Product Documentation
OrCAD Capture Reference Guide
Product Version 17.4-2020, June 2020

Edit Bookmark dialog box

To open this dialog

Select a bookmark on a schematic page, then choose Properties (see Properties command) from the Edit menu.

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Name

Change the name of the bookmark.

Edit Filled Graphic dialog box

To open this dialog

On a schematic page

Double-click on a closed polyline, an ellipse, a rectangle.

OR

Select a closed object and choose Properties (see Properties command) from the Edit menu.

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Fill Style

Choose the fill style.

Line Style & Width

Choose the line style and width.

Color

Choose the color of the line. This option is not available in the part editor.

Edit Graphic dialog box

To open this dialog

In a schematic page editor,

Double-click a line.

OR

Select a line and choose Properties (see Properties command) from the Edit menu.

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Line Style & Width

Choose the line style and width.

Color

Choose the color of the line. This control is not available in the part editor.

Edit Hierarchical Port dialog box

To open this dialog

In the schematic page editor, select a hierarchical port and choose Properties (see Properties command) from the Edit menu.

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Name

Change the name of the hierarchical port.

Type

Select the hierarchical port type from the list of pin types.

Edit Net Alias dialog box

To open this dialog

Select a net alias in the schematic page editor and choose Properties (see Properties command) from the Edit menu.

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Alias

Change the net alias name.

Color

Choose the color of the net alias.

Rotation

Specify the rotation of the net alias or text.

Font

Change

Display a Font dialog box so you can select a font.

Use Default

Change the font to the default font specified in the Design Template / Design Properties dialog box.

Edit Off-Page Connector dialog box

To open this dialog

In the schematic page editor, select an off-page connector, and choose Properties (see Properties command) from the Edit menu.

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Name

Change the name of the off-page connector.

Edit Part Properties dialog box

To open this dialog

While placing a part on a schematic page editor, right-click and choose Edit Properties from the pop-up menu.

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Part Value

Change the part value name.

Part Reference

Specify the part reference.

Primitive

Default

Use the default primitive setting. The default setting is set in the Hierarchy tab of the Design Template dialog box (see Design Template command).

Yes

Indicate the part is a primitive.

No

Indicate the part is nonprimitive and descends in hierarchy.

Graphic

Specify whether Capture displays the normal view or the convert view of the part. The convert view option is only available for parts with convert views.

Packaging

Parts per Pkg

Indicates the number of parts in the package.

Part

Select a part from the package list.

PCB Footprint

Specify the PCB footprint name, if assigned.

Power Pins Visible

Specify the visibility of the part's power pins.

User Properties

Display the User Properties dialog box so you can modify the part's properties.

Attach Implementation

Display the Attach Implementation dialog box so you can attach a schematic folder to create hierarchy. You must specify the schematic folder's name, but you only need to specify the schematic folder's library or path name if the schematic folder is not in the current project.
Be careful not to create recursion in your design. Capture cannot prevent recursion, and the Design Rules Check command does not report it. Recursion causes Capture to process infinitely as it tries to expand the design, resulting in the loss of any changes you've made to your design since it was last saved.
Except for occurrence properties, the schematics of externally-referenced libraries and designs should not be edited. You should view them as read-only designs. Trying to edit, then save, these designs from within your schematic can introduce errors such as duplicate reference designators and other problems. When saving schematics with externally-referenced libraries or designs, occurrence properties are saved but altered instance values are not. If you want to change externally-referenced libraries or designs you should first close the referencing design. Then, open the referenced library or design, make the necessary changes, and save and close the referenced library or design. At this point, you can reopen the original design and reference the modified design.
When you attach a schematic folder to a part or hierarchical block, you can specify a full path and filename in the Library text box. So, although you can specify a library that hasn't been saved, you should not try to descend into the attached schematic folder until the library that contains the schematic folder has been saved. If you don't specify a full path and filename in the Library text box, Capture expects to find the attached schematic folder in the same design as the part of hierarchical block to which it is attached. If the specified schematic folder doesn't exist in either the design or library, Capture creates the schematic folder when you descend hierarchy on the part or the hierarchical block. For compatibility with future versions of Windows, Capture preserves the case of the path and filename as you specify them in the Library text box.

Edit Text dialog box

To open this dialog

Select a text object and choose Properties from the Edit menu.

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Text

Change the text to display.

Color

Choose the color of the text. Text that is placed in the part editor uses the part body color.

Rotation

Specify the rotation of the text.

Font

Change

Display a Font dialog box so you can select a font.

Use Default

Change the font to the default font specified in the Design Template / Design Properties dialog box.

