The next screen, “Select Type of Files to Import,” lists the installed importers.Īltium Designer Import Wizard file type selectionĭuring the installation of Altium Designer, you can choose which Importers and Exporters to install. This can be done directly from within Altium Designer.

We hope you enjoy your journey into the world of Altium Designer.ĭavid Cousineau, Sr Field Applications Engineer & The Altium Designer Team PREPARING YOUR MENTOR PADS PCB FILE -IMPORTER INSTALLATIONīefore starting any PADS file preparation, the first step is to make sure the Mentor PADS Importer has been installed. While many have labeled our approach to PCB design the “Altium Way,” we consider it to be the best way to design advanced electronics right the first time. Projects can easily be worked on by multiple engineers in the same interface, and no time is wasted translating design data back and forth between design environments. This philosophy extends not just to the individual engineer, but also to an entire design team. The unified interface then handles all the rest and provides the tools you need for the particular task at hand.įrom our more than 30 years of PCB design research and development, we have found that a unified approach to Printed Circuit Board design is the most efficient way to design electronics. With all of these elements integrated in a unified interface, switching back-and-forth between tasks is as simple as selecting the appropriate file to work on in your design workspace. As part of the unified approach to PCB design, we connected the following processes into one interface in Altium Designer: Achieving this goal required us to understand what a complete PCB design software experience entailed for the everyday engineer. When we first created Altium Designer, we wanted to create a unified design experience that kept the engineer in complete control of their efficiency and workflow throughout the entire design process.

The question we’ve asked throughout the years is simple - is this approach to Printed Circuit Board design effective?

And while each tool excels in its own specialized task, at the end of the day you’re left to manage and remember multiple interfaces, workflows, and methodologies. As an existing PADS user, you are likely used to having multiple tools and interfaces for each stage of your design process.

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