How to rotate 45 degrees selected objects in Altium library footprint editor - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: apalopohapa
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 09:15:37 am
content: Suppose you want to draw a footprint for a part like:http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf/ATR0000/ATR0000CE9.pdfThe navigation switch's pads are drawn in the datasheet rotated 45 degrees, so that the switch directions are natural (up, down, etc). But it is easier to draw them at right angles because it is easier to use the given measurements that way. So, suppose you draw them first at right angles and at the end just rotate everything 45 degrees. With that in mind I started looking for the "rotate" tool in Altium... but I could not find it. I searched for it in their wiki-based documentation but found nothing I could use.The only way I found to do it was to copy, paste special, circular array, 45 degrees, twice. I had to delete the original and also the 1st copy of the circular pattern in order to leave the 45 degree version. Talk about awkward. In eagle you just select, type "rotate r45" in the command console and apply to group.So am I missing something obvious or does Altium really lack a basic rotate tool ?EDIT:Thank you for the responses, they have been very useful.For future readers, I'll enumerate the most practical methods:To rotate a selection in Altium's Footprint Editor around a common axis, you can:1. Select Objects.Go to Edit->Move->Rotate (or type E,M,O for Edit-Move-rOtate)Specify the angle in the dialog box.Click a point around which the selection will rotate.2. Right click on empty workspace and select Options->Preferences (or type O,P for Options->Preferences)Browse to PCB Editor->General.In there, set the 'Rotation Step' to whatever makes sense in the footprint.Select Objects.Click and hold as if you were going to move the selection, then press space to step through rotations.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 10:29:26 am
content: There maybe a more direct method, but this seems to work.1) Create your footprint with right angles.2) Save the footprint library3) Use the footprint in any PCB document.4) Right click on the footprint, select properties and change the rotation to whatever you want.5) Right click on the footprint and select "copy"6) Switch back to the footprint (inside your footprint library) and right click "Paste"7) Delete the old right angle versionEDIT:OK, i figured it out.Rotating stuff within the footprint editor...1) Select all primitives in your component (draw box around it all)2) From the menu bar click 'Edit - Move - Rotate selection'3) Enter the degrees you want to rotate by4) Click anywhere on the screen to specify the point to rotate around (the center for example)Done.You can also rotate some parts but not others by selecting only the bits you want to rotate.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 03:59:46 pm
content: Simply Define an angular grid... Thats what those are for.Another way is to : under option -preferences you can enter the default rotation step. Set to 90 degrees by default.Spacebar takes a step , sift spacebar turns a step the other way. That lets you rotate individual elements , groups, parts, traces, whatever.But the best way is an angular grid"In eagle you type..." What is that ? A dinosaur commandline tool ?

author: ben_r_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2013, 10:00:05 pm
content: Alright, now How do I rotate a schematic symbol?! Say if I want 45 degree angled diodes to form a standard looking full wave bridge rectifier? Neither of the above mentioned methods work as those I think only affect PCB footprints and not the schematic symbols in the schematic editor.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2013, 01:40:47 pm
content: You dont rotate schematic symbols. Schematic symbols are per definition horizontal or vertical. Period.For a standard looking bridge, you draw the 4 diodes in the schematic editor that way , but that is for 4-pin rectifiers.If you use 4 loose diodes the standard way is to place two diodes side by side , kathodes to top ,With underneatch another two diodes side by side kathodes to topCode:---+------_|_ _|_/_\ /_\| |+ || +_|_ _|_/_\ /_\| |---+----

author: ben_r_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2013, 04:25:46 pm
content: Gotcha. Guess thats how Ill draw it. Thanks man.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 12:06:17 am
content: If you really want to make a schematic bridge that looks the normal way you can do it.When creating/editing schematic symbols there's an option to add a picture. Just make a pic of the diode bridge in photoshop and add that.Then add the 4 pins, change their length to 1 and place them on the edge of the picture where the wires would goThe only hard bit is getting the picture the right size so the wire ends match where the grid is.eg.

author: ben_r_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 02:54:13 am
content: Yea importing the image I definitely dont like. I could also just use the built in diamond shaped symbol or make my own, but those are mostly used to represent full wave rectifiers that are all in one package. Im using individual diodes, so I want to keep the schematic symbols separate.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 03:43:36 am
content: Quote from: ben_r_ on August 28, 2013, 02:54:13 amLibrary containing a rough 45 degree diode attached.You can't have 45 degree pins so they are set to zero length to avoid the problem.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 04:54:53 am
content: In schematic linrary you can draw diodes under 45 degrees. Is a matter of drawing them using lines. Pins come out on a 90 degree grid.,Still, diagonal parts look butt ugly in a schematic.

author: ben_r_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 05:29:57 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on August 28, 2013, 04:54:53 amI find that really odd that you feel that way seeing as how I have NEVER once seen a full wave bridge rectifier drawn in a schematic ANY other way other than the standard diamond shape. You can google "bridge rectifier" in Google Images and ALL you will see is the standard diamond formation that EVERYONE uses.LINKBut alas, to each their own.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 09:05:04 pm
content: i'm ok with the diamond drawn symbol provided it is a monolithic part ( one block, 4 pins )if it's separate diodes ... not okay to rotate them under 45 degree angle.the interne tis already full of horror schematics. we don't need people starting to make schematics with resistors under 45 degrees, chips under 33 1/2 degrees and leds upside down ...

author: ben_r_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 09:57:33 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on August 28, 2013, 09:05:04 pmAh, gotcha.And ha ha, yes you are definitely right about that!