Altium CircuitStudio Forum - Recent Threads

CircuitStudio Assembly Drawing - mechanical layers do not generate

obywatel_lk — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 16:14:28 GMT

I have a problem with generating an assembly drawing. I set it up for the layers that I want:

Whenever I generate this drawing, mechanical layers are not visible (Yes I clearly have things on these layers).

To be more precise - it looks like they are replaced with Top layer. When I open Layer Proparties window for these layers the "print layer type" value is set to Top Layer:

When I change it, the name in PCB Printout Propertiees window change, but in the Layer Properties window it is still Top Layer. The only layers that generates properly is Top Layer, Bottom Layer, Multilayer, Top Overlay and Bottom Overlay.

Generating it with Outputs => Assembly Drawing option does not help. Pdf is generated with some initial settings, different from the one I set in "printout" window. Mechanical layers are also not visible.

Anyone had this problem? At this point I am not able at all to generate this drawing.

Additionaly, I don't know if this is normal, but my mechanical layers seems to have two names. So for example 3D Top layer is not listed as 3D Top, but Mechanical13. To be more precies 3D Top is its "long layer name" and Mechanical13 is "short layer name" and "medium layer name"

Thank you for support

Hang on loading PCB file

Mux — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 22:14:31 GMT

Howdy!

For whatever reason CS doesn't seem to be able to read PCB files. Schematics are fine but it refuses to load PCB files from my project. Note that this worked FINE before. The files are all under source control. Something changed and it preventing it from loading PCB files which, kinda sucks.

Anyone else encounter this? If so, any suggestions / resolutions as to how to get around it?

Thanks!

Circuit studio Infinite license is showing as expired.. why? How do I fix it?

dmjohns2012 — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 03:53:57 GMT

I purchased an infinite license for Circuit Studio several years ago. It is showing "Expired on 5-Jun-2021" under "Subscription Status". Why? How do I fix it?

Circuit Studio V1.5.2: Trying to use Add/Remove programs to "Modify" installation - login error

dmjohns2012 — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 03:44:04 GMT

I'm trying to modify my Circuit Studio installation - when I click "Modify" in the add/remove installed apps window, I get a popup in the Circuit Studio installer that asks me to login to my account. My user name and password are correct but the login fails. Why? I can successfully log into my CS application home page. I can log into Altium Live. How do I fix this?

Circuit Studio V1.5.2: I'm getting an error when I try to do a DRC check: C:\users\public\documents\Altium\Templates\report_drc_xsl does not exist.

dmjohns2012 — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 03:40:10 GMT

I've just started receiving this error. The HTML DRC list does not show in my design space. How do I fix the error?

Octopart Libraries in Circuit Studio

SloFloLab — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 02:25:36 GMT

I've enjoyed using Altium's free Circuit Maker but a client has convinced me to switch to Circuit Studio to be compatible with their Chinese manufacturer's ancient version of Altium.

To echo a previous post on this forum posted eight years ago:

"The Octopart library is one of the best things about CircuitMaker.

Seeing that CircuitStudio is a paid product I would expect the features from the free package to be included in CircuitStudio."

What the heck? I'm having to mess about with installed libraries again?

I understand from an Altium seminar last year that Altium owns Octopart; can we please have this feature in current products?

Windows 11 support

Otwin38BoH — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:43:48 GMT

Has anyone used Circuit Studio on Windows 11? The official support is only up to Windows 10.

activating Standalone Circuit Studio License Errors?

SloFloLab — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 07:26:27 GMT

Hello,

I'm hoping someone can provide some guidance on how to get past "system errors" when trying to activate Circuit Studio.

I followed the install and activation steps as per email to myself on Jun 2024 and I get the following error:

"insufficient privileges to enter this space".

I can login into web space profile.altium.com/.../ with userid ... which is linked to my gmail account in my profile.

However this same account doesn't allow me to login to shell.circuitstudio.com/ ... perhaps my assumption that the altium and Circuit studio accounts are linked is incorrect??
...If I use this userid in and ask to reset password it reports "Failed to reset password: Reset password failed: Insufficient privileges. User is not registered in this space"

If you could provide advice on how to proceed that would be appreciated.

Renesas Acquires Altium

aswinvenu — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 08:29:05 GMT

Renesas, Japanese semicon giant announced the completion of successful acquisition of Altium.
Renesas acquired all the outstanding shares of Altium at $68.5 per share, for a total equity value of approximately A$9.1 billion.

Let's see what value this strategic acquisition bring to the customers!

