Knowledge Base

Created: November 19, 2020 | Updated: October 4, 2021

Contents

Offline installer
Yellow line thru entire PCB window
Endless looping when trying to sign in
Multiple Server CAL checkout
Startup issue - Failure to Launch (or install)
Installation issues
Multiple Designer Licenses Being Used
Evaluation License only on a single PC
Altium does not start per click (nview)
Slowness at startup
When things don't display or print properly
Concord Pro issues after migration - Re-index
Can't route between Flex and Rigid regions
General Slowness
Re-adding a project to the Altium 365 workspace
Is it possible in Altium 365 to remove a release and redo the process so we can keep the same revision number?
Enabling VCS of an Uploaded Altium 365 Project
Working with managed templates on Altium 365 vs file-based in private server
Accessing Altium 365 Managed Project GIT Repository Outside of Altium Designer
Library Importer to Altium 365
How to add line number to a BOM template
Active Bar how to disable or customize
Nothing happens when trying to use a license
How to change email address-Username
Remove Solder Mask and Paste Mask from PCB Pads
Viewer
New to Altium Designer or resume work with AD after break or major update
Version not supported with private license server - Refresh PLS & AIS
Version not supported despite valid subscription - Refresh PLS license
How to activate the Mixed Simulation tool in Altium Designer
Port and URL information for when firewall or VPN is blocking access
Ports and IP Addresses for Altium Designer
Importer for KiCAD
Unions
Power Port reduced to Local level warning
Managed Content Server upgrade
Signing into a managed content server from within Altium Designer
Changing Owner of an Altium 365 Workspace
Updating schematic component footprints from the PCB Document.
MCAD CoDesigner panel is not visible in Creo
Deleted or modified the default user groups “All Account members” and “Group Administrators”
Graphics Support in Altium 365’s Web Viewer Interface
On-Demand License Showing Incorrect Subscription Date
Error from Portal365.altium.com
Add and Managing Groups
Add and Managing Users
All Admin Users / Admin Group was Deleted
Activating Student On-Demand License
On-Demand License Not Showing Up
Requesting to be made an Administrator
Release an On-Demand License
Change Password
Sign In button is not active & Error From
SOLIDWORKS CoDesigner panel error: There is no document opened…
"The Internal ID Does Not Match" issue with SOLIDWORKS MCAD
Server License Not Set or All CALs in use
MCAD collaboration in NEXUS
How can other Mechanical Engineers see my MCAD CoDesigner changes?
Can I increase the quality of the decals in SOLIDWORKS MCAD?
SOLIDWORKS MCAD is used with SW PDM (Product Data Management)
MCAD Autodesk Vault is used with Autodesk Inventor
MCAD SOLIDWORKS: Low performance with building a board
MCAD Fusion 360 Personal: Components are not shown
MCAD Fusion 360: Bad performance with the boards with 500+ components
MCAD Fusion 360: The visibility of Copper and Soldermask
Changing the board origin in MCAD
How to change the Port Cross Reference Display?
Release not available
Can't export DXF or DWG files - Class not registered error
How do I use PerfView to collect additional data?
Which subscription plan do I have currently?
PCB Why do I see Designator overlaid on my extra designators?
3D Model Placement in Footprint Library
Variant Printing in Schematic from Output Job
Sending an enclosure from MCAD to ECAD
Map MCAD Models to ECAD Components
MCAD CoDesigner Keepout transfer
ECAD-MCAD model not properly imported warning
Viewing Copper in SOLIDWORKS
ECAD to MCAD transfer redraws board
Silkscreen not displaying in SOLIDWORKS
Altium Academy videos for ECAD-MCAD CoDesigner
Importing a logo into a PCB document
Placing a logo into a PCB document
How to import Allegro files to Altium
You must have Microsoft(R) Excel installed on your machine
Alternative Parts with Active BOM
PCB Select and Dimming
Altium 365 Workspace error - You do not have a valid subscription for Altium Designer
Student License
PCB Panel Selection and Highlight Controls
How to install Software Extensions in an offline environment
Connection lines & move component
Connection lines disappear when moving component
Can Only Move Parts So Close To Each Other
Can you set Electrical Clearance in the Design Rules for the Route Tool Path
Can't add bending line/Split line cannot be moved after placing/Board region cannot be selected
Can't connect to Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS) after installation
Cannot delete Layer from Layerstack
Cannot select an Object that somehow is very far from PCB boundary
Clearance Constrain between polyregion on multilayer and pad on top layer
Combine OrCAD Schematic Import and PADS Allegro PCB import into single Project
Command line installation parameters
Compile Error: Duplicate Net Names(Multi-Channel, Bus)
Component not created in Vault after running the batch file
Component placement for ODB++ files
Components Panel Filter not Correctly Filtering on Database 'value' Parameter
Configure and Animate the bending of a PCB that is entirely Flex
Convert a Fill or Region into a Polygon
Convert Plated via Backdrills to Non_Plated in ODB++ output
Copying Circuit Selection From One Project to Another
Copying from Footprint (unlocked primitive) to PCB does not work
Copying Multiline text to a string
Delete a line from BOM
Design Item IDs are reset and lost on update or placement from Schematic Library
Draftsman Drill Table Plated Column is in Russian
DRC doesnt catch unconnected nets
Error - Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library
Error code 68
Failed to create Key
Feature request
Generating IPC-D-356A document and compare to extracted netlist
Hide old expired licenses
How can I change the grid from mil to mm or set my designator to Visible in a Schematic Library
How can I copy everything to a new PCB
How do I reset the Altium Designer configuration to the installation defaults?
How to access the Content Vault in the Explorer panel?
How to control the Designator location in Schematic Library
How to determine with which version a file was authored
How to edit board shape
How to import CircuitMaker files into Altium
How to perform a thorough uninstall
How to roam (Check Out) a license for offline use
How to select multiple Designators
How to short two different Nets - create a Net Tie
How to update Variant Parts with library?
How to use a license
I am getting a Validation Error on my Project Schematics what does this mean
Import or Export Design Rules
Importing a Mechanical Outline to PCB
Board Cutout not in Gerber output
Background Turns Dark when Placing Track
Avoid adjacent layer parallel track routing
Altium.PCB.DataModel.dll Crash on PCBDoc
Altium Designer is not informing me of updates or allowing me to install them
Altium Designer is crashing when trying to Open any project
Installing multiple instances of AD versions
Is 3D view of a Cavity in PCB possible?
