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AutoCAD Electrical: 60 Tips in 60 Minutes

Tiffany BachmeierAutoCAD Electrical Implementation Consultant

© 2016 Autodesk© 2016 Autodesk

On your mark...Get Set!...GO!

Back by popular demand, this fast paced class will keep you on your toes with brand new rapid fire tips and tricks and all-time favorites to get the most out of your time in AutoCAD Electrical.

Hold on tight, it’s going to be a wild ride!

Class summary


At the end of this class, you will have discovered:

� Project Management Tips and Tricks

� Drawing Creation Tips and Tricks

� Customization Tips and Tricks

� Template Tips and Tricks

� AND MANY MORE Tips and Tricks for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced AutoCAD Electrical enthusiasts

Key learning objectives


1. Project Level Node in the Location View Tab (2017)

� Select this node when you want to view or export the entire project from the Details and Connections panels.

2. Security Updates (2017)

� To minimize the possibility of loading and executing malicious code, some files previously installed in the public folder, C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Acade {version}\Support\{language code}, are now installed in C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD {version}\Acade\Support\{language code}\Shared\

Project Management Tips


3. Project Utilities

4. Publish to PDF with Hyperlinks!

(Publish in general is a great tool!!

It will save an immense amount of time!)



5. Folders! in the Project Manager

� RMB on Project > Add Subfolder

6. Surfer: "enter" to trace

7. Surfer Option: fill in NO/NC attributes on blocks that wouldn't normally need them in order to be able see more info in the Surfer DB

8. Hold SHIFT to have Surfer act like MDI mode instead of SDI mode (i.e. all touched drawings stay open)



9. Drawing List Report for Index Sheets

� RMB on Project > Drawing List Report

10. Drawing-wide location tools

11. Project-Wide Update for cut sheets



12. Do NOT Explode (or BURST)

13. Schematic List > Insert from Wiring Diagram Table

14. TAB during insertion of Connectors to first flip the connector, TAB again to reverse the pin numbering

Drawing Creation Tips


15. Insert and Link Inventor Connector in the Location View Tab (2017)

� Select any node or a specific connector in the tree and right-click to insert.

16. Link ACADE Components to their respective Inventor Parts in the Location View Tab (2017)



17. Align

18. Toggle NO/NC

19. Find/Edit/Replace Component Text

20. Hide/Unhide Attributes (window/multiple)



21. Copy Catalog Assignment

22. Copy Installation/Location Codes



23. Resequence Item Numbers Updates (2017)

� Drawings are no longer opened for processing, improving the performance.

� The manufacturers are sorted across the project, not per drawing.

� The entire project is always processed, keeping item numbers in sync for components with the same catalog.

� The project property, Reset with each Drawing, has been removed and is no longer valid



24. Item Number Balloon Update (2017)

25. Multiple Bus to a component with Continue & Flip options

26. Wire Sequencing (info lives on symbol in the wire connection attribute as xdata so it sticks even if you delete the wires)



27. PLC Save Block for Later Option

28. On a cross-reference, you can have it visually display how many unused contacts you have available.

29. When you add/edit signal arrows the related arrows (S&D) are automatically updated on other drawings (2017)

30. Creating custom workspaces is a great way to keep your environment always looking like you want it to.



31. Insert from Schematic List saves sort

settings now across sessions (2017)

32. Installation, Location, & Tag attribute values support up to 255 characters each. (2017)

33. Terminal Strips can be sorted in the in the Table Generator by clicking the column heading and they are generated in the sort order (2017)



34. The Trap Distance (0.025") is done by an invisible crossing window that searches for a X_TERM_ _ attribute within the crossing window to auto-connect the wire to a component

� Fun Fact: When a wire connects to another wire, it throws the crossing window all the way around the wire with the Trap Distance going on both sides perpendicular to the line attaching to it and it will recognize that the wires are connected (which is how it sees wire networks connected to devices)

� Tip: Wire Numbers have to stay within the Trap Distance of a Wire to maintain connection with that wire



35. Always keep wires organized on proper wire layers

36. Intelligent Location Box

� Inserting/moving a symbol into a location box updates the location and installation values of the component.