Edit Wire(s) dialog box

To open this dialog

In a schematic page editor,

Select a wire and choose Edit Wire Properties from the pop-up menu

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Line Style & Width

Choose the line style and width.

Color

Choose the color of the line. This control is not available in the part editor.

Export Properties dialog box

To open this dialog

In the Project manager, choose Export Properties from the Tools menu.

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Scope

Process the entire design or just the selected documents.

Contents

Export part properties or part and pin properties, or flat net properties.

Mode

Export either instance properties or occurrence properties.

Specifies to export either instance properties or occurrence properties. Capture recommends a preferred mode, which you can override.

Export File

Specifies the name of the export output file. For more information about property files, see .

Browse

Displays a standard Windows dialog box for selecting files.

Export Selection dialog box

To open this dialog

In the schematic page editor, choose one or more objects, then choose Export Selection (see Export Selection command) from the File menu.

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Export Selection Name

Specify the export name of the selected object or objects.

Library

Specify a path, and a design or library name for the export selection.

Browse

Display a standard Windows dialog box for selecting files.

Extended Preferences Setup

To open this dialog

Select Options – Extended Preferences.

Or

Select Options – Preferences. In the Preferences dialog box, click the More Preferences button.

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Command Shell

 
These commands are related to the TCL command window in Capture.

Journaling

Select the option to enable journaling of the various Capture commands, including TCL commands.

Use the following TCL command to enable or disable journaling:

SetOptionBool Journaling TRUE/FALSE

Flush Commands

Select the option to print the journaling commands in a text file. By default, the text file is saved in the TEMP folder (<%TEMP%>\CAPTURELOG\<%DATE%>\ OrCaptureLogFile.captcl)

Use the following TCL command to flush the output of the journaling commands:

SetOptionBool FlushImmediate TRUE/FALSE

Display Commands

Select the option to enable display of Capture commands in Command Window.

Use the following TCL command to enable or disable the display of capture commands in Command Window:

SetOptionBool DisplayCommands TRUE/FALSE

Enable Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)

Select this option to take part in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) in Capture. When you participate in this program, your system will automatically send basic, anonymous information to Cadence Design Systems about how you use various Capture features. This information is combined with other CEIP data to help Cadence solve problems and improve the products and features that customers use most often. Cadence does not collect your design data or personal information.

Design and Libraries

These commands are related to Capture’s designs and libraries.

Content text instance properties

Select the option to rotate the instance part properties along with the instance part on the same axis.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool RotateInstPropInContext TRUE/FALSE

Draw arrow on part input pins

Select the option to draw arrow on part’s input pins.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool DrawPinsArrows TRUE/FALSE

Enable communication with legacy tools

Select the option to enable message-based communication with the legacy tools, such as OrCAD Layout.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool EnableLegacyITC TRUE/FALSE

By default, message-based communication is not enabled in OrCAD Capture. Enable this option if you want OrCAD Capture to communicate with the legacy tool as it impacts OrCAD Capture’s performance.

Perform read only check on tab switch

Select the option to enable Capture to check the library and design files’ permissions on every switch of tab.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool CheckReadOnlyOnViewActivate TRUE/FALSE

Unselecting the option improves user experience as Capture ignores the permissions check on the design and library files.

Save design name as UPPERCASE

Select the option to save the design file name (.dsn) in uppercase letters.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool SaveAsUpperCaseDsnName TRUE/FALSE

Enable global net ITC

Select the option to start cross probing of global nets.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool EnableGlobalNetITC 1/0

Convert images to BMP format

Select the option to convert all format images to .bmp internally.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool SaveImageAsBitmap TRUE/FALSE

Path lookup timeout (in seconds)

Specify the time out time in seconds if the design or library files are found at the configured locations.

TCL Command: SetOptionUInt PathLookupTimeout <valuse in seconds>

Net Naming Options (requires application restart)

The drop down menu options provides different options to select how Capture generates flat-net names for complex hierarchy designs. By default, flatname has a hierarchy block path.

TCL Command: SetOptionUInt NetNameMode <1,2,3,4>

where

1: Always append hierarchy

2: Append hierarchy on collision

3: Always append ID

4: Append ID on collision

Following are the drop down options:

  • Never
  • Always
  • Only when mismatch

Append hierarchy on collision

Appends hierarchical path to the conflicting flat nets only (for global nets, numeric ID is used). The flat net that is closest to the root design and is the only flat net at that level is not renamed.

Always append hierarchy

Appends hierarchical path to all the flat nets except those in root schematic. For global nets, numeric ID is used as they do not have any hierarchical path.

Append ID on collision

Appends numeric IDs to all the conflicting flat nets only. The flat net that is closest to the root schematic and is the only flat net at that level, is not renamed.

