Region

This document is no longer available beyond version 21. Information can now be found here: Region for version 24

 

Parent page: PCB Design Objects

Examples of the various types of placed region objects
Examples of the various types of placed region objects

Summary

A Region, also known as a Solid Region, is a polygonal-shaped primitive object that can be placed on any layer.

A region can have any number of sides and vertices (corners). It can be placed on a signal layer to define an area of solid copper to be used to provide shielding or to carry large currents. Positive regions can be combined with tracks or arc segments and be connected to a net. In the PCB Library editor, regions can be used to create custom pad shapes on copper layers or special mask shapes on the solder and paste masks. On non-electrical layers, regions can be used to define custom shapes for tasks such as logos.

When placed as a negative, a region can create a cutout (a void) in a polygon pour. In this mode, the region will not be filled with copper when the polygon is poured. When used as a negative region for a board cutout (by placing it on the multi-layer), it defines an area that becomes a hole through the finished board. Board cutout regions are transferred to Gerber and ODB++ files for manufacturing purposes through the use of a dedicated Rout layer.

Availability

Regions are available for placement in both the PCB editor and the PCB Library editors in one of the following ways:

  • PCB Editor:
    • Choose Place » Solid Region or Polygon Pour Cutout from the main menus.
    • Click the Solid Region button () in the drop-down on the Active Bar located at the top of the design space. (Click and hold an Active Bar button to access other related commands. Once a command has been used, it will become the topmost item on that section of the Active Bar.)
    • Right-click in the design space then click Place » Solid Region or Polygon Pour Cutout from the context menu.
  • PCB Library Editor:
    • Choose Place » Solid Region or Polygon Pour Cutout from the main menus.
    • Click the Solid Region button () in the drop-down on the Active Bar located at the top of the design space. (Click and hold an Active Bar button to access other related commands. Once a command has been used, it will become the topmost item on that section of the Active Bar.)
Note that Graphic objects placed in the PCB editor and PCB Library editors will automatically be converted to Region objects.

Placement

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

  1. Position the cursor then click to anchor the starting vertex for the region.
  2. Move the cursor ready to place the second vertex. The default behavior is to place two edges with each click, with a user-defined corner shape between them. Refer to the Placement Modes topic below for more details on changing corner modes.
  3. Continue to move the mouse and click to place further vertices.
  4. After placing the final vertex, right-click or press Esc to close and complete placement of the region. There is no need to manually close the region as the software will automatically complete the shape by connecting the start point to the final point placed.
  5. Continue placing further regions or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.
A region will adopt a net name if it is placed over an object that is already connected to a net.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement include:

  • Press the Tab key to pause the placement and access the Region mode of the Properties panel from where its properties can be changed on the fly. Click the design space pause button overlay ( ) to resume placement.
  • Press the + and - keys on the numeric keypad to cycle forward and backward through all layers currently visible in the design.
  • Press the * key to cycle through the visible signal layers.​
While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties panel), keep 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.

Graphical Editing

Move Region Vertices

Regions contain two points, or "handles", with which to edit the shape of the region.

  • Full Handles - located at the corners of the region.
  • Empty Handles - located in the centers of the segments created by the Full Handles.

An existing region can be re-shaped by moving these handles, or vertices, located at each corner or at the center of each edge.

To modify the region shape, click and select a region, which will highlight the vertices for the region and change the cursor to a crosshair.

  • Click on a Full Handle to move that corner.
  • Click along an edge to move the entire edge.
  • Click on an Empty Handle to move the whole side (for track and for arc).
  • Ctrl+Click on an Empty Handle to break that edge into two edges. Ctrl only needs to be held at the beginning of movement. The Shift+Spacebar hotkeys can then be used to cycle through modes (arc, miter, and any angle).

The various methods of moving region vertices.The various methods of moving region vertices.

Modify Region Border

In addition to vertex editing, you also can use the Modify Region Border command to easily change the shape of polygons. The command is run by right-clicking on the desired polygon then selecting Polygon Actions » Modify Polygon Border. Once the command is launched, the cursor becomes a crosshair. Each time you click, a new vertex is added. As during region placement, the Shift+Spacebar shortcuts can be used to change corner shapes.

Modifying a region border.
Modifying a region border.

If attempting to graphically modify an object that has its Locked property enabled, a dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the edit. If the Protect Locked Objects option is enabled on the PCB Editor – General page of the Preferences dialog and the Locked option for that design object is enabled as well, that object cannot be graphically edited. Double-click the locked object to select it then disable the Locked property in the Properties or List panel or disable the Protect Locked Objects option to graphically edit the object.

Non-Graphical Editing

The following methods of non-graphical editing are available.

Editing via the Region Dialog or Properties Panel

Properties page: Region Properties

This method of editing uses the associated Region dialog and Properties panel mode to modify the properties of a Region object.

The Region dialog (the first image) and the Region mode of the Properties panel (the second image)
The Region dialog (the first image) and the Region mode of the Properties panel (the second image)

During placement, the Region mode of the Properties panel can be accessed by pressing the Tab key. Once the Region is placed, all options appear.

After placement, the Region dialog can be accessed by:

  • Double-clicking on the placed Region object.
  • Placing the cursor over the Region object, right-clicking then choosing Properties from the context menu.

After placement, the Region mode of the Properties panel can be accessed in one of the following ways:

  • If the Properties panel is already active, select the Region object.
  • After selecting the Region object, select the Properties panel from the Panels button at the bottom right of the design space or select View » Panels » Properties from the main menus.
If the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is disabled (default) on the PCB Editor – General page of the Preferences dialog, when the primitive is double-clicked or you right-click on a selected primitive then choose Properties, the dialog will open. When the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is enabled, the Properties panel will open.
While the options are the same in the dialog and the panel, the order and placement of the options may differ slightly.
Press Ctrl+Q to toggle the units of measurement currently used in the dialog/panel between metric (mm) and imperial (mil). This only affects the display of measurements in the dialog/panel; it does not change the measurement unit specified for the board, which is configured in the Units setting in the Properties panel when there are no objects selected in the design space.
The Region properties can be accessed prior to entering placement mode, from the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog. This allows the default properties for the Region object to be changed, which will be applied when placing subsequent Regions.

Editing Multiple Objects

The Properties panel supports editing multiple objects, where the property settings that are identical in all currently selected objects may be modified. When multiples of the same object type are selected manually, via the Find Similar Objects dialog or through a Filter or List panel, a Properties panel field entry can be edited for all selected objects. If values of a property are different for objects in the selection, the appropriate field will be shown as an asterisk (*) – a new property value will be applied to all selected objects.

Editing via a List Panel

Panel pages: PCB List, PCB Filter, PCBLIB List, PCBLIB Filter

A List panel allows you to display design objects from one or more documents in tabular format, enabling quick inspection and modification of object attributes. Used in conjunction with appropriate filtering – by using the applicable Filter panel, or the Find Similar Objects dialog – it enables the display of just those objects falling under the scope of the active filter – allowing you to target and edit multiple design objects with greater accuracy and efficiency.

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Note

The features available depend on your Altium product access level. Compare features included in the various levels of Altium Designer Software Subscription and functionality delivered through applications provided by the Altium 365 platform.

If you don’t see a discussed feature in your software, contact Altium Sales to find out more.

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