Polar Grid Editor

Created: August 7, 2017 | Updated: February 22, 2018

Now reading version 3.0. For the latest, read: Polar Grid Editor for version 5

Contents

Summary
Access
Options/Controls

The Polar Grid Editor dialog

Summary

The Polar Grid Editor dialog allows you to view and modify properties for the selected polar grid. Polar grids enable you to more easily design non-rectangular features and boards. Tailor the polar grid to suit both your personal placement preferences and design requirements.

Access

The dialog is accessed from the PCB editor or the PCB library editor. With the Properties panel in Board mode, in the Grid Manager region of the panel, perform one of the following:

Double-click an existing polar grid in the grid region.
Click New Polar Grid entry in the grid then click Properties.

Options/Controls

Settings

Name - use this field to give the polar grid a meaningful name. For example, you might name the grid using a format that reflects its purpose (e.g., Grid for Component-Side Memory).
Unit - use this field to specify the measurement units used for the grid: Imperial or Metric.

Steps

Angular Step - use this field to define the distance, in degrees, between the angular grid lines. This value is used to equally space the angular grid lines over the defined angular range.
Radial Step - use this field to define the distance between the radial grid lines. Type the required step size directly or select from a range of common sizes available in the associated drop-down list.
Set Radial Step in PCB View - click to define the radial step directly from within the PCB workspace. You will be taken to the workspace to specify two 'calculating' locations – the resulting step size is taken as the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by the chosen points in the workspace.

Origin

Origin X - use this field to specify the X coordinate for the center point of the grid in the workspace.
Origin Y - use this field to specify the Y coordinate for the center point of the grid in the workspace.
Set Origin in PCB View - click this control to be taken to the PCB workspace in which you can click to define the centerpoint for the grid's origin. The resulting coordinate values will be loaded into the Origin X and Origin Y fields.

Display

Fine - use the associated drop-down to define the markers used for the fine-level display of the grid in the workspace, either Lines, Dots, or Do Not Draw. The step size used for the markers is that defined in the Steps region. Click on the associated color swatch to access the standard Choose Color dialog in which you can specify the color to be used for the fine-level display grid in the workspace. If you do not want to use the coarse-level display grid, choose the Do Not Draw option. You also can reset the color back to its default using the Reset to Default link.
Coarse - use the associated drop-down to define the markers used for the coarse-level display of the grid in the workspace, either Lines, Dots, or Do Not Draw. The coarse-level display grid is the fine-level display grid with an increased step size in accordance with the entry selected in the Multiplier field. If you do not want to use the coarse-level display grid, choose the Do Not Draw option. Click on the associated color swatch to access the standard Choose Color dialog in which you can specify the color to be used for the coarse-level display grid in the workspace. You are free to choose a completely different color to that used for the fine-level display grid. Alternatively, you can quickly employ a lighter or darker shade of the color currently used for the coarse-level display grid using the available Lighter or Darker links. You also can reset the color back to its default using the Reset to Default link.
Multiplier - use this field to specify the required multiple of the grid's step size, either 2x Grid Step, 5x Grid Step, or 10x Grid Step.

The default display colors that are assigned to Fine and Coarse display grids when the Reset to Default link is clicked are defined in the General Settings region on the View Options tab of the View Configuration panel.

Angular Range

Start Angle - use this field to configure at which angle the polar grid begins.
End Angle - use this field to configure at which angle the polar grid ends.

If the start angle and end angle are set to the same number, the dialog will automatically update to Start Angle 00.000 and End Angle 360.000. The polar grid will display as a full 360°.

Radial Range

Min - use this field to set the minimum diameter of the polar grid.
Max - use this field to set the maximum diameter of the polar grid.

The diameters of the Radial Range are measured from the origin point out and set the radial extents of the grid.