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Direct ECAD-MCAD Design with CoDesigner

Updated: February 01, 2026

Use of this CoDesigner documentation requires:

  • A supported Altium design client:

    • Note that not all features described on this page are available in all installations of Altium MCAD CoDesigner. Refer to the Feature Availability panel on the right for more information.

    • To determine the supported Altium design clients, note the version of the MCAD CoDesigner Addin you are using, then check for supported versions in the ECAD-MCAD Version Compatibility Matrix

    • Altium CircuitMaker 2.1 or later is supported, with the Autodesk Fusion CoDesigner extension version 2.8 or later. Note that CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion®. Learn more.

  • An Altium Workspace, supported Workspaces include:

    • Altium 365 Workspace

    • Altium Enterprise Server Workspace. Note: if you are using an on-premises server and there have been licensing-related feature changes, please refresh your licensing by deleting and re-adding the licenses in the Admin – Licenses page of the server's browser interface.

  • Supported MCAD design software with a suitable version of the CoDesigner Addin.

If you prefer to learn by watching, you might want to check out the MCAD CoDesign How-To Videos page.

An exciting evolution in the design and development of electronic products is the ability to print the electronic circuit directly onto a substrate, such as a plastic molding that becomes a part of a product. Altium is building technology to support the design of Printed Electronics and Molded Interconnect Devices (MIDs), by performing the Layout and Routing directly on a 3D Structure. At this stage, CoDesigner does not support the transfer of a printed electronics design between ECAD and MCAD because of the different design approaches needed. Development is ongoing, and support will be added in a future update.

What is CoDesign?

Working between the electronic and mechanical design domains brings unique challenges. ECAD and MCAD tools have different design objectives and have evolved down different paths, as well as how they store and manage their data.

But today's designs demand that this challenge be solved - small and complex product enclosures that house multiple, irregular-shaped printed circuit boards - to successfully design these products, the designers must be able to collaborate as they pass design changes back and forth between the ECAD and MCAD domains.

Passing complex and detailed design changes between different design software is much more than just being able to save data in another format. The electronic and mechanical design teams work independently and must be able to transfer changes at any point in their design process. How do you manage the flow of changes back and forth between the teams, without impacting either team's day-to-day design work? The last thing the design teams need is for one team to have to stop work until the other team has accepted their latest change before both teams can proceed.

This collaborative design challenge is solved by CoDesigner, an interface for transferring printed circuit board designs between the ECAD and MCAD design domains.

How it Works

Once the CoDesigner plug-in has been added to the ECAD and MCAD software, CoDesigner can pass design changes back and forth through an Altium Workspace. The Workspace acts as a bridge between the ECAD and MCAD domains, as shown below.

PCB design data can be transferred in both directions between ECAD and MCAD through an Altium Managed Content Server

The advantage of passing design changes through a Workspace is the update process becomes stateless. That means each side can continue to work independently, there is no need to worry about where the other team is up to in the design process.

For example, when the MCAD designer has defined the board shape, they can Push the assembly to the Workspace. The ECAD designer will automatically be notified that there is a change pending. When they click Pull, their board is compared to the MCAD board definition in the Workspace, and a list of changes required to synchronize their board with the Workspace version is generated. The ECAD designer can then enable the changes they want, and Apply them to their board. The ECAD designer might then configure the various copper and other fabrication layers required in the layer stack, define the board thickness, and Push the updated board back to the MCAD designer, ready for placement of any location-critical mechatronic components.

What is a Workspace?

An Altium Workspace is a dedicated server for hosting and managing all your design content, that couples directly into your design software. Altium's design software works seamlessly with the Workspace, providing an elegant answer to the question of handling design data with secured integrity.

  • The Altium Workspace is provided and branded as the Altium Develop Workspace or Altium Agile Workspace depending on your purchased Altium Solution. For both Workspace variants, this documentation will use the general term Altium Workspace or similar.

  • For the latest information on the security, reliability, privacy, and compliance of the Altium 365 platform, please visit the Altium 365 Trust Center.

  • For organizations that require compliance with US government security regulations such as ITAR and EAR, Altium offers the US-based Altium 365 GovCloud that operates in the AWS GovCloud region and provides additional data protection measures. See Altium 365 GovCloud and its related FAQs for more information.

Altium's design software can connect to the following Workspaces:

  • Altium 365 Workspace - a Workspace hosted on the Altium 365 cloud-based infrastructure platform. The Workspace facilitates the seamless connectivity of, and the mechanics for moving data between, the design, manufacturing, and supply domains. A cloud-based Workspace is recommended since it opens up a variety of global sharing and collaborative features that can only be experienced and enjoyed through the cloud-based Altium 365 platform.
  • Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server Workspace - if your design team cannot use a cloud-hosted Workspace, Altium also supports an On-Prem Enterprise Server that is installed on-site and managed by your own IT department.

Learn more about Designing with a Connected Workspace

What is a Personal Space?

Every designer who registers with Altium Live also gets access to their own Altium 365 Personal Space. The Personal Space is free, and offers some of the collaborative capabilities available in a Workspace. The Personal Space is also used as the ECAD-MCAD transfer interface for designers working between Altium CircuitMaker and Autodesk Fusion.

Learn more about the Altium 365 Personal Space

Learn more about Collaborating between Altium CircuitMaker and Autodesk Fusion

Wondering if CoDesigner works with your MCAD software? Check the Installing & Configuring Altium MCAD CoDesigner page for a list of supported MCAD software.

Transferring the Design Data

The Role of the Workspace

MCAD CoDesigner transfers the design between ECAD and MCAD by Pushing and Pulling design changes through an Altium Workspace. When you perform a Push from ECAD, you are not pushing the PCB file to the Altium Workspace, you are pushing a special ECAD-to-MCAD data package. This package includes: the board data, layer geometry, the component 3D models in Parasolid format (learn more about how the 3D models are named in MCAD), and if enabled, the copper geometry.

When a Push is performed in either ECAD or MCAD, CoDesigner first prepares the data package within a local sub-folder, <DesignName>-EDM. On the MCAD side, the EDM folder is also used to store the MCAD data. This data package is then transferred into a special folder in your Altium Workspace, called Mechatronic 3D Models. This folder is only used by MCAD CoDesigner for storing ECAD-to-MCAD data. If you are using MCAD CoDesigner, please do not delete or move this folder, and do not restrict access for electrical and mechanical engineers.

Learn more about Transferring Mechatronic 3D Models

ECAD-MCAD Object Translations

As the board design is transferred back and forth between ECAD and MCAD, objects in one design space must be translated to equivalent objects in the other design space. For some of the objects, the translation is straightforward; for example, an ECAD mounting hole becomes an MCAD hole, and the MCAD board part becomes the ECAD board shape.

For other objects, the process is not as direct. For example, an ECAD component includes footprint elements that become part of the fabricated board, including the silkscreen and the pads (which include layer-specific details such as copper and solder mask, as well as holes); as well as the 3D model of the component that is loaded onto that footprint during PCB assembly. In MCAD, all of the board-related elements in the ECAD component become part of the MCAD board part, and the 3D model becomes the MCAD component. 

This translation of objects can initially result in confusion; for example, when you move a component in MCAD, the component pads and their holes get left behind. After Pushing the board back to ECAD and then Pulling into MCAD again, the location of those pads updates to match the new location of their component.

To help understand this, the collapsible sections below summarize how objects are translated in each direction.

Automatic CoDesigner Push when you Save to Server

When you perform a Save in ECAD, your design file is saved locally, into the project's working folder. When you perform a Save to Server, your file is saved locally, and then also saved to the project's Workspace folder.

These actions are independent of performing a Push in MCAD CoDesigner. This separation of MCAD Pushing and Saving to Server can be a source of confusion, where an electrical engineer might think that the Save to Server they performed at the end of the day meant that everyone else who needs access to that design data, is now up-to-date and ready-to-go.