Layer Stack PDF Export Missing Bottom Surface Finish
Manufacturer Part Search (MPS) panel issues
Method to remove Managed Servers from Altium
My Update button is greyed out - Trying to update Altium Designer
Numbering Sheets in Multi-channel
Off Sheet Schematic Component Removal
Options for getting an AltiumLive password reset
PDF output - An error exists on this page
Plane Clearance
Provider Cannot Be Found Error when Translating .IntLib to .DBLib
Reverse Engineering from Gerber to PCB
Rollback entire SVN Repository
Scroll bars are missing from PCB and Schematic editor windows
Search Paths tab missing in Project Options
Size Limits of PCB workspace
Slowness in specific areas
Status Bar is missing at bottom edge
Subscription Expired on License
SVN Error Commit failed, or Working Copy locked, or is already locked
Thermal Relief Connections for Custom Pads
Unable to move component even with Online clearance rule disabled
Unable to open *.DRL file in Altium
Unable to select and Delete Text
Unable to select objects
Uninstall Windows Updates
Unknown Server - Can't make project available online
Update gives error: This application requires Windows hotfix KB3140245
User's email address already exists in another organization
Using Local File Based Excel BOM templates
Variant - Schematic - Project level parameters
Warning: License Renewal Failed
What determines whether Altium will update to the next version rather than separate install?
What Does the White Arrow on Some Documents Mean?
Why am I seeing different designators in my schematic?
Why are PCB 3D Models not Displaying in the 3D View?
Why is my text upside down?
Why is there a [1] in front of my schematic sheet name?
Working with 32-bit and 64-bit software compatibility
Panels get rearranged i.e. stacked
How to group panels in tabbed mode when they are in fractal mode?
Connection Lines on PCB - Rats nest display
Owning More Than One Workspace
LDAP syncing
How do I log in as administrator to release seats when none are available
Design repositories SVN not available after update from Nexus server
How to rename a Managed Project and what happens to the local copy that was checked out previously?
How does Altium's Library Migrator handle components in an integrated library with different components using same symbols?
How To Control Lifecycle Transition Permissions in Altium 365?
Managed Project Organization in Altium 365 Pro
Soft Delete Items from an Altium 365 Workspace
Can't delete empty folder
FIPS and Backups
Share project via workspaces
How to set permissions on change-of-state in Concord Pro?
Altium 365 Data Cleanup
Sharing Projects to Members Outside of the Organization Without Invitation to Workspace
Edit Components in Altium 365
Connection to Altium 365 is Lost While Working

Our Knowledge Base is developed from our users questions. Find answers and step-by-step instructions. Chances are we’ve seen your question before.

Title	Views	Votes
Offline installer This article explains how to get an offline installer package and related information. Read More 2 0 61 views	61	-2
Yellow line thru entire PCB window If you have a yellow line through your PCB, it is probably a guide line (Snap Guide.) The color can be changed. Read More 1 3 12 views	12	2
Endless looping when trying to sign in When trying to sign in to the forum, Workspace, or Live.Altium.com, the browser enters an endless loop of re-directs (switches or redirects between alternate pages indefinitely.) Read More 0 0 3 views	3	0
Multiple Server CAL checkout Signing into Concord Pro or NEXUS Server, duplicate checkouts per user are happening. Read More 0 0 57 views	57	0
Startup issue - Failure to Launch (or install) This article has a long list of things to try when Altium won't start. Some of these also apply if Altium won't install. Read More 7 7 117 views	117	0
Installation issues This article has solutions to issues that may arise while installing Altium Designer. Read More 0 0 17 views	17	0
Multiple Designer Licenses Being Used The License Management screen shows Altium is using more than one license. Read More 0 0 4 views	4	0
Evaluation License only on a single PC I'm trying to use a trial version of Altium, (Evaluation License) but now I'm getting a message with the title bar of "Warning License Renewal Failed", and the message, "You can use this license only on a single PC". Read More 0 0 12 views	12	0
Altium does not start per click (nview) If I try to start Altium Designer by clicking from the start menu or from the task bar it usually takes a lot of tries to do this. Read More 8 5 25 views	25	-3
Slowness at startup Here are some things that can cause a slow startup. Read More 1 0 24 views	24	-1
When things don't display or print properly Here are some things to try when a panel doesn't open after selection or doesn't display properly, or when things don't display or print properly in general Read More 19 2 56 views	56	-17
Concord Pro issues after migration - Re-index After updating Concord Pro you may experience some of these issues: The "500 Internal Server Error" error message. Component cannot be released. Health monitor may show index errors. Re-indexing likely will resolve these issues. This article tells you how. Read More 3 0 96 views	96	-3
Can't route between Flex and Rigid regions If you are unable to route a trace between a rigid region and a flex region, there is probably a Board Outline Clearance rule with a Split Continuation value set to anything other than 0, which is causing the split line to be treated as an obstacle. Read More 0 0 4 views	4	0
General Slowness Here is a long list of things that may help you track down an underlying cause. Read More 27 2 116 views	116	-25
Re-adding a project to the Altium 365 workspace How to re-add a project to the Altium 365 workspace. If the project has been already deleted from the workspace but you want to re-release the project back to the workspace, we need to remove the links from the previous release to the workspace to allow for the re-release to be available. Read More 1 2 146 views	146	1
Is it possible in Altium 365 to remove a release and redo the process so we can keep the same revision number? This knowledge article explains reverting manufacture server items to a previous revision. Read More 27 2 133 views	133	-25
Enabling VCS of an Uploaded Altium 365 Project A previously released project may not have utilized the built-in VCS of Altium 365. This article discusses how to add the project to the built-in VCS of Altium 365 after it has been released. Read More 0 0 94 views	94	0
Working with managed templates on Altium 365 vs file-based in private server Do I need to add my templates to the managed content server, if so how, or is there a way to make the BOM exporter point to my templates on our company server? Read More 4 0 124 views	124	-4
Accessing Altium 365 Managed Project GIT Repository Outside of Altium Designer Is it possible to access the Altium 365 git repository through a command line without opening Altium? Read More 1 0 172 views	172	-1
Library Importer to Altium 365 Importing File-Based libraries to Altium 365 workspaces Read More 2 1 101 views	101	-1
How to add line number to a BOM template How to format BOM template column to include line # (line number). Unable to add Line # using the Column=Line Number Format in a BOM Template Read More 14 0 140 views	140	-14
