Altium Designer Documentation

Component Name Template

Created: January 13, 2023 | Updated: January 13, 2023
Applies to Altium Designer version: 21

The Component Name Template dialog
The Component Name Template dialog

Summary

The Component Editor (in its Batch Component Editing mode only) provides support for the use of parameter-based Component Name Templates. Such templates allow you to precisely name, or rather rename your components - their Item ID - based on the currently defined values of parameters (user/template parameters - not system parameters) available to those components in the editor. Use the Component Name Template dialog to define your naming template as required.

Access

Access to the dialog is made from within the Component Editor, when operating in its Batch Component Editing mode. Select the component(s) to be renamed (in the area for component definitions at the bottom of the view), right-click, and choose the Operations » Rename Component (Operations » Rename n Components) command from the context menu.

A managed component is defined/edited using the Component Editor, which can operate in two modes - Single Component Editing and Batch Component Editing. The latter provides the interface for defining/editing multiple components, but can be used to define/edit a single component, should you wish. With the Component Editor in its Single Component Editing mode, access to batch editing mode is made by choosing the Tools » Switch to Batch Editor command, from the Editor's main menus.

Options/Controls

  • Initial Index - use this field to specify the starting index for the components that are being renamed using the defined naming scheme, and where an iterator macro has been added to the template.
Note that the dialog will initially show the default naming scheme entered into the Component Editor's Document Options dialog. If you leave this scheme, you will not be able to change the Initial Index. The latter can only be changed if a different naming scheme is used.
  • Naming Scheme - use this field to define your naming scheme. Include a parameter into the naming template using the format [<ParameterName>]. Examples might be:
    • CMP-[Value]
    • CMP-[Part Number]
    • [Part Number]-[Value]
    • [Value]
    • [Part Number]
    • You can also use multiple parametric declarations in your templates, for example:

    • CMP-[Part Number]-[Value]
    • CMP-[Manufacturer Part Number]-[Value]-[Tolerance]

In addition, and purely optional, you can also add an iterator macro, specified within curly braces (e.g., {000}, {00A}), for example:

  • CMP-[Value]-{001}
  • CMP-[Part Number]-{00A}

You can then control the starting point of that iterator by defining the required value in the Initial Index field.

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