To simplify the process of keeping files in sync, after the project has been Pulled at least once into MCAD the Workspace then performs an automatic Push, whenever a Save to Server is performed on the project in ECAD.

An MCAD Push is automatically performed when the project is Saved to the Server.An MCAD Push is automatically performed when the project is Saved to the Server.

  • The Workspace performs Automatic Pushing, initiating this process after the first Pull into MCAD has been performed.

  • Automatic Pushing is currently only enabled for Altium 365 Workspaces. Support for On-Prem Enterprise Server Workspaces will be added soon.

  • Automatic Pushing is supported for PCB, Harness and Multi-board ECAD projects. Support for Harness projects was added in MCAD CoDesigner 3.14.

When the MCAD engineer performs a Pull, they are alerted to the fact that the last MCAD Push was automatic, as shown in the slides below.

When the project is saved to the Workspace in ECAD, it is also automatically Pushed to MCAD.

If there are warnings or errors during the Push, a flag appears.

Click to display details of the warning or error.

 

If an automatic Push cannot be performed, the MCAD engineer is warned that the version of data they are pulling is not the latest ().

Automatic Pushing is not performed when:

  • The ECAD project has only been saved to the working folder – the project is yet to be Saved to the Server. Once a Save to Server has been performed, automatic Pushing begins after the first Pull from the Workspace by the mechanical engineer.

  • The ECAD project has failed CoDesigner's validation checks – these must be resolved before an automatic or manual MCAD Push can be performed.

  • There are multiple PCB files in the ECAD project, which have all been Saved to the Server – MCAD CoDesigner is unable to determine which PCB should be auto-pushed, the ECAD engineer must resolve this by performing a manual MCAD Push on the correct PCB.

Where MCAD CoDesigner Logs its Operational Progress

MCAD CoDesigner logs extensive details about all aspects of ECAD and MCAD operations into log files. The log files are located in:

C:\Users\<>\AppData\Local\Altium\Altium CoDesigner\

In this location:

  • ECAD events are logged into: AltiumDesignerExtension.log

  • MCAD events are logged into: <McadName>Addin.log

The Collaborative Design Interface

Both your Altium and your MCAD software interface to each other through a panel (tab) in the software. In your Altium software, it's called the MCAD CoDesigner panel; in your MCAD software, it's called the Altium CoDesigner panel, or tab.

MCAD CoDesigner / Altium CoDesigner Panel

Design changes are Pushed and Pulled in ECAD from the MCAD CoDesigner panel. 

Design changes are Pushed and Pulled in MCAD from the Altium CoDesigner panel.

 

  • In your Altium design software, the MCAD CoDesigner panel is used to Push and Pull design changes back and forth, and display messages.

  • In the MCAD software, the Altium CoDesigner panel is used to:

    • Create new collaboration projects

    • Open an existing collaboration project

    • Configure collaboration options

    • Push and Pull design changes back and forth

    • Display messages

Each MCAD tool uses a different method of enabling panels (tabs), you'll find details on how to access the Altium CoDesigner panel on the relevant page of the Installing and Configuring Altium MCAD CoDesigner section.

Working in the CoDesigner Panel

While the overall concepts are the same, there are some differences in how you work between Altium CircuitMaker and Autodesk Fusion.

Learn more about Collaborating between CircuitMaker and Autodesk Fusion.

The functionality available in the CoDesigner panel is essentially the same in both ECAD and MCAD. The panel always displays the last change made in ECAD and the last change made in MCAD.

All CoDesign activity is performed through the CoDesigner panel.All CoDesign activity is performed through the CoDesigner panel.

Latest from ECAD / Latest from MCAD

  • These two sections display the last change made in ECAD and the last change made in MCAD.

  • Click the triangle icon to expand the panel and show the detail of the last change .

  • When new changes are pushed from the other domain, the banner appears automatically, as shown below.
    The panel will detail:

    • The sign-in name of the engineer who performed the Push

    • The optional comment they entered when they Pushed

When changes are pushed, a New Changes notification banner appears.When changes are pushed, a New Changes notification banner appears.

  • When the Pull button is clicked, CoDesigner compares the currently open design against the version last Pushed to the Workspace from the other design domain. Each difference that is detected is listed in the Changes list in the panel, as shown below. When you select a change in the list, the impact of that change is highlighted in purple, if possible.

Click on a Change in the list to highlight the impact of that change.Click on a Change in the list to highlight the impact of that change.

  • Clear the checkbox for each change you do not want to apply.
  • There may be a change that cannot be applied. In this situation, that change and its checkbox are greyed out. This difference will continue to exist after the changes have been applied and should be discussed with the engineer who Pushed it.
  • When you are ready, click the Apply button to apply all enabled Changes to the currently open design.

Support for Change History and Rejection Comments

The complete history of all changes is retained. To examine the history, click the History link to the right of the Latest from the ECAD/MCAD drop-down, as shown below.

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

Each set of changes details:

  1. Who performed this Push () or Pull () event, and from which design domain ( ECAD, or  MCAD)

  2. The date and time these events occurred.

  3. The optional summary statement included when the changes were Pushed from the other domain.

  4. A list detailing each specific change, with a tick indicating which change was accepted, or a cross for each change that was rejected.

  5. An optional statement detailing why a specific change was rejected. 

  6. Click the button in the History mode of the panel to return to the Latest Changes mode.

  7. Click the View Project in Browser button to view the project in your Workspace. 

  8. In the browser, click the History link on the left to view the project history, as shown in the image below. Each history event tile for a CoDesigner push is titled MCAD Changes Suggested, and includes the name of the person performing the push, the date and time, as well as the message if one was included. Use this information to cross-reference between the CoDesigner panel and the history view. 

    Learn more about Project History in: an Altium 365 Workspace, or in an Enterprise Server Workspace.

The history of changes can also be viewed in the Workspace.The history of changes can also be viewed in the Workspace.

Why are the CoDesigner History Event Tiles Different?

In ECAD, a CoDesigner push saves data into the Workspace, but this CoDesigner data is independent from the source schematic and PCB project documents. The source schematic and PCB project documents are not modified or saved during a CoDesigner push, and the project is not committed. A project Commit only occurs when the ECAD engineer performs a Save to Server, and these are displayed on charcoal-colored event tiles.

To reflect that the MCAD CoDesigner history does not affect the history of the standard project Commit events, the MCAD changes are logged as Suggestions, on a purple tile, and the tile does not physically connect to the timeline, instead a directional arrow indicates where that event fits into the overall project history. Note that only MCAD CoDesigner push events are currently supported.

To help avoid confusion and simplify the workflow, when a Save to Server is performed there is also an automatic CoDesigner push performed, to ensure that the ECAD and MCAD engineers all have access to the latest design data. Learn more about the automatic CoDesigner push.

Refer to the Note in the right-hand pane for information on whether the project History feature will be available in your installation of MCAD CoDesigner.

PCB Definition - Board Areas

In a design, there may be areas on the board that require special attention, which the MCAD engineer needs to define and pass to the ECAD engineer. For example, there may be a zone on the board surface that must be kept clear of copper because a conductive part of the enclosure comes into contact with the board surface when the product is assembled. To support this, the MCAD engineer can define Keep Out Areas and Text Note Rooms, using the buttons on the Altium CoDesigner ribbon.

If either of these objects has been placed on the board in MCAD, they will be listed in the Board Areas list in the PCB Definitions section of the CoDesigner panel:

  • Keep Out Area - A Keep Out Area defined in MCAD will become a PCB Keepout in ECAD. 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 applied to all PCB layers. The objects that are to be kept out of this area on the ECAD PCB are selected as Keepout Restriction properties in the Altium CoDesigner MCAD panel; configure them as required. Learn more about placing a Keep Out Area in MCAD.

