OrCAD X Presto PCB - Recent Threads

Variant mode assembly drawing export in Orcad X Presto

LE202609089539 — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:27:57 GMT

How do I export an assembly drawing in Orcad X Presto with a variant assembly defined by Orcad X Capture? This is already a functionality in Orcad X PCB Editor. I have already exported variants.lst.

RE: Variant mode assembly drawing export in Orcad X Presto

Gowtham P — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:13:11 GMT

Hi LE202609089539

Currently Presto do not have a feature to place/export variant assembly.

This enhancement request is already being tracked and is planned for implementation in a future release.

RE: Custom Colour Save

Ulf K — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:35:27 GMT

I have not tested the Presto inteface for some time but the last time it was not possible to get the same "skeletal" view in Presto that can be defined in the Allegro for shapes, traces and pads. So for now I am sticking with the classic Allegro PCB Editor.

Custom Colour Save

MR20250507523 — Wed, 07 May 2025 09:25:00 GMT

In OrCAD X Presto I can save a custom layer view, but the assigned custom colours are not saved. Is there a way to save/load a color palette file in OrCAD X Presto as there is in OrCad PCB Designer?

RE: Custom Colour Save

JT20260325479 — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:52:19 GMT

Is this going to be fixed or is this the desired behavior?

The whole Presto interface is very impressive but the inability to save and recall layer color assignments is completely unacceptable!

The Presto interface is moving forward nicely, but this is a HUGE step backwards even from the Allegro interface!

PLEASE FIX THIS!!!!

RE: DRC exceptions not honored

rg13 — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:41:29 GMT

A Capture design cannot have parts that have visible pins with duplicate pin names. Only invisible power pins can have the same name, and they all connect to the same signal. If you have Cadence ASK portal access, then you can refer following:

Article (20451812) Title: Getting ERROR (ORCAP-36041) for duplicate pin name while creating netlist for Allegro PCB Editor
URL: https://ask.cadence.com/ASK/article-viewer?id=a1Od00000066QHbEAM&pageName=article-viewer

DRC exceptions not honored

passedpawn — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:25:32 GMT

I want to allow duplicate pin names. I get the error ORCAP-36041 when I do this, so I don't want errors for this.

Adding this error to the DRC>Exception Setup list does nothing - the error still occurs and I cannot generate a netlist.

What am I doing wrong?

Creating Footprints from Templates in Orcad X Presto

vidhyaparameswari — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:02:27 GMT

OrCAD X Presto enables you to choose templates from which you can generate footprints and 3D models. You can choose among templates and options to see the footprints and (once generated) 3D views. You can then refresh, edit, alter, and regenerate the necessary footprints, relevant pads, and files.

To begin,

Choose File – New – Template based footprint.
A new template file opens immediately in the canvas. This is followed by the Footprint Generator window.

2.Choose a template type and a predefined IPC type (IPC-A, IPC-B, or IPC-C).

3.Modify parameter values for the selected template.

4.Click the Generate button at the top right.

You can always change parameters and click Generate again to re-generate the footprint according to your updated template specifications.
A footprint is created and uploaded to the design canvas. The .dra and .psm files are created in the directory specified to the psmpath variable.

Presto LiveDoc Titleblock

JT20260325479 — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:32:01 GMT

Does anybody know if it's possible to create a custom titleblock in Presto LiveDoc?

And/or add user defined variables?

Thanks!

Jeff Thompson

Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc.

RE: Presto LiveDoc Titleblock

JT20260325479 — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 22:07:51 GMT

Thanks Juan!

Is there a way to back propagate the custom variables to the PCB design?

It would be nice to be able to set the rev in the PCB design and have it update on the PCB (for gerbers) and the LiveDoc!

RE: Presto LiveDoc Titleblock

JuanCR — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:01:57 GMT

Hi Jeff!

