the current PCB layer is displayed in the lens. It also can be enabled/disabled using the Ctrl+Shift+S shortcut keys.