Applied Parameters: ContextSensitive=True|Action=CreateSnippet|SnippetMode=Selection
Summary
This command is used to create a Design Snippet from the currently selected design objects on the active document. A snippet is, as its name suggests, a fragment of a design that is stored in a local or network folder for reuse in future designs - allowing you to build designs that require similar circuitry or layout, without having to reinvent the wheel.
The Design Snippets feature is great for those often-used fragments and smaller sections of circuitry that you want to reuse. For larger, more standalone circuits that you wish to reuse in multiple designs – for example power regulation circuits, USB interface circuitry, and so on – check out Altium Designer's support for
Device Sheets (file-based) and
Managed Sheets (vault-based).
Access
With the required circuitry selected, this command is accessed from the Schematic Editor, and the PCB Editor, by right-clicking over an object in the selection and choosing the Snippets » Create Snippet from selected objects command from the context menu.
Use
First, ensure that the circuitry that you want to include in the snippet, is selected in the main design workspace.
After launching the command, the Add New Snippet dialog will appear. Use this dialog to give the snippet a meaningful name, determine in which snippets folder it is to reside, and any pertinent comment as to what its intended use may be. After clicking OK, the snippet will be created in the target folder.
Tips
- Once created, snippets can be browsed, managed, and placed, through the dedicated Snippets panel.
- Each snippet is stored in a standard schematic (*.SchDoc), or PCB (*.PcbDoc) file. Upon creation, several other files are also created (*.Snippet, *.SnippetIcon, *.SnippetThumbnail). An indexing file (index.ini) is also present for each snippet folder, to keep track of the snippets contained therein.
- The name, folder location and comment for a snippet can be changed at any time from the Snippet Properties dialog - accessed by right-clicking on the snippet entry in the Snippets panel and choosing Properties from the context menu.
- A snippet can also be created from within the Snippets panel. With the objects selected in the workspace, simply choose the Create Snippet From Selection command, at the top of the panel's right-click menu.