Trying to create a component with different numbers of pins

GoobFromSpace — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 04:29:33 GMT

I've made a library component for the Attinyxx26, but the component comes in 3 packages. 2 have 20 pins. The 3rd has 21 pins from a thermal pad. I'd like to have 1 library component that I can switch between the 3 footprints. Is there any way to do this without

1: having the thermal pad also be set as pin 20

2: The software complaining about extra pins when it compiles

Importers in CircuitStudio trial version

MDG — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:05:52 GMT

Hi all,

I'm new to CircuitStudio and i downloaded the trial versions.

I have an issue with Importers. It looks like it doesn't work.

Hereinbelow is the actual situation with File->Import in grey color (not clickable) and Importers\Exporters Extensions in "All On" under MyAccount Installed Configuration

How can I fix this issue ?

Any help will be very appreciated. Thanks in advance

CS Crashes too often

OriolPascual — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 13:59:32 GMT

Hi,
I'm new to CS, but I had the impression that it's the younger sibling of Altium (with which I'm familiar), offering fewer functionalities at a lower price point. Despite this, it's still quite usable. However, when using it at work, the program frequently crashes, approximately once per hour. I'm uncertain if this is an isolated issue or if others are experiencing similar problems. For comparison, I run KiCad on the same machine without encountering any issues, indicating that the machine has sufficient graphical computing power.

Here are the main issues I've encountered:

The program consistently crashes when creating a polygon pour, either immediately after creating the mesh or when switching to the 3D view. During this time, the "Messaging: step_temp.setp" command appears approximately three times per second until the crash occurs.
The program crashes upon closing. It doesn't shut down properly; after displaying the typical message asking whether to save changes, it crashes. I typically close the program using the task manager because there are no other viable options.
The program crashes when importing an external project. Even when following the correct steps, including exporting in the 5.0 bin format, sometimes, upon opening the file, it crashes.

Given these issues, I'm curious if others have experienced similar problems and if anyone has found solutions. In the long term, a resolution is crucial because these bugs render the program unusable. With other viable alternatives available, it's only a matter of time before CS is surpassed by more stable options.

Thanks for any assistance.

Circuit Studio path to Microsoft Excel

tonymodster — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 04:32:58 GMT

Hello

How can I change the path to Microsoft Excel ?

Circuit Studio can't find new path to Microsoft Excel for BOM operation.

I had an old version of Excell and upgraded to the latest.

Thanks

Set all "Standard (No BOM)" components to not have paste

nabelekt0 — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 02:40:47 GMT

Hello, all. In CS, I am looking for a way to set all "Standard (No BOM)" components to not be included on the paste layers. Is this possible?

Thank you!

Free Trial Not Working

Gaius_Baltar_2024 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:38:12 GMT

I am a new designer at a startup that's trying to do PCB design in-house. I have been trying and failing to use the free trial as no matter what I do I keep getting an error "An error occurred. Please try again later" no matter what I do. i have tried installing and reinstalling the program multiple times as well as changing my network settings, disabling my firewall and anything else I could think off to get the application working but nothing seems to be working.

my smd component things its a thru hole

ulao — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 17:11:41 GMT

The below info is a test just to prove my issue, but in short the SMD thinks its a thru hole on the PCB.

Here I put it on the edge where there are no conflicts on the layer I put it on

here is the 3d view

...

I had to make my own sch library files but the foot print was available. I made my own sch and then added the foot print. But when adding to my PCB it conflicts on the under side layer. It looks likes pads are drawn on both side.

I see no way to draw pads on both layer in the editor how was that done?

How to Create Jumper Wires in Schematics for Clarity

sysy019 — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 01:12:54 GMT

Hello,

I'm currently working on a schematic in Circuit Studio and seeking to improve its readability. I noticed in some schematics, like the attached image, that jumper wires are used to clearly indicate where wires cross without connecting. In my current schematic, the lines simply cross each other, which can be visually confusing.

Could someone guide me on how to create these jumper wires or implement a similar feature to enhance the clarity of my schematic? Any tips or procedures for visually distinguishing crossing wires would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help!

It's all change - Renesas picks up Altium

cstanton — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:51:32 GMT

Renesas to Acquire PCB Design Software Leader Altium to Make Electronics Design Accessible to Broader Market and Accelerate Innovation

"Together, Renesas and Altium, under a shared vision, aim to build an integrated and open electronics system design and lifecycle management platform that unifies these steps at a system level. The acquisition brings together Altium’s sophisticated cloud platform capabilities with Renesas’ strong portfolio of embedded solutions, combining high-performance processors, analog, power and connectivity. The combination will also enable integration with third-party vendors across the ecosystem to execute all electronic design steps seamlessly on the cloud. The electronics system design and lifecycle management platform will deliver integration and standardization of various electronic design data and functions and enhanced component lifecycle management, while enabling seamless digital iteration of design processes to increase overall productivity. This brings significantly faster innovation and lowers barriers to entry for system designers by reducing development resources and inefficiencies."

https://www.renesas.com/us/en/about/press-room/renesas-acquire-pcb-design-software-leader-altium-make-electronics-design-accessible-broader-market

Issues with Copper Area Color in Gerber Files and Via Stitching Method

sysy019 — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 07:59:07 GMT

Hello,

I am currently facing an issue with my Gerber file outputs in Circuit Studio where the copper areas are not displaying the expected colors. Instead of a solid color for the copper regions, I am seeing colored lines that separate these areas, which is not the desired result. This problem seems to be unique to my files, as others are generated correctly.

