It's free and it's trying to be a Wikipedia of parts. You can link symbols and footprints via a table rather than trying to manage this information inside of a symbol (which is the wrong layer of abstraction) or in a library of symbols (grouping becomes arbitrary and difficult to manage as the library size grows).ĭoing it this way means that you never have to mess with internal attributes and double-entry of data. As this is really the one place I need to ensure metric, I just live with the schematic issues.īest practice is to manage all of this information outside Altium using its database integration sub-system. Then adding a PCB will bring it in as metric. If you set the default template to metric (my default below) The PCB editor is much better in this respect, but is based on a per PCB basis. I usually just leave the schematic in imperial mode to avoid the hassle. The issue I get, though, is that because the grid is metric a lot of 'off-grid' warnings appear. This is a sticky setting and remains in this setting during document open / close and an AD restart. I can change this by using 'View' -> 'Toggle units'īut this needs to be applied on a per schematic page basis. When I actually instantiate it I get this: The grid and schematic measurement units do apparently save as metric but opening a new schematic from a template with mm defined as well as the global settings at mm: My default template below. I believe this is due to the schematic library editor only working consistently in imperial units. I can get the 'apply' button to activate if I select (or de-select - weird) 'Permanent'īut when I re-open the settings, it has reverted. Unfortunately, AD does not really apply schematic primitives as metric (the reasons are historical).

Switch to metric in altium designer pcb