Rotating a pin in Altium Designer is a straightforward process primarily done while placing components or editing library symbols. The rotation occurs in 90-degree increments using simple keyboard shortcuts.
Easy Rotation Commands
The most direct way to rotate a pin or component part in Altium Designer is by using the Spacebar.
Here are the commands for rotating a pin based on the provided reference:
- Press the Spacebar to rotate the pin counterclockwise.
- Press Shift+Spacebar for clockwise rotation.
Both rotations happen in increments of 90 degrees.
The reference also notes that while not rotating, you can Press the X or Y keys to mirror the pin along the X-axis or Y-axis, which can be useful in conjunction with rotation.
When to Rotate Pins
You will typically rotate pins in Altium Designer in the following situations:
- Component Placement: When placing a component on a schematic sheet or PCB layout, you can rotate the entire component (including its pins) before committing its final position.
- Symbol or Footprint Editing: When creating or modifying component symbols in a schematic library or footprints in a PCB library, you often need to rotate individual pins to align them correctly with the body of the symbol or the pads of the footprint.
Quick Reference Table
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut | Rotation Increment |
|---|---|---|
| Rotate Pin Counterclockwise | Spacebar | 90° |
| Rotate Pin Clockwise | Shift+Spacebar | 90° |
| Mirror Pin along X-axis | X | N/A |
| Mirror Pin along Y-axis | Y | N/A |
Using these simple key presses allows you to quickly orient pins as needed during design or library creation.
