New in CoDesigner 2.x

Siemens NX - Support for Teamcenter PLM

Siemens Teamcenter PLM brings mechanical engineers together, allowing them to share their parts and their designs across the globe. This release of CoDesigner brings support for Teamcenter PLM when performing operations with the PCB Assembly, the PCB Part, and the Components, in Siemens NX. PCB assemblies can be saved and opened from the Teamcenter interface directly in Siemens NX, as shown below.

CoDesigner stores the 3D component models from each PCB that it pulls from ECAD in one of two locations. The default is to save the component models into the same folder as the MCAD PCB assembly. Alternatively, you can configure a common component folder that CoDesigner uses for all component models from all PCBs pulled from ECAD. The advantage of this approach is that CoDesigner can share component models that are common across different PCB assemblies.

When Teamcenter PLM is being used, if there is no common component folder configured in the CoDesigner settings, CoDesigner will create an \Altium_Components folder in the root of the Teamcenter repository to store the 3D components from all pulled PCB projects. If a Common folder for storing models from ECAD has been configured in the CoDesigner Settings dialog, that location will be used instead.

CoDesigner now supports Siemens Teamcenter PLM.

Fusion 360 - Show Copper and Silkscreen

To simplify the process of working with copper and silkscreen layers in Fusion 360, a new Advanced Geometry ( ) button has been added to the Fusion 360 Altium CoDesigner ribbon. Clicking the button will display the four, top copper, top silkscreen, bottom copper, and bottom silkscreen sketch layers. Click a second time to hide those layers. These layers can also be selectively hidden/displayed in Fusion 360's object Browser.

Use the Advanced Geometry button on the Altium CoDesigner ribbon to quickly show or hide the top/bottom copper/silkscreen layers.

Working between Fusion 360 & Altium CircuitMaker

Developed for the maker community, Altium CircuitMaker makes schematic capture and PCB layout available to everyone. CircuitMaker can also connect to Autodesk Fusion 360 through Altium CoDesigner.

This release of CoDesigner brings a simpler approach to transferring the design back and forth. Click the new Open button in Fusion 360 on the Altium CoDesigner ribbon to load a design from ECAD. You'll also automatically be notified when the design is saved in ECAD, a single click will bring those changes into Fusion 360.

Transferring design changes between Fusion 360 and Altium CircuitMaker is easier now.

• Altium Designer 21.3 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.10.0.1555
• Altium NEXUS Client 4.3 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.10.0.462
• Altium CircuitMaker 2.1 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.10.0.68

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.

Exclude Small Components from ECAD to MCAD Transfer

There are often many small components on a board that are not important to the mechanical engineer as they work on fitting the PCB inside the enclosure. To help with this, a new option has been added to exclude small components from ECAD to MCAD transfer, based on the component's height.

The height limit is configured in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog, in MCAD. Configure this option to exclude components that have a height of less than <Value><Units> when a Pull is performed. Set this option to zero to include all components.

Small components can be excluded from the ECAD to MCAD transfer.

The Height of the ECAD PCB component is defined either in the PCB library editor (left image below), or in the Properties panel in the PCB editor (right image below). Note that it is not the height of the 3D model that is included in the PCB component.

Define the Height of the component either in the PCB library editor, or in the PCB editor.

Support for MCAD Splines

CoDesigner now supports the use of splines in the board shape and cutouts, and Pushing these shapes to ECAD from Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Fusion 360 and Siemens NX. Note that splines are already supported for PTC Creo and SOLIDWORKS.

Splines can be Pushed from MCAD to ECAD.

Because splines are not a native design object in Altium's design software, they are converted to suitable native objects during Pull to ECAD. Warnings are displayed during Push from MCAD and Pull into ECAD to advise the engineer about this conversion. For example, a closed spline-shape defining a board cutout in MCAD is converted to an Altium Board Cutout Region. During spline-to-region conversion, the curves defined by the MCAD spline(s) are replaced by multiple polyline edges to form the ECAD object. If that ECAD board cutout is then Pushed back to MCAD, it will no longer be a spline-based shape. To retain the original MCAD splines, disable the Shape Change that would convert them to polylines during Pull into MCAD, as shown below.

