eCADSTAR PCB Viewer is a free, restricted version of eCADSTAR PCB Editor, which allows you to view .pdes design files in read-only format. This includes designs that are being edited by another user in eCADSTAR PCB Editor. Design files in older versions are opened seamlessly.
If eCADSTAR is installed on your computer, then you can launch this viewer from the Windows start menu. Enter PCB Viewer in the search box. You cannot modify design data using eCADSTAR PCB Viewer. However, you can change the display settings of a design, without saving the changes. The changes that you specify are also applied to eCADSTAR PCB Editor. The ribbons can be customized, and you can add items to the Quick Access Toolbar. When working in a workspace, you can update the workspace settings, and save them to a workspace file. See Using Workspaces.
eCADSTAR PCB Viewer allows you to thoroughly inspect a
design in 2D View or 3D
View mode, without having to export manufacturing data. For example,
it could be used to check the clearances between components. You can also
explore layers, constraints and rules, check the properties of components
and execute macros. The 
icon is displayed on the
taskbar when the viewer is running. For Help regarding the commands in
eCADSTAR PCB Viewer, refer to the eCADSTAR
PCB Editor Help.
Base Mode is the only licensing mode that is supported by eCADSTAR PCB Viewer and eCADSTAR Schematic Viewer. Consequently, not all files associated with a design are required when using these applications. See: Minimum File Requirements for the eCADSTAR Viewers.
The eCADSTAR PCB Viewer Ribbon
The following tabs are available on the ribbon.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| File | The following items are available on the File
tab.
|
| Home | The following items are available on the Home tab. |
| Dimension | The following items are available on the Dimension
tab. Dimensions are not saved that you add to the design. |
| View | The following items are available on the View
tab. These items are similar to those available in eCADSTAR PCB Editor |
Comparison with eCADSTAR PCB Editor
Compared to eCADSTAR PCB Editor, functionality has been reduced as follows.
- Buttons in dialogs are unavailable if they are not required.
- Assist menus are either unavailable or contain fewer options than those in eCADSTAR PCB Editor. However, if a component has attributes defined as hyperlinks in the Attribute Manager dialog, then they can be launched from the assist menu of a component selected on the canvas. They can also be launched from Constraint Viewer and the Properties Panel. The hyperlinks are launched in your default browser or associated application.
- The Product Settings and Application Settings dialogs contain fewer settings. These dialogs are described below.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Settings | The Web Lookup and License Settings sections are unavailable.
For Help on the remaining settings, see Product
Settings. |
| Application Settings | Many sections are unavailable, and the Advanced
section contains fewer options. For Help on the remaining settings,
see Application
Settings. |
- Clicking "?" in eCADSTAR PCB Viewer displays the Help for eCADSTAR PCB Editor. Some of this content is not relevant to eCADSTAR PCB Viewer.
- You cannot view or search the library in eCADSTAR PCB Viewer.
- As eCADSTAR PCB Viewer does not include the Advanced 3D license, fewer file formats are supported for 3D models. 3D models are also less detailed, and take longer to load. 3D Mechanical objects that are aligned in Mechanical Object Organizer are not displayed. See Product Settings for the types of 3D model that are supported by the Advanced 3D license.
- Macros can be executed if they do not modify the PCB design.
- If the design that you are viewing is currently being edited, then the latest changes are not displayed in eCADSTAR PCB Viewer.
- PCB designs cannot be saved or sent to a plotter in eCADSTAR PCB Viewer. You can output data only by exporting text files in the appropriate dialogs, or by printing.
- High Speed or non High Speed designs can be opened in eCADSTAR PCB Viewer. However, no High Speed attributes are shown in High Speed designs.
