Altium - Back Annotating (PCB -> Schematic)

Question

I have a project that was converted from PCAD to Altium. The PCB layout looks great in terms of component placement, tracks, polygons, etc. A colleague went through and created a bunch of schematic files, and replicated the imported PCAD schematics but using our Altium library parts. Vast majority of the designators now between the PCB and newly created schematic do not match. FYI, I still have access to the imported PCAD -> Altium schematics.

How can I bring the designators from the PCB to the schematic, and then when I do a design synchronization between schematic and PCB, not have all the parts move around on the PCB? Keep them exactly where they are. I've tried back annotating, but I get lost in the process, or, how to best do it. Never done back annotation before.

I'm interested to hear if there are other, better, approaches I should be taking, or, how to actually go through and complete the path I'm on.

Cheers,

Currently have Altium 24

Answer 1

You will probably have to sort this out by hand. I'm not sure about your situation, but this is what I would do.

Import the schematics

Import the PCB

If the designators don't match, you will have to either use the component links (Project-Component links) to match them up manually. When you do this and do a design update from the schematic side it will then find the assigned parts and port them over.

There may be an easier way to do this but I've never done a PCAD import so I don't know how the parts are imported.