Design Tools
PCB Editor
Turn a finished schematic into a manufacturable board. The PCB Editor brings your footprints across from the schematic, then gives you interactive routing, copper zones, a multi-layer stackup, design-rule checking, and a real-time 3D view — all in the same workspace.
# Sync From Schematic
The board starts from your schematic. Sync From Schematic pulls in every footprint, net, and connection, and keeps the two views in step as your design evolves.
The sync review
Each sync opens a Sync Review dialog so you decide exactly what comes across before anything changes on the board:
- Added / removed footprints — new parts placed in the schematic, and orphaned footprints whose parts were deleted
- Net updates — connections that changed since the last sync
- Removed routes — existing tracks that would lose connectivity
A footprint preflight runs first to confirm every component has a valid, resolvable footprint, so you never end up with a board full of unplaced parts.
Sync Review dialog listing added footprints, net updates, and removed routes
# Layers & Stackup
Open the Layer Manager (L) to control the board stackup and what’s visible on the canvas.
- Layer presets — switch between a 2-layer and 4-layer stackup, or work with a custom copper count
- Active routing layer — pick the copper layer new tracks are drawn on, also available from the toolbar dropdown
- Visibility — toggle copper, silkscreen, solder mask, and the board outline (Edge.Cuts); at least one copper layer always stays visible
- Color-coded layers — each layer has a swatch so tracks and pours are easy to tell apart
Layer Manager with copper layers, active layer, and visibility toggles
# Routing Tracks & Vias
Route interactively with the Route tool (W). Click a pad or track end to start, click to drop corners, and press Esc to cancel. Hold Shift to constrain to 45° angles.
Trace width
Set the active width from the toolbar — step it up or down, or pick a saved preset. You can also apply a width to an in-progress route or selected segments.
Vias
Press V mid-route (or use the Via tool) to drop a via and continue on another layer. Via presets store diameter and drill size.
Active layer
Tracks are drawn on the active copper layer chosen in the Layer Manager or toolbar dropdown.
Editing
Select any track or via to change its net, layer, or width in the Inspector — set the width on multiple segments at once.
Interactive routing with a 45° track and the trace-width control
# Copper Zones & Pours
Use the Zone tool (Z) to draw a copper pour — click each corner and press Enter to close the polygon. Zones are typically used for ground and power planes.
Fill rules
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Net | The net the pour connects to (e.g. GND), or leave isolated |
| Layer | Which copper layer the zone fills |
| Clearance | Spacing the pour keeps from other copper |
| Min width | Minimum copper width inside the pour |
| Priority | Fill order when zones overlap — higher priority fills last |
Press B (or Fill All Zones) to recompute every pour after you move tracks or change clearances.
# Placing Footprints
Drag footprints into position, then fine-tune from the toolbar or Inspector.
- Rotate (R) — turn the selected footprint 90°
- Flip side (F) — move a footprint to the opposite side of the board
- Nudge — arrow keys move the selection by one grid step
- Lock — pin a footprint in place so it can’t be moved by accident
- Inspector — set exact X/Y, rotation, board side, and reference/value text
# Auto-Router
Open the Auto-Route panel and click Auto Route Board for a one-click pass, or tune it first.
- Presets — Fast 2-layer, Balanced 2-layer, 4-layer with planes, or Aggressive reroute
- Routing layers — choose which copper layers the router may use
- Options — route only unrouted nets, preserve manual copper, allow vias, repair planes, and stitch GND vias
- Power / ground planes — assign plane nets and let the router build and repair them
- Results — see completion %, tracks and vias inserted, runtime, and any remaining airwires
Auto-Route panel with presets, layer filters, and a completion summary
# Design Rule Check (DRC)
Run PCB DRC from the toolbar to validate the board against your design rules. The violation count shows in the toolbar (orange when issues remain) and details open in the DRC results panel — covering clearance, connectivity, overlapping footprints, and unconnected pads.
DRC also acts as a gate on manufacturing output: if you export Gerbers with open errors or warnings, ProtoFlow asks you to Review DRC or Continue Anyway so nothing ships by surprise.
# Outline, Keep-Outs & Annotations
Board outlineO
Edit the Edge.Cuts outline — drag vertices, add or delete corners, and set exact positions.
Keep-outK
Draw an area that blocks tracks, vias, and/or copper pour on chosen layers.
TextT
Place silkscreen labels with full typography control (size, layer, alignment, mirroring).
MeasureM
Drop dimensions and read length, delta X/Y, and angle between two points.
# 3D Board View
Open the 3D Board View from the toolbar to see a rendered board with component models. Reset to the top view, zoom in and out, and return to the 2D editor at any time — handy for spotting placement and mechanical clearance problems before fabrication.
3D rendered board with footprint models
Next Steps
- → Create the land patterns you place with the Footprint Editor
- → Generate fabrication files in Manufacturing Outputs
- → Catch issues early with Design Analysis