Change all tracks that belong to a netclass

[Robert]

I'd like to be able to change the size of tracks used for a selection of nets without having to write my own script. There are many ways this could be implemented, multiple selects and edit or through a menu item. The Edit all Tracks and Vias menu item lets us change either a single net or all nets to the netclass size. This is a simple place to allow us to create a netclass containing the nets that need to change size, if we could just limit the netclass override to a single netclass. So my suggestion is to add an item to the Edit All Tracks and Vias popup that selects a Netclass instead of a net.

[jean-pierre charras (jp-charras)]

This feature exists since years in main menu.

[Robert (robee)]

Sorry for my ignorance, but I don't see how to get it done. I can select a net, but I can't select a netclass. The options I see are:

Set tracks and vias of the current net to the Netclass value - only changes the selected net
Set all tracks and vias to their Netclass value - changes all nets, not the limited set that I want.

I feel like the ability should be there, perhaps I'm missing the obvious? How can I change a limited set of nets, like those that belong to a single netclass?

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

Try Edit->Edit All Tracks and Vias menu entry.

[Robert (robee)]

Unfortunately I can't paste my screenshot to this post, but I am looking at that menu now and here is what I see:

Current Net: a pull down menu of nets
Current NetClass: a reading from the current net

The Netclass design rule and the current net track and via sizes

Global Edition Option:
Set tracks and vias of the current Net to the Netclass value ---> This only changes one net
Set all tracks and vias to their Netclass value ---> This affects all nets and vias on the board
Set all vias (no track) to their Netclass value ---> This affects all vias on the board
Set all tracks (no via) to their Netclass value ---> This affects all nets on the board

I suspect I'm being obtuse, but what am I missing here? How can I change a single Netclass of nets but leave all the others untouched?

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

You are not missing anything. You can either select a single net or
change all of the tracks and/or vias of all nets assigned to a netclass.
 If you are asking to allow selection of multiple nets from the net
listbox, that would be a new feature request.

On 6/19/2018 2:53 PM, Robert wrote:
> Unfortunately I can't paste my screenshot to this post, but I am looking
> at that menu now and here is what I see:
>
> Current Net: a pull down menu of nets
> Current NetClass: a reading from the current net
>
> The Netclass design rule and the current net track and via sizes
>
> Global Edition Option:
> Set tracks and vias of the current Net to the Netclass value ---> This only changes one net
> Set all tracks and vias to their Netclass value ---> This affects all nets and vias on the board
> Set all vias (no track) to their Netclass value ---> This affects all vias on the board
> Set all tracks (no via) to their Netclass value ---> This affects all nets on the board
>
> I suspect I'm being obtuse, but what am I missing here? How can I
> change a single Netclass of nets but leave all the others untouched?
>

[Robert (robee)]

I believe it is a feature request. I usually start off as conservative as I think I can when selecting trace sizes and spacing. Say I've routed a bus and I find that I've run out of space, so I need to reduce feature sizes. That's a pain to do one by one, and it seems the natural place for it is in the Edit All Tracks and Vias item. I just discovered (sorry, should have done my homework) that I can Shift-select multiple nets and then change their properties, so maybe this feature isn't as necessary, but it does allow for many changes at once through a simple interface. I've used this before when tuning LVDS lines (their width, not their spacing) when I've received new information from my vendor (dielectric changes due to stackup or material changes). It would allow more afterthought changes that I think is more helpful than changing all nets.

Thanks