The Reference dialog allows
you to view the design information that is associated with an object selected
on the canvas. It also displays the data associated with the items selected
using the Board Information command,
and the results of the Component Information,
Auto Placement,
and Reload commands.
It is displayed by clicking Report > Information
> Reference Dialog on the eCADSTAR PCB Editor
ribbon. Alternatively, click 
(Display reference dialog) in the Properties panel.
Using this dialog, you can also measure the shortest distance between two objects on the board. Launch the dialog, and then click on the first object. When you click on the second object, the relevant clearance rule and the shortest distance is displayed in the dialog. A measure is also displayed on the canvas. This shows the measured distance in two dimensions. This is illustrated below.
If you click a third object, then the distance between the second and third object is measured.
- For each operation, information is appended to the bottom of the Reference dialog. To remove existing information from the dialog, click Clear.
- If you change the reference designator of a component that has variants, using the Change Reference dialog, then the following section is added to the Reference dialog: Variant component references cannot be changed directly. This section lists all the variant components in the selection, regardless of whether their reference designators are changed.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Reference box | Displays the design information associated with items that you select on the canvas, or by using the Board Information or Component Count commands. Data is appended each time you execute these commands, or select an item on the canvas. |
| Clear | The data in the Reference box is deleted. |
| Save as | Allows you to save the data that is displayed in the Reference box. Define the file name and location in the Save As dialog. |
| Close | Closes the Reference dialog without removing the contents. The data in the Reference box remains accessible until you close eCADSTAR PCB Editor. |