Active Bar how to disable or customize The Active Bar can be disabled or customized like any toolbar. Read More 3 9 46 views	46	6
Nothing happens when trying to use a license I can't use a license. I click on a license, then click the use control below, or right-click on the license and choose "use" but nothing happens. Read More 17 5 68 views	68	-12
How to change email address-Username This article discusses methods for changing your e-mail address for AltiumLive sign in and how to fix it if the e-mail address does not match the username (which has become a requirement now that Altium 365 Workspaces are so popular.) Read More 0 0 3 views	3	0
Remove Solder Mask and Paste Mask from PCB Pads How to remove the Solder Mask / Paste Mask from a Pad Read More 13 5 84 views	84	-8
Viewer If you have engineers that sometimes need only to view a project and therefore don't need a full license, they can leave the full licenses available in your organization's pool by using a viewer license. This article reviews some options based on your circumstance. Read More 7 0 26 views	26	-7
New to Altium Designer or resume work with AD after break or major update For all those who are new to Altium, starting to use it now more frequently or have updated from a really old version. This article covers how to contact Support, finding Learning Materials, Tutorials, and other useful information for getting (re) started. Read More 0 0 117 views	117	0
Version not supported with private license server - Refresh PLS & AIS This article covers what to do when you get "Version Not Supported" error when using a private license server. It also has a comparison of the legacy Private License Server (PLS) and our current license server, Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS.) Read More 0 1 325 views	325	1
Version not supported despite valid subscription - Refresh PLS license We updated Altium Designer to a newer version, but now the client says our licenses do not support it. Our subscription for our private server license is current and the future date is displayed on the license management page subscription status column. Read More 2 0 122 views	122	-2
How to activate the Mixed Simulation tool in Altium Designer How to activate the Mixed Simulation tool in Altium Designer with links to more information about simulation Read More 0 4 48 views	48	4
Port and URL information for when firewall or VPN is blocking access I can't get the system running while connected to VPN. As soon as I disconnect form VPN, Altium starts running. Read More 0 5 211 views	211	5
Ports and IP Addresses for Altium Designer We have strict firewall rules, is there any documentation available which states what IP addresses, ports are required to use this feature? Read More 2 1 227 views	227	-1
Importer for KiCAD We see that Altium supports importing of files from Kicad to Altium but we do not see how to add that importer. Do we need a later version of Altium to see this? Read More 27 5 50 views	50	-22
Unions When I move or drag a component other components move with it. Also covers an error about a name already exists, and "This object is part of a locked union. Continue?" Read More 1 0 3 views	3	-1
Power Port reduced to Local level warning I get a warning when I compile my project schematics: "Global Power-Object ... has been reduced to local level by presence of port at ..." It is a Warning in the Message panel after validating the project. Read More 38 2 33 views	33	-36
Managed Content Server upgrade This document covers a best practice quick review of the steps to follow when upgrading your current on-site managed content server to our current version. As when you have been using Vault and want to upgrade to Concord Pro. Read More 0 0 48 views	48	0
Signing into a managed content server from within Altium Designer Signing into and Connecting to a managed content server (such as Altium 365 workspace) from within Altium Designer Read More 0 0 175 views	175	0
Changing Owner of an Altium 365 Workspace This knowledge article provides the necessary details to change the owner of your company's active workspace. Read More 3 1 90 views	90	-2
Updating schematic component footprints from the PCB Document. For designs where the footprints in the PCB do not match the footprint configured in the schematic component, this will show you how to get them in sync. Read More 40 3 234 views	234	-37
MCAD CoDesigner panel is not visible in Creo There are different resolutions based on whether the add-in is loaded, failed to initialize, or is hidden in the User Interface. Read More 0 1 16 views	16	1
Deleted or modified the default user groups “All Account members” and “Group Administrators” How to delete or modify the default user groups “All Account members” and “Group Administrators” Read More 0 0 7 views	7	0
Graphics Support in Altium 365’s Web Viewer Interface This knowledge article details the limited support of graphics in Altium 365's web-browser interface. Read More 1 0 24 views	24	-1
On-Demand License Showing Incorrect Subscription Date A renewed license shows the incorrect old subscription date Read More 0 0 11 views	11	0
Error from Portal365.altium.com I am receiving an error message when I try to log in to Altium designer. The error message is "Error from portal365.altium.com: The server name could not be resolved" Read More 1 4 59 views	59	3
Add and Managing Groups How to add and manage Groups for your company account Read More 0 0 9 views	9	0
Add and Managing Users As an administrator, how to add and manage the users in your company Read More 0 0 9 views	9	0
All Admin Users / Admin Group was Deleted The Admin Group / all of the users were accidentally deleted Read More 0 0 26 views	26	0
Activating Student On-Demand License How to activate a recently acquired Student On-Demand License Read More 6 0 9 views	9	-6
On-Demand License Not Showing Up Unable to see the newly activated license associated with the account. Read More 8 0 8 views	8	-8
Requesting to be made an Administrator I want to be added to the Administrator Group Read More 0 0 15 views	15	0
Release an On-Demand License How to forcefully release a user from a license Read More 0 0 24 views	24	0
Change Password How to change the password for a user's account Read More 2 0 17 views	17	-2
Sign In button is not active & Error From When I start Altium, I first get an error "Error from :" which I can get past by clicking OK, but then the Sign in dialog box which follows, will not let me click the Sign in button after I enter my Username (Email) and Password. The Sign in button stays grayed out. Read More 0 0 28 views	28	0
SOLIDWORKS CoDesigner panel error: There is no document opened… I get this message in the SOLIDWORKS CoDesigner panel, "There is no document opened or the active document is not linked with PCB design." (for PCBs pushed from Altium using MCAD CoDesigner to SOLIDWORKS) after creating a "SpeedPak" configuration in SOLIDWORKS, which prevents most parts from loading to improve performance. Read More 0 0 12 views	12	0
"The Internal ID Does Not Match" issue with SOLIDWORKS MCAD This happens when several boards with the same set of components are used in a device assembly AND IF there is no common component folder set up in CoDesigner’s settings. Read More 2 0 27 views	27	-2