  • Text Note Room - A Text Note Room defined in MCAD will become a PCB Room in ECAD. A PCB Room is a design rule used to define an area where 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. Click on a Text Note Room definition in the Altium CoDesigner MCAD panel to select it, then enter instructions or information for the ECAD engineer; this text will become the Comment field for that Room in the ECAD PCB editor. Learn more about placing a Text Note Room in MCAD.

Board Areas and Text Note Rooms are special zones defined by the MCAD engineer, that are then Pushed to the ECAD engineer. 

  • Keepouts and Rooms created or changed in ECAD are not displayed by default in MCAD, removing redundant visual information for the mechanical engineer. Their visibility in MCAD can be restored when needed.

  • Copper regions cannot be defined in MCAD. If the MCAD engineer needs to define a copper region, place a Keep Out Area on the appropriate layer in MCAD, then use the Tools » Convert » Convert Selected Keepouts to Primitives command in ECAD to convert the keepout region object to a copper region object.

PCB Definition - Board Enclosure

CoDesigner supports working at the device assembly level in MCAD, and transferring the enclosure with the board from MCAD to ECAD.

CoDesigner recognizes that the board and the enclosure have been added to the device assembly.CoDesigner recognizes that the board and the enclosure have been added to the device assembly.

Learn more about working in the device assembly and pushing the enclosure from MCAD to ECAD.

CoDesigner MCAD Settings Menu

The CoDesigner settings menu is used to configure CoDesigner in your MCAD software.

Click the down arrow at the top right of the Altium CoDesigner panel to open the menu.

Use the menu options to:

  • Confirm which Server/Workspace you are currently signed in to.
  • Sign out of the Server/Workspace you are currently signed in to.
  • Open the CoDesigner Settings dialog, where you can configure a central location to store models and enable true copper support.
  • Access a Custom Server. Clicking the Use Custom Server option will sign you out of the current Workspace and return you to the sign-in mode of the Altium CoDesigner panel.

To check the version number in an older version of CoDesigner that does not display the version number, open Programs and Features in the Windows Control Panel.

The CoDesigner MCAD Ribbon

When the CoDesigner Add-In is installed in your MCAD software, it adds the Altium CoDesigner Ribbon to the interface. Click on the Altium CoDesigner tab to access the Ribbon, which provides an easy way of accessing the common PCB-specific design objects needed during the ECAD-MCAD CoDesign process. Using these buttons ensures that the correct MCAD object type is used to create a compatible ECAD object.

Use the CoDesigner Ribbon to define objects on the PCB in an ECAD-ready way.Use the CoDesigner Ribbon to define objects on the PCB in an ECAD-ready way.

Recommended Collaboration Workflow

ECAD-MCAD CoDesign is a flexible process, there is no prescriptive approach that must be followed. While it is common for the board shape to be designed in MCAD, the board thickness must be defined in ECAD because that is where the various PCB layer materials are selected and configured. This requirement leads to a recommended design flow, as outlined below.

Starting the Collaboration Process in ECAD

In ECAD:

  1. Create the project.

  2. Add a PCB.

  3. Define the layer stack to set the board thickness.

  4. Open the MCAD CoDesigner panel (click the Panels button at the bottom right of the design space and select the panel name, or use the View » Panels submenu),

  5. Push the board using the button in the MCAD CoDesigner panel. As well as Pushing the ECAD-MCAD exchange data to your Workspace, this also saves the project and the board file to the Workspace. The saved project and board become the ECAD designer's working files.

In MCAD:

  1. Open the Altium CoDesigner panel. The steps to open the panel will depend on which MCAD software is being used; use the relevant Installing CoDesigner in your MCAD software link for more details.

  2. Pull the Board in the Altium CoDesigner panel - this creates an MCAD board assembly based on the board definition in your Workspace.

  1. Insert the board into the device assembly.
  2. Configure the board shape to suit the enclosure.
  3. Define the mounting holes.
  4. Position location-critical mechatronic components.
  5. Define any required Keep-out Zones or Text Note Rooms.

  6. Save the MCAD assembly.

    Refer to the Recommendations for the Mechanical Engineer section for more detailed information on defining the board shape, adding holes, and positioning components.

Pushing from MCAD back to ECAD:

  1. Using the button in the MCAD CoDesigner panel, Push the board to the Workspace - this saves the board definition, holes, and placed component details as MCAD-ECAD exchange data.

Pulling into ECAD:

  1. Open the board and perform a Pull to load the updated board definition and component details from your Workspace.

In MCAD or ECAD:

  1. Reopen the assembly or PCB file to continue working on the design.

Starting the Collaboration Process in MCAD

Starting the Board in MCAD:

  1. It is possible to start the PCB design process in MCAD, but it is not recommended. The process is the same in all of the supported MCAD environments.

Push and Share to Invite a Mechanical Engineer (Workspace hosted on Altium 365)

When you click Push in the MCAD CoDesigner panel in ECAD, the MCAD CoDesigner panel also provides the opportunity to Share the project with another engineer.

CoDesigner Pushes and Pulls the board design by passing a special ECAD-to-MCAD data package back and forth through your Altium Workspace. When you enable the Share checkbox, you launch a process that configures Workspace access and project permissions for the invited engineer to access the project, including the special ECAD-MCAD data package. The invited engineer's access is delivered in their MCAD software through the Push/Pull features in the Altium CoDesigner panel, and also through a Web browser if they have or choose to create an Altium Account as part of the invitation process.

The on/off state of the Share checkbox is determined by the presence of a Workspace member with the Mechanical Engineers role assigned. If there are none, then the checkbox is On by default.

The project can be shared with anyone, regardless of whether they are already a member of the project's Workspace, or even have an Altium Account. The table below summarizes the project access, depending on the state of permissions that the invitee had when the Share is performed.

Existing Altium Account Status Existing Workspace Status Permissions Assigned During Share Notes
No active Altium account Not a member of the Project Workspace Given Guest access to the project, with Edit permissions

Invitee receives an email with a link to create an Altium Account. Once created, the Guest will then also have browser access to the Project through the Shared with Me section of their Personal Space.

Note that the invitee will not have access to the project from their MCAD software. This can be resolved by adding the user as a member of the Workspace and assigning them Edit permissions.

Active Altium account Not a member of the Project Workspace Becomes a Member of the project's Workspace and assigned the Mechanical Engineer Role, project shared with View permissions

The new Workspace member is assigned the Mechanical Engineer role. Now that there is a Workspace member with the ME Role assigned, the Share checkbox will no longer be automatically enabled.

Note that project permissions must be elevated to Edit for the Mechanical Engineer to be able to perform a Push from MCAD.

Active Altium account Already a member of the Project Workspace Project shared with Edit permissions  

The Sharing Process

If the Share checkbox is enabled, the Share with a Mechanical Engineer dialog will open when you click the Send button in the MCAD CoDesigner panel.

Enter the Email Address of the person you wish to share the project with (and an optional Note), then click the Share button in the dialog. If the invitee is not already a member of the Workspace, the Share with a Mechanical Engineer notification dialog will then appear, warning that the invited user might be outside of your organization.

When you click OK in this dialog, or if they are already a member of your Workspace, a notification email is then generated and sent to the invitee.

Note that the email notifications feature requires the Enable Mail Notifications option to be enabled in the Workspace ().

After a brief delay, a success dialog will appear.

The project is now shared with the Mechanical Engineer.

Notes about Performing a Push and Share

  • You should sign into your Workspace in your browser and confirm that the invited mechanical engineer has been assigned Edit permissions in the project Share dialog (). While the Mechanical Engineer will be able to Pull the board with only View permissions, they will not be able to Push changes to the board design if the project is not shared with them with Edit permissions. Because ECAD-MCAD CoDesign is done through a tool-neutral intermediate file and the mechanical engineer has read-only access to the actual PCB design files, the risk in sharing is low.

  • All Administrators for the Workspace will receive a notification email that the invitee (identified by their email address) was invited to the project.

