How to make copper pour on a layer if PCB Editor crashes every time I try to place a shape?

Not really enough information. What version are you currently running ?.

Is your licensing running locally on your pc or is it on a networked server ?

When you ran dbdoctor check did it report any errors with the database ?

I am curious about this since I have used Allegro/Orcad pcb editor for a long time and have never seen it crash. In particular shapes would be one of it's strongest points "Copper Pours" etc.

Let us know and maybe we can help you out.

Thanks ...

Thanks for the reply.

I am running 17.4-2019 S006 [4/21/2020] Windows SPB 64-bit Edition, OrCAD PCB Designer Standard.

It's a node linked license (server running on my PC)

The doctor prints:

Checking db records

checking for orphans...

Checked 35 percent

Checked 71 percent

Loaded existing device file 'C:\Users\[..]\Documents\ORCAD\[.]\Layout\devices.dml'

Finished loading SigNoise device libraries

Checked 100 percent

Done dbdoctor.

I can only envy your positive experience, because I use ORCAD for one month and it keeps crashing whenever I try to place a shape on any etch layer.

I am still trying to troubleshoot the problem. Here some of my observations:

- I followed EMA tutorial for copper pour - works fine

- My design uses multiple part models from Digikey, Mouser and others placed on a circular board with a rectangular cutout about 25% of circle area. The cutout extrudes off the circle, i.e.the board  looks like a round waffle after a bite :)

- If I import my netlist to a rectangular PCB I can add pour with no problem

- If I use netlist from the tutorial on my circular board outline, the pour fails, that looks like I have a problem caused by complex shape of the board outline

I have quite a limited time for the design, so I had to move on without flooding my layers with copper at least for the first prototype. 

My advice would be to download the latest hotfix S007. This is QIR1 and Cadence have made lots of improvements to the software, Although I don't have your specific design I have just made a dummy design based on a circle with a rectangular cut-out and can pour copper without issue so give that a try. 

I just upgraded ORCAD to "hotfix 007". It worked for a short while long enough for me to place a big circular shape on one of 6 layers (GND). It overlaps over cutoff and this was the only time I was able to place a shape. Now everything is back to "ORCAD normal" - no way neither place a copper pour to another layer, nor even adjust the ground layer pour and cut the rectangular piece.   

Any way you can post a zip of your board to have a look?  Never seen this issue in all these years and would be happy to have a look.

Any way you can post a zip of your board to have a look?  Never seen this issue in all these years and would be happy to have a look.