Annotating Designs

You can annotate your schematic by adding a drawing sheet, inserting a variety of shapes, and adding text (including system variables such as date, time, etc.). For details, refer to the following topics:

• Adding a Drawing Sheet
• Adding Text
• Drawing Shapes

Adding a Drawing Sheet

If you want to use a drawing sheet that contains any constant information or graphics, such as a company logo, you will probably want to save it as a template enabling you to insert it in any design where it is needed.
To create a drawing sheet:

1. Choose File > New Design.
2. Supply a name for the file.
3. Choose Insert > Component > Component Library.
4. Select the Drawing Formats category.
5. Select the appropriate drawing sheet size, for example, FORMATA.
6. Click OK and move the pointer into the drawing area.
7. Note that the lower left corner serves as the reference point. Position the image of the drawing sheet as required and click to place it there.
   To move the drawing sheet after placing it, you must be able to select it, and by default, the Drawing Format filter is turned off. To turn it on, choose Options > Preferences > Select and enable the Drawing Format option. If you do enable this filter, you will probably want to disable it again after moving the drawing sheet, before beginning your design work.

   Hint If you want to reposition the lower left corner of the drawing sheet at the coordinates 0,0 (to assist in placing items using exact measurements), you can use the Set Origin command. Choose Edit > Modify > Set Origin and click the lower left corner of the drawing sheet. Use View All if necessary to bring the entire sheet into view.

8. Add all desired information.
9. Choose Save Design As Template to make it available for insertion in any design.

Adding Text

Once you have established the desired text attributes, you can add text to your design using the Text command on the Insert menu or the Text button on the toolbar. Prior to adding text, you should change the current entry layer to text1 (or a text layer you have created) and place all text on that layer.

To change the current entry layer:
Choose Insert > Entry Layer > text1.

Any text you add, or object you draw, will now be placed on the text1 layer until you change to another entry layer. Text will take on the characteristics defined in the Preferences dialog box (except for color, which is defined through the Layer Editor). For details on changing attributes of text:

• Prior to adding it to the drawing area, refer to Setting Text Options (in Advance) under the section on Setting Design Environment Preferences in the Customization and Configuration documentation.
• After adding it to the drawing area, refer to the section, Editing Existing Text and Text Attributes under the section on Editing Designs in the Schematic Capture and Layout documentation.

To add text to your design:

1. Choose Insert > Text. The status panel prompt changes to read, New_Text: Enter location for new text.
2. Position your cursor in the desired location, click once, and begin typing.
   If necessary, use the arrow keys, the backspace and spacebar to make changes (You can drag the mouse across text to highlight it and type over it or use the spacebar or backspace to delete it.) To continue the text on the next line, press Enter and continue typing.
   • To type text in another location, click in that location and begin typing.
   • To stop the text command, press Esc or move the pointer away from the new text and click once-to signify the end of that text block-then click the End Command button.

     Hint Context-sensitive editing is available for text. Position the pointer over the text, right click, and select Edit Text from the pop-up menu.

Using Variables to Display Design and System Information

You can add any of the following variables to your design to display the type of information indicated.

Variable	Description
@dname	= Design name
@pname	= Full path to design
@ddate	= Date design was last saved
@dtime	= Time design was last saved
@cdate	= Current date
@ctime	= Current time
@SIM_HOST	= Name of machine hosting the simulation
@SIM_DDS	= Name of the data display
@SIM_DSS	= Name of the simulation data set

To add variables to your text:

1. Choose Insert > Text.
2. Click to begin typing text and include any of the variables shown above as desired. For example:
   
3. Press Esc to stop the Text command and the variables are replaced by their equivalents.
   

Drawing Shapes

The Insert menu contains commands that enable you to draw a variety of shapes and lines to help annotate your schematic. Select End Command from the pop-up menu (or click the End Command toolbar button, or press Esc) during execution of any draw command, to terminate the command and remove the partial shape.

Hint Several shapes that require you to specify multiple points (such as polygons, polylines, arcs) allow you to specify the last point by pressing the space bar. Context-sensitive editing is available for several shapes (rectangle, polygons, polylines) with respect to changing the layer on which the shape is drawn. Position the pointer over the shape, right click, and select the layer command from the pop-up menu. You can change the thickness of the lines of the following shapes drawn in the Schematic window (schematic view): polygons, polylines, rectangles, circles, arrows, and all arcs (Edit > Modify > Line Thickness). You can set (in advance) the thickness of the lines of the following shapes drawn in the Schematic window (symbol view): polygon, polyline, rectangle, circle. To edit line thickness subsequently, choose Edit > Modify > Line Thickness.

