Shape Editing Overview

Shapes are added to a design, footprint or symbol using Insert Shape, or one of the specialised shapes like Insert Bus in schematics and Insert Board, Insert Copper, Insert Template, or Insert Area in a PCB design. Once added, these shapes can be edited using the following interactive operations and tools:

Editing Shape Segments

Edit Shape is an interactive mode used to sequentially add or remove segments in a shape, either to finish off a new shape being added, or to rework an existing shape segment.

Double click on a shape segment, or select it and use Edit Segment from the shortcut menu to enter the segment editor. Within this mode you can add and remove corners, switch to edit different segments on the shape, open and close the shape, etc.

The only exception to this is double clicking on a 45 degree segment attached to two orthogonal segments that forms a mitred shape corner. In this case Mitre Corner mode will be entered instead.

Follow this Editing Shape Segments help link for more details on this mode.

Adding, Moving and Removing Single Shape Corners

If you simply want to add a single corner into a segment and do not want to use the Edit Segment operation, it can be performed by selecting the segment and using the Add Corner option from the context menu. A corner will be added, and presented at your cursor for you to place. Click to drop the corner at the required location.

Similarly you can remove a corner from a shape by selecting it and using the Delete Corner option from the context menu.

Add Corner and Delete Corner are both commands that can be assigned to a key, and be used in a Latch Mode operation. To do this, run them with nothing selected and you will be placed in an interactive mode with a modal cursor ready to pick segments to add corners to, or pick corners to delete. This way it is easy to delete a lot of corners, or add many corners into a shape without having to continually use the context menu.

You can move a single corner by dragging it. A single circle is drawn to indicate the shape corner is selected, and the adjoining segments are drawn dynamic and try to keep their orthogonal pattern.

Adding Mitres and Fillets to Corners

Orthogonal corners can be converted to mitres or fillets by double clicking on a (90 degree) corner or on an existing orthogonal mitre or fillet. The interactive Edit Mitre mode will be entered to drag the mitre or fillet to the required size.

Alternatively you can select a single corner, mitre or fillet and use the Mitre Corner or Fillet Corner options from the context menu. This is a single shot operation, but has the advantage that any angle corners can have a mitre or fillet generated. A dialog will be presented as follows:

Type the value for the radius or diameter of the mitre or fillet to be created. This is the radius of the circle that is tangent to the two lines that meet at the corner.

You can remove any fillet or mitre back to a sharp corner by selecting it and using the Unmitre Corner option from the context menu.

Trimming and Extending Segments

With a shape segment selected you can use the Trim and Extend option from the context menu to trim the line or arc back to where another segment crosses it, or extend it to reach another segment.

Select

When in select mode, a shape in a design may be selected by clicking on any part of the outline. This will select just a shape segment, but most of the interactive operations on a whole shape will still be available once a segment is selected.

Some operations, like Place, act on only the selected segments. You can select multiple segments by using Control Click on each one, or select the whole shape using Shift Click on the shape. Filled shapes can also be completely selected by clicking inside the shape outline.

The Select Path operation allows you to select the segments or part of segments of any shape. This is useful to quickly insert segments within an existing segment.

Editing Shapes Using Construction Lines

When you have a shape selected you can select Edit Shape Using Construction Regions… from the context menu.

When you hover the mouse over a region enclosed by some construction lines, the region will be highlighted if you can add or remove it from the shape.

If your mouse is inside the shape, then the region will be highlighted with a bold outline, and if your mouse is outside the shape, then the region will be highlighted with a dashed outline. No outline will be shown if that region would make your shape infinite, or split the shape into multiple parts.

On a left click the removal or addition will be carried out.

You can undo individual steps of this process, or choose Cancel from the context menu to undo the whole process in one go.

If you are done, then you can finish with the Esc key or Finish option from the context menu.

More information can be found on the Construction Lines page.

Editing Circles

If the shape is a complete circle, double clicking on the outline will enter Edit Circle mode. This is also available from the context menu.

The circle will become unfilled, dynamic and attached to the moving cursor position.

Move the cursor to resize the circle, the current radius will be shown on the Status Bar. As you move the cursor the radius will change in steps relative to the current working grid.

Click when the required radius size is reached to complete the circle.

Creating Arcs in Shapes

Arcs are not added directly, you have to add a line segment first and then convert it to an arc. To do this, select a single shape segment and right click to use the Arcs sub-menu from the context menu. Choose a standard arc angle or use Angle Free to enter Edit Arc mode to create an arc by moving the mouse.