Always append ID

Appends numeric IDs to all the flat nets except those in the root schematic.

Design Cache

Update Cache

Select the Default or Forced option to update cache in Capture. Selecting Forced will update the selected library even if it is older than the original library file in the Design Cache.

TCL Command: SetOptionString ForceUpdateCache NONE/TRUE

DRC

Display Waived DRC

Select the Display Waived DRC check box to display all the waived DRCs on a schematic page.

TCL Command: SetOptionBool DisplayWaivedDRC 1/0

Use Global DRC Settings

Select the Use Global DRC Settings check box to use the same DRC settings for all different designs.

NetGroup

The following options, which are related to NetGroups, will be set only for the current active design:

  • Never
  • Always
  • Only when mismatch (definition name mismatched instance name)

Netlist

These command are related to Netlisting in Capture.

Apply Allegro Character Limits on All Projects

Select this option to set the character limit globally for all the projects.

TCL Command: SetOptionString AllegroCharLimitInINI TRUE/FALSE

Schematic

These commands are related to Schematic page in Capture.

Schematic Descend

The following three modes are used for schematic descend:

  • Default: Opens the default page of child schematic
  • First: Opens the first page of child schematic (alphabetical-wise)
  • Ask: Asks user to select one of the schematic page from the list of schematic pages.

TCL Command: SetOptionString DescendSchPage ASK/FIRST_PAGE/DEFAULT

Junction Mode

The following two modes are used for junctioning in Capture:

  • Default: Select this option to place a junction at a straight wire break point
  • Junction on multiple connections on wire end : Select this option to place a junction at 3 point connections.

Display underscore (_) on User Assigned Part References on Schematic Page

Select this option to display underscore (_) symbol on user-assigned part references on a schematic page.

TCL Command: SetOptionString HIGHLIGHT_USER_EDIT_REFERENCES_ON_PAGE TRUE/FALSE

Display underscore (_) on User Assigned Part References in Page Print

Select this option to display underscore (_) symbol on user-assigned part references in page or design print.

TCL Command: SetOptionString HIGHLIGHT_USER_EDIT_REFERENCES_ON_PRINT TRUE/FALSE

Distribute in a fixed area (may cause uneven distribution)

Select this option to distribute the selected objects in a fixed area.

TCL Command: SetOptionString ObjectGridDistribution UnevenDistributionWithSameExtents/DistributionWithAutomaticExtent

Configured Files

These commands are related to customization of design configuration files.

By default, the read-only path is displayed in the Configuration Files tab. When you click edit, the files get stored at your system’s home directory and are opened in a text editor for any modification.

Once the changes are made, the saved files are stored at system’s home directory(%HOME%).

allegro.cfg

The allegro.cfg file’s path

PrefProp.txt

The PrefProp.txt file’s path

edif2cap.cfg

The edif2cap.cfg file’s path

cap2edif.cfg

The cap2edif.cfg file’s path

Part and Symbol Editor

Snap to grid - Graphical objects

Select if graphical objects such as Line, Polyline, Rectangle, Ellipse, Arc, and Picture, which can be placed and moved on the selected grid type, Fine or Master.

This setting is saved in CAPTURE.INI and it is used whenever you start the next Capture session.

If you have selected Master:

  • The snap-to-grid setting (on or off) in the toolbar is applied.
  • Pressing the SHIFT key while dragging the objects toggles the grid type.

If you have selected Fine:

  • The snap-to-grid setting in the toolbar is set to off, that is, the object will move on Fine grid.
  • Pressing SHIFT key while dragging the objects will not change the grid type.

Snap to grid - Text objects

Specify if text objects and display property object can be placed and moved on the selected grid type, Fine or Master.

This setting is saved in CAPTURE.INI and it is used whenever you start the next Capture session.

If you have selected Master:

  • Snap-to-grid setting (on or off) in the toolbar is applied.
  • Pressing the SHIFT key while dragging the object toggles the grid type.

If you have selected Fine:

  • The snap-to-grid setting in the toolbar is set to off, that is object will move on Fine grid.
  • Pressing SHIFT key while dragging the objects will not change the grid type.

Enable the Paste Options mode

Select this option if you want the open the Paste Options dialog box before pasting copied pins. This allows you to edit the pin information before pasting the pin.

For information on how to use this dialog box, see Paste Options dialog box.

Edit Comment Text dialog box

In the part editor, use this dialog box to add comment text on the part.

To modify the text, double-click the text. The Edit Comment Text dialog box opens. Change the text and click OK.

To modify the text properties:

  1. Select the text.
    The Text Properties section appears in the Property Sheet pane.
  2. Modify the font, font size, font style, or the justification of the selected text.


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