Server License Not Set or All CALs in use If you didn't get a chance to refresh the license for your on-site managed content server before it expired, you may see this error message when trying to sign in from a remote web browser. You can also use the method described in this article to log into your server when all the Client Access Licenses (CALs) are already in use. Read More 2 0 22 views	22	-2
MCAD collaboration in NEXUS I can't find the CoDesigner panel in NEXUS. Read More 0 0 15 views	15	0
How can other Mechanical Engineers see my MCAD CoDesigner changes? CoDesigner is not a storage system for synchronizing changes among Mechanical Engineers (MEs) Read More 0 0 9 views	9	0
Can I increase the quality of the decals in SOLIDWORKS MCAD? This article has some options that can affect the quality of decals. Read More 1 0 5 views	5	-1
SOLIDWORKS MCAD is used with SW PDM (Product Data Management) This article has some guidance for when SOLIDWORKS is used with SOLIDWORKS Product Data Management Read More 0 0 9 views	9	0
MCAD Autodesk Vault is used with Autodesk Inventor This article describes a short procedure to better enable this functionality Read More 0 0 8 views	8	0
MCAD SOLIDWORKS: Low performance with building a board Move the toolbox to a local drive. Read More 0 0 8 views	8	0
MCAD Fusion 360 Personal: Components are not shown This version of Fusion 360 is for non-commercial use. Read More 0 0 6 views	6	0
MCAD Fusion 360: Bad performance with the boards with 500+ components This is a known issue with Fusion (reported for all big assemblies, not only with the ones built by CoDesigner.) Read More 0 0 8 views	8	0
MCAD Fusion 360: The visibility of Copper and Soldermask They are hidden by default. Read More 0 0 7 views	7	0
Changing the board origin in MCAD We can't rely on the relative ECAD origin because it can be easily changed in ECAD, and it's not realistic to synchronize the changes with MCAD in that case. Read More 0 1 18 views	18	1
How to change the Port Cross Reference Display? I'd like to add port references to my schematic, but I don't want to include the zone or grid references in order to save space. Read More 5 3 43 views	43	-2
Release not available "Release not available: Project is not registerd [sic] in PLM" may show up when using Project Releaser, if you have a PLM extension installed. Read More 1 0 2 views	2	-1
Can't export DXF or DWG files - Class not registered error When I try to export a PCB as a DXF or DWG, I get an error with the following details: Class not registered at ###... SaveDxf.dll, Base Address: ###... Read More 2 13 31 views	31	11
How do I use PerfView to collect additional data? This article details the steps and settings to collect additional data for your support issue using Microsoft's PerfView tool. Read More 0 4 34 views	34	4
Which subscription plan do I have currently? This article describes how you can determine your current subscription plan level Read More 2 1 25 views	25	-1
PCB Why do I see Designator overlaid on my extra designators? Special Strings Display - You toggle the display of the Special Strings overlay within the View Configuration panel, go to the View Options Tab and toggle the visibility of Special Strings. Read More 0 1 99 views	99	1
3D Model Placement in Footprint Library How to place a 3D Model precisely in your footprint in a PCB library Read More 1 7 138 views	138	6
Variant Printing in Schematic from Output Job Variants Not showing on the schematic prints when generated through output job. Read More 23 7 49 views	49	-16
Sending an enclosure from MCAD to ECAD This article has links to learn how to send an enclosure from MCAD to ECAD Read More 0 0 12 views	12	0
Map MCAD Models to ECAD Components This article covers how to make models placed on the MCAD side be recognizable on the ECAD side when using a Pro subscription plan. Read More 0 0 32 views	32	0
MCAD CoDesigner Keepout transfer Is it possible to transfer keepout areas using MCAD CoDesigner? CoDesigner 2.1.0 and newer has an updated MCAD CoDesigner panel that now has a PCB Definition tab which displays Board Area definitions that exist on the board. Read More 1 1 39 views	39	0
ECAD-MCAD model not properly imported warning Transfering to MCAD domain, a message indicating there is a problem with 3D model and it will be substitute with simple geometry. Read More 0 0 40 views	40	0
Viewing Copper in SOLIDWORKS I can only see the bare board and components. How can I see the copper traces in SOLIDWORKS MCAD? Read More 0 2 39 views	39	2
ECAD to MCAD transfer redraws board This article describes why a transfer from ECAD to MCAD redraws board shape and loses board constraints. Read More 0 0 38 views	38	0
Silkscreen not displaying in SOLIDWORKS ECAD / MCAD CoDesigner transfer is not showing silkscreen in SOLIDWORKS. Sometimes the decals that represent copper and silkscreen and solder mask are not shown in SW 2019+ because of problems with the rendering on some video cards. The solution can be to change this flag in SOLIDWORKS preferences. Read More 14 0 26 views	26	-14
Altium Academy videos for ECAD-MCAD CoDesigner Here is a link to a collection of videos from Altium Academy that may improve your experience with ECAD-MCAD CoDesigner Read More 1 0 39 views	39	-1
Importing a logo into a PCB document This article describes how to import your company logo or other bitmap file (*.bmp) into your PCB document. Read More 9 3 25 views	25	-6
Placing a logo into a PCB document How to place your company logo or any Graphic object ( a non-electrical primitive that can be placed on a PCB and PCB Library document and populated with a standard image file (.png, .jpg, .bmp, .svg.).) into your PCB document. Read More 19 11 146 views	146	-8
How to import Allegro files to Altium This document describes different approaches for getting Allegro files into Altium Designer. Read More 4 15 283 views	283	11
You must have Microsoft(R) Excel installed on your machine I can no longer generate any outputs that require MS-Excel since there seems to be an issue with Altium's ability to open the program. MS-Excel is working just fine for me and no other applications I use have issue with it, but I get this error, "You must have Microsoft® Excel installed on your machine to be able to generate a Board Stack Report." Read More 25 1 108 views	108	-24
Alternative Parts with Active BOM I am trying to add an alternative part to an item on the active BoM for a non managed component, but when I right click on my item I do not get the option to add an alternative as expected according to documentation. Read More 18 1 93 views	93	-17
PCB Select and Dimming This article discusses the ways you can affect Dimming, Masking, Zooming, and whether objects get selected in the document workspace when they are selected in the PCB panel lists. Read More 8 1 21 views	21	-7
Altium 365 Workspace error - You do not have a valid subscription for Altium Designer I'm getting this error message: You do not have a valid subscription for Altium Designer (Expired at 1-Jan-2000). Subscription is required for Altium Designer to work with an Altium 365 Workspace." Read More 1 3 190 views	190	2