  • If the invitee does not have an Altium Account, they will receive an email directing them to an intermediate form to sign up/register for an Altium account. Once they have registered, the project will be shared with them as a Guest with Edit permissions. Note that the non-Altium Account invitee, upon signing up, will be treated as if they were their own personal organization. They will not be added as a member of your Workspace.

  • If the Altium Designer engineer who performed the Push and Share does not have Workspace Admin permissions, the flow includes an additional stage. Firstly, all Workspace Administrators will be notified of the request for sharing. Once an Administrator approves the the Invitation Request (), the invitation will be processed as just described, and the originator of the initial invitation will also be notified by email. Learn more about Inviting other Users to Your Altium 365 Workspace.

Working Between MCAD and ECAD

The precision of changes that CoDesigner currently detects are: 0.5 mils (0.0127 mm) for linear dimensions, and 0.5 degrees for angular dimensions. This precision will be increased in a future CoDesigner update.

At any point in the design process, changes can be transferred between the MCAD and ECAD tools, using the CoDesigner panel.

Changes are pushed and pulled between the MCAD and ECAD tools through the CoDesigner panel. Changes to the board and component detail are Pulled from MCAD in the MCAD CoDesigner panel Changes are pushed and pulled between the MCAD and ECAD tools through the CoDesigner panel.

  1. To transfer design changes, click the Push button in the corresponding panel.
  2. When the Push button has been clicked, an editing window appears at the top of the source editor's panel. Enter a message about the design change then click Send.
  3. When Send is clicked:
    • The working copy of the modified PCB file is automatically saved if it is currently unsaved.
    • The changes are written to your Workspace.
    • The Posted message is displayed in the message thread of the source editor's CoDesigner panel.
    • The target editor's panel will display a message that there is a change pending the next time they open their working copy of the design file.
  4. Click Pull in the target editor's panel, a list detailing each change needed to re-synchronize the designs will be displayed.

Working with the Change List

When the Pull button is clicked, each change that needs to be made to the working file to synchronize it with the snapshot on your Workspace is listed, as shown below.

Incoming changes are detailed in the CoDesigner panel, these can be selectively enabled as required

  • Each difference detected between the current design and the snapshot stored in your Workspace is detailed as a Change in the Change List.
  • A Change does not have to be accepted. If a change is ignored it will appear in the Change List again, the next time an update is performed in that direction. Be aware that if you choose to ignore a change, for example moving a mounting hole, and you then perform a Push of your design changes, the ignored change may be overwritten since your version has the mounting hole in the old location. The MCAD designer can always avoid losing their change by not accepting your mounting hole move.
  • A single design change, such as changing the location of a component, can become multiple changes in the Change List. When a PCB component is moved, there are MCAD changes to: the location of the component, the shapes the component makes on the Component Overlay, and the shapes the component makes in the top and bottom copper layers. Related changes should all be applied together.
  • The list may include changes that cannot be applied in the target environment. In this situation, the change will be displayed but the checkbox will be unavailable, indicating that this difference cannot be resolved.
  • Where possible, the selected change is highlighted in the design space when you click on it in the Change List.
  • Click Apply to apply the changes that are ticked.

Refer to the Recommendations for the Mechanical Engineer section for more detailed information on defining the board shape, adding holes, and positioning components.

The following types of PCBs will not be transferred from ECAD to MCAD:

MCAD-Coordinates Grid

CoDesigner uses the ECAD Absolute Origin as the reference when the board is pushed from ECAD to MCAD. CoDesigner 2.4 introduced a feature to create a new 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 the PCB Grids System.

The coordinate grid defined in MCAD can also be customized in ECAD.The coordinate grid defined in MCAD can also be customized in ECAD.

Note that changing the location of the board outline in MCAD should be performed before components and other objects are placed, to avoid having to manually restore the location of these objects.

MCAD Planes for Component Placement

From CoDesigner 2.2.0 onward, top and bottom side component planes are created in MCAD when the board is pulled, to simplify the process of placing components in MCAD. Components pushed from ECAD are placed in MCAD to ignore the thickness of the solder mask layer.

How CoDesigner Handles Copper, Mask and Overlay Layers

Along with the board shape and components, CoDesigner also transfers the top and bottom side: copper, solder mask, and component overlay layers, from ECAD to MCAD.

ECAD Layers as Decals

The default is that these layers are Pushed to the Workspace from ECAD as individual SVG images. When the board assembly is Pulled into MCAD, CoDesigner converts the SVG images to PNG images. From these PNG images, CoDesigner then combines the top-side set of images into a single top-side decal, and the bottom-side set into a single bottom-side decal. These two decals are then applied to the top and bottom board surfaces during Pull into MCAD.

The top and bottom side decals are applied to each side of the board in MCAD. The top and bottom side decals are applied to each side of the board in MCAD.

Autodesk Fusion - ECAD Layers as Sketch Profiles

A different approach is used to transfer the top/bottom copper and component overlay layers from ECAD to Autodesk Fusion. In Autodesk Fusion, these layers are imported as Sketch Profiles drawn on the Board object. This set of layers can be toggled on and off in Autodesk Fusion by clicking the Advanced Geometry ( ) button in the Altium CoDesigner ribbon. Alternatively, use the Autodesk Fusion visibility icon to selectively hide/display any of these layers.

Component overlay and surface copper layers are created as Sketch Profiles in Autodesk Fusion.Component overlay and surface copper layers are created as Sketch Profiles in Autodesk Fusion.

The top/bottom Solder Mask layers are not transferred to Autodesk Fusion. Instead, the board object has the color of the ECAD Top Solder Mask layer applied.

Advanced Copper Geometry in MCAD

As an alternative to displaying decals (images) of the copper + mask + overlay layers in MCAD, CoDesigner can also transfer the actual copper geometry (referred to as Advanced Copper Geometry) and the 3D mask layers to MCAD. This feature is currently supported by PTC Creo, Autodesk Inventor, SOLIDWORKS, and Siemens NX. From CoDesigner 2.7 onward, the component overlay (silkscreen) decal is applied to the face of the solder mask extrude.

The copper layers can be transferred to MCAD if required. In the image above, the components and the layers have been hidden, except for the top copper layer.The copper layers can be transferred to MCAD if required. In the image above, the components and the layers have been hidden, except for the top copper layer.

To include the Advanced Copper Geometry, enable the Build 3D geometry for Copper and Solder Mask option in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog (along with the Build Vias option if required). The Settings dialog is accessed from the CoDesigner menu in the Altium CoDesigner panel ().

Enable the Build 3D geometry for Copper and Solder Mask option to include these layers in the MCAD assembly (Autodesk Inventor dialog).Enable the Build 3D geometry for Copper and Solder Mask option to include these layers in the MCAD assembly (Autodesk Inventor dialog).

Notes about working with copper geometry and 3D mask layers:

  • Copper and mask layers are included as MCAD sub-assemblies.
  • All PCB copper layers that are present in the layerstack are included. Note that the copper layer thickness does not include plated layer data, such as Surface Finish. This will be added in a future update.
  • Thruhole pad barrels are included when the Build 3D geometry for Copper and Solder Mask option is enabled.
  • The via surface shapes are also included when the Build 3D geometry for Copper and Solder Mask option is enabled. Enable the Build Vias option to include the via copper barrels.
  • When the Build 3D geometry for Copper and Solder Mask option is enabled, the component overlay (silkscreen) decal is applied to the face of the solder mask extrude.
  • Depending on the complexity of the design, including the copper geometry and vias can significantly increase the file size and the time to Pull the design into MCAD.
  • Copper and mask data is always Pushed from ECAD. There is no need to Push again from ECAD if you enable the Build 3D geometry for Copper and Solder Mask and Build Vias options in MCAD, just close the board and Pull it again from the Workspace.

