Configuring PCB Bending Line Object Properties in Altium Designer | Altium Designer 21 User Manual

Created: November 11, 2020 | Updated: April 10, 2021

This document is no longer available beyond version 21. Information can now be found here: Bending Line Properties for version 23

Applies to Altium Designer version: 21

Contents

Properties
Stack Regions
Bend Line
Bend Zone
Bend Angle

All Contents

Parent page: Bending Line

PCB Editor object properties are definable options that specify the visual style, content and behavior of the placed object. The property settings for each type of object are defined in the following way.

Post-placement settings – all Bending Line object properties are available for editing in the Properties panel when a placed Bending Line is selected in the design space.

If the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is disabled (default) on the PCB Editor - Defaults page of the Preferences dialog, when the primitive is double-clicked or you right-click on a selected primitive then choose Properties, the dialog will open. When the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is enabled, the Properties panel will open.

While the options are the same in the dialog and the panel, the order and placement of the options may differ slightly.

Properties

Name - the user-definable name of this Bending Line. Naming each Bending Line can help distinguish their function in the design.
(X/Y) the X and Y location coordinates of the reference vertex of the Bending Line. Edit to change the X or Y position of the Bending Line. Values can be entered in either metric or imperial; include the units when entering a value whose units are not the current default.

The icon to the right of this region must be displayed as (unlocked) in order to access the location fields. Toggle the lock/unlock icon to change its lock status.

Stack Regions

List of all Board Regions that are underneath the selected Bending Line.

Used - enable the checkbox to apply the Bending Line to the named Board Region.
Name - the name of the Board Region to which this Bending Line can be applied.

Bend Line

Start (X/Y) - the X and Y location coordinates of the first Bending Line vertex. Edit to change the X or Y position of that Bending Line vertex.
Angle - the angle that the Bending Line is oriented in the design space.
Length - the distance between the Start and End vertices.
End (X/Y) - the X and Y location coordinates of the second Bending Line vertex. Edit to change the X or Y position of that Bending Line vertex.
Fold Index - value is used to determine the order that the bends are applied when the rigid-flex board is folded in 3D Layout Mode. The bend with the lowest Fold Index value is applied first, through to the highest Fold Index value.

Bend Zone

Radius - orthogonal distance from the Board Region surface to a point in space that the bending occurs around.

Bend Angle

Default - the angle of the applied bend. Enter a negative value to apply the bend in the other direction.

From the bend angle and the radius, the software calculates the area of the Board Region that will bend. This is displayed as the orange area that extends out from each side of the Bending Line.