Big picture (how it works?

):
First, you have a design then you want to convert it into a real product. To do this there are three basic steps:

1- Creating the schematic.

2- Designing a PCB for that schematic.
3- Generating BOM for that design.

Common steps during design:

1. Schematic editor
1.1. The Design
1.2. Creating a New PCB Project
A new project is created by running the File » New Project » PCB Project command
1.3. Adding a Schematic to the Project
Right-click on the project filename in the Projects panel, and select Add New to Project »
Schematic
1.4. Setting the Document Options
The properties of most objects, including the schematic sheet (or PCB workspace), are configured in
the Interactive Properties panel. The panel automatically displays the properties of the selected object,
or if no object is selected, it displays the properties of the schematic sheet.
1.5. Add Components and Libraries in Altium Designer
Components are accessed through the
 Libraries panel for local library components; or through the
 Explorer panel for Altium Content Vault components.
1.6. Placing Components on the Schematic
1.6.1. From the Libraries Panel
Press the Search button in the Libraries panel to open the Libraries Search dialog,
1.6.2. From the Explorer Panel
This is done in the Explorerpanel, select » Explorer to display the panel
1.7. Wiring up the Circuit
1.8. Setting Up Project Options
1.8.1. Checking the Electrical Properties of Your Schematic
1.8.1.1. Setting up the Error Reporting
1.8.1.2. Setting Up the Connection Matrix
1.8.1.3. Configuring the Class Generation
1.8.1.4. Setting Up the Comparator
1.9. Compiling the Project to Check for Errors
2. PCB editor
2.1. Creating a New PCB
2.2. Configuring the Board Shape and Location
2.3. Transferring the Design
2.4. Setting Up the PCB Workspace
2.4.1. Configuring the Display of Layers
2.4.2. Physical Layers and the Layer Stack Manager
2.4.3. Setting the Snap Grid
2.5. Setting Up the Design Rules
2.5.1. Routing Width Design Rules
2.5.2. Defining the Electrical Clearance Constraint
2.5.3. Defining the Routing Via Style
2.5.4. Existing Design Rule Violations
 2.5.5. Review the Design Rules
2.6. Positioning the Components on the PCB
2.7. Interactively Routing the Board
2.7.1. Preparing for Interactive Routing
2.8. ActiveRoute - Automated Interactive Routing
2.9. Verifying Your Board Design
2.9.1. Configuring the Display of Rule Violations
2.9.2. Configuring the Rule Checker
2.9.2.1. DRC Report Options
2.9.2.2. DRC Rules to Check
2.9.3. Running a Design Rule Check (DRC)
2.9.4. Locating the Error Condition
2.9.5. Understanding the Error Condition
2.9.6. Resolving the Violation s
3. Viewing Your Board in 3D
4. Output Documentation
4.1. Available Output Types
4.1.1. Assembly Outputs
4.1.2. Documentation Outputs
4.1.3. Fabrication Outputs
4.1.4. Netlist Outputs
4.1.5. Report Outputs
4.2. Use Individual Outputs or an Output Job File
4.3. Configuring the Gerber Files
4.4. Configuring the Bill of Materials
4.5. Generating the BOM

Creating New Project

 A new project is created by running the File » New Project » PCB Project command.

Figure 1 creating a new project

Creating a new project

1. Select File » New Project » PCB Project from the menus.
2. The new project will appear in the Projects panel. If this panel is not displayed, click the button at the
bottom right of the main design window, and select Project from the menu that appears.
3. Select File » Save Project from the menus to open the Windows Save As dialog. Use the dialog to navigate to a
suitable location, and enter the name “project_name” in the File Name field. The file extension does not need
to be typed in, as it will be added automatically.

Adding a Schematic to the Project

 Adding a schematic
1. Right-click on the project filename in the Projects panel, and select Add New to Project » Schematic. A blank
schematic sheet named Sheet1.SchDoc will open in the design window and an icon for this schematic will appear
linked to the project in the Projects panel, under the Source Documents folder icon.
2. To save the new schematic sheet, select File » Save As. The Save As dialog will open, ready to save the schematic
in the same location as the project file. Type the name “project_name” in the File Name field and click Save.
Note that files stored in the same folder as the project file itself (or in a child/grandchild folder) are linked to the
project using relative referencing, whereas files stored in a different location are linked using absolute referencing.
3. Since you have added a schematic to the project, the project file has changed too. Right-click on the project
filename in the Projects panel, and select Save Project to save the project.

Setting the Document (schematic) Options such as (Sheet Size, and the Snap and
Visible grids):
Configuring the Document Options
The properties of most objects, including the schematic sheet (or PCB workspace), are configured in the
Interactive Properties panel. The panel automatically displays the properties of the selected object, or if no object is
selected, it displays the properties of the schematic sheet.
1. If the Properties panel is not visible, click the click the button at the bottom right of the application and
select Propertiesfrom the menu that appears.
2. In Document Options mode (when nothing is selected), the panel is divided into the following sections: Selection
Filter, Generaland Page Options, each section can be opened/collapsed via the small triangle next to the section
name.
3. For this tutorial, the only change we need to make here is to set the sheet size to A4, this is done in the Page
Options section.
4. Confirm that both the Snap and Visible Grids are set to 100mil.
5. To make the document fill the viewing area, select View » Fit Document (shortcut: V, D).
6. Save the schematic by selecting File » Save (shortcut: F, S).
As well as the technique described in the collapsible section above, the Document Options properties can also be accessed by
double-clicking in the sheet border.
Environment options, such as the cursor type, selection color and autopan behavior are configured in the Preferences dialog
(Tools » Preferences).

Components and Libraries in Altium Designer

Altium Designer components can be:

1- created in and placed from local libraries, or

2- placed directly from the Altium Content Vault.
LIBRARY TYPE FUNCTION

Schematic Library Schematic component symbols are created in schematic libraries (*.SchLib),
which are stored locally..

PCB Library PCB footprints (models) are stored in PCB libraries (*.PcbLib), which are stored
locally. The footprint includes the electrical elements, such as the pads, as well as the
mechanical elements, such as the component overlay, dimensions, glue dots, and so
on. It can also include a 3D definition, created by placing 3D Body objects, or by
importing a STEP model.

Library Package / Integrated Library As well as working directly from the schematic and PCB libraries, you can also
compile the component elements into an integrated library (*.IntLib, stored
locally). Doing this results in a single, portable library which holds all the models
and symbols. An integrated library is compiled from a Library package
(*.LibPkg), which is essentially a special-purpose project file, with the source
schematic (*.SchLib) and PCB libraries (*.PcbLib) added to it as source
documents.

