The Assembly area allows you to reverse engineer part information for assembly, as well as view information about your parts and fiducials. Essentially, you can perform all of the functions that are available in the Assembly menu, from the shortcut menus available in the Assembly area of the Navigator.
Click on the + box next to the Assembly heading to access functions specific to Parts and Fiducials.
To view the Footprint Library
The Footprint Library contains information on all part footprints and devices defined for the current database. For more information about the Footprint Library, see Assembly|Setup Footprint Library.
Right-click on the Assembly heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Setup Footprint Library command. The Footprint Library appears.
To import a Bill of Materials (BOM)
After you have reverse engineered your data for assembly, this function allows you to add additional part information from a bill of materials to the database prior to exporting.
Right-click on the Assembly heading. A shortcut menu appears
Select the Import BOM command. See Assembly|Import BOM for further details.
To export a FATF file
After you have finished reverse engineering your data, this function exports a FATF file for use by assembly software.
Right-click on the Assembly heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Export FATF command. See Assembly|Export FATF for further details.
To see a list of parts that have been identified, click on the plus box next to the Parts heading (if no parts have been identified, the plus box does not appear). The Parts area expands to show all parts. Modifications to individual part instances can be accomplished here. You can also delete footprints or devices.
To identify parts
There are several methods that can be used to reverse engineer Part information.
Right-click on the Parts heading. A shortcut menu appears.
To identify parts using a part footprint library, select the Identify Using|Footprint Library command. See Assembly|Parts|Identify Using|Footprint Library for further details.
-or-
To identify parts using an IPC-D-356, select the Identify Using|IPC-D-356 Data command. See Assembly|Parts|Identify Using|IPC-D-356 Data for further details.
-or-
To identify parts using silkscreen data, select the Identify Using|Silkscreen Layer command. See Assembly|Parts|Identify Using|SilkScreen Layer for further details.
-or-
To identify parts using centroid data, select the Identify Using|Centroid File command. See Assembly|Parts|Identify Using|Centroid File for further details.
-or-
To identify parts by manually identifying footprints, select the Identify Using|Select Footprint command. See Assembly|Parts|Identify Using|Select Footprint for further details.
To generate a Bill of Materials (BOM) report
This function creates a part report that includes bill of material and centroid information.
Right-click on the Assembly heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the BOM Report command. See Documentation|Reports|BOM for further details.
-or-
Click on the + box next to the Assembly heading. Two "branches" appear: Parts and Fiducials.
Right-click on the Parts heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the BOM Report command. See Documentation|Reports|BOM for further details.
To sort the Parts list in the Navigator.
If you have parts defined in your database, they are listed under the Parts heading. The default Parts view lists the part instances by reference designator. A checkmark appears next to the current sorting method, in the shortcut menu.
Right-click on the Parts heading. A shortcut menu appears.
To sort parts by reference designator, select the Sort By|Reference Designator command.
-or-
To sort parts by footprint name, select the Sort By|Footprint command.
-or-
To sort parts by device name, select the Sort By|Device command
To hide or view part instances in the workspace
If you have parts defined in your database, the data (such as pin numbers, centroids, etc.) exist as "virtual entities". This command is used to toggle the visibility of part data on and off.
Right-click on the Parts heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The View command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
To delete all part instances
This command deletes all part instances from the database. It does not, however, affect the footprint library.
Right-click on the Parts heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete All command. You are prompted to confirm that you wish to delete all parts.
To delete an individual part instance
This command deletes a part instance from the database. It does not, however, affect the footprint library.
Right-click on the Parts heading. A shortcut menu appears
Select the Delete command. See Assembly|Parts|Delete for further details.
-or-
In the Parts list, right-click on the reference designator of the part instance you wish to delete. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command. You are prompted to confirm that you wish to delete the part.
To query a part in the workspace
Right-click on the Parts heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Query command. Click on the part in the workspace that you wish to view information for. See Assembly|Parts|Query for further details.
To highlight a part in the workspace
In the Parts list, right-click on the reference designator for the desired part. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Highlight command. The selected part instance is highlighted in the workspace.
To highlight all instances of a particular device in the workspace
Sort the Parts list by Device.
Right-click on the desired device name. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Highlight command. The selected device instances are highlighted in the workspace.
To highlight all instances a particular footprint in the workspace
Sort the Parts list by Footprint.
Right-click on the desired footprint. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Highlight command. All parts that use that footprint are highlighted in the workspace.
To change a reference designator
In the Parts list, right-click on the reference designator you wish to change. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Rename command. An edit box appears around the text.
Type the new reference designator, and press the Enter key.
