Browsing Pad & Via Templates for the Active PVLIB using the Pad Via Library Panel in Altium Designer

The Pad Via Library panel

Summary

The Pad Via Library panel provides access to Templates contained in the active Pad Via Library. A Pad Via Library is another design document that can be created in Altium Designer and has the file extension *.PvLib. A Pad Via Library can be included as a project document, and if so, the pad and via templates defined therein are always available to that project through the PCB Pad Via Templates panel. Template libraries can also be Installed in the panel, making them available to all open projects. Pad and Via Templates are created and edited by opening a PvLib file. The Pad and Via Templates in the PvLib are listed in the Pad Via Library panel, with the selected Pad or Via Template displayed in the Pad/Via Template Editor.

Panel Access

The panel is accessed from the Pad/Via Template Editor (having a *.PvLib document open as the active document in the design workspace) in the following ways:

• Click the Panels button in the bottom-right corner of the workspace then select Pad Via Library.
• Click View » Panels » Pad Via Library from the main menus.

Creating a Pad or Via Template

To create a new Pad or Via template, right click within the panel then select Add Pad template or Add Via template from the context menu. Use Delete to remove a template from the Library.

When a new Template is added, the Template editor automatically opens in the workspace. The Pad/Via Template Editor provides the base configuration options for a Pad or Via template that can be applied to a Pad or Via in a PCB or PCB Library document. These include the main properties of a Pad/Via configuration, while document-specific properties are (such its position, orientation, layer, etc.,) are defined when the Pad or Via is placed in a design document. Saved changes are reflected in the panel.