To retain the original MCAD splines, disable the Shape Change that would convert them to polylines.

Support for SOLIDWORKS Part Configurations

SOLIDWORKS 2020 and newer support defining multiple configurations of a part, such as a bolt or a screw. CoDesigner now detects which configuration of a configurable part is used in the PCB/device assembly and sends that specific configuration to ECAD (previously the default configuration was sent).

You can now choose a specific SOLIDWORKS configuration of a part to use on the board.

Improved Arc Behavior

Altium's PCB design software uses a different approach from MCAD software for defining an arc's location and radius, which could result in slight differences between the arc in ECAD and the same arc in MCAD. The algorithms for working with arcs in the board geometry have been improved in this update, to ensure that there are no differences between an arc in ECAD and the same arc in MCAD.

CoDesigner Improvements for Siemens NX

Siemens NX is now supported by CoDesigner, for designers who have an Altium Enterprise Solution.

• Siemens NX now supports previewing changes. When you click on an item in the list of Changes in the Altium CoDesigner panel, the change is displayed in the workspace.

Click on a change in the list to preview the impact of that change on the board.

• CoDesigner now represents the components placement planes in Siemens NX, these planes help the engineer understand where the components are placed with respect to the soldermask layer.
• CoDesigner now represents the relative ECAD Origin in Siemens NX.

The top and bottom placement planes and the ECAD origin are available in Siemens NX.

• Altium Designer 21.3 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.9.0.1522
• Altium NEXUS Client 4.3 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.9.0.457
• Altium CircuitMaker 2.1 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.9.0.57

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.

Altium Designer 21.3 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.8.0.1472

Altium NEXUS Client 4.3 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.8.0.446

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Improved Display of Information in the CoDesigner panel

Building on the recent improvements to the CoDesigner panel that introduced collapsible history details, the CoDesigner panel has been updated again to improve the workflow.

The key changes in this update include:

• The MCAD CoDesigner panel no longer has Activity and PCB Definition tabs, all of the information, including Board Area and Board Enclosure details, is now presented on the main panel.
• Only the latest Push and Pull actions are visible by default, the previous actions are accessed by clicking the History link.
• The Pull button is now located near the corresponding Push information.

The updated CoDesigner panel makes it easier to keep track of the design changes.

Single Sign-On is Now Supported

Single Sign-On (SSO) is an identity authentication system that allows a user to sign into different services, using an existing, accredited sign-on.

CoDesigner now supports Single Sign-On, including an existing company SSO system, or signing in with a Google or Facebook account.

Single Sign-On can be used to sign into your Workspace.

ECAD Relative Origin Displays in MCAD

CoDesigner now shows the relative ECAD Origin (the origin which is visible in ECAD and defined by the ECAD engineer) in MCAD in the form of two planes that are perpendicular to the XY plane: ECAD X and ECAD Y. If the ECAD's origin is changed, those planes are changed in MCAD accordingly.

The ECAD origin is represented in MCAD in the form of two perpendicular planes.

Support for SOLIDWORKS 2022

This release of CoDesigner includes support for SOLIDWORKS 2022.

CoDesigner now supports SOLIDWORKS 2022.

Support for Siemens NX

Siemens NX is now supported by CoDesigner, for designers with an Altium Enterprise Solution. The solution is initially in Open Beta, download the Siemens NX plugin from the download page. Siemens NX version 1953 or higher is supported.

The following features are not supported in this Open Beta version:

• MCAD component placement.
• Flex and rigid-flex PCBs.
• Advanced copper geometry.
• Change preview.
• ECAD Origin representation in MCAD.
• The ability to create the Altium PCB on the MCAD side.
• Note that this version was not tested with an MCAD PDM system (for example Siemens Teamcenter).

Altium Designer 21.3 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.7.0.1434

Altium NEXUS Client 4.3 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.7.0.435

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Support for Change History and Rejection Comments

CoDesigner now displays the full history of accepted and rejected changes, along with any comments the engineer has entered if a change is rejected. The history of changes is shown in CoDesigner's panel, making the interaction between the electrical and mechanical engineers more transparent. As soon as changes are applied/rejected on one side the engineer on the other side is notified, and any rejection comments are displayed.

