Need grid "in view" all the time in Cadence Allegro.

[treez]

Hello,
We are using Cadence Allegro PCB layout software, and we find that we cannot see the grid without having to click for it on the top menu.

Is it possible to get the grid showing all the time, in like a dialog box on the screen?

We need the grid to be visible when in schematic, layout and library windows.

In Eagle Pro, the grid is always visible, one doesn't have to click through menus to see it.

 

[marce]

Why do you need the grid displayed, set up the system with the correct grid and you don't need it displayed.... I know of only a couple of instances where engineers have grids on when using schematic and they were 'old school'.
Set your symbols and terminals up correctly on a grid of say 100 thou, have this as the system grid and everything will fall on a grid point, much better than filling the screen up with irritating lines or points.

 

[treez]

Thanks, but sorry, I simply cannot work without having the grid "in view" at all times......when youre laying out, you need to see how things are on a 0.1mm scale, then maybe on a 1mm scale, etc etc...when making a footprint, changing the grid is how you space features without having to do geometry or calculation.
When in schematic, one resizes the grid regularly, as well as when in symbol creation.
Sorry but I am convinced most would agree, that the grid needs to be "always in view".

If this is not possible in cadence allegro, then I would say that is a serious problem with this software.

 

[treez]

I would declare that not being able to have the grid on direct view at all times is a definite disadvantage of a PCB layout package, and an indication that it was designed by software engineers, rather than working electronics engineers.
Do you agree?

By "grid" I mean that dots or lines, and the caption which tells you the distance between the dots or lines...this must always be directly visiable at all times, one should not have to click through a menu to get this information...and one should be able to click this caption to be able to quickly change the grid line/dot spacings

 

[marce]

Re: Need grid "in view" all the time in Cadence Allegro.

Never used a grid on either schematics or PCB software for 30 years and ALL designers I know and have met over the years don't need a grid either, the mouse will move in grid increments.... this is called snap to grid.
I am sorry but I think you will find that most will not agree, if you have to use a grid permanently when using CAD software there is something amiss....
Being able to do a macro to turn the grid on and off instantly is a good idea.

The last time I did layout using a permanent grid was doing red and blue tape ups with a 2X precision grid on top of my light box.

Within a schematic capture program you should have ALL your terminals on 1 standard grid and work to this grid all the time, the symbols should all have there origin (placement point) on a terminal, then when they are placed you can easily just join the dots to create the schematic).

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I would declare that not being able to have the grid on direct view at all times is a definite disadvantage of a PCB layout package, and an indication that it was designed by software engineers, rather than working electronics engineers.
Do you agree?

I do not understand the reason behind this statement, it is rather pointless and if you look into ALL CAD software you will find they are all based on GRIDs whether visible of not, we have a Frenchman from the 17th Century to thank for this....

 

[treez]

its nice to be able to see where you are and how far is the distance between stuff, as well as using the grid to make footprints......eg want 7 pads 2.54mm apart..set the grid to 2.54mm and just plonk the pads down...makes life so simple..but need the grid to be always visiable so you know what grid spacing the screen dots are on.

Eagle Pro, the most common layout software in industrial Germany and china, has the grid viewable at all times....Germany and China are the two engineering powerhouses of the world, along with USA.
China makes uk's nuke stations

 

[marce]

You have a snap function in all CAD systems, set the system grid to 2.54mm and each step of the cursor is 2.54mm, as to the rest, the majority of people I have worked with over the years don't have a screen grid on, they use the system grid....
Eagle pro is not the most common layout program, you need to really check your facts before hand...
Your last paragraph is a load of rubbish...especially the comments about China doing UK nuke stations, they may do some other components, that I cannot verify; BUT THEY ARE NOT DOING THE ELECTRONICS, trust me on that one, the control and electronics for future UK power stations are being done in the UK..... And the updating of older panels and control systems is being done in the UK... You need full SC from the vetting agency to work on this sort of stuff (Nucleonics).