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Bitu , 08-24-2026, 04:51 PM

I have made some design changes as well while creating PCB 2 from PCB 1. So, is it possible to add these design changes as a variant in the same Altium project? If yes, how can I add the existing PCB 2 changes as a variant without having to recreate everything from scratch?

@Robert Feranec

, 08-24-2026, 04:53 PM

🤖 In the meantime, here’s a response from the [FEDEVEL AI HW Assistant]().
It helps to find relevant resources for your question, but it may make mistakes as it’s still in early development.

This is the response from the AI Assistant:
Altium's variant system is designed for component-level variations (fitted/not fitted, different values) within the same PCB layout, not for structural PCB changes like different routing or board shapes. Here's the breakdown:

1. **Component Variations Only**
Variant management (shown in Tutorial 4 [source 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L36KicrU45Q&t=1842) and [source 18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3omDgrSIco&t=0)) handles:
- Component fitting/non-fitting
- Alternate component values
- BOM variations

2. **PCB Layout Changes Require Different Approach**
If PCB 2 has different routing, layer stackup, or board shape:
- **Option 1**: Maintain separate PCB files (PCB1.PcbDoc, PCB2.PcbDoc) in the same project
- **Option 2**: Use hierarchical design with channel/repeatable blocks (not directly covered in videos)

3. **Partial Workaround for Simple Changes**
If changes are minor and component-related:
- Create variant-specific rooms ([source 13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXjcSAsHkRQ&t=3350))
- Use variant-aware design rules
- Update schematics/PCBs through ECO process ([source 15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjisxPcYPsg&t=1150))

Key limitation: Altium variants don't support multiple PCB layouts in one project. Structural changes require separate PCB documents or advanced design techniques.

You can continue chatting with the AI Assistant here:
https://fedevel.com/hw-assistant

Robert Feranec , 08-25-2026, 05:37 AM

if I understand right, you made layout changes in PCB, correct? if yes, then this is not really a variant it is more like new version or revision. Variant is the same PCB but different components are fitted or not fitted. The easiest way to handle board versions is to copy the version 1 to a new directory that will become version 2 and start making changes there. Theoretically you could maybe use versioning system for this, but i have never done it through versioning - i am not sure if that is the best way to do it.