Student License This article has information that will be helpful for students that want to start using Altium Designer. Read More 3 13 15 views	15	10
PCB Panel Selection and Highlight Controls When objects are selected in the Primitives list in the PCB panel, the behavior in the editor may not be as expected. This article reviews settings that can change behavior such as Dim / Normal / Mask, Clear Existing, and Zoom etc. and whether objects get selected in the document design editor workspace window when they are selected in the PCB panel lists. Read More 4 0 32 views	32	-4
How to install Software Extensions in an offline environment I run Altium on an offline computer. It is not possible to attach to the Internet or any other network. How do I install Software Extensions & modify the Core Feature Set in this environment. Read More 0 1 60 views	60	1
Connection lines & move component Why do the connection lines not move the same when I use the Edit ► Move ► Component as they do if I would use dragging of the component in PCB Editor Read More 6 3 18 views	18	-3
Connection lines disappear when moving component On a component with n-number pads the connections disappear when moving the component Read More 11 4 177 views	177	-7
Can Only Move Parts So Close To Each Other How to change the mode of moving Components on a PCB Read More 3 6 21 views	21	3
Can you set Electrical Clearance in the Design Rules for the Route Tool Path Route Tool Path is defined on Mechanical layer, how can I define clearance to this path? Read More 2 0 130 views	130	-2
Can't add bending line/Split line cannot be moved after placing/Board region cannot be selected How do I add and modify a bending line to my Rigid Flex design? Read More 18 4 39 views	39	-14
Can't connect to Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS) after installation If you just installed the Altium Infrastructure Server (AIS), the most common reason connection fails is because the licenses that came with the installation package were not installed. Read More 4 0 114 views	114	-4
Cannot delete Layer from Layerstack This article describes a couple of scenarios in a Pcb document that can prevent layer deletion in the Layer Stack Manager. Read More 14 1 154 views	154	-13
Cannot select an Object that somehow is very far from PCB boundary There appears to be objects outside of my workspace area, I am not able to find nor select them. How can I select them to delete. No matter what I do, it will not be selected. Read More 24 3 26 views	26	-21
Clearance Constrain between polyregion on multilayer and pad on top layer I have an error stating "Clearance Constrain between polyregion on multilayer and pad on top layer" on my PCB layout. Every pad is having this error, as well as a through hole component. When I click to "jump to" the violation... It goes to the corner of the board and just says there is a clearance violation. Read More 53 14 51 views	51	-39
Combine OrCAD Schematic Import and PADS Allegro PCB import into single Project Create a single project linking imported OrCAD Schematic Project and imported PADS/Allegro PCB Project Read More 0 3 105 views	105	3
Command line installation parameters This article covers the command line installation parameters that are available for Altium Designer. Read More 2 6 83 views	83	4
Compile Error: Duplicate Net Names(Multi-Channel, Bus) [Error] TopSheet.SchDoc Compiler Duplicate Net Names Bus Slice - I am receiving this error on the buses from my multi-channel sheet, and my buses do not look like they are properly connecting in the netlist. The buses look to be properly formed. How do I fix this Duplicate Net Name on Multichannel design error? Read More 83 3 183 views	183	-80
Component not created in Vault after running the batch file We are tying to add components in Altium Vault/Concord Pro through .csv files. This method is working for some categories, but not for all. Read More 0 0 57 views	57	0
Component placement for ODB++ files I am importing ODB++ files into a fabrication house software MacroFab. Every time the component placement file comes in, it's position is offset from the actual board origin in the Gerber files. How do I make the component placement files match the PCB 0,0 origin when importing into MacroFab software. Read More 0 0 15 views	15	0
Components Panel Filter not Correctly Filtering on Database 'value' Parameter Using a Database Library with Microsoft Excel, formatting in the Excel file can cause the filter to not work correctly when read by Altium Designer. For example, setting the filter to "greater than or equal to #" does not filter correctly. We will look at how to format the column in the Excel database so it can be processed correctly. Read More 0 0 73 views	73	0
Configure and Animate the bending of a PCB that is entirely Flex Configuring and Animating the bending of a PCB that is entirely Flex Read More 0 2 90 views	90	2
Convert a Fill or Region into a Polygon When I try to create a polygon from the outline of overlapping shapes using Fills and Regions it does not work. When I try to run the command it tells me it cannot find an enclosed shape (Tracks, Arcs, Full Circle) and when I click YES nothing happens. How can I get this to work? Read More 19 4 107 views	107	-15
Convert Plated via Backdrills to Non_Plated in ODB++ output Exporting ODB++, as of AD20.1.7, the exported backdrills are incorrectly set as VIAs which are plated. This shows how to modify the output to set the vias as NON_PLATED Read More 0 1 49 views	49	1
Copying Circuit Selection From One Project to Another What is the best method if I want to transfer a section of a schematic circuit and the associated layout from an existing project to another project? Read More 4 12 41 views	41	8
Copying from Footprint (unlocked primitive) to PCB does not work I can't select primitives of mechanical layers on a footprint and copy them to a mechanical layer on the PCB. I can only bring over the primitives to the PCB by changing the layer assignment in the properties panel. However, the primitives are still tide to the component footprint. How do I copy primitives from the footprint to the PCB? Read More 1 3 21 views	21	2
Copying Multiline text to a string When copying multiple lines of text from a PDF document to paste into a single string, only the first line will paste. Read More 1 0 17 views	17	-1
Delete a line from BOM Is there a way to delete a line in the draftsman Bill Of Materials table? I have a test point that showed up there, and I am looking for a way to remove it. Read More 1 4 12 views	12	3
Design Item IDs are reset and lost on update or placement from Schematic Library Every time I update the schematic symbols, the Design Item IDs of some schematic symbols are reset. The same happens when I place these components from the components panel for components of Schematic (.SchLib) and Integrated Libraries (.IntLib). Read More 3 3 104 views	104	0
Draftsman Drill Table Plated Column is in Russian It appears that the Plating column data in Draftsman Drill Table objects only displays in Russian - I cannot find a language setting somewhere to modify the language of the information in this column. Read More 0 2 41 views	41	2
