On a perfboard you insert parts from the front (the component side) and solder on the back (the copper side). So even for the same circuit, it looks completely different depending on which side you view from, and people often mix up left and right when soldering from a drawing and plug an IC in backwards. Patterndo provides a 2D view, a 3D view, and a switch between the component side and copper side, so you can check the same circuit from several angles before soldering. This article covers what each view shows, how to operate them, and what to check before you solder. The basics of reading drawings are explained first in Reading a Layout Diagram.
The view types at a glance
Switch with the 2D / 3D buttons and the Component side / Copper side button on the top bar. The current view is shown in the status bar at the bottom of the screen, like "2D Component side".
| View | How to switch | What it shows | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D component side | The default when the editor opens | A plan view from above. Parts, rails, and wiring are all shown | Placement and wiring work, checking simulation |
| 2D copper side | F | A plan view of the board flipped over, mirrored left to right. Wires are drawn thick and solder points as black dots | Seeing what you will see while soldering |
| 3D | 3 | A tilted three-dimensional view. Part heights and jumper wires are visible | Checking whether parts interfere and how it will look finished |
2D view
Component side
When you first open the editor, it is the component side. The top row is the red VCC rail and the bottom row is the blue GND rail. The top ruler shows column numbers (increasing from 1 to the right), and the left ruler shows row names (increasing from A downward, then lowercase a, b… beyond row 26). When you hover over a hole, the cursor position is shown in the status bar at the bottom, and diagnostic items use the same style of position.
| Coordinate | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1A | Column 1, the top row (row A). The upper-left corner |
| 36P | Column 36, the 16th row (row P) |
| 62b | Column 62, the 28th row (lowercase row b). The lower-right corner of the default board |
Copper side
Press the F key or the Flip board button on the top bar to switch to the copper side. It shows the board flipped horizontally, so it looks like this.
- Column numbers run backwards from 62 to 1, and the row names are shown on the right.
- The VCC rail is drawn in red, the GND rail in blue, and the other wiring thick in white, and the places to solder appear as black dots.
- Parts are shown as translucent outlines.
- The Inspector's "Display side" value changes from COMPONENT to COPPER.
This orientation is what you will actually see in front of you when soldering. Because left and right are mirrored, the IC's pin numbers also appear in the opposite order from the component side. The coordinate value of a hole itself points to the same hole regardless of the side.
Zoom and pan
- Zoom: the mouse wheel, the + - keys, and the + and − buttons in the status bar at the lower right. The percentage in the middle is the current zoom.
- Fit to screen: press the 0 key or the zoom display in the status bar.
- Pan: drag with the wheel button (middle button), drag while holding Space, or use the pan tool (G).
- Touch screens: pinch with two fingers to zoom in and out.
3D view
Switch with the 3 key or the 3D button on the top bar. In the 3D view, parts like resistors and LEDs sit in three dimensions on the board with holes, and jumper wires are shown arching over the board. The same circuit looks flat in 2D, but in 3D the part heights exist, so you can easily tell whether a tall part hides another part and whether a jumper wire passes over a part.
The first time you open 3D, a 3D controls hint appears at the upper right.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Move a part | Drag the part, arrow keys |
| Rotate 90 degrees | R, drag the rotation handle |
| Orbit the camera | Drag an empty area, drag with the right mouse button, two fingers |
| Pan the camera | Drag with the middle button, drag while holding Space |
You can close the hint window with ×, and to see it again, open command search with Ctrl+K and run "Show 3D controls hint again". Zoom works as in 2D with the wheel or + -, and 0 returns the camera to its initial position.
In the 3D view too, pressing F switches to the copper side so you can look at the underside of the board. Then the power rails and solder positions are visible along the holes, and to return to the component side press F once more.
Drawing wires is more accurate in the 2D view. Use the 3D view for moving, rotating, and deleting parts and for checking.
Things to know when switching views
- When you change views, a wire you were drawing or a part being moved is canceled, while items already selected stay selected.
- The 2D zoom and pan position are remembered separately from the 3D camera. When you return to 2D, the earlier screen is still there.
- Simulation keeps running regardless of the view. In 3D you can also look at parts with the simulation on, but the net probe window, which you open by clicking a wire or hole to see voltage and current, opens only in the 2D view (Using Patterndo Simulation).
What to check with the views before soldering
- Check placement on the 2D component side: check part orientation, the LED's A and K, electrolytic capacitor polarity, and IC notch direction.
- Flip to the 2D copper side to check wiring: see whether the holes to solder and the wiring paths connect without omissions, and whether adjacent wires are too close together (Soldering Basics).
- Check interference in 3D: see that tall parts and jumper wires do not overlap or touch, and that parts do not go over the board edge.
- Check the diagnostics panel: see that errors and warnings are 0 (Reading Diagnostics Messages).
Summary
The 2D component side is for working, the 2D copper side is for soldering, and 3D is for checking form. Alternating with the three keys 2, 3, and F to check the IC orientation, polarity, and jumper wire positions before soldering greatly reduces mistakes. The control keys are in Patterndo Keyboard Shortcuts, and a from-the-start walkthrough is in Getting Started with Patterndo.