Altium Content Vault The Altium Content Vault is much more than a library. Components are stored in the
cloud, accessible from anywhere that has internet access. Altium Content Vault
components include: symbol, footprint(s), component parameters, and links to
suppliers. They are organized into folders - by manufacturer, or by package type for
generics.
 Finding a Component in Libraries:

Searching through libraries

1. If it is not visible, display the Libraries panel ( » Libraries).
2. Press the Search button in the Libraries panel to open the Libraries Search dialog, as shown above.
3. Ensure that the dialog options are set as follows:
o For the first Filter row, the Field is set to Name, the Operator set to contains, and the Value is 3904.
o The Scope is set to Search in Components, and Libraries on path.
o The Path is set to point to the installed Altium libraries, which will be something
like C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium\Altium Designer <Version>\Library.
4. Click the Search button to begin the search. The Query Results are displayed in the Libraries panel as the search
takes place - there should be one component found, as shown in the image below.
5. You can only place components from Libraries that are installed in the software, if you attempt to place from a
library that is not currently installed you will be asked to Confirm the installation of that library when you attempt
to place the component.

Placing Components on the Schematic

From the Libraries Panel
 Clicking the Place button
 Double-clicking
 Click and drag

From the Explorer Panel

 Right-click
 Click and drag
Placement Tips
 While the component is floating on the cursor, you can:
 Press Spacebar to rotate it anti-clockwise, in 90 degree increments.
 Press X to flip it along the X-axis, press Y to flip it along the Y-axis.
 Press Tab to display the Properties panel and edit the properties of an object prior to placement. The values entered become
the defaults, and if the designator has the same prefix, it will be auto-incremented.
 During component placement the software will automatically pan if you touch the window edge. Autopanning is configured
in the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog. If you accidentally pan beyond where you want,
while the component is floating on the cursor you can:
o Ctrl+Wheel Roll too zoom out and in again, or
o right-click and drag to slide the schematic around, or
o Ctrl+PgDn to display the entire sheet again.

Component Positioning Tips

 To reposition any object, place the cursor directly over the object, click-and-hold the left mouse button, drag the object to a
new position and then release the mouse button. Movement is constrained to the current snap grid, which is displayed on the
Status bar, press the G shortcut at any time to cycle through the current snap grid settings. Remember that it is important to
position components on a coarse grid, such as 50 or 100mil.
 You can also re-position a group of selected schematic objects using the arrow keys on the keyboard. Select the objects,
then press an arrow key while holding down the Ctrl key. Hold Shift as well to move objects by 10 times the current snap
grid.
 The grid can also be temporarily set to 1 while moving an object with the mouse, hold Ctrl to do this. Use this feature when
positioning text.
 The grids you cycle through when you press the G shortcut are defined in the Schematic - Grids page of
the Preferences dialog (Tools » Preferences). The Units controls on the Schematic - General page of
the Preferences dialog are used to select the measurement units, select between Mils or Millimeters. Note that Altium
components are designed using the an imperial grid, if you change to a metric grid the component pins will no longer fall
onto a standard grid. Because of this, it is recommended to use Mils for Units, unless you plan on only using your own
components.
 Wiring Tips
 Left-click or press Enter to anchor the wire at the cursor position.
 Press Backspace to remove the last anchor point.
 Press Spacebar to toggle the direction of the corner. You can observe this in the animation shown above, towards the end,
when the connector is being wired.
 Press Shift+Spacebar to cycle through the wiring corner modes. Available modes include: 90, 45, Any Angle and Autowire
(place orthogonal wire segments between the click points).
 Right-click or press Esc to exit wire placement mode.
 Click and hold to move a placed component, or Ctrl + click and hold to drag the component together with any connected
wires.
 Ctrl+click and hold on a wire to drag the wire, as shown in the animation above.
 Whenever a wire crosses the connection point of a component, or is terminated on another wire, a junction will
automatically be created.
 A wire that crosses the end of a pin will connect to that pin, even if you delete the junction. Check that your wired circuit
looks like the figure shown, before proceeding.
 Wiring cross-overs can be displayed as a small arch if preferred, enable the option in the Schematic - General page of
the Preferences dialog.

Net Labels, Port and Power Ports

 As well as giving a net a name, Net Labels are also used to create connectivity between 2 separate points on
the same schematic sheet.
 Ports are used to create connectivity between 2 separate points on different sheets. Offsheet connectors can also be used to
do this.
 Power Ports are used to create connectivity between points on all sheets, for this design Net Labels or Power Ports could
have been used.

Setting Up Project Options

Project-specific settings are configured in the Options for PCB Project dialog, shown below (Project »
Project Options). The project options include the error checking parameters, a connectivity matrix, Class
Generator, the Comparator setup, ECO generation, output paths and connectivity options, Multi-Channel
naming formats, Default Print setups, Search Paths, and project-level Parameters. These settings are used when
you compile the project.
1- Error Reporting tab in the Options for Project dialog is used to set up a large range of drafting and
component configuration checks.

2- Connection Matrix tab is where you configure what pin types are allowed to connect to each other
 3- The Class Generation tab is used to configure what type of classes are generated from the design (the
Comparator and ECO Generation tabs are then used to control if classes are transferred to the PCB).

4- Comparator sets which differences between files will be reported or ignored when a project is
compiled. Generally the only time you will need to change settings in this tab is when you add extra
detail to the PCB.

Compiling the Project to Check for Errors:

Compiling a project checks for drafting and electrical rules errors in the design documents, and details all
warnings and errors in the Messages panel.
To compile the project and check for errors, select Project » Compile PCB Project
“project_name.PrjPcb”.

Creating a New PCB:

Adding a New Board to the Project
1. A new PCB can be added to the project via the Projects panel right-click menu, select the Add New to Project »
PCB command.
2. The PCB will appear as a Source Document in the Project, as shown above. Right-click on the PCB icon in
the Projects panel to select the Save As command, naming it Multivibrator. Note that you do not need to enter
the file extension in the Save Asdialog, this is automatically appended.
3. Adding the PCB has changed the project, so save the project too (right-click on the project filename in
the Projects panel, and select Save Project).