DRC doesnt catch unconnected nets I have a PCB design in which the DRC doesn't catch unconnected nets, although the check is enabled in the design rules. Read More 17 5 45 views	45	-12
Error - Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library Altium crashes with the error: Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library. Read More 12 0 31 views	31	-12
Error code 68 I'm getting one of these errors when starting Altium Designer: Exception loading Wpf UI Error initializing licensing service Error code 68 Read More 0 2 40 views	40	2
Failed to create Key Reported Error message "Failed to create Key" while trying to install Altium Designer even as an offline installation. Read More 0 1 55 views	55	1
Feature request Something is not working the way I expect or want it to work. I would like to see an enhancement. Read More 0 1 51 views	51	1
Generating IPC-D-356A document and compare to extracted netlist I am trying to export an IPC-356 file from the Altium CAM editor. I am receiving the following error Cannot Open File for Netlist Output! Read More 8 2 81 views	81	-6
Hide old expired licenses Our organization has a bunch of expired licenses. Is there some way to remove them from the list in the Altium Designer license management page so it will look less cluttered and be less confusing to our users trying to pick a valid license that is under subscription? Read More 1 1 27 views	27	0
How can I change the grid from mil to mm or set my designator to Visible in a Schematic Library How can I change the grid from mil to mm or set my designator to visible in a Schematic Library Read More 68 11 31 views	31	-57
How can I copy everything to a new PCB I suspect some sort of corruption with my PCB. I want to try copying as much as I can from my current PCB to a new "clean" one. I read that this might resolve my issue with "undo not working" in one particular PCB. Read More 10 5 31 views	31	-5
How do I reset the Altium Designer configuration to the installation defaults? Reset the configuration of Altium Designer. Read More 12 9 742 views	742	-3
How to access the Content Vault in the Explorer panel? In Altium Designer 20 the Content Vault is not accessible via the Explorer panel per default. This article describes how you can make the Content Vault accessible via the Explorer panel again. Read More 6 6 55 views	55	0
How to control the Designator location in Schematic Library Component designator and comment can be made visible in the documents options of a schematic library. Read More 22 48 58 views	58	26
How to determine with which version a file was authored Is there a way to determine which version of Altium Designer was used to create a project or design? Read More 4 3 26 views	26	-1
How to edit board shape How to edit the board shape. Read More 14 10 24 views	24	-4
How to import CircuitMaker files into Altium How to import CircuitMaker / CircuitStudio files into Altium Read More 12 3 70 views	70	-9
How to perform a thorough uninstall Sometimes the operating system doesn't fully uninstall a software program. This document explains what you can do. Read More 1 4 104 views	104	3
How to roam (Check Out) a license for offline use When roaming, a seat of a license is acquired for a specified time. You do not need to remain signed-in to your account to use the license in this mode. You can sign out and work offline, in essence roaming freely with your license seat. This can be done with an On-Demand or Private Server licenses (not available if you are using the legacy Private License Server (PLS) Read More 4 0 22 views	22	-4
How to select multiple Designators This article describes different methods to select multiple Designators in a PCB. Read More 5 1 12 views	12	-4
How to short two different Nets - create a Net Tie This article covers the basics for the creation of a Net Tie Read More 6 19 83 views	83	13
How to update Variant Parts with library? After updating my schematic library the part does not get updated in the project when I run the BOM tool. On close inspection I can go into the Variants and the part to be varied is not showing the correct Part Number or Manufacturer fields. Going into the select alternative part I can confirm that the part in the Library is correct but there is no way to update the Variant listing. If I deselect it as fitted and then re-choose as a variant the data is corrected. Read More 7 1 38 views	38	-6
How to use a license I have purchased a license, and I've downloaded and installed the software for Altium Designer. What do I have to do to get the software licensed so I can use it? Read More 1 0 47 views	47	-1
I am getting a Validation Error on my Project Schematics what does this mean When validating schematics in a Project, various messages can be generated by the compiler. Please review the list of messages provided here for more information Read More 2 1 256 views	256	-1
Import or Export Design Rules How to import and/or export design rules? Read More 18 32 27 views	27	14
Importing a Mechanical Outline to PCB Our mechanical engineer has created a PCB board outline complete with hole sizes & dimensions, and has sent it in 3D step file format. How to create a board shape from this file and other mechanical file types. Read More 0 0 78 views	78	0
Board Cutout not in Gerber output Board cutouts are not exported in Gerber file export. This article shows how to generate outlines for the cutouts onto a mechanical layer for documentation and inclusion in the fabrication output files. Read More 8 40 50 views	50	32
Background Turns Dark when Placing Track Pressing P, T to place track. Once a net is clicked on to route, the background turns dark. This is a problem because I am now routing my board blind. Can't find the setting to fix this Read More 0 1 28 views	28	1
Avoid adjacent layer parallel track routing How to set a rule to avoid adjacent layer parallel track routing Read More 0 0 21 views	21	0
Altium.PCB.DataModel.dll Crash on PCBDoc Altium crashes with a Altium.PCB.DataModel.dll error message when I try to route or when repouring polygons on the PCBDoc. Read More 6 2 40 views	40	-4
Altium Designer is not informing me of updates or allowing me to install them When installing with the Offline Installer, online activity is disabled and 'greyed out'. Including the ability to check for and install updates. This is how you turn it back on. Read More 2 1 160 views	160	-1
Altium Designer is crashing when trying to Open any project Getting this error: HRESULT: [0x88990012], Module: [SharpDX.Direct2D1], ApiCode: [D2DERR_WRONG_FACTORY / WrongFactory], Message: The objects used together must be created with the same factory instance at ###... AdvSch.dll, Base Address: ###... Error when starting AD and eventually when I click on SCH sheet or a BomDoc file. Sometimes these error messages continue to pop up over and over again until I close AD from Task Manager. Read More 67 4 158 views	158	-63
Installing multiple instances of AD versions Can I install more than one version at a time? Do I have to remove older versions first? Do I have to use the same version to edit as was used to create the project? Read More 1 3 26 views	26	2
Is 3D view of a Cavity in PCB possible? I would like to display my component in 3D while it is placed within a cavity, is this possible? Read More 0 1 108 views	108	1
