A method to export Altium schematics for use in LaTeX and other word processors

[qat]

I hate compressed formats for writing documentation. They take up a lot of space and they are not infinitely zoomable and look horrible and I just don't like it.

I've been looking for a way to export parts of Altium schematics to specifically LaTeX (Overleaf), but this also works for other word processors, except for Microsoft Word which already correctly interprets parts of Altium schematics pasted from the clipboard. There are a couple of ways to do it by manipulating PDF print settings etc. but they are all quite ineffective and take too long. The method I've found that is insanely quick and easy, and I thought I'd share since I've seen little information on this elsewhere.

Things that you need:
- Altium
- Inkscape (free and open-source )

Steps:
1. Launch Inkscape and create a new document, settings don't really matter
2. In Inkscape, File > Export
3. In the Export pane that pops up, check "Export selected only"
4. In Altium, simple Ctrl + C whatever piece of schematic you want to use
5. Back in Inkscape, simply Ctrl + V (now you can modify the image if you like)
6. Select the schematic within Inkscape then in the bottom right, choose where you want to save your schematic and in what format.
7. Hit "Export" and you're done.

You can keep Inkscape open > copy a schematic in Altium > paste it in Inkscape > hit export (don't forget to change name) > delete it > repeat.



In LaTeX I use the following commands:

\usepackage{svg}                        % Use SVG images
    \svgsetup{inkscapelatex=false}      % Fix fonts and stuff

And:

\begin{figure}
    \centering
    \includesvg[width = 1 \textwidth]{graphics/diagrams/altium-schematic}
    \caption{asdf}
    \label{fig:myfig}
\end{figure}

After exporting to PDF, it is now in a lossless format, and the SVGs use only a few kilobytes of space. 

I hope someone finds this thread useful. I wish I found this information way back.

[tomasA]

This would of been immensely usefull during my undergrand thesis. At least now I can use it for work reports, thank you.

[free_electron]

copy paste into word, or powerpoint, or illustrator. Altium clipboard copy essentially is a WMF or EMF object ( vector) . so it can be pasted directly in tools that can handle WMF/EMF (like the above)

[T3sl4co1l]

I have no problems embedding PDF output, though I don't know how well optimized it is (does it embed the whole PDF? I don't think so, but how much of the cropped sheet, perhaps? dunno..), and using the old fashioned

Code: [Select]

\includegraphics[page=2, trim=9.8in 6.25in 4.8in 3.5in, clip, scale=1.25, ext=pdf]{filename}isn't exactly fast to set up (as the trim command isn't exact to read off the source document itself).  Fine for few-off figures in short articles; probably quite annoying editing a whole thesis or book?

Tim