The Compare Against tool is used to compare two ‘versions’ of the same symbol or footprint to check for significant differences or changes between the two versions. The current ‘Master’ symbol is the one currently being edited. The one being compared against is a version saved to a symbol file.
Shortcuts
Default Keys: None
Default Menu: Tools
Command: Compare Against
Locating this option
Available from: Tools menu > Compare Against option
How to use the Compare Against option
You must have a copy of the previous version of the symbol saved to a symbol file, stored with the .ssy or .pfp file extension.
From the Symbol or Footprint Editor, the item currently open is considered the ‘Master’ file. Choose the Compare Against option from the Tools menu.
Make Report
Create and view a custom in-depth report based on the differences from the preview windows, allowing you to select relevant differences and review them in detail.
To change the viewing method for this report, enter Interactive Mode and select Options from the Context Menu, there you will find the option View Report in HTML Format, which will switch between a HTML Format and a plain text file.
Interactive Mode
By selecting this button, you are put into a special ‘editor’ mode that enables both items to be viewed at the same time for direct comparisons to be made.
Settings
Settings on this page help filter through the differences displayed on the Differences preview window:
- Items to compare - Choose which items should be displayed. These settings WILL be carried into Interactive Mode, and affect the report.
- Preview Settings - Show or hide items based on their state, also customise the colours used to represent items of these states. The colour settings WILL NOT carry into the Interactive Mode, but the Show settings WILL, and they will also affect the report.
- Highlight - Choose the type of item to cycle through using the dropdown list, this will enable the other buttons. Press Prev or Next to one by one highlight, in white, an item across all three window previews. Press Show to quickly enter Interactive Mode with that item pre-selected.
Preview Windows
Three preview windows are displayed:
- Master - the left-most preview is the symbol currently being edited.
- Compared - the middle preview is the symbol file being compared to; the one defined in the Symbol to Compare Against entry above it.
- Differences - the right-most preview shows you the differences found of the two symbols.
Inside Interactive Mode
Within this mode you can hover over items in the design to visually compare changes made to them and create a custom report.
If a modal cursor appears when hovering over an item, it means it’s either been added to or changed in the Master design. If the item has been changed, it will appear alongside a copy of it from the Other design, both in unique colours, allowing you to visually check for any changes. However, if the position has not changed, they will be drawn on top of each other, but you can set which one should appear on top from the Options in the Context Menu . If the item has been added to the Master design, it will appear in it’s own unique colour too.
You can select these kinds of changes to keep them on the screen after hovering away. Only these selected items will be reported when making a report through the Context Menu. If you hover over an item and the modal cursor doesn’t appear, it either means that the item has remained the same across both designs, or you have disabled it using the filters in Options on the Context Menu.
Note - You cannot unselect items by clicking their visual copies from the Other design. You can also check and filter through what items have been deleted from Master design, by using options from the Context Menu and using the Layers Bar, see below for more details.
Legend
A legend is displayed within the symbol design area. This shows you colour coding for the different levels of comparison.
- Added to this version
- From this version
- From last version
Layers Bar
You can enable or disable layers and this will affect the changes you have selected. All changes on the disabled layer will be unselected and hidden, and won’t be available to be selected until the layer is enabled again.
Enabling a layer again will not automatically select the changes previously unselected. However, if deleted items are being shown then all the deleted items on the enabled layer will be automatically selected when the layer is enabled.
Context Menu Options
Whilst in the mode, you can right click and use options from the context menu.
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Show Deleted Items - Selects and displays all items that have been deleted from the Master design. This option won’t appear if no items have been deleted, or if deleted items are already visible.
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Hide Deleted Items - Deselects and hides all items that have been deleted from the Master design. This option won’t appear if no items have been deleted, or if deleted items have already been hidden.
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Cancel - See below under Cancelling this mode.
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Show All Changes - This will select and display everything that has changed.
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Hide All Changes - This will deselect and hide everything that has changed.
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Report Selected - Will create and view a report, exclusively based on the changes selected in the design.
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Options - This displays a dialog with options that are available when in this mode:
Options Dialog
- Enable Items for Comparison - All unselected item types will be blocked from being selectable in the design, to help you filter through to the most relevant changes.
- Display Current Design Items on Top - Choose if the item from the current Master or Other design should be displayed on top in the case of any overlapping.
- Show/Hide Colour Legend - Show or hide the colour legend displaying colour for the different item states.
- Display Deleted Items Hollow - Will draw all deleted items without any filling.
- Preselect All Changes on Entry - Selecting this will enable you to pre-select all changes the next time you enter Interactive Mode.
- View Report in HTML Format - Reports can be created in HTML format or as a plain text file.
- Enable Change Types - Decide what types of changes will be selectable in Interactive Mode.
- Colour of Items - Customise the colours of the different item states.
Cancelling this mode
To exit this mode and return to the Symbol Compare dialog, right click and select Cancel from the menu.