Layer Stack PDF Export Missing Bottom Surface Finish You may come across some issue when placing, say, Layer Stack Table, in your *.PcbDoc for your documentation purpose, as it may not support all newly added elements, such as Surface Finish layer. Altium considers the legacy method to be somewhat obsolete and instead would like to direct you to Draftsman for this purpose. Read More 0 0 37 views	37	0
Manufacturer Part Search (MPS) panel issues How to resolve most Manufacturer Part Search (MPS) panel issues Read More 38 3 130 views	130	-35
Method to remove Managed Servers from Altium How to remove previously connected managed servers from Altium? Even when signed out, the managed servers that were previously connected to would appear in the account drop down menu. Read More 0 1 59 views	59	1
My Update button is greyed out - Trying to update Altium Designer There is an update Available for Altium Designer, but my update button is greyed out. How can I update? Read More 0 2 110 views	110	2
Numbering Sheets in Multi-channel What are the steps and requirements to number my sheets in a multi-channel design? Read More 5 1 72 views	72	-4
Off Sheet Schematic Component Removal Somehow I got a component outside of my sheet area and I cannot select or delete it. How to remove the component or get it back onto the sheet? Read More 30 11 56 views	56	-19
Options for getting an AltiumLive password reset Here are some ways a password can be reset. Read More 1 0 30 views	30	-1
PDF output - An error exists on this page After creating a PDF via Output Job or Smart PDF creation, the Adobe Acrobat Reader throws the following error while opening the file: "An error exists on this page. Acrobat may not display the page correctly. Please contact the person who created the pdf to correct the problem" German version: Fehler auf dieser Seite. Die Seite wird unter Umständen nicht richtig in Acrobat angezeigt. Wenden Sie sich and den Ersteller des PDF-Dokuments, um das Problem zu beheben. Read More 9 4 83 views	83	-5
Plane Clearance Where can I find the plane to edge clearance? Read More 6 7 14 views	14	1
Provider Cannot Be Found Error when Translating .IntLib to .DBLib Trying to convert an .IntLib into a .DBLib using the menu option Tools ► Import from Integrated Libraries when the .DBLib is active in the workspace brings up this Error: "An error was encountered exporting. Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed. The export has been aborted." Read More 0 0 44 views	44	0
Reverse Engineering from Gerber to PCB I want to create a PCB from a Gerber file Read More 18 47 80 views	80	29
Rollback entire SVN Repository When there is an issue with the current revision of the repository, there is a method on how to rollback to a previous revision. Read More 2 0 87 views	87	-2
Scroll bars are missing from PCB and Schematic editor windows I thought there were scroll bars when zoomed in sufficiently in the PCB and Schematic editors. I don't have them anymore. How do I get them back? Read More 3 6 30 views	30	3
Search Paths tab missing in Project Options If you are used to using the Search Paths tab from previous versions, this article explains how you can bring it back. Read More 1 1 41 views	41	0
Size Limits of PCB workspace Move components left or down not working? Probably because you have reached the absolute zero coordinate. From there the workspace extends to the top and to the right, but you cannot reach any points below absolute zero. It would be best to move the whole board. Read More 14 7 49 views	49	-7
Slowness in specific areas Sometimes there are settings or things about your documents that can cause unusual slowness. Here are some things to look for. Read More 13 2 125 views	125	-11
Status Bar is missing at bottom edge I regularly rely on the XY location shown in the bottom left corner of the window frame as well as the hints and other messages that appear along the bottom of the window frame. For some reason, these are missing now. How do I get them back? Read More 4 3 15 views	15	-1
Subscription Expired on License Receiving a Subscription Expired message, but I am sure it was renewed. How do I check and fix this? Read More 13 2 101 views	101	-11
SVN Error Commit failed, or Working Copy locked, or is already locked I appear to have a lock on my SVN files. Or, when I try to commit that file I get an error - Commit failed - Previous operation has not finished; run 'cleanup' if it was interrupted. Read More 4 0 200 views	200	-4
Thermal Relief Connections for Custom Pads How to create Thermal Relief Connections between Polygons and Custom pads. Read More 8 3 87 views	87	-5
Unable to move component even with Online clearance rule disabled It is not possible to place a component on the PCB near to another components. Something seems to block the component from the placing. The reason is the different mode of moving objects. Read More 23 5 69 views	69	-18
Unable to open .DRL file in Altium .DRL generated by the CAM Editor is in ASCII Format and readable. The best practice is to always provide your Fabricator with the .TXT generated from the PCB Editor, and ignore the *.DRL generated by the PCB Editor. Read More 2 1 90 views	90	-1
Unable to select and Delete Text There are text on the PCB that the user is unable to select and due to this, they are unable to move / delete them. Read More 23 3 39 views	39	-20
Unable to select objects If you are unable to select objects, make sure to check your configuration in Selection Filter under Properties panel https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/interactiveproperties-pnl-propertiesproperties-ad#!pcb-support Read More 140 17 77 views	77	-123
Uninstall Windows Updates I suspect a recent Windows update is responsible for a new issue I am experiencing with Altium. How do I uninstall specific Windows Updates Read More 0 0 16 views	16	0
Unknown Server - Can't make project available online When it is opened, the project is shown in the projects panel under 'Unknown Server'. Even though I am logged into a workspace, I am not presented with the option to 'make project available online' when I right click on the project name in the projects panel. If I try to share the project, I am presented with a 'please switch to workspace to share this project' message. Read More 3 0 26 views	26	-3
Update gives error: This application requires Windows hotfix KB3140245 I can load up to 20.1.12, anything newer than that gives me the error. I ran the hotfix but I still get the error message. The error message opens up a Microsoft window that runs through the fix but after doing that it still doesn't work. When I try to install it manually, I'm getting: The update is not applicable to your computer" I am running Widows 7 professional 64bit Read More 33 2 30 views	30	-31
User's email address already exists in another organization This article discusses the issue of getting a message that the "User's email address already exists in another organization" or "Failed to create user account: Username: xxxx@yyyy.com already in use", or "Cannot add user: user with this email is already registered in other organisation" when you try to add them from your dashboard. Read More 6 1 56 views	56	-5
Using Local File Based Excel BOM templates When signed into a managed server, why am I unable to use local file based Excel BOM templates. Read More 2 0 63 views	63	-2