Configuring the Board Shape and Location:

There are a number of attributes of this blank board that need to be changed before transferring the design from
the schematic editor, including:

TASK PROCESS

Setting the origin The PCB editor has two origins, the Absolute Origin, which is the lower
left of the workspace, and the user-definable Relative Origin, which is
used to determine the current workspace location - the coordinates
shown on the Status bar are relative to this origin. A common approach
is to set the Relative Origin to the lower-left corner of the board shape.
Select the Edit » Origin » Set command to set the Relative Origin, use
the Reset command to reset it back to the Absolute Origin.

Change from Imperial to Metric units The current workspace X / Y location and Grid are displayed on the
Status bar, which is displayed along the bottom of the software. For this
tutorial metric units will be used - to change the units, either press Q on
 TASK PROCESS

the keyboard to toggle back and forth between Imperial and Metric units,
or select the View » Toggle Units command from the menus.

Selecting a suitable snap grid You will have noticed that the current snap grid is 0.127mm, which is
the old 5mil imperial snap grid, converted to metric. To change the snap
grid at any time, press G to display the Snap Grid menu, where you can
select an imperial or metric value. Note the shortcuts shown in the menu,
use Ctrl+Shift+G to open the Snap Grid dialog, which is handy when
you want to type in a specific value. The other useful shortcut is Ctrl+G,
to open the Cartesian Grid editor, where you can change the grid from
dots to lines, and change the grid color. Grids are discussed in more
detail later in the tutorial.

Redefining the board shape to the required size The board shape is shown by the black region with a grid in it. The
default size for a new board is 6x4 inches, the tutorial board is 30mm x
30mm. Details for the process of defining a new shape for the board are
available below.

Configuring the layers used in the design As well as the copper, or electrical layers you route on, there are also
general-purpose mechanical layers, and special-purpose layers such as
the component overlays (silkscreens), solder mask, paste mask, and so
on. The electrical and other layers will be configured shortly.

Press Ctrl+PgDn at any time to zoom to show the entire board.

Setting the Origin and the Grid
1. There are two origins used in the software, the Absolute Origin, which is the lower left of the workspace, and the
user-definable Relative Origin, which is used to determine the current workspace location. Before setting the origin,
Keep zooming in to the lower left of the current board shape until you can easily see the grid - to do this position,
the cursor over the lower-left corner of the board shape and press PgUp until both the Coarse and Fine grids are
visible, as shown in the images below.
2. To set the Relative Origin, select Edit » Origin » Set, position the cursor over the bottom left corner of the board
shape, then left click to locate it.
3. The next step is to select a suitable snap grid, as discussed in the table above. During the course of design it is quite
common to change grids, for example you might use a coarse grid during component placement, and a finer grid for
routing. For this tutorial you will be using a Metric grid. A coarse 5mm grid will be suitable for component
placement, press Ctrl+Shift+G to open the Snap Grid dialog and enter 5mm, then click OK to close the dialog.
4. By entering the units as you entered a value, you have also instructed the software to switch to a Metric grid. If you
look at the Status bar you can confirm that the Grid is now metric.
Redefining the Board Shape
1. The default board shape is 6x4 inch, for the tutorial the board size is 30mm x 30mm.
2. To zoom back out and show all of the board, select View » Fit Board from the menus (Ctrl+PgDn).
3. The board will exactly fill the PCB editor. To manipulate the size you need to be able to see the edges of the board,
use Ctrl+WheelRoll to zoom out a bit more, or press PgDn.
4. The next step is to change the board shape. To do this you must be in Board Planning Mode, select View » Board
Planning Modeto change (shortcut: 1). The display will change, the board area will now be shown in green.
5. Your choice now is to either redefine the board shape (draw it again), or edit the existing board shape. For a simple
square or rectangle, it is more efficient to edit the existing board shape, to do this select Design » Edit Board
Shape from the menus. Note that you must be in Board Planning Mode for this command to be available.

For
this design, it is more efficient to edit the existing board shape. These commands are only available in Board Planning Mode.

6. Editing handles will appear at each corner and the center of each edge, as shown below.
Note that clicking anywhere other than on an editing handle or an edge of the shape will drop you out of board shape editing
mode.
7. The objective is to resize the shape to create a 30mm by 30mm board. The Coarse visible grid is 25mm (5x the snap
grid), and the Fine visible grid is 5mm - these can be used as a guide. You can now either: slide the upper edge
down and the right edge in to create the correct size; or move 3 of the corners in, leaving the one that is at the origin
in its current location.
8. To slide the upper edge down, position the cursor over the edge (but not over a handle), when the cursor changes to
a double-headed arrow click and hold, then drag the edge to the new location so that the Y cursor location is 30mm
on the Status bar, as shown in the image below.
9. Repeat the process to move the right-hand edge in, positioning it when the X cursor location is 30mm on the Status
bar.
3.
A good approach to defining the shape of a non-rectangular board is to place a series of tracks (and arcs for curved boards) on
the keepout layer. As well as being useful as a placement and routing keep-away barrier, these tracks and arcs can be selected
(Edit » Select » All on Layer) and used to create the board shape using the Design » Board Shape » Define from Selected
Objects command.
 Transferring the Design
Transferring the design from schematic capture to PCB layout
1. Make the schematic document, Multivibrator.SchDoc, the active document.
2. Select Design » Update PCB Document Multivibrator.PcbDoc from the Schematic editor menus. The project
will compile and the Engineering Change Order dialog will open.

An ECO is created for each change that needs to be made to the PCB so that it matches the schematic.

3. Click on Validate Changes. If all changes are validated, a green tick will appear next to each change in
the Status list. If the changes are not validated, close the dialog, check the Messages panel and resolve any errors.
4. If all changes are validated, click on Execute Changes to send the changes to the PCB editor.
5. When completed, the target PCB opens with the Engineering Change Order dialog open on top of it, and
the Done column entries will be ticked (as shown in the image below).
6. Click to Close the dialog and complete the transfer process.
7. The components will have been positioned outside of the board, ready for placing on the board. There are a few
steps to complete before starting the component placement process, such as configuring the placement grid, the
layers and the design rules.

