Importing Project Components
We have selected a project to use with Altium 365, so now we need a complete library containing all components and models of the project to import into Altium 365. We will start by creating an integrated library.
In Altium Designer, click on a schematic sheet to make it the active document, for example, Sheet1.SchDoc.
Select Design > Make Integrated Library from the main menu.
The project tree in the Projects panel now includes a Libraries folder with a document with the extension IntLib. This indicates the successful creation of the library.
Tip: Make sure you are connected to your Altium 365 Workspace so that we can import the library to the server. In the Library Importer that opens, click "+ Library" or “Choose a File” to locate and choose the path to the integrated library file.
The main regions of the Library Importer consist of the following:
- The Source Libraries region contains the components of your library and is grouped by the type of component designation. You can learn how to change or assign another grouping here.
- The Import Preview region displays the types of components created in Altium 365. The source library data automatically generates these.
- The grid is a table that includes the system and user parameters of components and links. Altium 365 transfers all parameters with the components.
The automatically-generated Name is the Design Item ID parameter in the table. Click in any component and select all components in the Source Libraries column using CTRL+A.
Open the Properties panel, and in the column Parameter, in the Parameter Mapping region, select Name. Use the drop-down in the Source Library Parameter column, then select Comment.
The Name column has been updated, providing the part number instead of the design item ID.
The next step is to check the library for possible errors by clicking the Validate button near the top right of the importer. The Messages panel displays all errors and warnings. The list is extensive; however, we will fix them quickly because they are the same errors.
In this case, several errors in the messages dialog box list that the maximum and minimum temperatures are displayed incorrectly. In the Components region, click the error icon () to view the problematic data in the table. Delete the incorrect "degC" designation and press enter; the correct "℃" values will be added automatically. Note that the error icons disappear after the correction.
The additional warnings listed below are not critical and can be skipped at this stage.
- Model has the same geometry.
- Component is duplicated.
- Manufacturer parameter not selected.
Click the Import button, then choose Import in the warning dialog.
The Library Importer starts to import the components. You can view the import process status in the dialog box that appears.