I have followed the instructions in a video tutorial (link to the video tutorial), which indicates that the inner layer colors should automatically fill the defined areas upon separation. However, my results are not consistent with this.

Here are the details of my problem:

Gerber files are displaying separated lines with color, instead of solid colored copper areas.
I have attempted to replicate the process as shown in the video tutorial without success.
This issue occurs only with my Gerber files, not with others.

I have attached my Gerber file for your reference and review. Could you please help me identify what I might be doing wrong in Circuit Studio?

Additionally, I am looking for guidance on how to perform via stitching within Circuit Studio. If there is a standard method or a tool available for this, please provide the necessary instructions or direct me to relevant resources.

Thank you for your assistance.

community.element14.com/.../NC-Drill.zip

Multi-board schematic?

BarryHardhouse — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 18:05:46 GMT

Aaaand... second simple question.

It is possible to creat a single project with a set of interconnected schematics and several boards in CS?

It seems to be possible in the fancy version of Altium Designer, according to this:

www.altium.com/.../multi-board-design-overview

I suspect the quick answer is "no".

But I can (and have) created multiple boards in my project. What is the logical meaning of this? Is there any advantage or purpose in a project containing multiple boards?

Cheers all!

Grid Cycling

BarryHardhouse — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:08:29 GMT

Morning All,

New CS user... lots to learn.

I'll open, if I may, with a simple question about grids (in the Schematic and Symbol edidtors).

Under Prefs>Schematic>Grids I have the folowing grids defined:

- Imperial: 10, 50, 100 thou

- Metric 1, 2.5, 5, 10mm

Pressing G (or shift-G) cycles through the available grids as expected - but the grids it offers are 10, 5 and 1, no matter what I set up under the preferences. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Sepperately, but related: I can change a grid manually (and tediously) (Right-click>Grids>Set snap grid...) in the schematic editor, but the option is absent in the symbol editor. Is this normal?

Thanks in advanse!

Supplier unit price don't upload pric on my BOM

ffb.boy.30 — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 07:21:37 GMT

Hi,

I'm working with CS 1.5.2

When I looking for my part with the Supplier links function I can see the unit price in the windows

I can add the dealer information but only Supplier and Supplier Part Number 1 are added to my component .

When I create my BOM logically ther is no price in the Supplier UnitPrice 1 column.

Could you give the tips to add the price to my component.

Thanks for your help

Altium Privacy Policy - worth reading

shabaz — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:15:33 GMT

I just received an e-mail update to the Altium Privacy Policy, and decided to read it. Snippets below, my highlights in red, but actually all of it is worth reading:

Needless to say, after reading that, I e-mailed data.compliance@altium.com and told them to delete _all_ of my personal data. I don't care if that means losing my Altium login.

30 Day Free Trial Sign In Issue

BEsquivel — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 21:10:22 GMT

I'm currently evaluating Circuit Studio as an EE CAD Tool for my start-up company, UNSPACE.

About 2 weeks ago I signed up for the 30 Day Free Trial and had no issues registering with Circuit Studio and keeping track of how many days my Trial had left. BUT, my job is a Hybrid Position and my commute is only a 10 minute drive. When I tried to Sign In with Circuit Studio from a different location than the one I was at when I originally installed the program, it wouldn't allow me to gain access to the Trial License.

At the time, I was able to troubleshoot this issue by uninstalling and reinstalling the program, but I'm coming across the same issue again now, when I still have more than 2 weeks left on my Trial License. I'm actively working on a project with Circuit Studio and I need access to the License to meet the deadlines I have this week. Uninstalling and reinstalling the program is not working this time around.

Now, when I try to sign in, it rejects my Renewal License saying a license can only be used on ONE PC, but I've been using the exact same PC, it's just that I've been logging in from different locations that are only 10 minutes driving distance apart.

Please let me know how I can solve this issue.

offline installer for CircuitStudio

ypto.licensing — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 12:31:19 GMT

I see no offline installer for CircuitStudio on altium.com while Altium refers to this element14.com site?

Any help appreciated.

Thx