Setting Up the PCB Workspace:

Before you start positioning the components on the board you need to configure certain PCB workspace and
board settings, such as the layers, grids and design rules. The layers are often grouped in the following way:

 Electrical layers - includes the 32 signal layers and 16 internal power plane layers.
 Mechanical layers - there are 32 general purpose mechanical layers, used for design tasks such as dimensions,
fabrication details, assembly instructions, or special purpose tasks such as glue dot layers. These layers can be
selectively included in print and Gerber output generation. They can also be paired, meaning that objects
placed on one of the paired layers in the library editor, will flip to the other layer in the pair when the
component is flipped to the bottom side of the board.
 Special layers - these include the top and bottom silkscreen layers, the solder and paste mask layers, drill
layers, the Keep-Out layer (used to define the electrical boundaries), the multilayer (used for objects present on
 all signal layers, such as pads and vias), the connection layer, DRC error layer, grid layers, hole layers, and
other display-type layers.
The display attributes of all layers are configured in the View Configuration panel. To open the panel:

 Click the button down the bottom right of the application, and select View Configuration from the
menu, or
 Select the View » Panels » View Configuration menu entry, or
 Press the L shortcut, or

 Click the current layer color icon down the bottom-left of the workspace.

The two tabs of the View Configuration panel.

 As well as the layer display state and color settings, the View Configuration panel also gives access to other
display settings, including:

 Color and visibility of System Colors, such as the Selection color, or if Connection Lines are visible (System
Colors).
 How each type of object is displayed (solid or draft), and its transparency (Object Visibility).
 Various view options, such as if the Origin Marker, Pad Net names and Pad Numbers are to be displayed
(Additional Options).
 The amount the display is faded when objects are Dimmed or Masked (Mask and Dim Settings).
 The creation of Layer Sets, which provide a quick way of switching which layers are currently visible, using

the control (Layers).

 The creation and selection of View Configurations, which are used to pre-configure all of the layer properties,
such as color, visibility, object transparency, and so on (General Settings).
Layer Tips
 The currently enabled layers are shown as a series of Tabs across the bottom of the PCB workspace. Right-click on a Tab to
access frequently-used layer display commands.
 In a busy design, it can help to only display the layer currently being worked on - to toggle the display in/out of single layer
mode press the Shift+S shortcut. The Available Single Layer Modes are configured in the PCB Editor - Board Insight
Display page of the Preferences dialog. Each press of Shift+S will cycle to the next enabled single layer mode.
 To switch the active layer:
o click the layer Tab, or
o press the + or - numeric keys to cycle through all layers, or
o press the * numeric key to cycle through signal layers, or
o use the Ctrl+Shift+WheelRoll shortcuts.

Physical Layers and the Layer Stack Manager:

The arrangement of the Physical layers is referred to as the Layer Stack. The layer stack is configured in
the Layer Stack Manager, click Design » Layer Stack to open the dialog.

The Layer Stack Manager dialog is used to:

 Add / remove signal and power plane layers.

 Add / remove dielectric layers.
 Change the order of the layers.
 Configure the Material type for the physical layers.
 Set the layer Thickness, Dielectric Material and Dielectric Constant.
 Define the Pullback amount (clearance from plane edge to board edge) for plane layers.
 Define the Coverlay Expansion for cover layers.
 Define the component orientation for that layer (used when there are embedded components).
The tutorial PCB is a simple design and can be routed as a single-sided or double-sided board. The layer
thicknesses shown below have been edited to use sensible metric values.
The properties of the physical layers are defined in the Layer Stack Manager.

Select View » Toggle Units (or press the Q shortcut key) to toggle the workspace units between metric and imperial.
In an open dialog or panel, press Ctrl+Q to toggle the units of all measurements in that dialog or panel.
Regardless of the current setting for the units, you can include the units when entering a value in a dialog or panel to force that
value to be used.

Support for Multiple Grids

Altium Designer allows multiple snap grids to be defined. There are 2 types of grids supported, Cartesian (traditional
vertical/horizontal grid) and Polar (circular grid).
As well as defining the type of grid, you can also define the area where that grid applies. Note that the Default grid always
applies to the entire workspace, even though it is only displayed over the board shape.
Since only one grid can be used at a time, grids also have a priority which is used to determine which grid should be applied
when they overlap. There are also controls for defining if a grid is for all objects, components only, or non-components only.
Grids are created and managed in the Grid Manager section of the Properties panel. Use the buttons in the panel to add, edit
or delete a grid.
Only the default grid is used in this tutorial.
Multiple grids can be configured in the Grid Manager, an image of these 3 grids is shown on the right (click to enlarge).

Setting the Snap Grid

Related pages: Grid Manager, Cartesian Grid Editor, Polar Grid Editor

The value of the snap grid you need for the tutorial can be configured by pressing:
 G to display the Snap Grid menu, where you can select an imperial or metric value (note the shortcuts shown
in the menu)
 Ctrl+Shift+G to open the Snap Grid dialog
 Ctrl+G to open the Cartesian Grid editor dialog

Set the Snap Grid to 1 mm, ready to position the components.

Design rules are configured in the PCB Rules and Constraints Editor dialog, as shown below (Design »
Rules). The rules are divided into 10 categories, which can then be further divided into design rule types.
 All PCB design requirements are configured as rules/constraints, in the PCB Rules and Constraints Editor.

Design rules can also be exported and stored in a .RUL file, and then imported into future PCB designs. To do this, right-click
in the tree on the left of the PCB Rules and Constraint Editor to open the Choose Design Rules dialog. Select the rules you
wish to export using the standard Windows selection techniques, then click OK to export the selected rules.

Positioning the Components on the PCB

1. Zoom to display the board and the component. One way to do this is to zoom out (PgDn) so the board and the
components are all visible, then choose View » View Area, then click to define the top left and bottom right of the
exact area you wish to view.
2. The components will be positioned on the current Snap grid. For a simple design such as this there are no specific
design requirements that dictate what placement grid should be used, as the designer, you decide what a suitable
placement grid would be. To simplify the process of positioning the components you can work with a coarse
placement grid, for example 1mm. Check the Status bar to confirm that the Snap Grid is set to 1mm,
press Ctrl+Shift+G to change the grid if required.
3. The components in the tutorial can be placed as shown in the image above. To place connector P1, position the
cursor over the middle of the outline of the connector, and Click-and-Hold the left mouse button. The cursor will
change to a cross hair and jump to the reference point for the part. While continuing to hold down the mouse button,
move the mouse to drag the component.
4. Press the Spacebar to rotate the component if required, and position the footprint towards the left-hand side of the
board, as shown in the figure above.
5. When the connector component is in position, release the mouse button to drop it into place. Note how the
connection lines drag with the component.
6. Reposition the remaining components, using the figure above as a guide. Use the Spacebar to rotate (increments of
90º anti-clockwise) components as you drag them, so that the connection lines are as shown in the figure.
7. Component text can be repositioned in a similar fashion - click-and-drag the text and press the Spacebar to rotate
it.
8. The PCB editor also includes interactive placement tools. These can be used to ensure that the four resistors are
correctly aligned and spaced.
9. Holding the Shift key, click on each of the four resistors to select them, or click and drag the selection box around
all 4 of them. A shaded selection box will display around each of the selected components, the Selection color is
defined in the System Colorssection of the View Configuration panel.
10. Right-click on any of the selected components and choose Align » Align to open the Align Objects dialog.
11. Select Space Equally in the Horizontal section and Bottom in the Vertical section, then click OK to apply these
changes. The four resistors are now aligned (with the lowest component) and equally spaced.