To alter an existing arc, double click on the arc segment to directly enter the Edit Arc mode.

To convert an arc back to a line, select the arc and right click to select the Arcs sub-menu. From there, use the Arc To Line option to make the segment a straight line.

See Editing Arcs for more details.

Move

You can reposition any of the shape segments by dragging them with the left mouse button held down. The segment will become selected and will follow the cursor, whilst retaining its angle and keeping on the working grid.

Selecting multiple segments first and then dragging on one of them will move all of the selected segments together. This is a good way of stretching irregular shapes.

Use Shift Click, or click in the middle of filled shapes to select the whole shape, then drag to reposition the whole shape.

You can also move a single corner by dragging it. Nothing is selected, but the adjoining segments are drawn dynamic and try to keep their orthogonal pattern.

See the help section on Move for more details.

Rotate

These options are available if the whole shape is selected. Rotate One Step rotates the whole shape anti-clockwise by the default angle defined in the Interaction Options from the Tools menu.

Rotate Step Back rotates the whole shape clockwise by the default angle.

Mirror

This option is available if the whole shape is selected. It mirrors the shape in the X direction.

Change Layer

For PCB designs, use the Change Layer dialog to change the layer the shape is on. This is available on the context menu even when only part of a shape is selected, but it acts on the whole shape.

You can not change the layer on a board outline.

Change Style

Use the Change Style dialog to change the width used to draw the shape outline. This is available on the context menu even when only part of a shape is selected, but it acts on the whole shape.

Change Shape Type

You can change the type of item a PCB shape represents by selecting it and using the Change Shape Type option from the context menu. A dialog will be shown with a drop-down list to use to choose the new shape type. You will be asked to confirm the change if the shape was fixed, and asked what to do with poured copper if changing a template. This could be used to change a documentation shape to a board outline for example. The layer will be changed if it is not suitable for the new shape type. You can also change free text using a true type font to shapes which is useful if it is a special font that does not appear on a system you are sending the design to.

Properties

Select a shape and use the Properties dialog to configure the shape outline width or style, the layer, and whether the shape is to be closed or open. It also gives information about the selected segments.

The advantage of using the Properties dialog is you can change all this information in one place and it can be used on multiple items. For example, use this to change the style of all selected symbol outline shapes in one go.

Pour Copper

A Template is used to define a boundary in which copper is poured. Using these area shapes as templates for pouring provides the ability to repour areas using Pour Copper, and to clear blocks of copper within that area using Clear Copper, both accessed from the context menu.

There is an option to damage and repour templates after interactive editing.

Cutouts in Shapes

You can create cutouts in closed shapes, or cut “bites” out of a shape outline using the Insert Cutout option.

Merge Shapes

You can merge a number of selected similar shapes using the Merge Shapes command. This will replace the selected shapes with a shape or shapes which represent the combined outer perimeter. There is also a Insert - Merge function that allows you to select a shape and add new shapes to it.

Join Open Shapes

You can join the adjacent ends of a number of selected similar open shapes using the Join Open Shapes command.

Shape Drawing Order

In a Schematic design or symbol you are able to change the relative drawing order of documentation shapes to create the required visual appearance. For example, in a symbol you may wish to mark a pin using a solid shape coloured different to a solid shape representing the symbol’s main body. To ensure the pin shape appears on top of main shape you can use the Move Shape To Front option. This is available from the Shape Order sub-menu on the context menu when the shape is selected. There are also Move Shape To Back, Move Shape Forwards and Move Shape Backwards options, all of which are available as commands that may be assigned to a shortcut key.

In a PCB design or symbol the drawing order of shapes is dictated by the layers on which they appear.

Net Operations On Shapes

Copper Shapes and Templates can be placed on a net.

Copper shapes and Templates can be added to a net by attaching a connection or PCB track to them, or by using the Add To Net option from the shortcut menu.

Once a shape is on a net, the standard net operations are available on the Net sub-menu accessed via the context menu.

Change Net
- Use to rename the net or merge it with another net.
Highlight Net - Use to draw all items in the net in a highlight colour.
Optimise Nets - Use to minimise all unrouted connections in the net.
Unroute Nets - Use to convert all tracks in the net back to unrouted connections (not just the tracks attached to the selected copper shape).

Copper can be removed from a net using the Remove From Net option from the context menu.

Documentation

Explorer