Can you search for a component or pins in Altium while moving another?
abarnai , 08-29-2016, 08:19 AM
While you are placing component it would be very useful to search for a component or component pin, like in other software. Is it possible? If yes, how do you do it with Altium?
The scenario would be, that say I have both PCB and SCH open, tiled side by side and in the Cross-Select mode. I am moving and placing this R8 component, and then I want to look for a component or pin and place it next to it. (See screen shot.)
Suppose I did not 'eyeball' the component to move R8 to before I started moving R8. Can I search now? The reason it would be way more efficient then searching for the component visually / with a component search before moving the component: because I could be zoomed in all the way and place the component accurately without re-zooming, plus it is much faster just to type what you search to move to then to zoom out than visually highlight it first and 'eyeball' it during the move.
The scenario would be, that say I have both PCB and SCH open, tiled side by side and in the Cross-Select mode. I am moving and placing this R8 component, and then I want to look for a component or pin and place it next to it. (See screen shot.)
Suppose I did not 'eyeball' the component to move R8 to before I started moving R8. Can I search now? The reason it would be way more efficient then searching for the component visually / with a component search before moving the component: because I could be zoomed in all the way and place the component accurately without re-zooming, plus it is much faster just to type what you search to move to then to zoom out than visually highlight it first and 'eyeball' it during the move.
robertferanec , 08-30-2016, 05:24 PM
Hello @abarnai. Did you see this video: Altium – Component Placement & Probing (The New & Old Way)? I use this technique for boards with thousands of components, no problem.
I am not sure if you can search for a component during "moving another one", but in PCB you can simply use PCB panel -> Components -> All Components, click inside the window with list of the components and start writing. Here is a screenshot:
If I need to use a search in schematic, I normally use Edit - Find Text.
I am not sure if you can search for a component during "moving another one", but in PCB you can simply use PCB panel -> Components -> All Components, click inside the window with list of the components and start writing. Here is a screenshot:
If I need to use a search in schematic, I normally use Edit - Find Text.
abarnai , 08-31-2016, 11:49 AM
Yes, I did see the video. Thank you.
Thank you for your suggestion about searching text in the schematics.
Actually, I did figure out how to make it work: If you hit the letter 'J' for Jump while moving a component for the popup menu and the either select 'Component' or 'Pad' it will snap-move the selected component to the origin of the typed pad or component. See attached short video of moving to a pad (pin) location of a component.
It did not let me upload the video, so I put it on this URL:
Attila
Thank you for your suggestion about searching text in the schematics.
Actually, I did figure out how to make it work: If you hit the letter 'J' for Jump while moving a component for the popup menu and the either select 'Component' or 'Pad' it will snap-move the selected component to the origin of the typed pad or component. See attached short video of moving to a pad (pin) location of a component.
It did not let me upload the video, so I put it on this URL:
Attila
Use our interactive Discord forum to reply or ask new questions.