Select, then align and space the resistors.

12. Click elsewhere in the design window to de-select all the resistors. If required you can also align the capacitors and
transistors, although this might not be required since you have a coarse Snap grid at the moment.
13. Save the PCB file.
Interactively routing the board
1. Check which layers are currently visible by looking at the Layer Tabs at the bottom of the workspace. If the Bottom
Layer is not visible, press the L shortcut to open the View Configuration panel, and enable the Bottom Layer.
2. Click on the Top layer tab at the bottom of the workspace to make it the current, or active layer, ready to route on.
3. It is often easier to route in single layer mode, press Shift+S to toggle to in and out of single layer mode.

4. Click button on the Active Bar (Ctrl+W shortcut), or select Interactive Routing from the Route menu, or
right-click and choose Interactive Routing from the context menu. The cursor will change to a crosshair,
indicating you are in interactive routing mode.
5. Position the cursor over the lower pad on connector P1. As you move the cursor close to the pad it will
automatically snap to the center of the pad - this is the Snap To Object Hotspots feature pulling the cursor to the
center of the nearest electrical object (configure the Snap Distance in the Snap Options section of
the Properties panel). Sometimes the Snap To Object Hotspots feature pulls the cursor when you don't want it to,
in this situation press the Ctrl key to temporarily inhibit this feature. Alternatively, use the Shift+E shortcut to
cycle through the three possible states (All Layers / Current Layer / Off). The current mode is displayed on the
Status bar.
6. Left-Click or press Enter to anchor the first point of the track.
7. Move the cursor towards the bottom pad of the resistor R1, and click to place a vertical segment. Note how track
segments are displayed in different ways (as shown in the image below). During routing, the segments are shown
as:
o Solid - the segment has been placed.
o Hatched - hatched segments are proposed but uncommitted, they will be placed when you left-click.
o Hollow - this is referred to as the look-ahead segment, it allows you to work out where the last proposed segment
should end. This segment is not placed when you click, unless the next click will complete the route. In this
situation the Automatically Terminate Routing option kicks in and overrides the default look-ahead behavior. The
look-ahead mode can be toggled on/off using the 1 shortcut during routing.

Note how the segments are displayed differently.

8. Manually route by Left-Clicking to commit track segments, finishing on the lower pad of R1. Note how each
mouse click places the hatched segment(s). For the connection that you are currently routing, press Backspace to
rip up the last-placed segment.
9. Rather than routing all the way to the target pad, you can also press Ctrl+Left Click to use the Auto-
Complete function and immediately route the entire connection. Auto-complete behaves in the following way:
o It takes the shortest path, which may not the best path as you need to always consider paths for other connections
yet to be routed. If you are in Push mode (shown on the Status bar when routing), Auto-complete can push existing
routes to reach the target.
o On longer connections, the Auto-Complete path may not always be available as the routing path is mapped section
by section, and complete mapping between source and target pads may not be possible.
o You can also Auto-complete directly on a pad or connection line.
10. Continue to route all the connections on the board.
11. Use the techniques detailed above to route all of the connections between the other components on the board. The
simple animation above shows the board being interactively routed.
12. There is no single solution to routing a board, so it is inevitable that you will want to change the routing. The PCB
editor includes features and tools to help with this, they are discussed in the following sections and are also
demonstrated in the animation shown above.
13. Save the design when you are finished routing.

Routing Tips
Keep in mind the following points as you are routing:

KEYSTROKE BEHAVIOR

~ (tilda) or Shift+F1 Pop up a menu of interactive shortcuts - most settings can be changed on the fly by
pressing the appropriate shortcut, or selecting from the menu.

* or Ctrl+Shift+WheelRoll Switch to the next available signal layer. A via is automatically added, in accordance with
the applicable Routing Via Style design rule.

Shift+R Cycle through the enabled conflict resolution modes. Enable the required modes in
the Interactive Routing preferences page.

Shift+S Toggle single layer mode on and off - ideal when there are many objects on multiple
layers.

Spacebar Toggle the current corner direction.

Shift+Spacebar Cycle through the various track corner modes. The styles are: any angle, 45°, 45° with arc,
90° and 90° with arc. There is an option to limit this to 45° and 90° in the Interactive
Routing preferences page.
 KEYSTROKE BEHAVIOR

Ctrl+Left-Click Auto-complete the connection being routed. Auto-complete will not succeed if there are
unresolvable conflicts with obstacles.

Ctrl Temporarily suspend the Hotspot Snap, or press Shift + E to cycle through the 3 available
modes (off / on for current layer / on for all layers).

End Redraw the screen.

PgUp / PgDn Zoom in / out, centered around the current cursor position. Alternatively, use the standard
Windows mouse wheel zoom and pan shortcuts.

Backspace Remove the last-committed track segment.

Right-click or ESC Drop the current connection, remaining in Interactive Routing mode.

Keep an eye on the Status bar, it displays important information during interactive routing, including:
 Current workspace location and Snap Grid setting
 Hotspot Snap: off / on for current layer / on for all layers
 Current track corner mode
 Current Interactive Routing Mode
 Source of routing Width
 Source of routing Via Style
 Current Gloss strength
 Name of Net
 Overall route length
 Dimensions of routing segment being placed

Interactive Routing Modes

The PCB editor's Interactive Routing engine supports a number of different modes, with each mode helping the
designer deal with particular situations. Press the Shift+R shortcut to cycle through these modes as you
interactively route, note that the current mode is displayed on the Status bar.
 The available interactive routing modes include:

 Ignore Obstacles - This mode lets you place tracks anywhere, including over existing objects, displaying but
allowing potential violations.
 Stop at first Obstacle - In this mode the routing is essentially manual, as soon as an obstacle is encountered
the track segment will be clipped to avoid a violation.
 Walkaround Obstacles - This mode will attempt to find a routing path around existing obstacles without
attempting to move them.
 Hug & Push Obstacles - This mode is a combination of Walkaround and Push. It will hug as it performs a
Walkaround of obstacles, however, will also attempt to Push against fixed obstacles when there is insufficient
clearance to continue using Walkaround.
 Push Obstacles - This mode will attempt to move objects (tracks and vias), which are capable of being
repositioned without violation, to accommodate the new routing.
 Autoroute on Current Layer - this mode brings basic autorouting functionality to interactive routing, it can
automatically select between walkaround and push, based on heuristics that consider push distance, versus
walk distance and route length. Like an autorouter, this mode can deliver better results on a complex, busy
board, than on a simple, unrouted board.
 Autoroute on Multiple Layers - this mode also brings basic autorouting functionality to interactive routing, it
can also automatically select between walkaround and push, based on heuristics that consider push distance,
versus walk distance and route length. This mode can also place a via and consider using other routing layers.
Like an autorouter, this mode can deliver better results on a complex, busy board, than on a simple, unrouted
board.