To create and use a custom titleblock in LiveDoc, you typically modify a title block symbol in OrCAD X Capture and then reference it in Presto:

Modify the Title Block in OrCAD X Capture:
- Open the library (.olb file) containing your page symbols via File – Open – Library
- Select the title block symbol you wish to customize.
- To add a variable field, click the Add Property icon in the Properties panel and specify a name with a $ prefix (e.g., $Company_Name)
- Set the display option for this property to Value only and place it within the title block graphic on the canvas
- Save the library.
Apply the Custom Titleblock in Presto:
- In OrCAD X Presto, navigate to Edit – Preferences – LiveDoc – Defaults
- In the OrCAD Symbol field, browse to the path of your updated .olb file.
- Select your custom title block from the Title Block drop-down list and click OK
- When you create a new LiveDoc (via Manufacture – LiveDoc – Create New from Template), the custom titleblock will be used

About your second query, LiveDoc allows you to manage variables that can be used throughout your documentation:

Defining Variables in the Properties Panel:
- Open the Document Settings pane in the Properties panel while in LiveDoc.
- The Variables table lists all default and custom variables.
- Click Add Custom Var at the bottom of the table to create a new variable and assign it a value
- Any changes made here are instantly updated across all instances of that variable on every page in the LiveDoc
Automatic Recognition:
- If you added properties with a $ prefix to your title block symbol in Capture, LiveDoc automatically recognizes these and displays them in the Variables pane of the Properties panel
- You can then assign values to these variables directly within Presto, and they will populate the title block

Secure Your PCB Intellectual Property with Database Locking in OrCAD X Presto

vidhyaparameswari — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:27:19 GMT

Collaborating on PCB designs often requires sharing database files with customers, partners, or manufacturing teams. OrCAD X Presto's IP Protection Locking feature helps safeguard sensitive design information by allowing designers to control how a database can be viewed, modified, saved, or exported after it is shared.

Open your design and navigate to File → IP Protection Locking to access the database protection options.
Enable Lock Design and enter a secure password to protect the database from unauthorized modifications. Passwords are case-sensitive and support up to 20 alphanumeric characters.
Optionally define an Expiration Duration to automatically limit how long the lock remains active.
Select the appropriate lock mode based on your sharing requirements:
- View Lock to prevent saving and exporting.
- Export Lock to restrict exports of protected data.
- Write Lock to prevent database saves while allowing exports.
For enhanced security, enable NTP Time Verification and specify an NTP server to ensure lock expiration is validated against a trusted time source.
Confirm the password and click OK to create a locked copy of the design. A new database file is generated with a lock-specific suffix while the original design remains unchanged. Users opening the locked database can only perform actions permitted by the selected lock mode.
Recipients can open the design but will receive warnings when attempting restricted actions.

[emoticon:84281105d9464683910b3447913acc28] Pro Tip: Keep a secure record of the password. Locked databases cannot be recovered if the password is forgotten.

PCB Footprint Text on Silkscreen Layer

ddchar — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:25:32 GMT

My PCB components have the footprint names displayed in Presto. These are on the "Device Type/Silkscreen_Top" layer. The footprint names don't appear in the silkscreen artwork, but this does cause (minor) problems when trying to move reference designator text, for example (I have to move this text out of the way to select the RefDes). What I would like to do is turn off this layer without turning off everything on the silkscreen layer. Is there any way to do this?

RE: PCB Footprint Text on Silkscreen Layer

ddchar — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:07:52 GMT

Thanks for the info. I can delete the text in the .brd file. I looked for a way to delete the footprint name when editing the footprint in Allegro, but this text does not appear. Other text values (e.g., tolerance, ref des, etc.) are visible, but I couldn't find a setting in which the footprint text was visible (everything on Silkscreen Top was set to visible).

I haven't figured out how to change the subclass in Presto. I can see the Subclass/Layer on the Properties panel, but it doesn't appear to be editable.

RE: You quickly edit the footprint pin location in the tool at board level.

vidhyaparameswari — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 08:37:00 GMT

Hi,

Greetings!!

Thank you for sharing your feedback and detailed queries regarding OrCAD X Presto.

