This tutorial requires:
DesignSpark PCB V11.0.0Starting to lay out your PCB components on your board, you will position and rotate them to optimise the design but the resulting positions of the component references will likely then require moving and rotating for a nice layout.
Although a simple task of selecting, moving, rotating and then positioning, this can take time to get right for each reference.
Creator and Engineer have a tool that allows this to be completed globally (if no component or references are selected) or selectively for all selected i.e. highlighted components in a few clicks!
This tool is "Place Component Names" available from the Tools menu within "Auto Place Components".
How and when to apply Place Component Names.
Having laid out your components, the references may be in undesirable locations, orientation and overlapping as shown in this example.
Each of these can be selected and positioned manually as required, but "Place Component Names" will make this task easy!
Place Component Names.
Launch the tool from the Tools menu.
You are then presented with the following options screen.
"Allowed Positions" - these are for your preferred locations around the component and you may select as many as you require.
Items To Avoid - these allow you to exclude certain locations, here we exclude all items.
Apply the preferences.
When you click <OK> the Component Names are positioned with your selected options.
Note that this is "global", you cannot apply this tool to selected names.
If the result is not as you require, use 'undo' and repeat with alternative options or continue and reposition any component names as required.
Using the above setting the PCB layout is updated to the following.
For this example, this is a good result.
All component references are in acceptable positions and orientated horizontally.
If you would have preferred the DISP1 and DISP2 to be aligned as they were prior to using this tool, this can now be achieved by simply selecting DISP2 and moving it above the component.
This will place it over the via, if you are happy to accept this you could also set your settings to allow this.
Uncheck in "Items To Avoid" the check box for "Vias".
The result is:
DISP2 is now centrally placed above the component.
When should I apply Place Component Names?
The tool can be applied at any time, if no components are selected it works globally any prior manually oriented and placed component references may then be repositioned. Progressive application of the tool can be done by selecting the component or component reference to be positioned and finally tidying it up manually.
It is suggested that it is used as soon as the components are located on the PCB, this will provide a unified orientation and a good basic text position.
You can manually reposition any references as you complete your design layout.
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