ActiveRoute - Automated Interactive Routing

Working with ActiveRoute
 ActiveRoute is configured and run from the PCB ActiveRoute panel, as shown in the image below.
 ActiveRoute does not switch layers, it attempts to create single layer pad-pad and pad-via routes, on the layers
enabled in the PCB ActiveRoute panel. High pin-count components must be fanned out before attempting to
ActiveRoute the nets.
 ActiveRoute attempts to route the selected pad/via/connection/net/nets. Use the following techniques to select
connections and nets:
o Set the PCB panel to Nets mode, enable the Select checkbox at the top of the panel and click on a net name to
select that net (not the checkbox next to the name, that is used to enable the Board Insight Color
Override feature for that net). Use standard Windows shortcuts to multi-select.
o Interactively select connections in the workspace - Alt+Left Click-Drag, from right-to-left. Hold Alt and drag
a green selection window from right-to-left. Any connection line touched by the green selection window will
be selected. Hold Shift to continue selecting additional connections.
o Left-Click to select an individual pad.
o Select multiple pads in a component - Ctrl+Left Click-Drag. Hold Ctrl and click and drag a selection window
to select multiple pads in a component. Drag left-to-right to select within, drag right-to-left to select touching.
 Enable the routing layer(s) in the PCB ActiveRoute panel.
 The
tutorial board, ready to be used to explore ActiveRoute.

Configuring the Rule Checker

The design is checked for violations by running the Design Rule Checker. Run the Tools » Design Rule
Check command to open the dialog. Both online and batch DRC are configured in this dialog.

DRC Report Options

 By default, the dialog opens showing the Report Options page selected in the tree on the left of the dialog
(shown below).
 The right side of the dialog displays a list of general reporting options, for more information about the options
press F1 when the cursor is over the dialog. These options can be left at their defaults.
 Rule checking, both online and batch, is configured in the Design Rule Checker dialog.

DRC Rules to Check

 The testing of specific rules is configured in the Rules to Check section of the dialog, select this page in the
tree on the left of the dialog to list all of the rule types (shown below). You can also examine them by type, for
example Electrical, by selecting that page on the left of the dialog.
 For most rule types there are checkboxes for Online (check as you work) and Batch (check this rule when
the Run Design Rule Check button is clicked).
 Click to enable/disable the rules as required. Alternatively, right-click to display the context menu. This menu
allows you to quickly toggle the Online and Batch settings, select the Batch DRC - Used On entry, as shown
in the image below.
 Checking is configured for each rule type, use the right-click menu to enable the Used design rules.

Running a Design Rule Check (DRC)

Running a Design Rule Check (DRC)

Click the Run Design Rule Check button at the bottom of the dialog to perform a design rule check. When the
button is clicked the DRC will run, then:

 The Messages panel will appear, listing all detected errors.

 If the Create Report File option was enabled in the Report Options page of the dialog, a Design Rule
Verification Report will open in a separate document tab, the report for the tutorial is shown below.
o The upper upper section of the report details the rules that are enabled for checking and the number of detected
violations, click on a rule to jump down the report and examine those errors.
o Below the summary of violating rules are specific details about each violation.
o The links in the report are live, click on a specific error to jump back to the board and examine that error on the
board. Note that the zoom level for this click action is configured in the System - Navigation page of
the Preferences dialog, experiment to find a zoom level that suits you.

Running a Design Rule Check (DRC)

 Click the Run Design Rule Check button at the bottom of the dialog to perform a design rule check. When the
button is clicked the DRC will run, then:

 The Messages panel will appear, listing all detected errors.

 If the Create Report File option was enabled in the Report Options page of the dialog, a Design Rule
Verification Report will open in a separate document tab, the report for the tutorial is shown below.
o The upper upper section of the report details the rules that are enabled for checking and the number of detected
violations, click on a rule to jump down the report and examine those errors.
o Below the summary of violating rules are specific details about each violation.
o The links in the report are live, click on a specific error to jump back to the board and examine that error on the
board. Note that the zoom level for this click action is configured in the System - Navigation page of
the Preferences dialog, experiment to find a zoom level that suits you.

Viewing Your Board in 3D

A powerful feature of Altium Designer is the ability to view your board as a 3 dimensional object. To switch to
3D, run the View » 3D Layout Mode command , or press the 3 shortcut. The board will display as a 3
dimensional object - the tutorial board is shown below.

You can fluidly zoom the view, rotate it and even travel inside the board using the following controls:

 Zooming - Ctrl + Right-drag mouse, or Ctrl + Roll mouse-wheel, or the PgUp / PgDn keys.
 Panning - Right-drag mouse, or the standard Windows mouse-wheel controls.
 Rotation - Shift + Right-drag mouse. Note how when you press Shift a directional sphere appears at the
current cursor position, as shown in the image below. Rotational movement of the model is made about the
center of the sphere (position the cursor before pressing Shift to position the sphere) using the following
controls. Move the mouse around to highlight the required control, then:
o Right-drag sphere when the Center Dot is highlighted - rotate in any direction.
o Right-drag sphere when the Horizontal Arrow is highlighted - rotate the view about the Y-axis.
o Right-drag sphere when the Vertical Arrow is highlighted - rotate the view about the X-axis.
o Right-drag sphere when the Circle Segment is highlighted - rotate the view about the Z-plane.
 Hold Shift to display the 3D view directional sphere, then click and drag the right-mouse button to rotate.