Change history makes it easy for the engineers on both sides to be aware of each other's responses to the changes being made.

A complete history of the changes that have been made in the project can also be viewed in your Workspace (using your browser), or in your Altium design software.

To view the history in your browser first open the project (it will open in a separate browser tab), then click on History in the panel on the left. To view the history in your Altium design software, select Project » History & Version Control » Show Project History from the menus.

► Learn more about Project History in an Altium 365 Workspace.

The history of changes can be viewed in the Workspace.

Options for Naming of Component Models

CoDesigner now provides four options for controlling how component models are named, during their initial transfer from ECAD to MCAD:

1. <FootprintName>, then <ComponentID> (this is the default option, and how it worked before this change)
2. <ComponentID>, then <FootprintName>
3. <FootprintName>, then <CustomComponentProperty>
4. <CustomComponentProperty>, then <FootprintName>

Configure the Naming of Component Models option in the MCAD CoDesigner section of the Workspace Settings.

Select the Naming option and if it includes a Custom Component Property (parameter), define the parameter name.

These new options simplify the interaction with the components in MCAD, allowing the MCAD engineer to add meaningful information such as part numbers into the Component ID, or the ECAD engineer to add a Custom Component Property in the ECAD component library.

The MCAD model is named based on the naming option configured in the Workspace.

Support for Synchronization of Body-less Components

CoDesigner now supports synchronizing the movement of body-less components that have multiple holes, for example, a mounting hole component created from one large pad surrounded by smaller pads, from MCAD to ECAD. The movement distance and direction are defined according to the movement of the largest hole.

MCAD panel Renamed in Altium NEXUS

The Collaboration panel in Altium NEXUS has been renamed to the MCAD CoDesigner panel. Its capabilities are the same as the capabilities of the MCAD CoDesigner panel in Altium Designer.

Altium Designer 21.3 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.6.0.1377

Altium NEXUS Client 4.3 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.6.0.412

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Accurate Representation of the Solder Mask

CoDesigner now builds a precise model of the solder mask, including the openings for the pads, as a separate entity in MCAD when the Build 3D Copper option is enabled. Because the mask fills the etched regions between the copper, the thickness of the mask layer in MCAD is the sum of the thicknesses of the top copper layer plus the soldermask layer, as defined in ECAD.

Improved Display of Decals in SOLIDWORKS

CoDesigner now combines all of the decals into one top decal and one bottom decal in SOLIDWORKS, in order to prevent issues with rendering half-transparent solder mask decals which can happen with some graphics hardware.

The Top decal is a combination of the top copper layer, the top solder mask layer, and the top silkscreen layer.

Altium Designer 21.3 (and later) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.5.0.1254

Altium NEXUS Client 4.3 to 5.8, with Collaboration panel extension version 2.5.0.362

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Improved Support for the Latest MCAD Tools

This release sees the introduction of support for the following MCAD tool versions:

• Autodesk Inventor 2022
• PTC Creo 8

Automatically Resolve Micro-Segments in the Board Contour

A variety of techniques are used by the engineering team to define the board shape. Depending on the approach used, there are situations when the board outline can end up with micro-segments in the outline. These micro-segments cannot be transferred by CoDesigner and a warning about this will be displayed when you attempt to Push from ECAD. The consequence of this is that the ECAD engineer must remove the micro-segments before the board can be pushed to MCAD.

This release sees the addition of a new automatic micro-segment removal feature. When they are detected the following dialog will display, click Yes to remove them and allow the board outline to be transferred to MCAD. If you click No the micro-segments will remain and must be resolved manually.

New MCAD-Coordinates Grid

CoDesigner now creates an MCAD Coordinates grid on Pull into ECAD, including an MCAD Origin entity, when the MCAD origin differs from the default (absolute) ECAD origin. This helps the electrical engineer communicate with the mechanical engineer on the positioning of the different board entities.

The representation of the MCAD Coordinates grid can be customized in ECAD, double-click on the entry in the Properties panel to open the Grid Editor dialog. Learn more about Working with Grids & Guides.

Support for a Custom Coordinate System in PTC Creo

CoDesigner in PTC Creo now supports using a custom coordinate system for models placed by the engineer in Creo. Enable this feature in Creo's Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog. Note that on the ECAD side, the models used in the footprints of the corresponding components should be built on the same coordinate system.

