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Ref Des Text Size Is Not OK in OrCAD

Printed From: PCB Libraries Forum
Category: PCB Footprint Expert
Forum Name: Questions & Answers
Forum Description: issues and technical support
URL: https://www.PCBLibraries.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3114
Printed Date: 22 Nov 2024 at 3:54am


Topic: Ref Des Text Size Is Not OK in OrCAD
Posted By: gvellet
Subject: Ref Des Text Size Is Not OK in OrCAD
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2022 at 4:40pm
Hi,

I use OrCAD 17.4. 

In the FP designer, I made a footprint where I have the silkscreen refdes height=1.27mm, and the assembly refdes height=0.5mm. 

When I convert the footprint into OrCAD, all texts are converted to text blk#3 which has height=1.27mm.

For the sake of a test, back in FP designer I changed the assembly text height to 5mm and converted it to OrCAD and again, all the text sizes are stuck to text blk#3.

Is there a way to get the text with correct size when converted into OrCAD? I guess there is somewhere a mapping parameter where I could not find it in FP designer.

Anyone had that problem?


Replies:
Posted By: Tom H
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2022 at 8:21am
I think you define the Ref Des text Height in OrCAD. 

Setting the Ref Des size in Footprint Expert is primarily used for small CAD tools.

Altium is the same way. The Ref Des Height is defined in Altium Preferences. 

But we'll check it out.



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Posted By: pzt648485640
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2022 at 9:46am
The software is not supported by the orcad allegro setwindow form.textblock setting
This will eventually be actually tweaked by software; this feature requirement is completely unnecessary.

You can manually insert it into the ".scr" file.

Example:

prmed
setwindow form.prmedit
FORM prmedit text
FORM prmedit text_setup_button
setwindow form.textblock
FORM textblock 1 width 15.0
FORM textblock 1 height 24.0
FORM textblock 1 line_spacing 30.0
FORM textblock 1 character_spacing 5.0
FORM textblock done
setwindow form.prmedit
FORM prmedit done

Posted By: gvellet
Date Posted: 24 Apr 2022 at 8:52am
Thank you pzt648485640 for the suggestion of modifying the script. 

I was hoping there was an option somewhere to fix it automatically: to remap an absolute font size to OrCAD Text blk type. 

But I have to learn to live with the quirks of the software; nothing is perfect. 

I will change my footprint to use same font size for assembly and silkscreen to match with OrCAD text blk#3

Posted By: Tom H
Date Posted: 24 Apr 2022 at 11:51am
We are going to try to fix this issue in the program in the next release. 



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Posted By: Tom H
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2022 at 1:09pm
I think this issue was fixed in the V2022.12 pre-release. 

Let us know.



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Posted By: alexanderOttComlab
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2022 at 4:02am
In Altium the Ref Des size in the Footprint Expert defaults to 1.20 mm in the generated scripts. 

If I change the script, the size of the reference designator also changes in Altium. 

I think this should work as intended and is just not implemented for the Altium export.


Posted By: Tom H
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2022 at 8:40am
Did you change the Footprint Expert "Tools > Options > Drafting > Silkscreen > Ref Des Height"?



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Posted By: alexanderOttComlab
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2022 at 10:56pm
As I understand the Silkscreen (Altium: Top Overlay) is placed automatically by Altium with the preferences size. 

And the assembly ref. des. is the layer "Reference Designator" and is placed on layer "eMechanical16".

This one is fixed to 1.2mm and not according the settings. 

Maybe I'm wrong with my interpretation of the names and layers.



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