Using the Component Libraries Window

Once you save one or more components to a library, and create target coordinate systems in the design where you intend to place the component, you can right-click the 3D component icon () in the Project Manager or, using the menu bar, click one of the Draw > 3D Component Library commands to browse your folders or libraries.

Toggle the visibility of the docked Component Libraries window from the menu bar by clicking View > Component Libraries and navigate the installed libraries from there. Visibility of the Component Libraries window is remembered for each design type so that, if context switches between different design types, the window is shown or hidden based on setting for new design type.

From the Component Libraries window, you can navigate the directory of installed components, as well as any in your Personal Library. The Component Libraries window lists all the 3D components available in syslib, UserLib and PersonalLib. It shows a folder corresponding to a library only if there are components for the active design type in that library folder. There are also additional optional folders for managing Favorites and Most Recently Used components. Component Libraries window contents, including Most Recently Used and Favorites correspond to the active design. When context is switched between different designs, the Component Libraries window will be refreshed so that it is relevant to the active design.

You can control whether to show the Favorites and Most Recently Used folders. Access the Options dialog box from the menu bar by clicking Tools > Options > General Options. The folder visibility options are on the General > Component Libraries Options page.

Right-click a component to view the Add to Favorites command for including frequently used components in the Favorites folder. Once a model is included in the Favorites folder, you can also right-click it to Remove from Favorites.

When you have added a component to a design, it also appears in the Most Recently Used folder. You can also right-click model there to view the Add to Favorites and Place Component commands.

You can select any component from the library, and drag and drop to insert it in the design. If you insert a component by the drag and drop method, the component is immediately inserted, skipping the Insert Component dialog box. The component is inserted with default component parameter values and is placed in the currently active coordinate system.

You can also select Place Component from the shortcut menu or double-click any model in the component libraries to view the Insert 3D Component Instance dialog box opened to the Parameters tab. Using the Place Component menu command allows you to review component parameter values, change target coordinate system, and so forth, using the Insert Component dialog box. You can also view the Image and Info tabs.

Component file organization on the disk

3D Component files are organized in three libraries (that is, syslib, UserLib, and PersonalLib). 3D component files must be in a 3DComponents folder under the appropriate library location. Files must be further organized by design type in the 3DComponents folder. For example, component files for HFSS should be organized under 3DComponents\HFSS, as done for syslib. The 3D Component Libraries window looks for components under a folder corresponding to the active design type, and it ignores component files under folders corresponding to another design type. For example, HFSS will ignore component files placed directly under the Maxwell subfolder.