Support for SOLIDWORKS PDM

The placement of native MCAD components from a data management system is now supported when SOLIDWORKS is connected to SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.

Recommendations:

1. The MCAD component must be referenced in the ECAD component as a parameter, in the form <vault>:folder\folder\component.sldprt, where <vault> is the name of the PDM vault.
2. It is recommended to set up a common component folder in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog, to put that folder under SW PDM control, and to synchronize that folder with the local storage before collaborating with ECAD. Learn more about Configuring CoDesigner in SOLIDWORKS.
3. It is recommended to synchronize the component libraries with the local PDM storage before pulling the PCB into MCAD.
4. It is recommended to disable the Prompt to check out file if opened in read-only mode option in the SOLIDWORKS PDM settings (accessible from the Tools menu in SOLIDWORKS) as shown below. Doing this means that existing components will not need to be checked out, so there will be no inconvenience to other mechanical engineers. However, in the situation where it is necessary to change component properties, the corresponding components should be checked out.
5. After the changes are applied, it's recommended to check the new components into SOLIDWORKS PDM.

Support for Fusion 360 to Ignore Small Components

To improve performance in Fusion 360 on boards with a large number of components, CoDesigner now supports excluding components below a user-defined height during a Pull from ECAD. For the height threshold, CoDesigner uses the height defined as part of the component properties in ECAD (show image).

Define the threshold height in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog, as shown in the image below. The dialog is accessed via the Altium CoDesigner panel in Fusion 360, select Settings in the panel's menu to open the dialog.

Small components can be excluded during Pull by setting the Height threshold (hover the cursor over to see the board in ECAD).

Improved Support for Previewing Changes

The ability to preview the impact of each change before applying it gives the mechanical engineer greater confidence in accepting the latest changes from ECAD. This release sees the addition of previews in MCAD for:

• Autodesk Inventor
• Autodesk Fusion 360
• PTC Creo

Altium Designer 21.3 with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.4.0.1200

Altium NEXUS Client 4.3 with Collaboration panel extension version 2.4.0.336

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Support for Autodesk Fusion 360® (Open Beta Release)

This release sees the introduction of support for Autodesk Fusion 360 (currently in Open Beta).

Use these tips to get started with Fusion 360:

• Download the Add-In from the Downloads page.
• Install the CoDesigner Add-In in Fusion 360 (AltiumCoDesignerFusion360_<VersionNumber>.exe) - close Fusion 360 before installing the Add-In.
• You work between Fusion 360 and your Altium design software through the Altium CoDesigner panel. Use the image below to help you enable the panel in Fusion 360.

• Board designs are Pushed and Pulled to and from ECAD through an Altium 365 Workspace. If you don't already have a Workspace, visit altium.com/altium-365 to activate your Workspace on Altium 365.
• In Fusion 360, sign in to your Workspace in the Altium CoDesigner panel using your Altium Live credentials.
• Once that is done, you're ready to start CoDesigning. Check out the Direct ECAD-MCAD CoDesign page to learn more about the process.

Rigid-Flex Support for PTC Creo

This release introduces support for transferring rigid-flex board designs between ECAD and PTC Creo.

Rigid-flex board designs can be transferred back and forth between Creo and ECAD.

The Mechanical Engineer, after getting a rigid-flex board from ECAD, can:

1. Preview the ECAD changes in MCAD.
2. Make changes to the geometry of the rigid and flex segments of the board. For example, adjust the board’s shape to suit the geometry of the product enclosure, create cutouts or mounting holes, or change the radius of a bend.
3. Make changes to the placement of existing components, and place new components on the board.
4. Transfer copper and silkscreen detail.
5. Push those changes to ECAD and pull new changes from ECAD.

Capabilities not yet Supported

1. Create a rigid-flex board from scratch in MCAD.
2. Create new rigid and flex board regions in MCAD.
3. Create new bends in MCAD.
4. Transfer boards that include flex regions that have different thicknesses (multiple flex regions are supported).
5. Transfer components mounted on a flex region from ECAD to MCAD.
6. Place components on a flex region in MCAD.
7. New features introduced as part of the Rigid-flex 2.0 update in the Altium PCB editor.

