copper area

[DrPR]

I am trying to modify an existing board that has complex copper areas (ground planes) on top and bottom.

When I try to move or place a component the program virtually halts, allowing only spastic jerky component movement while it redraws the copper areas.

How can I disable redraw of the copper areas without deleting them (I can do this in other PCB layout programs but I can't find a way in Ultiboard)?

PRH

[_user32 · Accepted solution]

Here are some possible suggestions:

a) First I suggest changing the area type to outline only (rather than solid). Polygon properties.

B) Or you can choose to temporary disable the DRC real time check. Ultiboard setting.

C) or you can turn off voiding. Polygon properties.

Change the settings back when done.

Regards,
Pat N

[DrPR]

Where do you find the option for "outline only?" I don't see it in the Copper Areas Properties dialog. I do see Voiding.

Thanks.

PRH

[_user32]

There is a drop down in the properties that is solid black - or can select it as a white object w/outline. The white w/ outline is the one that you want for now...

Pat N

[DrPR]

Found it. Thanks!

PRH

[DrPR]

WRONG!!!!!!!!

After I changed the copper area to the outline the program became almost useless.

Every single operation started taking almost a minute!

Click on a part, wait a minute for it to be selected.

Drag the part and wait a minute for it to move.

Open a dialog and click on a tab and wait a minute for the new dialog to open.

Click the OK button and wait a minute for the dialog to close!

Even the component editor took a minute for every operation.

Zoom in/out with the mouse wheel stopped working.

It took about ten minutes to select the copper area, right click to open the pop-open menu, select properties, get to the correct tab, and reselect the solid Fillstyle.

After that the program started working normally again.

This is a nasty BUG!

PRH

V11.0

[DrPR]

Options/Global Preferences/PCB Design/View/Show copper areas.

PRH

[_user32]

PRH,

Does this now resolve your original problem as well?

>> "When I try to move or place a component the program virtually halts, allowing only spastic jerky component movement while it redraws the copper areas."

This is odd that the outline only doesn't work (it shouldn't be doing DRC or voiding in the middle), however I believe these issues are resolved in the new polygon updates in v12 - but again I would have thought the outline only would have helped.   Please let us know - again I believe these issues are resolved in v12 with the redesigned polygon elements.

If you are still having problems, even if you do not have active SSP, please call or email in to our support team and we'll try to help determine the problems.

- Pat N

[DrPR]

I disabled continuous DRC and that helped. It is now set to update DRC after an operation.

However, I didn't discover the "don't show copper areas" until after I had deleted them, so I had to redraw them.

It is still a bit jerky when working in copper areas, even though they aren't displayed. Apparently copper area recalculation is happening even though it is not being displayed.

In other PCB programs I use we have an option to disable recalculation of copper areas. Really large and complex copper areas take quite a while to recalculate and can bring operations to a near halt. Any competently designed layout program will have an option to disable display and recalculation of copper areas.

PRH