Question About Via Hole Placement in Altium Designer 10 and Mentor Graphics PADS 9.3

[ngkl99]

Hi,
I have some problems in placing via holes in Altium.
I place several unconnected (NC) via holes first.
Then I connect the net (pattern) to the via hole,
but the via holes status still unconnected.
I don't want to generate via holes during routing.
There are other software like Zuken CR5000 able to connect net to the NC via holes.

The second problem is in PADS.
I want to place several NC via holes first.
But it can't do so.
I know I can route from a pin and generate via holes during routing.
And I can copy and duplicate the via holes.
But I want NC via holes, so that I can connect any nets to any NC via holes.

Generally, it is easier to place via holes first, and then routing,
instead of route, via, route, via, steps.

I hope to have solutions for both problems above.

Thanks!
Ng

 

[barry]

That's just not the way to route a PCB. I don't know about Altium, but in pads it's a simple matter to start your route, hit F4 to change layer (adds a via) and keep on routing on the other layer. If you have design rules turned on, the software won't let you place a via illegally.

 

[honey 77]

In Alitium while routing net just press '*' for placeing via hole, it automatically change layers also