► Learn more about the process of Synchronizing a Rigid-Flex Board (Note that while this page refers to SOLIDWORKS, the overall process is the same in Creo. The page will be updated for Creo soon.)

Improved Select Project Dialog

The Select Project dialog that you opens when you click the Pull Board button in the Altium CoDesigner panel has been improved.

The Select Project dialog now details:

• ECAD-MCAD exchange information: Last pushed from ECAD details, including the Push comment.
• A table with Variants (if they exist). The first variant is selected by default.

Improved Support for PCB Variants

In previous versions of CoDesigner, if the ECAD design included PCB variants, only one variant could be pushed at a time from ECAD. With this update, all variants are pushed from ECAD, and the required variant can then be chosen in the new Select Project dialog when the board is Pulled into MCAD.

Display of CoDesigner Version Number

In previous versions of CoDesigner, you had to open the Windows Control Panel and check the version number of CoDesigner in Programs and Features. With this release, the version number is now displayed at the bottom of the Altium CoDesigner panel.

Improved Decal Storage in SOLIDWORKS

To better support designers who use SOLIDWORKS with a PDM system, CoDesigner now saves the decals (image files that represent the copper, silkscreen and soldermask layers) directly into the board part file. This simplifies the management of the PCB-related files when a PDM system is used on the MCAD side.

Decals are now stored in the SOLIDWORKS prt file, simplifying the process of working with SOLIDWORKS and a PDM system.

Altium Designer 21.x with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.3.0.1127

Altium Designer 20.2 with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.3.0.1127

Altium NEXUS Client 4.x with Collaboration panel extension version 2.3.0.324

Altium NEXUS Client 3.2 with Collaboration panel extension version 2.3.0.324

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Push the Enclosure from MCAD to ECAD

This update sees the addition of support for working at the device assembly level in MCAD and the ability to transfer the enclosure with the board to ECAD. The video below demonstrates the process of including the board assembly in the device enclosure, and transferring the enclosure to your Altium design software.

► Refer to the Note in the right-hand pane for information on whether the Enclosure Exchange feature will be available in your installation of MCAD CoDesigner. If it is not, watch this video to see an alternate approach to transferring the enclosure.

CoDesigner Ribbon added to Creo

The Altium CoDesigner ribbon has been added to PTC Creo (the ribbon is already available in SOLIDWORKS and Autodesk Inventor). The ribbon provides an easy way of accessing the common PCB-specific design objects needed during the MCAD-ECAD CoDesign process. Use the ribbon buttons to ensure that the correct MCAD object-type is used to create a compatible ECAD object.

New MCAD Planes for Component Placement

CoDesigner now creates top and bottom side component planes in MCAD, which simplifies the process of placing components in MCAD. Components are now placed to ignore the thickness of the soldermask layer.

Support for Via and Pad Copper Barrels

• Pad Barrels - thruhole Pad barrels are now transferred from ECAD to MCAD when the Build 3D geometry for Copper is enabled in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog.
• Via Barrels - enable the Build Vias option as well to include the Via barrels.

Via and Pad copper barrels are always Pushed from ECAD (left image), use the CoDesigner options described above in MCAD to control if they are Pulled into MCAD (right image).

Simplified CoDesigner Panel

The CoDesigner menu has been updated to include the Help and Settings options that were previously located on the face of the Altium CoDesigner panel.

Improved Support for Keepouts and Rooms

CoDesigner now detects the locked status of Keepouts and Rooms in ECAD, ensuring that these are not moved during a Pull from MCAD.

Altium Designer 21.0 with the MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.2.0.1072

Altium Designer 20.2 with the MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.2.0.1072

Altium NEXUS Client 4.0 with the Collaboration panel extension version 2.2.0.310

Altium NEXUS Client 3.2 with the Collaboration panel extension version 2.2.0.310

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Support for the Latest MCAD Versions

This release adds support for the following versions of MCAD software:

• Autodesk Inventor Professional® 2021
• Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS® (Standard, Pro & Premium) 2021

Updated MCAD CoDesigner Panel

The MCAD Altium CoDesigner panel now has two tabs, labeled Activity, and PCB Definition.

