PlaceArc

Applied Parameters: None

Summary

This command is used to place an Arc object onto the active document, using the arc center as the starting point. An arc is a primitive design object. It is essentially a circular track segment that can be placed on any layer. Arcs can have a variety of uses in PCB layout. For example, they can be used when defining component outlines on the overlay layers, or on a mechanical layer to indicate the board outline, edges of cut outs, and so on. They can also be used to produce curved paths while interactively routing.

Access

This command can be accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors:

• PCB Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Arc (Center) from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the Utility Tools drop-down () of the Utilities toolbar.
• PCB Library Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Arc (Center) from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the PCB Lib Placement toolbar.
  • Right-click in the workspace and select Place » Arc (Center) from the context menu.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the center point of the arc.
2. Move the cursor to adjust the radius of the arc, then click or press Enter to set it.
3. Move the cursor to adjust the start point for the arc, then click or press Enter to anchor it.
4. Move the cursor to change the position of the arc's end point, then click or press Enter to anchor it and complete placement of the arc.
5. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the Spacebar before defining the arc's end point, to render the arc in the opposite direction.
• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's center point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. An Arc can be placed as a layer-specific keepout object, or an all-layer keepout to act, for example, as a placement or routing barrier. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing. A layer-specific keepout arc is simply an Arc object with its Keepout property enabled, an all-layer keepout is an Arc that has been placed on the Keepout layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Applied Parameters: Method=Edge

Summary

This command is used to place an Arc object onto the active document, using the edge of the arc as the starting point. The arc angle is fixed at 90°. An arc is a primitive design object. It is essentially a circular track segment that can be placed on any layer. Arcs can have a variety of uses in PCB layout. For example, they can be used when defining component outlines on the overlay layers, or on a mechanical layer to indicate the board outline, edges of cut outs, and so on. They can also be used to produce curved paths while interactively routing.

Access

This command can be accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors:

• PCB Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Arc (Edge) from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the Wiring toolbar.
• PCB Library Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Arc (Edge) from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the PCB Lib Placement toolbar.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the start point for the arc.
2. Move the cursor to change the position of the arc's end point, then click or press Enter to anchor it and complete placement of the arc.
3. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the Spacebar before defining the arc's end point, to render the arc in the opposite direction.
• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's start point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. An Arc can be placed as a layer-specific keepout object, or an all-layer keepout to act, for example, as a placement or routing barrier. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing. A layer-specific keepout arc is simply an Arc object with its Keepout property enabled, an all-layer keepout is an Arc that has been placed on the Keepout layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Applied Parameters: Method=EdgeAnyAngle

Summary

This command is used to place an Arc object onto the active document, using the edge of the arc as the starting point. The angle of the arc can be any value. An arc is a primitive design object. It is essentially a circular track segment that can be placed on any layer. Arcs can have a variety of uses in PCB layout. For example, they can be used when defining component outlines on the overlay layers, or on a mechanical layer to indicate the board outline, edges of cut outs, and so on. They can also be used to produce curved paths while interactively routing.

Access

This command can be accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors:

• PCB Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Arc (Any Angle) from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the Utility Tools drop-down () of the Utilities toolbar.
• PCB Library Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Arc (Any Angle) from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the PCB Lib Placement toolbar.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the start point for the arc.
2. Move the cursor to adjust the radius of the arc, then click or press Enter to anchor the center point.
3. Move the cursor to change the position of the arc's end point, then click or press Enter to anchor it and complete placement of the arc.
4. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the Spacebar before defining the arc's end point, to render the arc in the opposite direction.
• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's start point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. An Arc can be placed as a layer-specific keepout object, or an all-layer keepout to act, for example, as a placement or routing barrier. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing. A layer-specific keepout arc is simply an Arc object with its Keepout property enabled, an all-layer keepout is an Arc that has been placed on the Keepout layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Applied Parameters: Method=Circle

Summary

This command is used to place a 360° (full circle) arc object onto the active document. An arc is a primitive design object. It is essentially a circular track segment that can be placed on any layer. Arcs can have a variety of uses in PCB layout. For example, they can be used when defining component outlines on the overlay layers, or on a mechanical layer to indicate the board outline, edges of cut outs, and so on. They can also be used to produce curved paths while interactively routing.

