However, I can’t prepare a feature list for a direct download link because:
Use or ViewMate alongside Allegro Viewer 174 to verify Gerber outputs generated from the original design.
Open the user preferences file through Setup > User Preferences . Expand the category and click on Visual .
: Dynamic distance measurement between two selected objects. Cross-Probing & Hyperlinks
I notice you're asking about (likely version 17.4 — “174” appears to be a typo for 17.4). This is a free PCB design viewer from Cadence for opening .brd and .dra files without a full Allegro license.
Why the Allegro Free Physical Viewer 17.4 is the Better Download for PCB Reviews
Once installed, you'll find a suite of powerful viewing features at your disposal:
Navigate to your system drive and access the default directory path: C:\Cadence\SPB_17.4\tools\bin\
Choose the Allegro Free Physical Viewer 17.4 from the list of available free tools (ensure you do not accidentally download the schematic/Capture viewer if you need to look at PCB layouts).
| Feature | Allegro Viewer 174 | Free Online Viewers (e.g., PCBWay Viewer) | Altium 365 Viewer | KiCad (Free, but not viewer-only) | |---------|--------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------|------------------------------------| | | Yes (full) | Limited, often fails on complex designs | No (requires conversion) | No (cannot open .brd directly) | | 3D View | Excellent | Good (basic) | Excellent | Good | | Offline Use | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | | Layer Stackup Display | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | Measure Tool | High precision | Low precision | High precision | Moderate | | Price | Free | Free (with upload limits) | Free (limited) | Free |
Are there specific or compatibility issues you have run into with older versions?