• Activity - displays the history of Push and Pull operations and the associated comments, as displayed in earlier versions of CoDesigner.
• PCB Definition - displays Board Area definitions that exist on the board. Currently supported area definitions include Keepouts and Rooms, which can be created on both the MCAD and ECAD sides.
  • Click on a definition to configure Keepout settings, or to add a comment to a Room.
  • If the definition has been renamed in the MCAD feature tree, the change will not be immediately reflected in the PCB Definitions tab of the Altium CoDesigner panel. Switch to the Activity tab then back to the PCB Definitions tab to refresh the definitions.

The MCAD Altium CoDesigner panel now has a PCB Definition tab, use this to configure Rooms and Keepouts that have been added to the board.

New Altium CoDesigner Ribbon

A new Altium CoDesigner Ribbon has been added to SOLIDWORKS and Autodesk Inventor (solution for Creo is coming soon). The tab provides an easy way of accessing the common PCB-specific design objects needed during the MCAD-ECAD CoDesign process. Using these buttons ensures that the correct MCAD object-type is used to create a compatible ECAD object.

Support for Keepouts

A PCB Keepout is a region or area of the board that has been configured to restrict the placement of specific ECAD objects. Keepouts can be defined for either side of the board, or to apply to all PCB layers. The objects that are to be kept out of this area are selected as Keepout Restriction properties.

Defining a Keepout in MCAD:

• Click the Keep Out Area button on the Altium CoDesigner ribbon.
• You will be prompted to choose a face, surface or plane, click on the side of board that requires the keepout. If the keepout is to apply to all layers it can be drawn on either side.
• Click on a suitable MCAD sketch tool, for example Rectangle, to define the keepout. Note that the sketch must only include one contour, internal contours are not supported.
• Draw the shape required for the keepout.
• Exit the Sketch mode.
• The properties of the feature can now be edited. You can think of the keepout as a fence around the keepout area, edit the Depth to a small value, for example 1mm.
• This keepout will become an ECAD layer-specific keepout, on the layer it has been drawn in MCAD. To define an all-layer keepout, in MCAD configure the keepout to extrude in both directions, setting the Depth in the second direction to a value that is large enough to extrude it through the board.
• Click the MCAD Accept button to finish the feature definition process. If required, the feature can be renamed in the Feature tree.
• In the Altium CoDesigner panel, select the PCB Definition tab and configure the keepout restrictions as required. The keepout can now be pushed to ECAD, where it will be added as a Keepout Region. Depending on how it was configured in MCAD, it will become a Top Layer Keepout, a Bottom Layer Keepout, or a Keepout Layer Keepout. If required the keepout shape can be adjusted in ECAD, and pushed back to MCAD.

Support for Rooms

A PCB Room is a design rule that is used to define an area that specific components must be placed in, or excluded from. A common use for this rule is to define a component height restriction in the board area covered by the Room. Typically the Room rule will be applied to an individual component, or a class of components.

Defining a Room in MCAD:

• Click the Text Note Room button on the Altium CoDesigner ribbon.
• You will be prompted to choose a face, surface or plane, click on the side of board that requires the room.
• Click on a suitable MCAD sketch tool, for example Rectangle, to define the room. Note that the sketch must only include one contour, internal contours are not supported.
• Draw the shape required for the room.
• Exit the Sketch mode.
• Click the MCAD Accept button to finish the feature definition process. If required, the feature can be renamed in the Feature tree.
• In the Altium CoDesigner panel, select the PCB Definition tab and enter a comment for the room that explains its purpose to the ECAD engineer. The room can now be pushed to ECAD, where it will be added as a Placement Room design rule, on the layer it has been drawn in MCAD. The only property that can be transferred between MCAD and ECAD is the Comment, which becomes the Placement Room design rule comment.
• The Placement Room design room can now be configured as required in ECAD.

Keepout areas and Rooms can now be defined in MCAD and pushed to ECAD.

Improved Support for the Transfer of Layer Colors

The color of the Core layer defined in ECAD is now transferred and applied to the board part in MCAD. The color and transparency of the Solder Mask layers defined in ECAD is now transferred to MCAD and applied to the corresponding decals in MCAD.