� Moving a symbol out of a location box gives you the option to update the location/installation codes of the symbol to match the drawing values.

� The insertion point of a symbol determines whether it is considered inside or outside of the location box.



37. Multi-page Report generation

Drawing Creation Tips: Reports


38. AutoCAD Electrical and Inventor Combined Bill of Material Report (2017)

� Tip: This option is also available in the Report Format File Setup for saving your SET files.



39. Ignore errors in Electrical Audit (2017)

� Tip: Top 3 warnings:

� Wire No Connection for missing Source/Destination Signals

� Component No Catalog Number for missing BOM info

� Child No Connection for missing parent/child relationships

40. DWG Audit

� Tip: You get the bonus option to “Show wires” when running the DWG Audit on the Active Drawing.



41. SQL Server & Access Database options available now (2017)

� Deployment Mode/Autodesk Content Migration Utility

� Connect to your already created SQL Server instance or create one using the Autodesk Content Migration Utility for AutoCAD Electrical

� Standalone Mode� Use the Configure Catalog Database command that

allows you to connect, and then select your catalog and footprint databases on an SQL Server instance.

Customization Tips


42. In the Catalog Browser, for a given part number, you can actually define more than just one 2D or one 3D library symbol to use.

43. Add new Part Numbers plus Pin Lists in new Catalog Browser at the same time

Customization Tips


44. Textvalue in Catalog Database

� Optional user-defined miscellaneous attribute values (ex. Rating2=xyz; Rating3=abc)

45. LISTBOX_DEF Table Catalog Database

� Define part number filters for specific component types

Customization Tips


46. Make additional Catalog Database columns visible to include in Part Number Searches

� RMB on any column in the Catalog Browser

Customization Tips


47. Wire Connection Attributes

� X_TERM_ _

� Wires know to connect into a component buy this invisible attribute sitting on the component where the origin of the attribute text attaches

� The first “_” is a number to specify which direction the wire is coming from

� 1 = Wire coming in from the Right

� 2 = Wire coming in from the Top

� 4 = Wire coming in from the Left

� 8 = Wire coming in from the Bottom

� 0 = Radial

� The second set of “__” is a unique number to match to the following attributes (Ex: 01, 02)

� TERM__ � Pin numbers associated to the wire connection and the number at the end is the same as the _ _ in

the wire connection point at the same spot

� TERMDESC_ _ � Used to control which side of a terminal is to receive internal or external wire connections and would

also carry the same 2 digits as the TERM_ _ and the X_TERM_ _

Customization Tips


48. Naming Conventions� Schematic Symbols

� First: H or V for Horizontal or Vertical

� Second & Third: 2 character family code

� Fourth: 1 (Parent/Standalone) or 2 (Child)

� Fifth: 1 (Normally Open) or 2 (Normally Closed)

� All other characters are user defined unique identifiers

� 32 Characters max

� TIP: Do not use "HH", "HV", "VH", or "VV" as the first two characters of a symbol block name.

� Terminal Symbols

� First & Second: HT or VT

� Third: 1 (if the wire number changes as it pass thru) or 0 (no wire number change)

� Fourth: "_" underscore if there are no other intelligent attributes (dumb terminal) or user defined for all others

� Source/Destination Signal Arrows

� First is H or V

� Second is A for "arrow"

� Third is the number that related to the radio buttons in the Properties DB

� The Fourth character is an S for Source, D for Destination

� Fifth is a 1,2,3,4 in relation to what direction the wire is 1,2,4,8 (respectively)

� They have to have the SIGCODE attribute on them

Customization Tips


49. Split Component Tags:

� TAG1 Alternate

� TAG1_PART1, TAG1_PART2, TAG1_PARTX

� TAG2 Alternate:

� TAG2_PART1, TAG2_PART2, TAG2_PARTX

� Ex. position one piece above the other on the symbol

� It will split characters from numbers (ex. CR will split from 402)

50. ACE_FLAG attribute

� a value of 2 will identify the symbol as a parametric connector

� a value of 3 will identify the symbol as a parametrically generated twisted pair representation

51. WD_JUMPERS attribute

� Internal Wire Jumpers within a Symbol

� The Value would be what is being jumpered:

� Ex: ((01 02)(03 04)(05 06))

Customization Tips


52. Default.wdn file

� Text file used by the Electrical Audit for terminals.

