This comment is directed mainly at the Autodesk dev team.
There could be an easy way to do it. If it was made possible to have nets on multiple layers you could make a new layer for that net (or net class) and put those nets on that layer. Then just change the color of that layer and by magic all traces become that color. Currently traces/wires are not associated with an actual changeable layer. In the schematic editor there are dozens of default layers but most are unused.... all nets are forced on the default green nets layer and all busses are forced onto the blue bus layer and nothing can be changed. The problem is there is no layer item in the wire properties. Adding a layer item to the wire properties dialog will solve that. In the layers dialog NEW is selected and that box has not only the new name but a checkbox for "LAYER IS NET". When checked that means the layer is associated with the other nets for performing design rules / ERC / DRC / routing nets etc. A different net layer can then be selected from the drop down layer box when placing the net and that wire will go onto that layer.
Check pic attached. The wire properties has a new item "Is Net" checkbox. When checked (automatic check for new items added to that layer previously) the layer box below in the NET section is selectable (otherwise it is greyed out). If a wire 'Is Net" checkbox is set as checked and the checkbox is unchecked the item will automatically move back to the default green net layer. This will avoid items being orphaned.
For net layer management a simple 'settings' item can be added listing all schematic layers with a checkbox to include them as part of the net class. This will automatically add the "Is Net" checkbox to all wires on that layer. In the net layer management window you just uncheck the selection box and that layer is no longer included in the net class, or you could move all items to the default net layer then delete that layer. To remove an extra layer from the general 'net' class within the net layer management window there should be a check done first to make sure the layer is empty otherwise anything on that layer would become orphaned (i.e. not on a valid layer) or a prompt should be shown to tell the user to select a destination layer for any content on that layer to be moved to. Or even easier, if a not-empty net layer is unchecked in the net layer management section a message should show "Layer not empty, please move all layer content to the default net layer first!". To merge or move some wires or a whole layer simply group the other color nets and use the Change | Layer tool to move them to the default green net layer.
The whole colored wires thing is basically just for visual use on the schematic. It all sounds complicated but the bottom line is to simply allow multiple net layers. They are technically all nets but can have the color changed. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. By default you could add 16 net layers already named Net (the standard net layer) and additional ones Net1, Net2.... Net16 etc so the user doesn't even have to add new net layers unless they need more. 16 colors was good enough for the good old Commodore 64 so it's good enough here 😉
Most of this type of functionality (adding layers, changing the layer of an item, putting traces on specific layers, moving traces to other layers etc) is already included with other functions in the board layout editor. The only new thing is to associate the new net layer with the standard net layer so those nets are added to the list for ERC, routing and DRC checks etc. Looking at the big picture, the changes are pretty minor and it's probably about 2 hours of coding by someone on the development team who knows what they are doing to make it work.
Problem solved. Simples 😉