To rotate a part instance
In the Parts list, right-click on the reference designator of the part instance you wish to rotate. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Rotate command, and the amount of rotation you wish to apply. Rotation is only available if a part can be rotated, and only viable rotations are offered.
To identify a part fiducial
In the Parts list, right-click on the reference designator for the part you wish to identify the fiducial for. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the ID Fiducials command. You are prompted to select the fiducial for the part.
Click on the fiducial in the workspace. It is tagged as a part fiducial in the workspace (identified with a target) and added to the part fiducials list (in the Fiducials area of the navigator).
Press the Esc key when you are finished.
To change the device type for a part
In the Parts list, click on the + box next to the reference designator of the desired part. Additional part information appears.
Right-click on the part's device type. A list of available device types appears.
Select the desired device type.
To delete a device
Sort the Parts list by Device.
Right-click on the desired device. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command. The Device Replacement dialog box appears.
In the Replacement Device list, select the device that you want assigned to the associated part instances. If you select None, all part instances that are associated with the selected device will be deleted from the database, in addition to the device.
To delete a footprint
This deletes the footprint from the library, as well as all the part instances that use it.
Sort the Parts list by Footprint.
Right-click on the desired footprint name. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command. You are asked to confirm that you wish to delete the footprint, and all the part instances that use it in the design.
To see lists of board and part fiducials that have been identified, click on the plus box next to the Fiducials heading (if no fiducials have been identified, the plus box does not appear). All fiducials are listed by type.
To identify fiducials
Right-click on the Fiducials heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Identify command. See Assembly|Fiducials|Identify for further details.
To generate a fiducial report
This function creates a report of the names, locations, and types of fiducials on your board.
Right-click on the Assembly heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Fiducial Report command. See Documentation|Reports|Fiducials for further details.
-or-
Click on the + box next to the Assembly heading. Two "branches" appear: Parts and Fiducials.
Right-click on the Fiducials heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Report command. See Documentation|Reports|Fiducials for further details.
To hide or view all fiducials in the workspace
All fiducials are marked in the workspace with a target.
Right-click on the Fiducials heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
To hide or view board fiducials in the workspace
All fiducials are marked in the workspace with a target.
Right-click on the Board heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
-or-
To hide/view all top-side board fiducials, click on the + box next to the Board heading. The board fiducials are grouped by the side of the board they are placed on.
Right-click on the Top heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
-or-
To hide/view all bottom-side board fiducials, click on the + box next to the Board heading. The board fiducials are grouped by the side of the board they are placed on.
Right-click on the Bottom heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
-or-
To hide/view an individual fiducial, right-click on the desired fiducial name in the Top or Bottom list. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
To hide or view part fiducials in the workspace
All fiducials are marked in the workspace with a target. They are grouped in the Navigator by the side of the board they are on.
Right-click on the Part heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
-or-
To hide/view all top-side part fiducials, click on the + box next to the Part heading.
Right-click on the Top heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
-or-
To hide/view all bottom-side part fiducials, click on the + box next to the Part heading.
Right-click on the Bottom heading. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
-or-
To hide/view an individual fiducial, right-click on the desired fiducial name in the Top or Bottom list. A shortcut menu appears.
The Highlight command is a toggle; a check mark next to it means the view is turned on. Select the command to change the viewing state.
To rename a board fiducial
Right-click on the desired fiducial name in the Board Top or Bottom list. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Rename command. An edit box appears around the text.
Type in the new fiducial name, and press the Enter key.
To change the assignment of a part fiducial
Right-click on the desired reference designator. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Change Reference Designator command. A menu of reference designators appear.
Select the desired reference designator. The fiducial is reassigned to that part instance.
To delete all fiducials
Right-click on the Fiducials heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete All command.
To delete board fiducials
To delete all board fiducials, right-click on the Board heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.
-or-
To delete all top-side board fiducials, click on the + box next to the Board heading.
Right-click on the Top heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.
-or-
To delete all bottom-side board fiducials, click on the + box next to the Board heading.
Right-click on the Bottom heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.
-or-
To delete an individual fiducial, right-click on the desired fiducial name in the Top or Bottom list. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.
To delete part fiducials
To delete all part fiducials, right-click on the Part heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.
-or-
To delete all top-side part fiducials, click on the + box next to the Part heading.
Right-click on the Top heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.
-or-
To delete all bottom-side part fiducials, click on the + box next to the Part heading.
Right-click on the Bottom heading. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.
-or-
To delete an individual fiducial, right-click on the desired fiducial name in the Top or Bottom list. A shortcut menu appears.
Select the Delete command.