The Inspector Bar acts as a dynamic Properties windows, however, it is different and does not contain the same information. This modeless dialog is displayed as a configurable Dockable Window containing Properties for the selected item(s) in the design.
Most of these groups offer the same information as is available on the Properties dialog, but in a more immediately visible format - particularly as it can display the Properties common to all the items selected even if these are different types of item.
Shortcuts
Default Keys: None
Default Menu: View
Command: Inspector Bar
Locating this option
Available from: View menu > Dockable Windows > Inspector Bar option
Using The Browser
Docked or Floating
Once invoked, the browser can be docked or floated. Sections or ‘groups’ of information are shown in the bar, depending on the types of the items selected.
Closing and Opening Groups of Options
At the right end of the header for each group is a small arrow that allows you to fold up a group if you are not currently interested in the information in that group.
Hyperlink Attributes
In the Attributes group grids, hyperlink enabled attributes can be executed by right clicking on the attribute value column and selecting Execute Hyperlink from the context menu. As a visual indicator that an attribute value is a hyperlink, the text will appear underlined and in a blue and underlined link colour.
Actions
At the bottom of the Inspector Bar is a panel showing the actions that can be currently applied to the item selected. This is the same functionality as used when selecting the item and right clicking in the design, such as Move mode when moving a connection in a Schematic design.
Actions are shown in their own panel with the action group name displayed also. From here, the option can be selected for use.
By picking the action name (Move in the example below), you can hide the action pane temporarily:
Click the action name again to expand it once hidden:
Special Group - Explore Nets
Explore Net is special group (only available on the Inspector Bar). This allows you to quickly review the connectivity of the selected items, including the ability to ‘drill down’ into this connectivity and follow its path through the various nodes on the nets involved.
This functionality also works in reverse, so for a selected component, the Inspector Bar will show all nets on that component. Selecting a node or net from one of the lists in the group will update the other list (Net or Component or vice-versa), allowing the connected nets and nodes to be traversed (or explored).
Context Menu Options
Right clicking in the Inspector Bar will display the context menu which provides you with quick access to functions specifically related to it.
Open/Close All Groups
Two commands, Open, and Close All Groups are available on the context menu. These will enable the full opening or closing of all Groups on the Inspector Bar.
Change Group Order
From the context menu, select Change Group Order to rearrange the ordering of the ‘groups’ or sets of properties displayed in the Inspector Bar. See the Change Group Order page for more details.