Preparing a schematic template with zone link support.

Now that we have documentation symbols (See here) we can start to use them, however in order to not have to setup the symbols & the zones for every schematic we should make a schematic template so that it is setup for each new schematic.

To do this start a new schematic using your current default template, add your document symbol borders etc.


Settings\Zones configuration screen

 
Place the symbols down, select their properties and tick the "All Sheets" box so that they are (as the name says) added to all sheets in the design should you add more as it grows.

Fix them all in place and add any documentation attributes required (oh no - that's another post to do!).

Then from the menu Settings\Zones opens up the zone configuration screen (on the right).


Enter "10" into both the "Number of Zones" fields, select "Get Coordinates from Sheet" and it will use the outside edge of your border symbol, choose an appropriate text code for the screen markings and what screen edges you want to see them on (if at all) as per the image.
 
Click on OK and then we can configure the signal reference links.


Settings\Defaults - Link Tab - Link configuration screen.

  
This is done in Settings\Defaults - on the Links tab. 
 
First you need to select the "Use Signal Reference Links" option to turn them on, then choose an appropriate text code -configure alignment and style etc for how you would like to see the links displayed.
 
The default display is for the sheet name however if you have long sheet names and a complicated schematic you may choose to use  "Use sheet number" instead to displays the number of the sheet instead.
"New Line" displays each link on a new line - otherwise they are all in a row.
 
OK that and the schematic should now be setup so that any signal references placed on the design will display a link to any other signal reference for the same signal.
 
In order that we do not have to do this all again on new designs, simply select from the CADSTAR Design Editor menu File\Save as Template and the name the template something like "A3 Zoned" and all new designs will be able to use the links.
Once you are familiar with doing this it will only take you a few minutes should you wish to setup older designs to use these features.