System-level
Project file management with the new Storage Manager 
The new Storage Manager brings enhanced project management, offering file control, an easy-to-use backup management system that lets you compare and retrieve older versions, and comparison capabilities that let you find not only electrical differences but also physical changes made to schematic and PCB documents.
Document history management
Working in harmony with the new Storage Manager, an internal version history management system allows you to track document changes without the use of an external version control system.
Include any Document in Your Project
You can now add any type of document to your project. Documents that are not a DXP™ 2004 document will be opened by the default Windows application assigned to that document kind when you double click on it in the Projects panel.
Open Project Documents dialog
New 'Open Project Documents' dialog has been added. This dialog can be invoked from the Projects menu, or by the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+O. It is designed to provide a quick and easy way (using the keyboard only if necessary) to open documents in the currently open projects.
Localization for Foreign Languages
The DXP 2004 platform has been upgraded to support Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, German and French languages installations. All menu items and most dialog text now optionally reflect the language chosen from those installed on the PC. The localized language is available as either translated hints over English text, or in translations of the forms and menus themselves.
Scripting support for VBScript and Java Script
Support has been added for VBScript and Java Script scripting languages. Use the relevant command from the File ' New ' Script Files sub-menu, to generate the document type you require.
Protel 99SE Import Wizard
A new Protel 99SE Import Wizard has been added to the File menu. This wizard provides greatly improved support and control over the importing of .DDB files, including;
- The ability to run the wizard over multiple DDBs or folders.
- Folders are recursively searched and all DDBs found will be imported.
- File names changed automatically to ensure file associations are correct - for example schematic documents with no extensions will have .SchDoc appended to their file name. Sheet symbol linkage will remain functional, ensuring that the design compiles correctly.
- An option to translate schematic documents to the latest format during the Import process.
- Full control over how projects are created, with document-level options to define how each document should be handled.
- An option to include non-Altium documents in the imported project.
File Type Associations
File associations are now user-controllable, to change the default associations that are established during installation, go to the File Types page of the DXP Preferences dialog.
Centralization of System Preferences
The setting of all the various system preferences has been centralized within a single, context-sensitive dialog box that features a tree-like navigation structure. This streamlines the setting of DXP 2004 environment options across all document editors and servers.
Loading and Saving of System Preferences
Can now load and save system preferences, including menu, toolbar and shortcut key customizations. The buttons are located at the bottom of the DXP>>Preferences dialog. Schematic and PCB default primitives are also saved.
Upgraded version control support 
The current version control features have been enhanced with CVS support. This gives a wider range of options for interfacing to third-party version control systems. Version Control options have been moved to their own section in the DXP>>Preferences dialog and an option has been added to the Version Control preferences allowing the automatic connection to version control when using SCC providers.
Faster document switching
Various changes have been made to improve the speed when switching between documents.
Smarter panel docking
Panel docking behavior has been enhanced so that panels are more intelligently resized when added to a group of panels in a panel frame and panels now snap together when moved close to each other. This allows easier arrangement of panel sets within the environment.
Maximize/restore panel sizes
Floating panels can now be maximized/restored by double clicking the panel title bar or choosing Maximize/Restore from the right click menu.
Closing multiple DXP application windows
When closing one of multiple DXP open application windows, you are now asked whether you would like to close just this application window or exit DXP completely.
Clipboard monitoring
New option 'Monitor clipboard content for DXP editing only' added to DXP System preferences for controlling the DXP clipboard contents from DXP and external applications.
File New additions
Document kinds that were only available from the Files panel have been added to the File>>New menu.
PDF documents now open externally
DXP>>Preferences option to 'Open PDF documents inside DXP' has been removed. Now Acrobat PDF documents are always opened externally.
Creating shortcuts
A drop down list box called 'Currently in use by' has been added to the Customize>>Edit Command dialog indicating if a defined shortcut is already in use by another process launcher. Selecting keyboard shortcuts while customizing can now be done by typing the shortcut.
Improved Scripting System
The scripting debugger is now integrated into the DXP environment, simplifying the process of debugging your scripts. The scripting documentation has been greatly extended and new examples have been added.
Run a Script without opening the script project
Scripts can now be run without opening a script project. Two new processes have been added: ScriptingSystem:RunScriptText and ScriptingSystem:RunScriptFile.
New text editor options
DXP>>Preferences>>Text Editor dialog:
- Line numbers on gutter.
- Highlighting preview section
- Select found text
- Margin Width
- Load and Save Colors
Panning support in Text editor
Right click and drag is now implemented in the text editor. This allows the document to be scrolled up and down.
Syntax highlighting copy and paste support
Copy and Paste from Text Editor into external application such as Word now supports syntax highlighting, colors and general formatting.
New font option when printing text documents
Text Editor Advanced Printer Properties dialog now provides the option to use a specific font when printing text documents.
Improved On-line help
Context sensitive help has been greatly expanded for this release which now offers F1 support over much of the design environment. The overall documentation for the whole system has also been significantly enhanced with over 50 new PDF documents, see the new “Documentation Resource Center” navigation page for a category listing.
Improved control over Help Panel searches
Help Panel now has greater control over targeting specific documentation when searching. Use the topic scope listbox and improved Help Set Options dialog to select, define and edit Help Sets.
Viewing table data
Data stored in table formatted charts (e.g. operating point chart) are now exported into columns to make viewing of table data in spreadsheet programs easier.
Other Updates
- Error messages no longer occur when opening a Design Workspace from a secured network location or write protected drive.
- Version Control now only adds files to source control at the request of the user.
- Unpinned panel sizes are now remembered between sessions.
- System panels (Files, Projects etc.) now appear first in the list of docked panels.
- The shortcut key to toggle panels has been changed from F5 to Shift-F5 to resolve clashes with other shortcut keys.
- Undo in all edit & combo boxes now works correctly.
- The display state of the Command Status Bar is now remembered between sessions.
- Constraint files can now be added from the Files Panel (New>>Other Document>>Constraint File)
- Adding new documents to the Projects panel with the Default Expansion setting does not reset the view of the panel after saving a project.
- Saving a new document or project now remembers and prompts with the last saved document path.
- When running a script the Projects panel no longer becomes active.
- Schematic based scripts now place new objects at the defined locations.
- The Code Sense feature in the script editor now works properly when typing a '.' after a variable of interface type.
- Code completion using structures now works.
- The cursor now jumps to the locations of embedded software compiler errors.
- Using Shift+C to clear the mask in a text document no longer inserts a C character.
- Text printouts with twilight scheme now longer have black background.
- Text editor printing preferences are now remembered between application sessions.
- In Text editor Find/Replace dialogs, all edit controls now remember previously entered values.
- Preferences>>Text Editors>>Display. the sample window is now updated properly when changing the Editor Font.
- Pasting column block text now moves the cursor to the next line allowing fast column text pasting.
- The toggle and goto bookmarks menu items now function correctly in the text editor.