Solder Mask and Core colors are transferred between ECAD and MCAD.

Renaming the Board in ECAD

Changes made to the name of the board in your Altium design software are now supported. A board that has already been pushed to MCAD can now be renamed, and pushed again to MCAD.

Altium Designer 20.2 with the MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.1.0.1033

Altium NEXUS Client 3.2 with the Collaboration panel extension version 2.1.0.302

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Support for PCB Variants

Altium's PCB design software allows the electronics designer to create variations of the product they are designing. Supported variations include: flagging a component as not fitted; modifying a component's parameters, including the component value that is silkscreened on the board; or replacing a component with an alternate component (which may or may not use a different footprint).

In Altium's design software, there is only one board design. Variant information, such as details about an alternate component, is stored in the project file and applied to the board when the variant is selected in the Projects panel. The [No Variations] version of the board is saved as the PcbDoc.

Altium's design software can be used to create variations of a board design.

Pushing a Variant from ECAD

For this release, CoDesigner has been updated to support Pushing and Pulling a specific variant of a board between ECAD and MCAD. When you perform a Push from ECAD, you are pushing the variant you are currently looking at in the PCB editor.

Double-click in the Projects panel to select the required variant to be Pushed.

Pulling a Variant in to MCAD

A PCB variant is Pulled to MCAD in the same way as a non-variant PCB, by clicking Pull Board from Server button in the Altium CoDesigner panel. If the board is a variant, additional information detailing the variant name is displayed at the top of the Altium CoDesigner panel, as shown below.

Each component that is varied is identified by including the variant name in the designator, as detailed below.

• Non-varied component: <EcadDesignator>
• Varied component: <EcadDesignator>_VARIANT_<VariantName>

Varied components are identified by their MCAD part name and their designator.

Pushing a Variant from MCAD

In MCAD, CoDesigner is aware if a component is part of the base design [No Variations], or belongs to a specific variant. Changes made to a component in the base design [No Variations] will impact all variants of the board in ECAD, while changes made in a specific variant will only be applied to that variant in ECAD.

Modifications made to a variant are pushed from MCAD to ECAD in the usual way, by clicking Push in the Altium CoDesigner panel.

Pulling a Variant in to ECAD

If you attempt to perform a Pull into ECAD and the wrong variant is currently active, you will receive the following error message. The applicable variant name is displayed in the Error dialog, switch to that variant and Pull again.

The Pull cannot be completed as the wrong variant is currently active in ECAD.

If there have been changes made to a component in the base design, they can be applied in any variant in ECAD. Those changes will then be present in all variants in ECAD.

Improved Support for Problematic Models

Each ECAD and MCAD tool has its own model conversion software, offering different levels of support for importing and converting a model that has issues with inconsistencies or inaccuracies in the model description. To help in this situation CoDesigner now transfers single-body Parasolid models directly from ECAD to MCAD, without transformation and without converting (which could sometimes result in the corruption of a model).

If a model is causing problems during a Push-Pull between ECAD and MCAD, extract it from the ECAD component, import it into your MCAD software and save it out as Parasolid (confirming that it opens correctly in MCAD), then import it back into the ECAD component.

► Learn more about the Requirements for the MCAD and ECAD models

Altium Designer 20.2 with the MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.0.5.885

Altium NEXUS Client 3.2 with the Collaboration panel extension version 2.0.5.284

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

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. (rigid-flex support for PTC Creo^® and Autodesk Inventor^® coming in a future update)

The board shape and bending definitions can now be defined and modified in SOLIDWORKS.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Rigid-Flex Board

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.

► For issues that cannot be resolved in MCAD, learn more about Resolving Issues with the Board Contour in ECAD

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.

ECAD component properties now transfer to MCAD – All ECAD PCB component parameters now transfer to the MCAD part.

ECAD PCB component parameters transfer to the equivalent MCAD part.

Altium Designer 20.2 with the MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.0.4.829

Altium NEXUS Client 3.2 with the Collaboration panel extension version 2.0.4.272

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Altium Designer 20.1 with the MCAD CoDesigner extension version 2.0.3.721

Altium NEXUS Client 3.1 with the Collaboration panel extension version 2.0.3.255

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions: