Snap Guide

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Modified by Admin on Nov 22, 2013

Parent page: Objects

Snap Guides.

Summary

Snap Guides are special objects that are manually placed specifically for the purpose of driving the cursor-snap on a certain axis or point – assisting in object/component placement. They can also serve as a visual indicator for general layout or alignment purposes.

Snap Guides can be one of two types – Linear Guides or Point Guides. Linear Guides are just that – linear. They can be horizontal, vertical or +/- 45 Degrees. A Point Guide offers finer control over object placement. It is simply a hotspot that is manually marked within the confines of a defined grid.

Availability&Placement

Commands for placement of Snap Guides are available from the Place » Work Guides sub-menu. Full configuration and management of Snap Guides is performed from within the Snap Guide Manager dialog.

Non-Graphical Editing

The following methods of non-graphical editing are available:

...via an Associated Properties Dialog

This method of editing uses the following dialog to modify the properties of a Snap Guide object.

The Snap Guide Manager dialog.

The Snap Guide Manager dialog can be accessed in following ways:

Using the Guides command on the Snap menu.
Using the Tools » Guide Manager command.
Clicking the Guides button in the Board Options dialog (Design >> Board Options).

Once a Snap Guide has been created, it can be managed only through the Snap Guide Manager dialog.

Use the X and Y Coordinate fields (as applicable) to fine-tune where in the workspace the guide is to pass through (Linear Guide), or point is to be located at (Point Guide).

Click on the color swatch in the associated Color field to access the standard Choose Color dialog, from where any color may be assigned to the guide as required. To apply the same color to all existing guides in 'one shot', use the Set Color for All command, available from the dialog's main and right-click menus.

Although controls are available for adding new snap guides from within the Snap Guide Manager dialog, it is far easier to visually add them directly in the workspace, then use the dialog to fine-tune them as required.

During an interactive process such as placing or moving, the cursor will snap to a placed Linear Guide, at the point where that guide intersects a defined grid. Using a Linear Guide, objects can quickly be aligned simply by dragging them until they 'snap' against the guideline. For a Point Guide, the hotspot for the object being moved will 'snap' to the guide when it passes into close proximity with it.

Visually, Point Guides are particularly beneficial when the grid marker type is set to Dots.

The cursor will only snap to a placed Linear Guide provided the option Snap To Linear Guides is enabled, in the Snap Options region of the Board Options dialog. The cursor will only snap to a placed Point Guide provided the option Snap To Point Guides is enabled.

Duplicating a Snap Guide

Simply select one or more existing guides and use the Duplicate Selected command from the dialog's menus. Exact copies of those guides are created and added to the list.

Disabling a Snap Guide

There may be occasion where a guide isn't needed while placing or moving a particular design object. Rather than deleting the guide – it may be needed again later, in the same or different area of the board – it can simply be 'hidden' from the workspace. This can be achieved by un-checking the guide's associated Enabled attribute in the Snap Guide Manager dialog.

Exporting and Importing Snap Guides

The Snap Guide Manager dialog provides controls for exporting and importing defined guides, so that preferred guides can always be accessed and used across different designs. Guide information is stored in a PCB Guide file (*.PCBGuide).

To export specific guides, select the guides and use the Export Selected command from the dialog's menus. To export all guides, use the Export All command. Use the subsequent Save PCBGuides dialog to determine where, and under what name, the file is to be saved.

Example PCB Guide file, containing definitions for exported guides.

To import guides, simply use the Import command from the Snap Guide Manager dialog's menus. Use the Load Guides dialog to browse to, and open, the required PCB Guide file. The guides will be added to the list of existing guides.

Deleting a Snap Guide

To delete a Snap Guide, simply select its entry in the Snap Guide Manager dialog and use the Delete Selected command, available from the dialog's main and right-click menus. To delete all existing guides, use the Delete All command.