Learn how to use Altium Designer arc array pasting and polar coordinates in three minutes

A friend asked me about the problem of pasting arc arrays and proposed the requirements shown in the figure below, so I thought that some friends in the LED industry and others might also encounter such problems. I fiddled with it and made a record for my own reference and for friends in need to see.

There are two ways to achieve the above effect (in fact, I don’t know what the professional name is):

1. Array pasting method

2. Polar coordinates Array paste The first step is to draw a closed circle (draw it on whatever layer you need to draw it on). It is recommended to place a pad in the center of the circle to mark it. It is also best to draw a radius.





The second step is to place an object you want to paste and copy it. Then select paste special under the edit menu and use the shortcut keys E+A; a dialog box will appear as shown below:


The third step is to set the array paste parameters. (It should be noted that the result of multiplying the item count and the specification (degrees) is 360 degrees, so a circular arrangement can appear.)


If the Rotate Itme to Match option is not checked, the following effect will appear:


Finally, if necessary, you can delete the pad at the origin. If necessary, you can combine these objects that have been distributed in a circular manner like a word so that they will not be changed.

Polar coordinates (only for software above AD10, AD09 does not have polar coordinates)
The first step is to open the Grid Manager option in the PCB sheet. For specific operations, right-click options-->Grid Manager, shortcut key: O+G,
and the following dialog box will pop up:

In the second step, click the Menu button and select the second option Add Polar Grid. The following window will appear:


Step 3. Double-click the New polar Grid in the red box in the above picture to enter the polar coordinate setting dialog box (detailed settings are shown in the figure below. The color setting can be arbitrary. I like brighter colors.)

PS: It should be noted here that the product of Angular step and Multiplier must be divisible by End Angle, otherwise the polar coordinate radius will be "unequally divided" in the effect. The

origin of the polar coordinates can be set before the first step (I set it before the first step, temporarily using the reference point of the pcb sheet as the origin of the polar coordinates. It can also be set in the option shown in the figure below)


The fourth step is to complete the polar coordinates (I am in polar coordinates), and some parameters are presented as shown in the following figure:


Step 5. After completing the polar coordinates, manually add the required objects. In the following figure, I added vias.


Finally, if necessary, you can delete the pad at the origin of the polar coordinates. If necessary, you can group these objects that have been distributed in a circular manner together like words so that they will not be changed.

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