Project Editor Preferences
Select Edit > Preferences from the Project Editor main menu to modify the behavior of the Project Editor.
General
Auto Backup
Save a backup of project every: When this checkbox is selected, a backup of your geometry project is created at the time interval specified. The name of the backup file is the same name as your project file but has a ".bck" suffix. For example, if your project file is filter.sonx, the backup file is named filter.bck This file is deleted when exiting the Project Editor, but remains in your directory if your system fails.
Appearance
Show label in toolbars: Select this checkbox if you wish to display the text beneath the buttons on your tool bars. If this checkbox is not selected, no text is displayed in the tool bars. You may turn the text off at any time by using the Window > Toolbars and Panels > Tool Button Text command. The default is to display the text.
Display Macro IDs: If your project has Macro IDs, select this checkbox to display the Macro IDs. For most items, edit the properties of the item, and the Macro ID will be displayed, usually in the lower-left corner of the window. For polygons, select the polygon, and the Macro ID is displayed in the status bar. This checkbox is automatically enabled when you execute the Generate Macro IDs command.
Show derived layers in Stackup Manager: Select this checkbox to display a symbol in the Stackup Manager for each Derived Tech Layer in your project.
Always Show Precedence controls: By default, the Precedence value of a Tech Layer is 0. If all Tech Layers have a Precedence of 0, the Precedence value is not shown in the Tech Layer Properties dialog box unless this checkbox is enabled. See Overlapping Polygons for more information about Precedence.
Editing
Remain in modes and tools: When this checkbox is selected, the Project Editor will remain in a given mode until you explicitly exit by pressing the ESC key or selecting another mode. When this option is not enabled, pressing the shift key while selecting a mode will leave you in the mode until you explicitly exit it.
Show polygon handles on select: Select this checkbox if you wish control points to appear when you select a polygon. These controls allow you to quickly and intuitively resize and reshape your polygons. If you do not wish the handles to appear when a polygon is selected, clear this checkbox. See Click to Select for more details.
Lock Local Origin: Select this checkbox if you wish to lock the Local Origin to your current position and prevent it from being moved.
Scrolling
Auto scroll when mouse is dragged near the edge: When this checkbox is checked, moving your mouse outside the viewable area while in certain modes will activate auto scroll. For example, if you are zoomed up and are drawing a polygon and you move your mouse outside the viewable area, your view will automatically scroll in the direction you moved your mouse.
Mouse wheel scrolls instead of zoom: By default the middle mouse scroll wheel zooms in and out, but checking this box will make the middle mouse scroll wheel pan up and down.
Significant Digits
Measurements: Enter the number of digits used when displaying sizes and positions of objects in the Measurement Tool, Readout panel, status bar and the length displayed in Dimensions.
New Project
The New Project pane allows you to change the behavior of Sonnet when you create a new geometry project. This is useful if you always wish to start with a particular set of materials, Tech Layers, frequency sweeps, units, or any other set of properties which you commonly use.
Use blank project: Selecting this radio button opens a default blank project when you create a new geometry project. This is the default setting.
Always Use This Template: Selecting this radio button uses the template file specified below as the basis for all new geometry projects.
Select from template folder: If this radio button is selected, Sonnet will open a browse window whenever you create a new geometry project. You may then select from any template file in the specified folder. This is useful if you wish to have multiple templates from which to choose.
Override units from blank project and templates: If you wish to use units which are different from the default units or the units specified in a template or blank project, you may check this box. Then, you may click the Edit button to change the units used when you create a new geometry project. See Units for a description of the radio buttons in this dialog box.
User Libraries
The User Libraries pane allows you to create and edit a custom conductor and dielectric material library. Click the Edit Conductor Library or Edit Dielectric Library button to launch the Library Editor where you may Add, Add from Installed, Edit, or Delete your own conductor or dielectric materials. See User Library for more information.
Print preferences allows you to define the appearance of printouts when using File > Print from any tab.
Keyboard
Keyboard Preferences allow you to define keyboard commands for the type of tab you have open. To define a shortcut key for a menu command, you enter the desired key sequence in the Key text entry box for that command. If the key combination you enter is already in use by the software, you will receive a warning before the change is applied. You may choose to go ahead with the assignment by clicking the Remove and Reassign button, or click the Do Nothing button and no changes are made.
If you change a shortcut key for a command that is common among multiple tab types, the change will apply to all tab types.
To see a list of existing shortcuts, click the List Assigned Shortcuts button. A window appears listing all assigned keys.
You may export your shortcut keys to share with another user by clicking the Export button and saving a shortcut bindings file (.bnd). Click the Import button to import a shortcut bindings file.
Hints/Tips
Sonnet will occasionally pop up a hint, notice or assistant to help you with a particular feature. These pop-ups include a checkbox which allows you to prevent that hint, notice, or assistant from popping up in the future. For example, the Component Assistant window contains a checkbox labeled "Do not use this assistant again." If you select the checkbox, the Component Assistant will no longer automatically pop-up. If you wish to re-enable the pop-ups that you disabled, press the Reset All button.
Hover Over Tips
By default, pausing your cursor (sometimes called "hovering") over different objects in Sonnet causes a tooltip to appear which contains information about that object. The Hover Over Tips section allows you to disable some or all tooltips. Also, you may adjust the length of time before tooltips appear and the duration of time you would like them to be shown.
See Also