Variant - Schematic - Project level parameters Note of project priority when used in conjunction with special strings at various levels of your project files. How are same named parameters resolved? Read More 5 1 75 views	75	-4
Warning: License Renewal Failed This article has steps that should stop the pop-up message: Warning: License Renewal Failed The License Manager was not able to renew your license. Altium Designer will retry periodically. Read More 39 10 101 views	101	-29
What determines whether Altium will update to the next version rather than separate install? Sometimes Altium Designer lets me update the software to the next version and sometime it has to be a new install into a new folder. What's that about? Read More 0 0 16 views	16	0
What Does the White Arrow on Some Documents Mean? In the Project Panel, why do some document icons have a small arrow in a white box on them? Read More 2 1 21 views	21	-1
Why am I seeing different designators in my schematic? This article summarizes how to remove board annotation if it was accidentally added to your project, or if it is no longer wanted. Read More 9 2 241 views	241	-7
Why are PCB 3D Models not Displaying in the 3D View? The display of 3D body models in the PCB 3D view is controlled by a setting in the View Configuration Panel. We will take a look at how to ensure this option is enabled. Read More 47 8 115 views	115	-39
Why is my text upside down? Text on my schematic is displaying upside-down Read More 6 2 23 views	23	-4
Why is there a [1] in front of my schematic sheet name? There is a [1] in front of my schematic sheet name in the Projects panel. How do I get the normal filename back? Read More 0 21 30 views	30	21
Working with 32-bit and 64-bit software compatibility This article covers how to use Database Libraries with 32-bit and 64-bit Altium Designer Software on the same computer and how to use a 64-bit version of Altium Designer when you are using a 32-bit version of Office. This article should help you out if you get the message: "The operating system is not presently configured to run this application." as described in this forum post: https://forum.live.altium.com/#posts/238667/731116. Or if you get this message: "An error occurred while establishing a connection to the database. Altium Designer requires that the 64-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine be installed. For more information and application solutions, click here." Read More 3 0 108 views	108	-3
Panels get rearranged i.e. stacked Sometimes, the panels in Altium Designer get stacked on top of each other. This article describes the process on how to prevent them from showing in fractal mode in future. Read More 0 3 36 views	36	3
How to group panels in tabbed mode when they are in fractal mode? I want a panel to be tabbed with other panels that appear just above it. No amount of dragging will group it in tabbed mode. Why doesn't it stay where I put it? Read More 2 4 58 views	58	2
Connection Lines on PCB - Rats nest display How do I control the display of Rats nest on my PCB, I want to show or hide them Read More 19 15 210 views	210	-4
Owning More Than One Workspace An organization can only have one workspace. Read More 0 3 33 views	33	3
LDAP syncing We are having issues with LDAP syncing with our Altium Server. It was working prior and we are now receiving: "There was no endpoint listening at http://localhost:9791/LdapSyncStatus that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details." Read More 2 0 21 views	21	-2
How do I log in as administrator to release seats when none are available How is it possible to login as an Administrator to a locally managed content server (Vault/NEXUS/Concord Pro) web interface to release seats? Read More 0 0 14 views	14	0
Design repositories SVN not available after update from Nexus server How to enable SVN repository support for NEXUS or Concord Pro managed content servers Read More 0 1 125 views	125	1
How to rename a Managed Project and what happens to the local copy that was checked out previously? This knowledge article describes how a project owner can rename an existing managed project, and how to propagate the same project name when opening the project again in Altium Designer. Read More 0 4 47 views	47	4
How does Altium's Library Migrator handle components in an integrated library with different components using same symbols? This article describes how the Library Migrator, used to convert local libraries to managed components in an Altium 365 workspace or a managed server (Concord Pro or Nexus), handles duplicate symbols being used across multiple components with different parameters. Read More 0 0 175 views	175	0
How To Control Lifecycle Transition Permissions in Altium 365? This knowledge article discusses the different levels of support for controlled lifecycle transitions and lifecycle transitions through approval requests in Altium 365, and how to configure lifecycle definitions for the Altium 365 workspace in a supported web browser and Altium Designer client. Read More 0 0 34 views	34	0
Managed Project Organization in Altium 365 Pro With the latest release of Altium 365, projects can now be categorized by Folder Type. Read More 2 0 29 views	29	-2
Soft Delete Items from an Altium 365 Workspace The purpose of this documentation is to provide information on how to delete items permanently from the Altium 365 workspace. Read More 0 0 35 views	35	0
Can't delete empty folder Can't delete empty folder from managed content server Read More 1 1 89 views	89	0
FIPS and Backups We're trying to migrate our Concord Pro server installation to a new server, and that new server has a FIPS mode requirement. I cannot perform nightly backups or do any restores on this server with FIPS mode enabled, and I can't disable it. Running the backup results in "This implementation is not part of the Windows Platform FIPS validated cryptographic algorithms." Read More 0 0 31 views	31	0
Share project via workspaces Is share project via workspaces an included feature for the AD20 subscription? Read More 0 0 20 views	20	0
How to set permissions on change-of-state in Concord Pro? Right now, all of our users are able to change the lifecycle state of components (i.e. draft, released, etc.) but we want to give only certain people permission. Is there a way to limit which users can change to which state? Read More 0 0 95 views	95	0
Altium 365 Data Cleanup How to remove all objects related to components, projects, templates, etc. Read More 1 2 41 views	41	1
Sharing Projects to Members Outside of the Organization Without Invitation to Workspace Managed Projects to be edited by outside users needed to be invited to workspace, but not with the new update. Read More 0 0 49 views	49	0
Edit Components in Altium 365 Working with and editing managed components with Altium 365 Read More 1 0 89 views	89	-1
Connection to Altium 365 is Lost While Working It is possible that connection may be lost to the Altium 365 platform while working due to a number of reasons; ie. service provider outage, server outage, temporary disconnects. This Article discusses how this is handled from the server perspective. Read More 6 0 59 views	59	-6