Dialog-based New Project Creation

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Modified by Jason Howie on Nov 13, 2014
Contents

Dispensing with command-based project creation, Altium Designer 14.3 provides a dialog-based means of creating a new design project. The facilitator of this - the New Project dialog - can be accessed in the following ways:

  • Using the File » New » Project command.
  • From the New From Template region of the Files panel. Simply click on any of the project entries to access the dialog.
When accessed from the Files panel, the dialog will populate with the relevant information applicable to the chosen project type.

The New Project dialog - your central console for creating any new project in Altium Designer.

Choosing a Project

As you would expect, the New Project dialog caters for any of the project types supported by Altium Designer. Use the Project Types listing to choose the type of project to be created.

The Project Templates region of the dialog populates with a listing of all currently defined templates, of the chosen project type, found in the specified Template Location. This is the location defined on the Data Management - Templates tab of the Preferences dialog (C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium\AD14\Templates for a default installation).

Quickly access the Data Management - Templates tab of the Preferences dialog, using the Manage Templates button.

Choose to create a new project based on a specific existing template, by selecting that template in the list. If the template has an associated image file, a preview will be displayed in the area to the right of the list.

Choose the <Default> template entry to create an empty shell project of the chosen type, with no source documents added.

If defaults have been specified on the System - New Document Defaults page of the Preferences dialog, they will be used when the <Default> template entry is selected.

Project Naming

Use the Name field to specify the required name for the new project.  By default, names used are based on the project types themselves:

  • PCB Project - default name is PCB_Project.
  • FPGA Project - default name is FPGA_Project.
  • Core Project - default name is Core_Project.
  • Embedded Project - default name is Embedded_Project.
  • Integrated Library - default name is Integrated_Library.
  • Script Project - default name is Script_Project.

If basing the new project on an existing project template, and that template defines associated source documents, copies of those documents will be created. For example, consider creating a new PCB project based on the template AT long bus (13.3 x 4.5 inches).PrjPcb, which has associated documents AT long bus (13.3 x 4.5 inches).SchDoc, and AT long bus (13.3 x 4.5 inches).PcbDoc. With the Name field left at its default (PCB_Project) the result will be:

  • Project name: PCB_Project.PcbPrj.
  • Schematic source document name: AT long bus (13.3 x 4.5 inches).SchDoc.
  • PCB source document name: AT long bus (13.3 x 4.5 inches).PcbDoc.
To create the new project in its own project folder, enable the Create Project Folder option. The folder will be named using the entry specified in the Name field.
It is not permitted to create multiple projects of the same type, with the same name, at the same location. A subsequent project (and the corresponding folder for that project, if applicable) will be distinguished, by default, using the suffix _n, where n is simply an integer. If the project name entered in the Name field is detected as having been already used, the field will be shaded red and a warning tool-tip will appear on hovering over the field, alerting you to the fact that the file (or folder) with that name already exists at that location.

Project Location

Specify where to create the project using the Location field. Either enter the path directly, or click the Browse Location button to access the Browse for project location dialog, in which to browse for the required storage folder as required (or create one on-the-fly).

The default location for new projects is based on the entry for the Document Path, on the System - Default Locations page of the Preferences dialog. The default Document Path is C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium. A sub-folder, Projects, is added to this defined path, giving a full default location of C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium\Projects. Note that if you determine your own location, that location will be remembered the next time you access the dialog.
The dialog is the common Windows Explorer-like dialog, providing all the controls necessary for determining the location in which to store your new project, including the ability to quickly access favorite locations, and network folders.

Adding the Project to Version Control

A new project can be added to a connected Design Repository and checked out as part of its creation. To do this, simply enable the Add Project to Version Control option. The Repository field will become available. Use this to choose the target Design Repository in which to add the project.

If you have not yet created a Design Repository, or are currently not connected to an existing one, click the Manage Repositories button. This gives access to the Data Management - Design Repositories page of the Preferences dialog, from where you can create/connect to a repository as required.

With the target Design Repository chosen, the Location field is used to specify the path to the local working directory - the folder into which a working copy of the project will be checked out to. By default, the Location field will populate with the Default Checkout Path defined as part of the properties for the chosen Design Repository. Change this to another working folder location as required.

When adding to version control, the local working folder is taken from the Default Checkout Path for the chosen Design Repository.

Use the Repository Folder field to specify a folder within the repository in which to create the project (and subsequently check out content from). By default, a folder will be created in the repository using the entry specified in the Name field. You can change this directly by typing the required folder name into the field. Alternatively, click the Browse Folder button to access the Add To Version Control dialog. The proposed new folder will be presented, and has a dimmed folder icon to indicate it has yet to be created. You can browse for an existing folder, create a new one on-the-fly, or change the name of this proposed folder.

The Repository Folder field will replicate what is entered into the Name field until you make an edit to it, after which it is no longer synchronized with the Name field.

Specify a folder within the Design Repository, in which to create the project.

On creation, the project (and associated source files if applicable) will be added to the specified folder within the target Design Repository, then checked out to the local working folder. The project will be opened in the Projects panel. Note that at this stage, the project is added to the Design Repository, but still needs to be fully commited, as indicated by the blue crosses in the VCS Status column of the panel.

The new project is added to the Design Repository, checked out and opened in Altium Designer. You just need to complete the loop by commiting the project and its documents (where applicable) to the repository.

Managed Projects

Enable the Managed Project option to have the new project created and stored in the Design Repository set up for your enterprise environment. Specification of Repository and Repository Folder is similar to that when adding a project to version control. The only difference being that a managed project is stored within a repository provided as a service through the enterprise platform - as part of your Altium Vault installation.

If you are not currently signed in to your enterprise environment, you will be prompted to do so. In addition, if you have not defined a Design Repository for the environment, a default repository will be created for you, with the name DefaultRepository.
Managed Projects is a feature of the Altium Vault installation that only becomes available when using a full enterprise vault license.

 

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