Tips for Working in 3D

 Press L to open the View Configuration panel when the board is in 3D Layout Mode, where you can configure
the 3D workspace display options (View Options tab, General Settings and 3D Settings sections).
 The 3D display colors can use Realistic, or By Layer, which are the layer colors defined in the 2D Layout
Mode. There are a number of 3D Configurations defined, explore these in the General Settings of the View
Configuration panel.
 There are controls to configure the layer colors, as well as the board thickness (vertical scaling), which is
handy for examining the internal layers and interconnect structures in the PCB. 3D layers have a transparency
setting, slide this to "see through" the objects on that layer.
 You can choose to Show 3D bodies, or hide them.
 To display the components in 3D, each component needs to have a suitable 3D model included in its footprint.
Refer to the Component object page and the 3D Body object page to learn more about including 3D models,
and check out the The Advantage of 3D in ECAD-MCAD Integration article to learn techniques for postioning
a model on its footprint.
 Apart from the component manufacturer's website, 3D models are also available on:
o Community portal websites, such as 3D Content Central and GrabCAD, where designers share models.
o A growing number of commercial 3D sites, including Accelerated Designs and PCB 3D.
 If there is no suitable STEP model available, create your own component shape by placing multiple 3D Body
Objects in the footprint in the Library editor.

Output Documentation:
 Available Output Types
Because a variety of technologies and methods exist in PCB manufacture, the software has the ability to
produce numerous output types for different purposes:

Assembly Outputs
 Assembly Drawings - component positions and orientations for each side of the board.
 Pick and Place Files - used by robotic component placement machinery to place components onto the board.
Note that the Report Output can also be used to generate Pick and Place files, and is highly configurable.

Documentation Outputs
 PCB Prints - configure any number or printouts (pages), with any arrangement of layers and display of
primitives, use this to create printed outputs such as assembly drawings.
 PCB 3D Prints - views of the board from a three-dimensional view perspective.
 PCB 3D Video - output a simple video of the board, based on a sequence of 3D key-frames defined in the
PCB editor's PCB 3D Movie Editor panel.
 PDF 3D - generate a 3D PDF view of the board, with full support to zoom, pan and rotate in Adobe Acrobat®.
The PDF includes a model tree, giving control over the display of nets, components and the silkscreen.
 Schematic Prints - schematic drawings used in the design.

Fabrication Outputs
 Composite Drill Drawings - drill positions and sizes (using symbols) for the board in one drawing.
 Drill Drawing/Guides - drill positions and sizes (using symbols) for the board in separate drawings.
 Final Artwork Prints - combines various fabrication outputs together as a single printable output.
 Gerber Files - creates manufacturing information in Gerber format.
 Gerber X2 Files - a new standard that encapsulates a high-level of design information, with backward
compatibility to the original Gerber format.
 IPC-2581 File - a new standard that encapsulates a high-level of design information within a single file.
 NC Drill Files - creates manufacturing information for use by numerically controlled drilling machines.
 ODB++ - creates manufacturing information in ODB++ database format.
 Power-Plane Prints - creates internal and split plane drawings.
 Solder/Paste Mask Prints - creates solder mask and paste mask drawings.
 Test Point Report - creates test point output for the design in a variety of formats.

Netlist Outputs
 Netlists describe the logical connectivity between components in the design and is useful for transporting to
other electronics design applications. A large variety of netlist formats are supported.

Report Outputs
 Bill of Materials - creates a list of parts and quantities (BOM), in various formats, required to manufacture the
board.
 Component Cross Reference Report - creates a list of components, based on the schematic drawing in the
design.
 Report Project Hierarchy - creates a list of source documents used in the project.
 Report Single Pin Nets- creates a report listing any nets that only have one connection.
 Simple BOM - creates text and CSV (comma separated variables) files of the BOM.
 Electrical Rules Check - formatted report of the results of running an Electrical Rules Check.
Altium Designer has 2 separate mechanisms for configuring and generating
output: Individually or Via an Output Job file

Adding an Output Job to the project

The OutputJob file, or OutJob, maps each output setting (in the list on the left) to an output container (in the column
on the right). The output setting defines what it is you want to be output (double-click to configure), the container
defines where the output is to be written to (double-click the icon, or click the Change link). Any number of
outputs can be added in the OutJob, and outputs can be mapped to individual or shared output containers.

1. In the Projects panel, right click on the project name and select Add New to Project » Output Job File. A new
OutJob will be opened and added to the project.
2. Save the OutJob and name it Multivibrator. It will automatically be saved in the same folder as the project file.
3. To add a new Gerber output, click the link in the Fabrication Outputs section of the
OutJob, and selectGerber » [PCB Document], as shown in the image below. If you select the [PCB Document]
option the project PCB is automatically chosen. Choosing this also means the OutJob can easily be copied between
projects, as this setting will not have to be updated. If there are multiple PCBs in the project you will need to select
the specific board.
4. The Gerber output has been added, you will configure it shortly.
 Configuring the Gerber Files
1. In the OutJob, double-click on the Gerber Files output, the Gerber Setup dialog will open, as shown in the image
above.
2. Since the board has been designed in Metric, set the Units to Millimeters. in the General tab of the dialog.
3. The smallest unit used on the board is 0.25mm for the routing and clearance, but because most of the components
have their reference point at their geometric center (and were placed on a 1mm grid), some of their pads will
actually be on a 0.01 grid. Set the Format to 4:3 on the General tab, this ensures that the resolution of the output
data is more than adequate to cover these grid locations. Note: the NC drill file must always be configured to use
the same Units and Format.
4. Switch to the Layers tab, then click the Plot Layers button and select Used On. Note that mechanical layers may
be enabled, these are not normally Gerbered on their own. Instead they are often included if they hold detail that is
required on other layers, for example an alignment location marker that is required on every Gerber file. In this case
the Mechanical Layer options on the right side of the dialog are used to include that detail with another layer.
Disable any mechanical layers that were enabled in the Layers to Plot section of the dialog.
5. Click on the Advanced tab of the dialog. Confirm that the Position on Film option is set to Reference to relative
origin. Note: the NC drill file must always be configured to use the same: Units, Format and Position on
Film settings as the Gerber files, otherwise the drill locations will not match the pad locations!
6. Click OK to accept the other default settings and close the Gerber Setup dialog.
7. Now the Gerber settings are configured, the next step is to configure their naming and output location. This is done
by mapping them to an Output Container on the right side of the OutJob. For discrete files with their own file
format, you use a Folder Structure container, select Folder Structure in the list of Output Containers, then click the
 radio button for the Gerber Files in the Enabled column of the Outputs to map this output to the selected container,
as shown below.