Notes:

  • Refer to the Note in the right-hand pane for information on whether the Advanced Copper Geometry feature will be available in your installation of MCAD CoDesigner. If it is not, image-based decals are available, as described above.
  • The copper shape can only be edited in ECAD, edits made in MCAD are not Pushed to ECAD.

Accurate Representation of the Solder Mask

Introduced in Update 2.5, CoDesigner 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 solder mask layer, as defined in ECAD.

Since the solder mask fills the etched regions between the tracks, pads and vias, its total thickness in MCAD is the sum of the copper layer thickness plus the solder mask thickness, as defined in ECAD.Since the solder mask fills the etched regions between the tracks, pads and vias, its total thickness in MCAD is the sum of the copper layer thickness plus the solder mask thickness, as defined in ECAD.

As mentioned earlier, in MCAD the components are placed on the top and bottom side component planes (which are created in MCAD when the board is pulled). Because these planes are at the outer surface of the top and bottom copper layers, components pushed from ECAD are placed in MCAD so that they ignore the thickness of the solder mask layer. This results in collisions between the components and the solder mask layer. If these collisions present a design issue, temporarily decrease the thickness of the PCB so that the components are effectively sitting on the outer surface of the solder mask layers. This will be resolved in a future update by the addition of an option to hide the solder mask layers in MCAD.

Support for Keepouts and Rooms

The Altium CoDesigner Ribbon provides an easy way of accessing the common PCB-specific design objects in MCAD, including Keepouts and Rooms. 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 applied 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 the 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, such as 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 defines an area where specific components must be placed or excluded. 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 the board that requires the room.

  • Click on a suitable MCAD sketch tool, such as 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 be defined in MCAD and pushed to ECAD.Keepout areas and Rooms can be defined in MCAD and pushed to ECAD.

Notes about transferring Board Areas:

  • Fill and Solid Region ECAD Keepout Regions are supported.
  • CoDesigner detects the locked status of Keepouts and Rooms in ECAD, ensuring that these are not moved during a Pull from MCAD.
  • Because the ECAD Keepout objects do not include a unique identifier or an object name, ECAD to MCAD Keepout changes are made by removing the existing object and adding a new object (with a new MCAD name).
  • Changes made to ECAD Rooms are also marked as removed and added during an ECAD to MCAD change, but the Name and Comment are retained.
  • Keepouts and Rooms created or changed in ECAD are not displayed by default in MCAD, removing redundant visual information for the mechanical engineer. Their visibility in MCAD can be restored when needed.

Important Note about Versions: If there is potential that the ECAD extension has been updated but the MCAD plugin has not, be careful when you are applying MCAD to ECAD changes. If you have Keepouts and Rooms defined on the PCB in ECAD, CoDesigner will suggest deleting them. The solution is simply to reject those changes in ECAD so that the Keepouts and Rooms are retained.

Controlling the Number of Components Pulled to MCAD

To improve performance when working on boards with a large number of components, CoDesigner 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. Note that this is the PCB component Height property, not the height of the 3D model added to the component footprint ().

The threshold height that CoDesigner tests for is defined in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog, as shown in the image below. The dialog is accessed via the Altium CoDesigner panel in MCAD, select Settings in the panel's menu to open the dialog. The image below shows the settings for Autodesk Fusion, the same setting is available in each supported MCAD.

Small components can be excluded during Pull to MCAD by setting the Ignore components smaller than the height threshold.Small components can be excluded during Pull to MCAD by setting the Ignore components smaller than the height threshold.

Configuring the Component Height in ECAD

The video below demonstrates techniques for locating PCB components without their Height defined (default of zero) and quickly updating the Height value for multiple components. It then demonstrates how to set the Ignore components setting smaller than in MCAD, and how MCAD CoDesigner handles this during a Pull from ECAD. 

Incorrect component Height values can be quickly detected and resolved in ECAD.

Smart Sketch Changes in MCAD

Support for Smart Sketch Changes in MCAD was added in MCAD CoDesigner 3.9.

Consider the situation where the ECAD engineer needs to modify the board shape, and that shape has dimensions and constraints applied in MCAD. Previously, the dimensions and constraints in MCAD's sketch would be lost when the board was Pulled back into MCAD. Now during a Pull, CoDesigner redraws only the elements of a sketch which were changed in ECAD, so that the dimensions and constraints related to non-changed elements are kept as they were.

Note that in some cases, for example where there are complex mechanical constraints, this behavior may lead to unexpected changes in the geometry. In such cases, it may be more efficient to disable this new smart sketch support feature and Pull again, then recreate the dimensions and constraints (as was required in earlier versions of CoDesigner). That can be achieved by disabling the Smart Sketch Change option in the MCAD Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog.

Smart dimensions that are not impacted by design changes, are retained during a Pull from ECAD.

Managing the PCB Route Tool Path in MCAD

A common feature of a board design is to define a milling path around the outer edge of the board shape. This path often includes a number of rows of small holes (referred to as "mouse bites"), whose surrounding material is sufficient to hold the board shape within the panel that it is fabricated on. Once PCB assembly is complete, the board can be snapped out of the surrounding waste material.

Note the routed path around the outer edge of the board, including the "mouse bite" holes.

The Route Tool Path is defined in ECAD on a mechanical layer, which has been configured as the Route Tool Path layer.

 

While the route tool path is essential for fabrication it is often not required during MCAD design, when the mechanical engineer needs to focus on fitting the board into the product enclosure. The MCAD CoDesigner 3.13 update saw the introduction of the Build Route Tool Path option to the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog, giving the mechanical engineer control over whether the Route Tool Path is pulled into MCAD (note that the path is always pushed from ECAD). 

Choose if the Route Tool Path is to be included in the pull into MCAD.Choose if the Route Tool Path is to be included in the pull into MCAD.

CoDesigning a PCB with Variants

Altium Designer allow 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 Designer, 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 Designer can be used to create variations of a board design, select the variant in the Projects panel then Push to MCAD in the CoDesigner panel.Altium Designer can be used to create variations of a board design, select the variant in the Projects panel then Push to MCAD in the CoDesigner panel.

Learn more about working with Variants in ECAD

Recommendations for the Mechanical Engineer

This section details functionality and behaviors that the mechanical engineer should be aware of when using CoDesigner.

Displaying the ECAD Reference Designator in MCAD

Altium MCAD CoDesigner uses a different approach to display the reference designator in Each MCAD tool:

  • Autodesk Fusion – Display the ECAD Properties panel to display the properties of the currently selected part ().
  • Autodesk Inventor – Reference designator is displayed in the Model Tree by default ().
  • PTC Creo – In the Model Tree mode of the panel, click the Tree Columns button to open the Model Tree Columns dialog. Set the Not Displayed Type to ECAD Params, locate the ECAD_REF_DES parameter, and click the Add Column button ().
  • SOLIDWORKS – Reference designator is displayed in the Model Tree by default ().
  • Siemens NX – In the Assembly Navigator, right-click where the column names are displayed to open the context menu, then select Columns » Component Name to display the Component Name column ().

Synchronizing Changes Between Mechanical Engineers

  1. CoDesigner transfers the mechanical PCB assembly to ECAD through an Altium Workspace, such as an Altium 365 Workspace. The changes Pushed/Pulled through the Workspace are directional - the PCB assembly Pushed from MCAD (and Pulled to ECAD) is stored separately in the Workspace from the PCB assembly Pushed from ECAD (and Pulled to MCAD). That means a second mechanical engineer cannot Pull the modified board that a mechanical engineer just Pushed to the Workspace, instead they will be Pulling the last-pushed ECAD data. Note that MCAD constraints exist only in the MCAD assembly in which they were created. When the board is pushed from MCAD to ECAD, the component positions resulting from the constraints are pushed, but not the constraints themselves. Therefore if the board is pulled into a new MCAD assembly, none of the constraints created by a previous MCAD engineer will be included.

ECAD and MCAD changes are stored separately in the Workspace.ECAD and MCAD changes are stored separately in the Workspace.

