Re: Hidden designators or comments on PCB layout - Protel 99SE

From: Rob (rdsfal_at_yahoo.com.au)
Date: 11/22/04 

Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2004 19:01:44 -0800

Many thanks for the reply & suggestions Brad (& Simon).

I ended up selecting the board area and pasting it into a new pcb document.
Whatever was causing the problem was left behind. My bet it was a poly that
was dragged off to the side when it was inadvertently selected. Either way I
learnt something new - your suggestion for centring the comments etc will
probably save me next time!

thanks
rob

"Brad Velander" <SpamThis@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:06Wnd.292529$%k.196115@pd7tw2no...
> Rob,
> there are several possibilities and it sounds like you have a
> good idea what they could be but haven't had any luck yet.
>
> For a comment (I assume that you are not displaying them) use
> the global edit function combined with the position ("center") to
> bring them all to the center of the components. Possibly make all
> comments visible with a global edit first.
>
> A designator could be done similarly but then you have to
> re-arrange all your other designators afterward. Not so good but
> if you have to, you have to. Also make sure that all designators
> are visible with a global edit.
>
> Another common one outside the board area is a polygon that
> was moved without knowing it, like when it was not deselected and
> you moved something else. This is doubly troubling when the
> polygon may have the remove dead copper turned on. If it is
> outside a valid net connection then the whole polygon disappears
> after pouring.
>
> Is there any possibility it is a component primitive? Did you
> ever unlock component "primitives" (not the lock component)? That
> can be tough as well because you may not know which component it
> may belong to.
>
> There are various selection problems with items outside your
> board or in the negative quadrant areas. Not all selection
> methods work, one that worked with one item may not work with
> another item.
>
> You seem to have tried using the select outside area, I have
> typically not found it to work with your type of problem.
> Try this, use select all (S,A) move the board and all other
> items in a direction that should bring the errant item into view.
> Watch the bounding box around your selection as you move it to
> give you hints on which direction and how much to move. If you
> bring the item into positive quadrant space then you can easily
> deal with it.
>
> If the previous methods don't prove useful try, select all
> (S,A), the use deselect inside (E, E, I) and draw a bounding box
> around your proper board area, be generous allow an inch or two
> at least around your board or other desired items. Once the
> proper board area is deselected then delete selected (Shift and
> Delete).
>
> Hopefully one of those works. As a last resort you could try
> saving the file in ASCII format and edit it with some text editor
> to try and find the offending object. Edit it's coordinates to
> bring back to the positive quadrant at a known location.
> --
> Sincerely,
> Brad Velander
>
>
> "Rob" <rdsfal@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
> news:41a023f2$0$25760$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
> > I've laid out a board and have what I suspect is a hidden
> comment or
> > designator way outside the board layout. Clicking view all
> displays the PCB
> > in a small portion of the screen instead of filling the full
> field of view.
> > I've tried unhiding all and looking for whatever it is outside
> the board
> > area and also selecting all outside the board area (and then
> deleting
> > deletion) without any luck.
> >
> > Any suggestions as to the problem. Thanks
> > rob
> >
> >
>
>