Join Lines — User Guide

1Introduction

Join Lines connects the loose ends of two lines so that they meet cleanly at a single, shared point. You select two lines, run the tool, and click once near the corner where you want them to come together — the tool moves the nearest end of each line to the exact point where the two lines cross.

This is the classic trim & extend operation found in mechanical CAD, applied to PCB design. If your two lines stop short of each other, Join Lines extends them until they meet. If they cross and overshoot, it trims them back to the crossing point. Either way, you end up with two lines whose endpoints are perfectly coincident — no tiny gaps and no stray overhangs.

Join Lines works on two kinds of objects: copper traces, and ordinary lines drawn on a user (documentation) layer. There is no dialog box or settings window to learn — the whole tool is one keystroke and one mouse click.

2Requirements & Setup

A supported version of the Siemens / Mentor Graphics Xpedition PCB layout tool, installed and licensed.
A design open in the layout editor that contains the two lines you want to join.
Join Lines installed and its keyboard shortcut assigned through your normal ExactCAD setup. By default it is launched with the J key.

Note: Join Lines has no window or on-screen panel. It runs entirely through the layout editor: you make a selection, press the shortcut key, read the prompt at the bottom of the editor, and click. If a small window ever does appear on screen, it is safe to simply close it — it is not part of normal operation.

3How Join Lines Works

The tool looks at the two lines you selected and figures out where they would cross if each line were continued straight along its own direction. It then moves the end of each line that is nearest to where you clicked, placing both of those ends exactly on that crossing point. Because it works from the direction of each line — not just their current lengths — it can both lengthen and shorten lines as needed.

3.1 Extending lines that fall short

When the two selected lines stop before they reach each other, Join Lines stretches the near end of each line outward until both ends land on the crossing point.

Two lines that fall short (left) are extended until their endpoints meet (right).

3.2 Trimming lines that overshoot

When the two selected lines already cross and run past each other, Join Lines pulls the near end of each line back to the crossing point, removing the leftover overhang.

Two lines that cross and overshoot (left) are trimmed back so they meet exactly (right).

Tip: You do not need to know in advance whether a given pair of lines needs extending or trimming. Join Lines decides automatically based on where the two lines cross.

4Joining Two Lines — Step by Step

The whole operation takes a selection, a keystroke, and a single click.

In the layout editor, select exactly two lines — either two traces, or two user-layer (drawn) lines. Both lines must be of the same kind.
Press the Join Lines shortcut key (J by default). The tool starts and a prompt appears at the bottom of the editor inviting you to click near where you want the lines to join.
Click once in the general area where the two lines should come together. The click does not have to be precise — anywhere near the corner is fine.
The tool joins the two lines at their crossing point and finishes on its own. The prompt clears and you are returned to the editor.

Click anywhere in the general area of the corner — the click does not need to land exactly on the crossing point.

Note: The click does two jobs at once. It tells the tool to go ahead, and it tells the tool which end of each line to move: the end of each line closest to your click is the one that is repositioned to the crossing point. Clicking near the corner where the two lines should meet selects the correct ends automatically.

5What the Tool Does to Your Lines

Join Lines replaces the two original lines with two updated lines that share a common endpoint. The important properties of each line are carried over to the result:

Line width is preserved. Each line keeps its original width.
For traces, the net and layer are preserved. A trace stays on its original layer and remains assigned to its original net after joining.
For user-layer lines, the layer is preserved. A drawn line stays on the same user (documentation) layer it started on.
Only the near end moves. The far end of each line, and any additional bends or vertices along the line, stay exactly where they were. Only the single endpoint nearest your click is moved to the crossing point.
Both selected lines are affected. The tool adjusts both lines so they meet in the middle at the crossing point — it does not extend one line all the way to a fixed point on the other.

Tip: Because trace edits are made as a single change, the join can be reversed with one Undo in the layout editor if the result is not what you expected.

6Tips & Troubleshooting

Nothing happens when I run the tool: Make sure you selected your two lines before pressing the shortcut key. If nothing is selected, the tool simply exits.
“You need to select 2 lines first” or “You can only join 2 lines”: Join Lines works on exactly two lines at a time. Select precisely two and run it again.
Mix of a trace and a drawn line: Join the two as a matched pair — two traces, or two user-layer lines. Select two objects of the same kind for a clean result.
The lines did not move: If the two lines are parallel, or already lie along the same straight path, there is no single crossing point for the tool to use, so the lines are left unchanged. Adjust one line so the two are no longer parallel, then try again.
The wrong ends were joined: The end of each line nearest your click is the one that moves. If an unexpected end was repositioned, undo the change and click closer to the corner where you actually want the two lines to meet.
A small window appeared: Join Lines normally runs invisibly. If a small window shows up, just close it; it does not affect the operation.