To allow other mechanical engineers to see your changes, save your PCB assembly in the same way as you do for any other assembly - to common storage available for both. This method will preserve any MCAD constraints. Alternatively, get the ECAD designer to Pull the data into ECAD, save it, and then Push the updated design back to MCAD. However, as explained above, no MCAD constraints will be included by using this method.

  1. Another important point is that changes made to the same PCB assembly by different mechanical engineers are not merged when they are Pushed, the latest change Pushed by any mechanical engineer will overwrite previous changes Pushed by other mechanical engineers.

The Altium Workspace is not intended to be used as a mechanism for multiple MCAD engineers to synchronize changes; this should be done via a suitable MCAD Product Data Management system. If there is no PDM available and the Altium Workspace is being used, remember that the ECAD engineer must Pull and accept MCAD engineer 1's changes, then Push the updated board back to the Workspace, for MCAD engineer 2 to be then able to Pull and see them (as described below).

Pictorial Demonstration of the Synchronization Process

ECAD and MCAD push their changes to different storage locations on the Workspace. That means each engineer can only pull changes that have been pushed by the other engineer. Those changes will only include their own changes if they’ve already been accepted by the other engineer before the other engineer has pushed.

For example, a board is created in ECAD, Pushed to the Workspace, and Pulled to MCAD:

Design changes are made in ECAD

Once they have been Pushed to MCAD (stored in the Workspace)

They can be Pulled into MCAD

 

If the ECAD engineer then adds components AND the MCAD engineer adds holes, AND if each Pushes their board then Pulls the other’s board, CoDesigner will try to remove the holes in the MCAD engineer's board, and remove the components on the ECAD engineer's board:

Changes are being made in ECAD and also in MCAD

If both engineers Push their changes before Pulling the other's

The other's design changes will be lost

 

Each engineer does have the option to reject specific proposed changes, for example, the ECAD engineer could accept the addition of the holes but reject the deletion of the removed components. However, working in this way can be hard to manage with complex boards and/or changes. Another point is that all changes to the decals are only seen by CoDesigner as a single change, so can only be accepted or rejected as a whole, not individually.

A better approach is for one engineer to make their changes and push the board, then for the other engineer to pull the board before making their changes, as shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use a circular approach to passing design changes between ECAD and MCAD.

Including Fillets and Chamfers in the Board Shape in MCAD

Support for Fillets and Chamfers was added in MCAD CoDesigner 3.9.

A common approach for a mechanical engineer is to apply chamfers and fillets to shape the corners of the board. If these are defined in MCAD as 3D entities, CoDesigner cannot transfer them to ECAD because the ECAD PCB editor defines the board shape as a 2D object (with a thickness). To resolve this, when CoDesigner detects such a 3D entity, it offers to convert them to 2D entities and embed them into the board sketch. 

3D MCAD fillets and chamfers applied to a z-axis edge can be transformed to 2D by CoDesigner, and pushed to ECAD.3D MCAD fillets and chamfers applied to a z-axis edge can be transformed to 2D by CoDesigner, and pushed to ECAD.

  • Note that fillet and chamfer transformation is a one-way process. Once they have been converted, they can no longer be edited as 3D entities. 
  • The initial support for 3D-to-2D entity transformation is for 3D fillets and chamfers created on the vertical edges of the board shape in MCAD (edges along the Z-axis).
  • Versions prior to CoDesigner 3.9 warned the mechanical engineer about the existence of such entities, but they were ignored.

Fillet and chamfer support:

  • Regular (circular) fillets with a constant radius are supported ().
  • Chamfers defined by equal distances from the edge (symmetric distance-distance) are supported ().
  • Chamfers defined as an angle-distance (), or non-symmetric distance-distance, are not supported.
  • Fillets and chamfers defined on non-straight side edges, as well as on other fillets and chamfers, are not supported.
  • Fillets and chamfers defined on a rigid-flex design are not supported.

Resolving Issues with the Board Contour in ECAD

When the board is Pushed from ECAD, CoDesigner checks the board contour and warns the user if there are issues with micro-segments, or if self-intersecting contours have been found. When the board is Pulled to MCAD, CoDesigner will attempt to resolve these issues. If they cannot be resolved, they must be resolved in ECAD.

Automatic Micro-Segment Removal

CoDesigner 2.4 introduced an automatic feature to detect and resolve micro-segments in the board outline. If they are detected, a dialog will appear offering to resolve the issues, as shown below. If you click Yes the detected issues will be resolved automatically. If you click No and close the dialog, an error dialog will then appear detailing the location of any issues, which must then be resolved manually (as described below).

Note that this feature utilizes a new API, so is only available with Altium Designer 21.3.x or newer.

Note that the automatic feature does not resolve self-intersections detected in the board outline or in a board cutout. To resolve these you can use the manual techniques described below.

Manual Micro-Segment and Self-Intersection Removal

Micro-segments and self-intersections that have not been resolved automatically or are detected in a board cutout, must be resolved manually.

To fix the issues in ECAD:

  1. Copy the error information from the dialog into a text editor so the coordinates for the issues are available.

  2. Set the snap grid (Gtrl+G shortcut) to a small value (eg 0.001 mil) so you can make small changes to the location of vertices.

  3. Switch to View » Board Planning Mode.

  4. Zoom in to the location of the issue. Alternatively, use the Jump Location command (Edit » Jump » New Location, or J, L shortcut) and type the coordinates into the Jump to Location dialog. Note that you can include the units (mm or mil) with the value if they are different from the current board units. If the issue is due to an arc, the issue location could be the arc center point. In this situation visually check the board outline for short, shallow arcs.

  5. Run the Design » Edit Board Shape command (D, D shortcut). The board outline will display vertices at the ends and center of each edge. Check for multiple vertices that are very close together and very shallow arcs. Use the following tips to help you resolve issues:

    1. Click and drag on an edge or a vertex to modify the shape. There are three shape modification modes available during editing: Break edge, Move (slide) edge, Incurvate (bend) edge; press Shift+Space during editing to cycle through the modes. The current mode is displayed on the Status bar.
    2. Move the vertex at the end of a short edge slightly, then release the mouse button. Often this will be sufficient for the software to resolve and remove the short edge.
    3. A short shallow arc can be converted to a straight edge by dragging the center vertex in Incurvate mode to flatten the arc (it will be replaced by a straight edge when you release it).
    4. Green alignment guides will display when the moving edge or arc chord aligns with an existing edge.
    5. Click and hold on a vertex then press Delete to remove it; to add a vertex hold Ctrl as you click on the edge, then position the cursor and release.

     

  6. Push the board again.

Board contour self-intersections and micro-segments must be resolved before the board can be pushed to MCAD.

The video above demonstrates resolving issues with the board outline and a board cutout in Altium Designer. The process is essentially the same in other Altium design software.

Learn more about the Vertex Editing Modes

Learn more about Defining the Board Shape

Fixing one issue forces ECAD to recalculate the entire contour of the board or cutout, and that recalculation might solve other issues automatically, so it is recommended to do a Push after each fix action.

Pull a Previous Revision of the PCB into MCAD

Support for pulling a previous revision was added in MCAD CoDesigner 3.9i

To Pull the ECAD board into an empty MCAD assembly, click the Pull button in the Altium CoDesigner panel to open the Select Project from Company Workspace dialog. The dialog defaults to giving you the last-pushed board. If you need to open a previous release or revision of a PCB design, click Change in the ECAD Push to Open section of the dialog, opening the Select Push dialog.

The dialog lists all previous Pushes, choose the one you require and click OK. If the ECAD commits have been tagged, you can quickly filter the list by enabling the Only show tagged commits option in the Select Push dialog.

Use the Select Push dialog to select the previous revision, from all revisions Pushed in ECAD.Use the Select Push dialog to select the previous revision, from all revisions Pushed in ECAD. 

