NetColors

Created: August 04, 2017 | Updated: July 31, 2018 | Applies to versions: 18.0, 18.1, 19.0, 19.1, 20.0, 20.1 and 20.2

Parent page: Schematic Commands

The following pre-packaged resources, derived from this base command, are available:

Set Net Colors (Default Coloring)

Applied Parameters: NetColorIndex=n (where n is in the range 1 to 7)

Summary

This command is used to highlight a chosen net using the indicated color. Color highlighting of nets provides for easy viewing and review of your schematics and PCB design. You can highlight multiple nets, differentiate different nets with different colors, and push highlighting from the schematic to the PCB, and vice versa.

Access

The related indexed commands are accessed from the Schematic Editor:

From the View » Set Net Colors sub-menu.
From the menu associated to the Net Colors button () on the Wiring toolbar.

Seven indexed commands are available from the menus, catering for the following predefined coloring: Blue, Light Green, Light Blue, Red, Fuchsia, Yellow, and Dark Green. To use your own custom coloring, use the Custom command available from the same menus.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will be prompted to select the net that you want to highlight. Position the cursor over a net object belonging to the net you want to highlight then click or press Enter. The entire net will be highlighted in the chosen color.

Continue highlighting further nets using the same color, or right-click or press Esc to exit.

Tips

To see the net color highlighting, you need to have the Net Color Override feature enabled. If you attempt to apply net highlighting with this feature disabled, the Net Color Override dialog will appear - click Yes to enable the feature. The feature can also be toggled by using the Show Net Color Override command (F5), or by enabling/disabling the Net Color Override option on the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog.
When synchronizing the source schematics with the target PCB design, net color highlighting can be passed to the PCB (and received back from the PCB) through the applicable Engineering Change Order (ECO). Differences are detected by including the Changed Net Colors comparison type on the Comparator tab of the Project Options dialog. Modifications are included in an ECO by including the Change Net Colors modification action on the ECO Generation tab of that same dialog.
Click on the perimeter of a Blanket directive to highlight all wire and bus segments associated to nets covered by the Blanket directive. Nets formed through direct pin-to-pin connection of components (e.g., two series resistors) or through direct component pin-to-power port connections (e.g., capacitor to GND) will not be highlighted.
When highlighting a bus, all associated bus entries will also become highlighted.
Color highlighting can be removed on a per net basis using the Clear Net Color command, or for all nets using the Clear All Net Colors command.

Set Net Colors (Custom Coloring)

Applied Parameters: None

Summary

This command is used to configure a custom color to use when highlighting chosen nets in the design. Color highlighting of nets provides for easy viewing and review of your schematics and PCB design. You can highlight multiple nets, differentiate different nets with different colors, and push highlighting from the schematic to the PCB, and vice versa.

Access

This command can be accessed from the Schematic Editor by:

Choosing the View » Set Net Colors » Custom command from the main menus.
Choosing the Custom command from the menu associated to the Net Colors button () on the Wiring toolbar.

Use

After launching the command, the standard Choose Color dialog will open. Use this dialog to set the specific color you want to use for net highlighting. After clicking OK, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will be prompted to select the net that you want to highlight. Position the cursor over a net object belonging to the net you want to highlight then click or press Enter. The entire net will be highlighted in the chosen custom color.

Continue highlighting further nets using the same color, or right-click or press Esc to exit.

Tips

To see the net color highlighting, you need to have the Net Color Override feature enabled. If you attempt to apply net highlighting with this feature disabled, the Net Color Override dialog will appear - click Yes to enable the feature. The feature can also be toggled by using the Show Net Color Override command (F5), or by enabling/disabling the Net Color Override option on the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog.
The color chosen in the Choose Color dialog is not persistent.
When synchronizing the source schematics with the target PCB design, net color highlighting can be passed to the PCB (and received back from the PCB) through the applicable Engineering Change Order (ECO). Differences are detected by including the Changed Net Colors comparison type, on the Comparator tab of the Project Options dialog. Modifications are included in an ECO by including the Change Net Colors modification action on the ECO Generation tab of that same dialog.
Click on the perimeter of a Blanket directive to highlight all wire and bus segments associated to nets covered by the Blanket directive. Nets formed through direct pin-to-pin connection of components (e.g., two series resistors), or through direct component pin-to-power port connections (e.g., capacitor to GND) will not be highlighted.
When highlighting a bus, all associated bus entries will also become highlighted.
Color highlighting can be removed on a per net basis using the Clear Net Color command, or for all nets using the Clear All Net Colors command.

Clear Net Color

Applied Parameters: NetColor=Clear

Summary

This command is used to clear the color highlighting from a chosen net. Color highlighting of nets provides for easy viewing and review of your schematics and PCB design. You can highlight multiple nets, differentiate different nets with different colors, and push highlighting from the schematic to the PCB, and vice versa.

Access

This command can be accessed from the Schematic Editor by:

Choosing the View » Set Net Colors » Clear Net Color command from the main menus.
Choosing the Clear Net Color command from the menu associated to the Net Colors button () on the Wiring toolbar.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will be prompted to select the net from which you want to clear highlighting. Position the cursor over a net object belonging to the net from which you want to clear highlighting then click or press Enter. Highlighting for the entire net will be removed.

Continue clearing the highlighting from further nets, or right-click or press Esc to exit.

Tips

To see the net color highlighting, you need to have the Net Color Override feature enabled. If you attempt to apply net highlighting with this feature disabled, the Net Color Override dialog will appear - click Yes to enable the feature. The feature can also be toggled by using the Show Net Color Override command (F5), or by enabling/disabling the Net Color Override option on the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog.
When synchronizing the source schematics with the target PCB design, net color highlighting can be passed to the PCB (and received back from the PCB) through the applicable Engineering Change Order (ECO). Differences are detected by including the Changed Net Colors comparison type on the Comparator tab of the Project Options dialog. Modifications are included in an ECO by including the Change Net Colors modification action, on the ECO Generation tab of that same dialog.
Color highlighting can be removed for all nets, using the Clear All Net Colors command.

Clear All Net Colors

Applied Parameters: NetColor=ClearAll

Summary

This command is used to clear the color highlighting from all nets in the design. Color highlighting of nets provides for easy viewing and review of your schematics and PCB design. You can highlight multiple nets, differentiate different nets with different colors, and push highlighting from the schematic to the PCB, and vice versa.

Access

This command can be accessed from the Schematic Editor by:

Choosing the View » Set Net Colors » Clear All Net Colors command from the main menus.
Choosing the Clear All Net Colors command from the menu associated to the Net Colors button (), on the Wiring toolbar.

Use

After launching the command, highlighting for all nets in the design will be removed.

Tips

To see the net color highlighting, you need to have the Net Color Override feature enabled. If you attempt to apply net highlighting with this feature disabled, the Net Color Override dialog will appear - click Yes to enable the feature. The feature can also be toggled by using the Show Net Color Override command (F5), or by enabling/disabling the Net Color Override option, on the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog.
When synchronizing the source schematics with the target PCB design, net color highlighting can be passed to the PCB (and received back from the PCB) through the applicable Engineering Change Order (ECO). Differences are detected by including the Changed Net Colors comparison type, on the Comparator tab of the Options for Project dialog. Modifications are included in an ECO by including the Change Net Colors modification action on the ECO Generation tab of that same dialog.
Color highlighting can be removed on a per net basis using the Clear Net Color command.