Work with Component Templates

In order to streamline component creation, component templates are used to predefine settings for reusable components in the workspace. They function similarly to a recipe in providing specifications which will later auto fill for future components. Component templates allow users to predefine:

Component parameters
Default values
Required fields
Naming schemes (IDs)
Storage folders
Linked models
Component types

Users can then create generic components as placeholders in a schematic until a final component is determined.

The process to create a component template begins the same way a new component is created. The steps to create a new component and component template are below. To create a new component, begin by opening the Component Panel and selecting . Navigate to Create Component and select the component you wish to create in the search menu. Select OK.

Enter the basic information for the new component, including the:

Name
Description
Component type
Design item ID
Folder location

Assign Details for the Component — **Fig. 3 -** Assign Details for the New Component

Navigate to the Advanced Settings toggle on the Component Editor to select the Template (i.e. Capacitors v.10) for this component.

This is where the process varies from a new component in the creating components page.

Use the menus on the right to add a PCB footprint, optional 3D Model, and wiring harness to the component. These can be added through existing models, new models, or using the footprint wizard. For more information, reference Adding Model Links.

Model Details — **Fig. 5** - Models Settings

Add the parameters for the component by entering them into the Parameters toggle. New parameters can also be added under the Add dropdown.

Save the new component template to the server. The component template will also be saved as a .CMPT file (component template file) to the workspace.

Creating a Generic Component

Now that a component template has been created, the next step is to create a generic component. Generic components are intended to be placeholders that can be easily replaced with a suitable component later in the design process. They also can be considered virtual or parametric components which are added to a particular template as a default model.

For example, if we want to add a battery to the circuit without specifying the exact component, we can perform the following steps:

In Altium Designer, in the Explorer panel, browse to the Component Templates folder where the required Batteries template resides (Managed Content » Templates » Component Templates for the default Workspace activation/installation, as shown in the image below).

**Fig. 8** - Explorer panel and component templates

Open the Batteries component template. Click on Edit.

Add a suitable default symbol model parameter reference (Components >> Models >> Symbols) to the SCHLIB. The specified symbol model could be an existing symbol that has been cloned and edited from another symbol or a custom symbol that has been created from scratch.

Save the edited template to the Workspace (File » Save to Server). The presence of a symbol model in the updated template causes a Batteries generic component tile to be added to those available in the Components panel.

Placing a Generic Component

To see a new generic component in the Components panel after it is created, Altium Designer may need to be restarted.

Open the Components panel.

Click on the button within a generic component tile to attach the component to the cursor for placement in the active schematic document. Selecting the tile itself will open that component type category in the panel.

**Fig. 11** - Placing a generic component from the Components panel

Select a placed generic component to access its properties in the Properties panel. The related component template determines the available parameters (Resistors in the example shown here). Parameter values can be manually entered or selected from a drop-down menu.

**Fig. 12** - Specifying the parameters of a generic component

Replacing a Generic Component

When it is time to replace the generic component with a specific physical component, click the Replace button in the Properties panel. This can also be done from Tools >> Item Manager or the project's ActiveBOM document.

Parameter values applied to the generic component are automatically used as search terms in the Replace Generic Component dialog box. This dialog allows you to choose a suitable replacement component from the filtered results. 🎬How to Place a Generic Component.

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