The OutJob configured to generate Gerber, NC Drill and Pick and Place output as discrete files.

8. The last step is to configure the Container, to do this click on the Change link in the container to open the Folder
Structure Settings dialog. Across the top are a set of controls which are used to configure if the outputs are Release
Managed or Manually Managed, set them to Manually Managed. Explore the other options, the lower part of the
dialog will display how the names and folder structure changes as you select different options.
9. Click the Advanced button at the bottom of the Folder Structure settings dialog and enabled the Gerber Output in
the list of CAMtastic Auto-Load Options. Click OK to close the dialog.
10. To generate the Gerber files, click the Generate Content link in the Container region of the OutJob.
11. The files will be generated and opened in the integrated CAM editor, which can be used for final checking of CAM
files before you release them to manufacture. Close the CAM file without saving it.

Configuring the Bill of Materials

ActiveBOM is the component management editor included in Altium Designer, which is used to:

 Configure the component information so that it is BOM-ready, including adding additional non-PCB
component BOM items, such as the bare board, glue, mounting hardware, and so on.
 Add additional columns, such as a line number column, to suit the requirements of the assembly house.
 Map each design component to a real-world manufacturer part.
 Verify the supply chain availability and price for each part, for a defined number of manufactured units.
 Calculate the cost to build, for the defined number of manufactured units.
 ActiveBOM is
used to map each design component to a real-world part.

1. Select File » New » ActiveBOM Document from the menus. Note that a PCB project can only include one
BomDoc.
2. The BomDoc will be created, and the components used in the tutorial listed as BOM Items. The BomDoc is
configured in the Properties panel, where the production quantity and currency, supply chain, and visible BOM
Item parameters are defined, along with other settings. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the features
available in the panel's two tabs. Note that the panel includes a search field at the top, handy for quickly locating a
control or a parameter.
3. In the Columns tab of the panel, locate and disable the visibility of the following parameters: Manufacturer
Lifecycle 1, Supplier Subtotal 1.
4. The components are detailed in the main area of the BomDoc. By default there will be a column titled Line #, click
the Set Line Numbers button ( ) to populate this column.
5. Because the components were placed from the Altium Content Vault, each part already includes supply chain
information. When you click on a part in the BOM Items grid, its supply chain information is displayed in the lower
region of the BomDoc, as shown in the image above. Each row displayed in this lower region of the BomDoc is
referred to as a Solution, with the manufacturer part + part number (referred to as an MPN) shown on the left, and
available suppliers + supplier part numbers (referred to as SPNs) shown in each tile on the right.
6. Note that the BOM Items grid includes a Status column on the right, hover the mouse cursor over a status icon for
information about any issues detected.
7. The Status icons should indicate that all of the Items include the error no MPN ranked. This means that the
designer (you) has not yet checked through the selected parts (MPNs) and indicated that they are happy with each
of them. An MPN is accepted by assigning it a rank (as shown in the image above). Do this for each of the Items,
except for the transistor.
8. The status of each item is checked against the current configuration of BOM Checks, in the Properties panel.
The BOM Checks list in the panel details all BOM checks that are currently being violated. The available BOM
 checks and their current settings are configured in the Bom Checks dialog, click the icon below the BOM
Checks list to open the dialog.
9. In the Violations Associated with Design Items section of the BOM Checks list there is a check
called Component Revision is out of date. To observe the impact of modifying a BOM check, set this
to No Report, then click OK to close the dialog.
10. The Status of four of the five BOM Items should change to green ( ), indicating that these Items are clear (ready
to order).
11. Select the transistor Item, it will probably be flagged as obsolete and have no SPNs. For Items that do not have an
MPN assigned, or have an MPN but that part has no suppliers, you can add a Manual Solution.
12. To do this, click the Add Solution button, and select Add Manual Solution from the menu that appears.
13. The Add New Part Choice dialog will open. This dialog is used to locate suppliers that carry a suitable part, and
check the price and availability. Note that the list of allowable suppliers is configured in the Data Management -
Part Providers page of the Preferences dialog.
14. In the Add New Part Choice dialog, locate the supplier part, Fairchild Semiconductor BC547CTA in the
list. In the list of suppliers that carry this part, locate the Digi-Key part that includes an entry in the Unit
Price column.
15. To use this part in your solution, click the long, thin >> button located in the middle of the dialog - when you do
the component's details will populate the fields on the right hand side of the dialog. Click OK to close the dialog.
16. The Fairchild Semi transistor will now be listed as the proposed solution in the BomDoc, as shown below.
17. All parts now include supply chain details, save the BomDoc and the project. You are now ready to generate a
BOM.

Use the manual

solution feature when the part does not include supply chain details.

Generating the BOM

Dialog page: Report Manager

The actual output BOM file that is generated, is generated via the Report Manager. The Report Manager is a
highly configurable report generation engine that can generate output in a variety of formats, including: text,
CSV, PDF, HTML and Excel. Excel-format BOM's can also have a template applied using one of the pre-
defined templates, or one of your own.

 BOM output is generated from the Bill of Materials For Project dialog, accessed via:
o the PCB editor's Reports » Bill of Materials, or
o by adding a Bill of Materials into the Report Outputs section of an Output Job, or
o by adding a BomDoc to the project, and running the BomDoc's Reports » Bill of Materials command.
 The default behavior is for the Report Manager to present the component detail in the same way it has been
configured in the BomDoc, if the project includes a BomDoc.
 Down the left of the dialog there is a list of every component attribute, for all components in the design. Enable
the checkbox for each attribute you would like to include in the BOM, clear the checkbox for an attribute you
wish to remove.
 If the project does not include a BomDoc, the report Manager includes an additional region, used to define how
like-components are identified for clustering. Clustering is achieved by adding component attributes to
the Grouped Columns region of the dialog. Click and drag these attributes out of the Grouped Columns and
drop them back in the All Columns region if you prefer every component to be on its own row in the BOM.
 The main grid region of the dialog is the content that is written into the BOM. In this region you can: click and
drag to reorder the columns; click on a column heading to sort by that column; ctrl+click to sub-sort by that
column; define value-based filters for a column using the small dropdown in each column header; right-click to
Force the columns to fit the current dialog width.
 The BOM generator sources its information from the schematic, enable the Include Parameters from
PCB option to access PCB information, such as location and side of board if required.

The Report
Manager, for a project that includes a BomDoc. The presentation of the dialog changes if there is no BomDoc included in the project.