- Another very handy tool is the ability
to automatically annotate your schematics.
So for example, I changed my component here,
the component name to be U1.
So I just did a double-click
and changed the designator name.
And I can do the same for every other component.
So capacitor, maybe I have five or ten,
so it would be C1, C2, C3, and so on.
So I don't have to manually insert
each of these component names or designators.
And I could do that, of course, if I'd like,
and sometimes I may need to,
but there is a tool that can help you automate that process.
So if I just go to Tools, and under Annotation here,
I have a bunch of annotation tools,
where I can click on Annotate, and Annotate Schematics.
And so this does its best to automatically annotate
all of your components.
So right now you can see,
here's a list of all the components
thrown into my schematic here,
so a number of connectors, resistors, capacitors, and so on.
And right now they haven't been properly designated.
That's why I'm seeing this question mark
beside each of them.
And I have a bunch of repeat designators,
which would be a flaw or an error that would come up.
So, this will automatically annotate all these for me,
or give unique identifiers or designators for me.
And it's based on this numbering scheme up here.
So you have a few options you can choose from.
Right now it's numbering across and then down,
as we can see.
But you can change the order of your numbering,
depending on your specific standards you may need or use.
In this case, I'm gonna stick with across then down.
And if I'm happy with all the other settings,
I can just say Update changes list.
And right now it's saying that
right now there's 37 different components
that don't have unique identifiers or designators,
so that's gonna make 37 changes here,
and I can say Okay to that.
And notice now, it shows what the current name comes in as,
as well as the proposed designator.
So again, it's just numbering it.
It's an automatic numbering system
based on the system here.
So you can actually see what there may be there
and you can actually try to make changes here as well,
or after the fact also.
Of course, it may not always be perfect.
It may not always be exactly what you're looking for,
but maybe it'll get you 70 percent of the way there,
and then you can make your own manual changes
in addition to this as well.
So if I'm happy with that,
I can just say Accept Changes,
and that's going to bring me
to my Engineering change order, ECO here.
And I can check these,
turn on or off whichever I'm happy with or unhappy with.
I can check these off.
And I can just run a Validate Changes,
and that's just gonna try to validate all my changes here.
I should be able to see a green check
over on the right-hand side,
if my changes have been validated.
And then once I'm happy with that,
I can just hit Execute Changes.
And we can see that running all the way through,
trying to execute them all.
Looks like I've got green checks across the board,
so all those changes have gone through.
And I can close out once finished
and close out here as well.
And now I can see each and every one of my components
have been named based on that numbering scheme,
so C1, C2, C3, TP6, 7, 8, and so on.
So just a big time-saver
as far as creating the designators there.
Again, it may not be perfectly
what you're looking for there,
and then if so, that's not a problem.
You just have to manually change whatever may be required.