Access

This command can be accessed from both PCB and PCB Library Editors:

• PCB Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Full Circle from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the Utility Tools drop-down () of the Utilities toolbar.
• PCB Library Editor - the following methods of access are available:
  • Choose Place » Full Circle from the main menus.
  • Click the  button on the PCB Lib Placement toolbar.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a crosshair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the center point of the arc.
2. Move the cursor to adjust the radius of the arc, then click or press Enter to set it and complete placement of the arc.
3. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's center point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. An Arc can be placed as a layer-specific keepout object, or an all-layer keepout to act, for example, as a placement or routing barrier. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing. A layer-specific keepout arc is simply an Arc object with its Keepout property enabled, an all-layer keepout is an Arc that has been placed on the Keepout layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Applied Parameters: Keepout=True

Summary

This command is used to place a layer-specific keepout Arc object onto the active document, using the arc center as the starting point. A keepout arc is simply a standard arc object that has its Keepout property enabled. It can be used to designate a 'no-go' area for autorouting. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing.

Access

This command is accessed from the PCB Editor and the PCB Library Editor by choosing the Place » Keepout » Arc (Center) command, from the main menus.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the center point of the arc.
2. Move the cursor to adjust the radius of the arc, then click or press Enter to set it.
3. Move the cursor to adjust the start point for the arc, then click or press Enter to anchor it.
4. Move the cursor to change the position of the arc's end point, then click or press Enter to anchor it and complete placement of the arc.
5. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the Spacebar before defining the arc's end point, to render the arc in the opposite direction.
• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's center point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. To place an all-layer keepout, make the Keepout layer the active layer, then place a standard Arc object on that layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Applied Parameters: Method=Edge|Keepout=True

Summary

This command is used to place a layer-specific keepout Arc object onto the active document, using the edge of the arc as the starting point. The arc angle is fixed at 90°. A keepout arc is simply a standard arc object that has its Keepout property enabled. It can be used to designate a 'no-go' area for autorouting. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing.

Access

This command is accessed from the PCB Editor and the PCB Library Editor by choosing the Place » Keepout » Arc (Edge) command, from the main menus.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the start point for the arc.
2. Move the cursor to change the position of the arc's end point, then click or press Enter to anchor it and complete placement of the arc.
3. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the Spacebar before defining the arc's end point, to render the arc in the opposite direction.
• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's start point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. To place an all-layer keepout, make the Keepout layer the active layer, then place a standard Arc object on that layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Applied Parameters: Method=EdgeAnyAngle|Keepout=True

Summary

This command is used to place a layer-specific keepout Arc object onto the active document, using the edge of the arc as the starting point. The angle of the arc can be any value. A keepout arc is simply a standard arc object that has its Keepout property enabled. It can be used to designate a 'no-go' area for autorouting. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing.

Access

This command is accessed from the PCB Editor and the PCB Library Editor by choosing the Place » Keepout » Arc (Any Angle) command, from the main menus.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the start point for the arc.
2. Move the cursor to adjust the radius of the arc, then click or press Enter to anchor the center point.
3. Move the cursor to change the position of the arc's end point, then click or press Enter to anchor it and complete placement of the arc.
4. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the Spacebar before defining the arc's end point, to render the arc in the opposite direction.
• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's start point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. To place an all-layer keepout, make the Keepout layer the active layer, then place a standard Arc object on that layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Applied Parameters: Method=Circle|Keepout=True

Summary

This command is used to place a layer-specific keepout 360° (full circle) arc object onto the active document. A keepout arc is simply a standard arc object that has its Keepout property enabled. It can be used to designate a 'no-go' area for autorouting. Objects defined as keepouts are ignored during output generation, such as photo plotting and printing.

Access

This command is accessed from the PCB Editor and the PCB Library Editor by choosing the Place » Keepout » Full Circle command, from the main menus.

Use

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a crosshair and you will enter arc placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

1. Click or press Enter to anchor the center point of the arc.
2. Move the cursor to adjust the radius of the arc, then click or press Enter to set it and complete placement of the arc.
3. Continue placing further arcs, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

• Press the L key to flip the arc to the other side of the board – note that this is only possible prior to anchoring the arc's center point.
• Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
• Press the Tab key to access the Arc dialog, from where properties for the arc can be changed on-the-fly.

Tips

1. To place an all-layer keepout, make the Keepout layer the active layer, then place a standard Arc object on that layer.
2. While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties dialog), bear in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.