You change the angle of a line while you are placing it by pressing the Spacebar.
Changing Line Angles During Placement
In Altium Designer, the angle of a line segment is controlled dynamically as you draw it. The primary method for changing the angle constraint during the placement process is using the Spacebar.
According to Altium documentation, you can:
- Press Spacebar to cycle through different line angle modes.
This action allows you to switch between predefined angle constraints and free placement as needed for different sections of your line or trace.
Available Angle Modes
Pressing the Spacebar cycles through the following angle modes:
- 90 Degree Up: Constrains the next segment to be vertical (90 degrees) relative to the starting point, moving upwards.
- 90 Degree Down: Constrains the next segment to be vertical (90 degrees) relative to the starting point, moving downwards.
- 45 Degree Up: Constrains the next segment to be at a 45-degree angle relative to the starting point, moving upwards.
- 45 Degree Down: Constrains the next segment to be at a 45-degree angle relative to the starting point, moving downwards.
- Any Angle: Allows placement of the next segment at any angle, free from the orthogonal or 45-degree constraints.
You can switch between these modes at any point while you are in the process of drawing or placing the line.
Look-Ahead Segment
It's worth noting that in all modes except the "Any Angle" mode, the segment attached to your cursor acts as a "look-ahead" segment. This means it shows you the potential path based on the current angle constraint before you commit the segment by clicking.
By using the Spacebar effectively, you can easily route lines and traces on your PCB or schematic according to your design requirements, whether you need strict orthogonal routing, specific 45-degree bends, or free-angle connections.
