Delete is used to remove the selected items from the design.
Note : Normally you are not warned before deleting items from the design, but you can use the Undo feature to restore them. If you have switched Undo off (set levels to 0) then you will be warned prior to the delete.
Shortcuts
Default Keys: Del
Default Menu: Edit
Command: Delete
Default Keys: Ctrl+Del
Default Menu: None
Command: Unextended Delete
Default Keys: Shift+Del
Default Menu: None
Command: Extend Delete
Extended & Unextended Delete
There are three Delete commands, which allow you to control exactly what is deleted. All the Delete commands delete the selected items. However, with Extended delete, all the attached tracks are also deleted, even when they are not selected. In PCB the default Delete command performs an Extended delete. In Schematics the default is Unextended, leaving Dangling connections.
If using Unextended Delete, there is an Interaction Option to affect how selected segments are deleted. Normally if a track or shape segment is deleted its whole track or shape is deleted, but if you enable the Delete Segments option then only the selected segments are removed leaving the rest of the track or shape, even if it means splitting it into two or more tracks or shapes.
Deleting Items in a PCB Design
Deleting Tracks and Connections
When a track is deleted in the PCB design editor, both the track and underlying connection are removed together. If you wish to remove the track only but retain the connection, use the Unroute Nets feature. When a connection or track is deleted, the items that it was connected to stay on the net. So the connection may return after running the Optimise nets feature. If you want to remove a connection to split a net, use the Split Net feature.
Using Delete with ‘PCB SAFE MODE’
If using Delete with the PCB SAFE MODE enabled in the Design Settings - General dialog, delete will only be applied if there is no change to the netlist. i.e No components selected for delete.
Optimise After Delete
This is a switch on the Options - Interaction dialog that enables an automatic Optimise Nets to be performed after deleting items that are on nets. Use this to automatically repair the net’s connections after removing connected components.
Deleting Items in a Schematics Design
Deleting Connections
If after deleting connection(s) to a pin it is left totally unconnected, then the pin will be removed from the net it was on.
If after deleting items an unnamed net is visibly split into two sub nets, then one of the separated sub nets will be renamed to the next unique default net name.
If after deleting items a named and labelled net is visibly split into two sub nets, you have a choice for what happens to the new sub net if it is unlabelled. In the Interaction Options dialog there is an option named Split Unlabelled Sub nets. If this is checked any new sub nets that have been created and are unlabelled will be split from their old net to form new unnamed nets. A Warning will be given allowing you to cancel the delete if required.
Leave the Split Unlabelled Sub nets option unchecked to keep all sub nets on the same net and a warning will be given saying a named net has been separated into two or more sub nets. This switch has no effect if both sub nets are labelled.
Note: an unlabelled sub net is one that does not display its net name and does not have a signal reference documentation symbol with a predefined net type or name. These can be found using the Electrical Rules Check option.
There is another option called Highlight New Nets. If this is checked, after running Delete any new nets that have been added will be highlighted. Use this with the Split Unlabelled Sub nets option to easily see which sub nets have been split to form new nets after the deletion.
If you want more control over which half of a net is split to form a new unnamed net when deleting a connection, use the Split Net option instead of delete. This gives you the choice as to which half of the net is split and allows you to supply a net name for it.
Deleting Gates
If you delete a gate belonging to a multi gate component, the gate is put into the Component Bin. If all the component’s gates are in the bin, the component is removed from the bin. The same applies to connector pins.
Latch Mode
Delete can be used in a Latched Mode allowing you to delete items simply by picking them.
Related Topics
Component Bin | Electrical Rules Check | Latched Mode | Optimise | Options - Interaction | Options - General | Design Settings - General | Split Net | Undo | Unroute