  • The Workspace performs Automatic Pushing, initiating this process after the first Pull into MCAD has been performed. Learn more about Automatic Pushing.

Visibility of Changes Made on the ECAD side

It is important to open the PCB assembly itself in your MCAD software, not the parent device/assembly that the PCB assembly is being designed to fit in. If the PCB assembly is opened, changes made and pushed from the ECAD side will be detailed in the Altium CoDesigner panel. Changes will not be detailed in the panel if the parent device/assembly is opened.

Getting Changes to your PCB Assembly from ECAD

  1. Open your PCB assembly as a separate file (as a root assembly) in MCAD.
  2. Open the Altium CoDesigner panel.
  3. Click Pull.
  4. Review the changes in the table, enable the ones you want to be applied, and click the Apply button.

Before being transferred from ECAD to MCAD, the 3D component models are transformed to the Parasolid format (learn more about how the 3D models are named in MCAD). There may be situations where some of the models can not be transformed. Such models are replaced with their bounding box in MCAD, and CoDesigner shows a warning message about this.

Alternatively, you can replace such a model with a single-body parasolid model in ECAD, as these are transferred directly between ECAD and MCAD without transformation. Learn more about Resolving Problematic Models.

When you have a PCB Assembly Open in MCAD for the First Time

  1. Add the PCB assembly to your device’s assembly.
  2. Secure it by applying suitable mates/constraints.

If a contour of the PCB does not correspond to the shape of your enclosure:

  1. Start editing the Board part.
  2. Edit the sketch of the board’s extrusion and adjust its shape to the enclosure.

One approach to changing the PCB shape is to delete the whole outline and create it from scratch using an offset from the corresponding contour of your enclosure.

Making Changes to the PCB Design in MCAD

Below are some tips for ensuring the design shapes and objects used in MCAD will be supported when the board is pushed to ECAD.

Editing the board outline shape

  1. Start editing the Board part.
  2. Edit the sketch of the board’s extrusion.

Notes:

  • Do not include any internal contours in the board outline sketch in Creo and Inventor, or in the rigid-flex board outline sketch in SolidWorks. For cutouts and holes, use the Extruded Cut or the Hole feature, accordingly.

  • Do not create multiple profiles in the board outline sketch in Inventor, CoDesigner can interpret them in an unpredictable manner.

  • In Autodesk Fusion, if the board shape is being recreated in MCAD using the Project command to project an existing enclosure contour, you must disable the Projection Link option in the Autodesk Fusion PROJECT dialog. When the Projection Link option is enabled, the projected contour is automatically resized whenever the referenced contour is resized, at this stage CoDesigner does not support this capability.

Changing the MCAD Board Origin

  1. If necessary, the mechanical engineer can change the MCAD origin of a bare board in the early stages of the board definition. To do that, the mechanical engineer can simply move or redraw the entire sketch of the board outline, within the board part. Note that the board part is constrained as “fixed” within the board assembly, with its origin coincident with that of the assembly (therefore, the “MCAD origin” relates to both the board part origin and the board assembly origin).

It’s strongly recommended that this constraint is NOT modified or broken, because it may cause unpredictable changes.

Notes:

  • If components are already placed, they should be moved within the board assembly, accordingly.
  • The “electrical” board origin in ECAD will not be changed, as it is handled separately.

Creating/editing Mounting Holes

  1. Start editing the Board part.
  2. Create/edit a Hole feature on the top or the bottom surface of the board part.

Notes:

  • Feature patterns are not supported.
  • If the hole locations are defined in relation to the board edge, these relations will be destroyed if the board outline is subsequently modified in ECAD and brought back into MCAD. See the section Working with Constraints and Dimensions below, for more information on working with holes.

Creating/editing Cutouts

  1. Start editing the Board part.
  2. Create/edit an Extruded Cut feature based on the top or the bottom surface of the board part.

Notes:

  • Sketches with multiple contours are not supported in PTC Creo or Autodesk Inventor, they should not be used.*
  • Feature patterns are not supported.
  • If the sketch of the extruded cut is defined in relation to the board edge, these relations will be destroyed if the board outline is subsequently modified in ECAD and brought back into MCAD.

Editing the placement of components

  1. Start editing the Board assembly.
  2. Move/rotate/flip, or mate/constrain a component.

Notes:

  • Component holes and the silkscreen do not follow component moves in MCAD. To reflect component-dependent changes like these; Push the board to ECAD, apply the changes there, then Push the board from ECAD back to MCAD to update the component holes and silkscreen.
  • MCAD mates/constraints that reference a board edge can be destroyed if the board shape is modified in ECAD.

Synchronizing Fixed or Constrained in MCAD to Locked in ECAD

If a component is fixed or constrained in MCAD, it becomes locked in ECAD (regardless of if that constraint allows any movements within the PCB assembly or not). If a component is locked in ECAD, it becomes fixed in MCAD unless it is already constrained there. Changes in the locked/fixed state are synchronized between MCAD and ECAD.

Transferring ECAD Component Parameters to MCAD

ECAD PCB component parameters are transferred to the corresponding models created in MCAD. Note that this does not include components that were originally placed in MCAD.

Working with Constraints and Dimensions in MCAD

Constraints applied to the board outline

  1. The mechanical engineer can apply a constraint from an element of the board outline: to another board outline element; to a datum/reference feature; to a part in a higher-level assembly; or to a component. CoDesigner does not modify these constraints. However, if the board outline is changed on the ECAD side, the sketch of the board part will be redrawn in MCAD, and all of the edge IDs will be changed. Note that any change to any part of the board outline in ECAD will result in the entire board being redrawn in MCAD, and all board edge IDs changing. If there was a constraint applied to those edges or to the derived surfaces, those constraints will be broken. The board will stay in place in MCAD, and if necessary, the constraints can be manually restored.

Considering the time involved in redefining constraints, it is recommended to only make changes to the board outline in MCAD.

Note: Remember that CoDesigner can not be used for transferring changes between Mechanical Engineers (see Synchronizing changes between Mechanical Engineers).

Constraints applied to the components

  1. The mechanical engineer can apply a constraint from a component: to the board; to an enclosure; or to another component. These constraints will stay healthy if the model of that component can be found locally (if the PCB assembly is not built from scratch in a different folder, or if a common folder is set up for storing models). However, if a component is moved on the ECAD side, the placement change on the MCAD side may not correspond to that movement and should be checked manually (CoDesigner will notify you in this situation). For components with an ECAD footprint, the component standoff (location relative to the board surface in the Z direction) will always be defined by the position of the STEP model in the footprint. CoDesigner will always attempt to override any conflicting MCAD constraints on a Pull into MCAD.

Note: Be careful with where the mates/constraints are applied. For example, if you have not secured the PCB assembly within the device assembly and then applied a constraint/mate between a PCB component and the enclosure, it may cause unpredictable changes in your design.

Changes that will not be Transferred from MCAD to ECAD

  • Bare Board thickness - defined by the Layer Stack in ECAD.

    Note: the changes made to the board thickness in MCAD will be shown as a non-applicable change in ECAD, so that the ECAD designer will be aware of the change being proposed.

  • 3D Fillets defined with a constant radius and 3D Chamfers defined by equal distances from the edge (defined in the z-axis direction) are supported, as well as holes and extruded cuts in the board's z-axis direction. Any additional 3D geometric features applied to the board part, such as angle-distance chamfers, are ignored. Learn more about working with fillets and chamfers.
  • Any additional geometric features applied to the board part (eg. 3D chamfers/fillets), except for holes and extruded cuts in the board's z-axis direction..
  • Any additional geometric features created in the context of the board assembly (eg. holes created in the context of an assembly), unless these features are propagated to parts.
  • The location of component holes if they are moved separately from the component.
  • The size of component holes.
  • Feature Patterns.
  • Sketches of cutouts with multiple contours (in PTC Creo and Autodesk Inventor).
  • Changes made to the extruded copper.
  • Changes made to the silkscreen.
  • Component deletions. Since component positional changes are transferred to ECAD, the MCAD engineer could indicate a deletion by moving the component outside of the board area (learn why component deletions are not supported). 