To draw a rectangle (or square):

1. Choose Insert > Shape > Rectangle (or click the Rectangle button). You are prompted to enter the first corner.
2. Click to specify the first corner. You are prompted to enter the second corner.
3. As you move the mouse, a flexible box stretches from the anchor point to the position of the mouse, expanding and contracting as you move. When you are satisfied with the size, click to finish.

To draw a polygon:

1. Choose Insert > Shape > Polygon (or click on the Polygon button). You are prompted to enter a vertex.
2. Click to anchor the starting point of the polygon.
3. Move the cursor to the position where you want the first line segment to end, and click. A line appears between the two points.
   • At any time during entry of a polygon, you can choose one of the Arc commands to include an arc in your polygon.
   • You can use the Undo Vertex command to backtrack to the previous point anytime you want to erase the segment or arc you have just drawn.

     Hint If you want all line segments to be drawn perfectly horizontal or vertical, choose Options > Preferences > Entry/Edit Mode and check 90 degree angle only.

4. Continue in this manner until you are ready to draw the final line segment(s) completing your polygon.
   • To draw all but the last line segment, double-click or press the space bar while the pointer is still positioned over the last vertex.
   • To draw all but the last two line segments, move the pointer so that it is positioned over the next vertex, and double-click or press the space bar.
     The polygon is automatically closed. The illustration below demonstrates the latter method.
     

To draw a polyline (a series of connected line segments):

1. Choose Insert > Shape > Polyline (or click on the Polyline button). You are prompted to enter a vertex.
2. Click to anchor the starting point of the polyline.
3. Move the cursor to the position where you want the first line segment to end, and click. A line appears between the two points.
   • At any time during entry of a polyline, you can choose one of the Arc commands to include an arc in your polyline.
   • You can use the Undo Vertex command to backtrack to the previous point anytime you want to erase the segment or arc you have just drawn.
4. When you have drawn the final line segment, double-click or press the space bar to end the Polyline command.

To draw an Arc:

1. Choose Insert > Shape > Arc (clockwise or counterclockwise). You are prompted Enter the start point of the arc.
2. Move the cursor into the drawing area and click left to specify the start point of the arc. You are prompted Enter the arc center.
3. Click to specify the center point of the arc. A flexible arc appears as you move your cursor. You are prompted Enter the ending point of the arc.
4. Click to specify the end point. If you are through drawing arcs, click End Command.
   

   Hint Context-sensitive editing is available for arcs. Position the pointer over the arc, right click, and select Edit Arc from the pop-up menu.

You can also draw an arc by specifying the start point, end point, and circumference.

To draw an arc in this manner:

1. Choose Insert > Shape > Arc (start, end, circumference). You are prompted Start pt of arc.
2. Move the pointer into the drawing area and click left to specify the start point of the arc. You are prompted End pt of arc.
3. Click to specify the end point of the arc. You are prompted Circ point of arc. A flexible arc appears as you move the pointer.
4. Click to specify the final size of the arc.

To draw a circle:

1. Choose Circle from the toolbar or from the Insert menu. You are prompted to enter the circle center.
2. Click to specify the center point.
3. Drag the mouse until the circle is the desired size and click.

   Hint Context-sensitive editing is available for circles. Position the pointer over the circle, right click, and select Edit Circle from the pop-up menu.

To draw an arrow:

1. Choose Insert > Arrow. You are prompted to enter the first point. In the dialog box that appears, set the following options as needed:
   

   Hint To restore the default values/options, click Default.

2. Click Apply.
3. Click to specify the first point of the arrow. You are prompted to enter the second point.
4. Move the pointer as needed to identify the endpoint of the line segment and click.

To change the line thickness of an existing shape:

1. Select the shape.
2. Choose Edit > Modify > Line Thickness.
3. Select the desired thickness and click OK.

Drawing Shapes Using Specific Coordinates

The Coordinate Entry command enables you to draw a variety of shapes by specifying coordinates for each vertex.

To use the coordinate entry method for drawing:

1. Choose Insert > Coordinate Entry and a dialog box appears. Move the dialog box so that the desired design window is visible.
2. Choose the required drawing or editing command.
3. Enter the X and Y coordinates for the first point.
   Coordinate entry will modify the coordinates entered according to the current snapping rules if the Use Snapping checkbox is activated.
   

   Hint If using the Rectangle command, specify coordinates for two corners opposite each other.

4. Click Apply.
5. Continue specifying all desired points, clicking Apply for each.

   Hint When drawing polygons with coordinate entry, click Apply for the final segment of the shape to be drawn automatically.