Configurable Parameter Selection for Part Search

Modified by Jason Howie on May 31, 2017

When searching for real-world design parts in Suppliers' databases - through use of Supplier Links, or Part Choices (either for Vault components, or when defining manual supply solutions in an ActiveBOM) - Altium Designer provides suggested keywords to speed the search process. To date, this has been a fixed list comprising Comment, Description, and Name parameters. Now, with the advent of Altium Designer 15.1, the use of suggested keywords has been made completely configurable. You now have full control over which parameters of parts are used for suggestive filling of the keyword search field, and in what order.

As before, the Suggested Keywords can be found on the Data Management - Suppliers page of the Preferences dialog (DXP » Preferences). By default, the historical three fields/parameters of source components - Comment, Description, and Name - are used.

Default suggested keywords that are used when searching for parts in Supplier databases.

Default priority assignments (with highest priority at the top of the list) mean that the Comment will be used as the search criteria first. If the source component has no comment, then the next attempt uses its Description. If this is also blank, the component's Name will be used.

Add your own suggested keyword parameters as required. Clicking the Add button will add a new parameter entry (with default name Parameter Name) to the bottom of the list (and therefore assigning it lowest priority).

The new parameter will automatically be focused, ready to change its name. To change the name of an existing parameter, click once on its name field to focus it, then enter the new name as required. Alternatively, select a parameter by clicking on its associated priority field, then click the Edit button.

Click anywhere on the Priority column to effect the name change. You can also press Enter, but be aware that this will commit the change and close the Preferences dialog.

Use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to move the currently selected parameter up or down in the list respectively - increasing, or decreasing, its assigned Priority accordingly.

An example user-defined suggested keyword parameter, added and given the top priority.

Multiple parameter entries can be selected using standard multi-select techniques (Ctrl+click, Shift+click). When using the Edit button, operation will be performed on only the focused parameter in the selection - distinguished by its dotted border. The Remove, Move Up, and Move Down buttons act on all selected parameters.

While the default parameters can be edited, or indeed removed, you can always get them back from the drop-down listing associated with a parameter entry.

Once the relevant suggested keyword is loaded into the Keywords field - in the dialog/area where the part search is being performed - it can be further refined as required, to better target the desired Supplier Item(s).

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Configurable Parameter Selection for Part Search