Working in the Context of the Device Assembly

In CoDesigner 2.2.0, support was added for working at the device assembly level in MCAD, and then transferring the enclosure together 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 ECAD.

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 available, this video demonstrates an alternate approach to transferring the enclosure.

An overview of working in the context of the device assembly.

Tips for working with the enclosure:

  • After placing the board assembly in the enclosure, click the Recognize button in the Altium CoDesigner panel. CoDesigner will detect the relationship between the board and the enclosure, and detail the names of all board assemblies added to the device enclosure at the top of the panel.

  • Once the relationship has been detected, the last step is to add the enclosure to the board. To do this:

    • Select the enclosure in the model tree.
    • Display the Altium CoDesigner ribbon.
    • Click the Enclosure button on the ribbon.
    • Open/display the Altium CoDesigner panel, where you can confirm that the enclosure is associated with the board in the Board Enclosure section of the Altium CoDesigner panel.

  • The enclosure with the board can now be pushed to ECAD.

Sending the PCB Assembly with your Changes to ECAD

  • Make sure your PCB assembly is opened as a separate doc (as a root assembly) in MCAD.
  • Go to the Altium CoDesigner panel.
  • Click Push.

* This behavior is planned to be improved in a future update.

Working with an MCAD Data Management System

Refer to the Note in the right-hand pane for information on whether the ECAD-MCAD Component Linkage feature will be available in your installation of MCAD CoDesigner.

CoDesigner supports the placement of native MCAD components when the PCB is being Pushed from ECAD and Pulled into MCAD. To do this, CoDesigner asks the MCAD software to get the model of the component from the MCAD's data management system (by the model’s name) and then places that component on the MCAD PCB assembly, instead of the model that came from ECAD.

ECAD-to-MCAD native component linking is currently supported in:

  • PTC Creo Parametric with CoDesigner Addin version 2.6.0, or later, connected to a PTC Windchill® server. Consult your Creo documentation for information on how to connect to Windchill. Learn more about configuring PTC Creo.
  • SOLIDWORKS with CoDesigner Addin version 2.6.0, or later, connected to SOLIDWORKS® PDM Professional. Consult your SOLIDWORKS documentation for information on how to connect to SOLIDWORKS PDM. Learn more about configuring SOLIDWORKS to work with native MCAD components.
  • Siemens® NX™ with CoDesigner Addin version 3.4.0, or later, connected to Siemens Teamcenter PLM. Consult your Siemens NX documentation for information on how to connect to Teamcenter PLM. Learn more about configuring Siemens NX to work with native MCAD components.
  • The link between the ECAD component and the native MCAD component is defined in your Altium Workspace. Learn more about Linking from the ECAD Components to the MCAD Components.
  • The Altium Workspace is not intended to be used as a mechanism for multiple MCAD engineers to synchronize changes; this should be done via a suitable MCAD Product Data Management system. If there is no PDM available and the Altium Workspace is being used, remember that the ECAD engineer must Pull and accept MCAD engineer 1's changes, then Push the updated board back to the Workspace, for MCAD engineer 2 to be then able to Pull and see them.

Working with SOLIDWORKS PDM

CoDesigner has been developed and tested with SOLIDWORKS® PDM Professional.

Placing Native MCAD Components from SOLIDWORKS PDM

When the board design is transferred from ECAD to SOLIDWORKS MCAD, CoDesigner supports replacing the ECAD component with a native MCAD-equivalent component from the SOLIDWORKS PDM system. To achieve this, you must configure settings in:

  • MCAD - configure your PDM settings, CoDesigner model storage, and understand the synchronization requirements, as described here.
  • ECAD - reference the MCAD model in the ECAD component, using the correct syntax. The MCAD component reference must be defined in the ECAD component as a parameter, with the parameter value in the form:
    <vault>:folder\folder\component.sldprt, where <vault> is the name of the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault.
  • Workspace - configure the Workspace options to indicate that you want to use native MCAD components, and define which ECAD component parameter will be used to reference the equivalent MCAD component. Learn more about Linking from the ECAD Components to the MCAD Components.

Before Pulling Changes to the Existing PCB Assembly

  • Synchronize the local copy of the Common folder for storing models component folder with the server (use the Get latest version command in SOLIDWORKS PDM)
  • Check out the following files:
    • Board assembly
    • Board part
    • For rigid-flex 2.0 assemblies - all of the board parts and sub-assemblies
    • If 3D copper is built - assemblies and parts related to the 3D copper and solder mask
    • Decal PNGs, if they are stored in PDM

Note: Normally, there is no need to check the component models out of PDM.

On Pulling Changes from ECAD to MCAD

  • Pay attention to any changes to component properties which CoDesigner may want to make - the corresponding string will be highlighted in yellow in the list of changes table in the Altium CoDesigner panel in SOLIDWORKS.

A common reason there may be changes is that when creating the component models in MCAD, CoDesigner writes the component properties stored in ECAD’s component library to the MCAD model properties. However, some of those properties, for example, Description and Material, may be changed by MCAD or PDM automatically afterward. Accordingly, if different values of properties are detected, CoDesigner will suggest changing them.

However, if you try to apply those changes, MCAD will require checking each affected model out of PDM or saving them with another name. To avoid this, uncheck those changes related to changing component properties in the Altium CoDesigner panel. Note that it is strongly recommended that you clarify why the component properties are different, and synchronize them on the MCAD and ECAD sides.

After Applying Changes

  • Check the newly created components, board assembly, subassemblies and parts into PDM.

Cloning the MCAD PCB

Do you have an existing MCAD PCB assembly that you would like to clone and re-use in a new PCB project in order not to lose your mechanical dimensions and references? This can be achieved by editing two of the properties in the cloned copy of the MCAD assembly.

The MCAD PCB assembly is associated with the ECAD project through two properties, ManagedProjectGUID and ManagedProjectName, which can be viewed and edited in the Properties dialog for the MCAD PCB assembly. The image below shows the Properties dialog for SOLIDWORKS.

Two properties link the MCAD assembly to the ECAD project.Two properties link the MCAD assembly to the ECAD project.

  1. To associate an existing MCAD PCB assembly with a new ECAD project, you need to update these properties in the MCAD assembly to suit the new ECAD project.

  • ManagedProjectName - the ECAD PCB project filename: <ManagedProjectName>.PrjPcb

  • ManagedProjectGUID - to find the GUID, you can either copy it from the:

    1. Workspace browser address bar – open the Altium Workspace where the project is stored, then double-click on the project to open it in a separate browser tab. The URL in the browser address bar includes the ManagedProjectGUID (); or the,

    2. ECAD project file – open the project file in a text editor (it has the .PrjPcb extension). The ManagedProjectGUID is located in the [Design] section at the top of the file (). Copy the ManagedProjectGUID, but do not modify or save the file .PrjPcb in the text editor.

  1. In your MCAD software, open the MCAD PCB assembly, edit the Value of those two properties, save the MCAD assembly, and close it.

  2. Reopen the clone MCAD assembly and check the top of the Altium CoDesigner panel; it should now display the ManagedProjectName property that you entered into the clone file in step 1. If it does, then the cloning process has been successful, and the board definition can now be Pushed to the Workspace from your MCAD software.

    After editing the ManagedProjectName and ManagedProjectGUID properties, the CoDesigner panel will reflect the updated project name.After editing the ManagedProjectName and ManagedProjectGUID properties, the CoDesigner panel will reflect the updated project name.

 

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Feature Availability

The features available to you depend on which Altium solution you have – Altium Develop, an edition of Altium Agile (Agile Teams or Agile Enterprise), or Altium Designer (on active term).

If you don’t see a discussed feature in your software, contact Altium Sales to find out more.

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