� Terminal numbers listed in this file are not listed as duplicates in the Audit

� They are ignored when checking for duplication and are not listed in the Electrical Audit report

� Edit this file with an ASCII text editor, such as Notepad

� By default the terminal number filters GND, PE, and E are included in this file

� Use wildcards to exclude a group of terminals

Customization Tips


53. Naming convention and search sequence for user-defined Support Files:

� <project name>.<support file extension> located in the same folder as the .wdp file for the project

� DEFAULT. <support file extension> located in the same folder as the .wdp file for the project

� DEFAULT. <support file extension> located in the Support Directory

54. Wiring diagram tables

� An alternate table in the footprint look-up database

� Table matches the MFG code but attaches an "_WD" suffix

� Tables with the "_WD" suffix are set up to insert a symbol that carries the wire connection attributes

Customization Tips


55. Modify Symbol Library

� Tip: Make sure to save a backup of your library before you run this command.

Customization Tips


56. Spreadsheet to PLC Tips� NEW_DWG in Code column to make it skip to next drawing

� BREAK in the Address column to break the PLC module and continue in the next ladder column

� SPACER in the Address column to skip a rung before continuing to insert the next I/O point

� SKIP in the Code column to make the PLC module skip a ladder and continue in the next ladder

57. Lastproj.fil text file � In the User Support folder

� List of recent projects

� Each line in this file gives the following information for

each project:

� Project name and path

� Project descriptions 1-4

� Project state: "2"=Active"1"=Open"0"= not open but available from the Recent Projects dialog box

Customization Tips


58. Need for Admin rights:

� There are a number of places in the code where AutoCAD Electrical will read attribute data from an unopened DWG file and some places in the code where it will write attribute data to an unopened DWG file. Cross-reference update is one of the few examples of the latter. To write data to an unopened DWG file, AcadE makes a call to a function called “wd_dbx_open” with arguments of the full path/filename DWG and an argument of “w” for “write”

59. Environment file modification tips

� Make sure that you save a copy of the existing

environment file (wd.env) in its clean state

� If you move it make sure to put the location at the

top of your Search Paths in the Options dialog box

Customization Tips


60. WD_M block edits

� Update to New WD_M Block, Values, Layers

� Replaces the schematic wd_m.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, and converts to the newer configuration values and layers.

� Update to New WD_M Block, No Changes

� Replaces the schematic wd_m.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, but keeps existing configuration values and layer names.

� Update to New WD_PNLM Block, Values, Layers

� Replaces the panel wd_pnlm.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, and converts to the newer configuration values and layers.

� Update to New WD_PNLM Block, No Changes

� Replaces the panel wd_pnlm.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, but keeps existing configuration values and layer names.

61. Always save your templates with Layer 0 as the Current Layer

Template Tips


Questions

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2pm-2:30pm Today


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All of your sessions will be there

to enjoy again and again.


Wednesday - 3:00pm GEN21987 Murano 3203I Feel the Need, the Need for Speed-AutoCAD Electrical Automation

Thursday - 8:30am GEN21987A New Kind of Dewey Decimal for Your Library

Thursday - 1:00pm GEN21261 (late addition)Get Powered Up: How to Implement AutoCAD

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Thank You So Much for Your Attention!!Join me in the next ACADE Class on Automation!

WHO’S AWESOME?!You’re Awesome!

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© 2016 Autodesk. All rights reserved.