Currently, in OrCAD X Presto, there is no direct method to quickly modify the coordinates of the endpoints of multiple line segments through numeric input, nor is there a precise coordinate-entry-driven workflow available while drawing or editing the board outline similar to what is supported in the legacy PCB Editor.

We understand how important such basic and precise editing capabilities are for efficient PCB design, and we certainly acknowledge the limitations you’ve highlighted.

Please note that the functionality you’ve requested has already been logged as an enhancement request with the R&D team. These requirements are under review and will be considered for implementation in future releases of OrCAD X Presto.

Your feedback is valuable and helps drive improvements in the product. Please feel free to share any additional observations or use cases that can further help prioritize these enhancements.

You quickly edit the footprint pin location in the tool at board level.

vidhyaparameswari — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:20:47 GMT

In OrCAD X Presto, you can now edit pin locations quickly using the spreadsheet in the Search tab.

In the screenshot below, observe that pin 4 of the footprint is not aligned with the other pins.

You can easily notice the misalignment in the Search tab. As shown in the screenshot above, pin 4 is currently located at (-2.903, -2.118). Since the pins are aligned vertically, its x-coordinate should be -2.700.

As shown below, the distance between pins is 1.270 mm, and pin 3 is located at (-2.700, -0.635).

Therefore, the correct location for pin 4 should be (-2.700, -1.905). This can be easily edited using the Search tab, as demonstrated in the screenshot below.

RE: PCB Footprint Text on Silkscreen Layer

Ulf K — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:01:05 GMT

Since I do not work using Presto but rather the "old fashon" GUI, what I am about to suggest may not be relevant but here it goes:

Whenever encountering a footprint with IMO excessive amount of silk-screen texts, I either delete the text or, if I for some reason want to retain it in the .BRD file data, I create a new subclass like "SilkScreen_Hidden". I then change the properties of the particular text string to that sub class after which I make that class invisible.

RE: How to use coordinates to quickly locate the add line operation on OrCAD X Presto PCB

Zhifeng Jin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:22:46 GMT

Hello, has this feature been scheduled for development yet? Alternatively, is there any quick workaround available that avoids switching to the legacy PCB Editor to perform these operations?

How to use coordinates to quickly locate the add line operation on OrCAD X Presto PCB

Zhifeng Jin — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 11:46:43 GMT

Hi brothers, I have been learning OrCAD X Presto PCB recently. Is there a way to accurately and quickly input coordinate positioning like Allegro editor when using add line drawing?

For example:

Enter command x 10 100

How to export all PCB Footprint in a PCB to a local folder in the OrCAD X Presto PCB editor？

Zhifeng Jin — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 17:09:03 GMT

As the title suggests,

How to export all PCB Footprint in a PCB to a local folder in the OrCAD X Presto PCB editor？

RE: How to export all PCB Footprint in a PCB to a local folder in the OrCAD X Presto PCB editor？

Zhifeng Jin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:14:07 GMT

Hi techiecs,Has this feature been scheduled for development at present?

RE: It should not take hours to figure out how to rotate text 45 degrees :(

Zhifeng Jin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:08:49 GMT

Hello JuanCR, I’m wondering how you managed to upload images without any issues.🤔

It should not take hours to figure out how to rotate text 45 degrees :(

DG202504226528 — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:29:18 GMT

Even chatgtp can't figure it out. I can't even do it in the legacy tool. Why is everything stuck at 90???? Another super simple thing that would be solved in two seconds in any other tool.

RE: It should not take hours to figure out how to rotate text 45 degrees :(

Zhifeng Jin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:03:25 GMT

I’m confused about why you’re able to upload images successfully.

But every time I try uploading on my end, it keeps prompting: An error occurred. Please try again or contact your administrator.

RE: It should not take hours to figure out how to rotate text 45 degrees :(

Zhifeng Jin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:59:48 GMT

I’m confused about why you’re able to upload images successfully.

But every time I try uploading on my end, it keeps prompting: An error occurred. Please try again or contact your administrator.