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Associate Terminal Footprints

8 REPLIES 8
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Message 1 of 9
John
516 Views, 8 Replies

Associate Terminal Footprints

In ACADE 2007, I could place my (self created) terminal footprints in the wiring diagram and, when I pressed "Wire Annotation of Panel Footprint" they got the wire numbers. Simple.

Now, in ACADE 2008, I have to "Associate" each one manually to a schematic terminal using a difficult and slow interface - to make it work.

Edit footprint >
Add/Modify >
Select Association (with a tree that is not exploded - even though the dialog knows the Tag Strip number) >
select the terminal >
Associate >
OK

Seven steps on each terminal and this could be in a strip that has 48 triple-deck terminals...

I could (will) be doing this all day!

There must be an easier way!!
A better designed dialog would be a start.

For example, once you place the terminal and have given it a Tag Strip number why can't a drop-down automatically open to give you a choice of un-associated terminals in the strip. Select one and automatically associated. Job done.

In fact in the top level edit dialog, once you have given it a Tag Strip and a Number, all the information is there - why can't it at least immediately offer an intelligent association automatically if one exists?

John
8 REPLIES 8
Message 2 of 9
Anonymous
in reply to: John

John, you can insert all terminals at once using either the Terminal Strip
Editor or the Insert Panel Terminal from Schematic List. Either of these
will Associate it automatically. Prior to associating, the link between the
schematic terminal and its panel terminal relied on the Tagstrip and
terminal number or wire number. This was not always reliable and could
result in a discrepancy between the information on the schematic terminal
and panel terminal..

Pat Murnen

wrote in message news:5646022@discussion.autodesk.com...
In ACADE 2007, I could place my (self created) terminal footprints in the
wiring diagram and, when I pressed "Wire Annotation of Panel Footprint" they
got the wire numbers. Simple.

Now, in ACADE 2008, I have to "Associate" each one manually to a schematic
terminal using a difficult and slow interface - to make it work.

Edit footprint >
Add/Modify >
Select Association (with a tree that is not exploded - even though the
dialog knows the Tag Strip number) >
select the terminal >
Associate >
OK

Seven steps on each terminal and this could be in a strip that has 48
triple-deck terminals...

I could (will) be doing this all day!

There must be an easier way!!
A better designed dialog would be a start.

For example, once you place the terminal and have given it a Tag Strip
number why can't a drop-down automatically open to give you a choice of
un-associated terminals in the strip. Select one and automatically
associated. Job done.

In fact in the top level edit dialog, once you have given it a Tag Strip and
a Number, all the information is there - why can't it at least immediately
offer an intelligent association automatically if one exists?

John
Message 3 of 9
John
in reply to: John

I'm going to have to get to grips with this Terminal Strip Editor. I will probably have to make some new footprints to work with it. (I assume that it is possible to use it with a footprint of your own design).

Up to now, I have been doing double and triple deck terminals with my design of footprint where each level is a separate footprint - but look like a single terminal when placed side by side. This means that a strip is in fact footprints type 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, etc repeated.

Don't know if the Terminal Strip Editor can cope with this! I have heard that it can do multi-level terminals - will have to read the instructions (if there are any).

When I get time...

John
Message 4 of 9
John
in reply to: John

And another problem with this associate thing is that I always have more terminals on the panel than are actually needed,
1. Because our customers ask for them, and
2. Because there are then spares for future schematic changes.

So, obviously, these spares cannot be associated when placed because they don't have counterparts on the schematic (yet).

When I do update the schematic, I will have to be very careful that I do associate these on the panel layout or the wire numbers will not be entered when I do "Wire Annotation of Panel Footprint"

No longer automatic, as before.

Sorry to go on!

John
Message 5 of 9
dougmcalexander
in reply to: John

Hi John! I'm not sure where the disconnect is for you. I use custom blocks or modified versions of the ones that come with AcadE. The attached photo contains double-deck and triple-deck blocks that are completely intelligent and each are one block. They are modified versions of the Entrelec blocks that ship with AcadE. I color-coded the Wire Annotation and TERM attributes so it is clear which wires are connected to which level of the block.

AcadE 2008 will automatically insert extra blocks if you connect more wires to one block than you allowed through the block properties. I limit my blocks to 2 wires per screw lug. The great ting about 2008 is you can insert spares, end plates, end stops, etc. in the Terminal Strip Editor and it will remember them permanently. If you later need to modify a strip, all the spares will still be there from the previous insertion. In fact it will modify the strip that is already inserted if you make changes with TSE.

If you have not been officially trained on AcadE 2008 you should consider taking a course. It is very powerful but with power comes the requirement for more training.


Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.
Message 6 of 9
John
in reply to: John

That looks very nice - I need to learn how to do this.

How do you tell the terminal strip editor what blocks to use.
Or do you replace the default blocks?

Basically, I need some metric versions of yours and a crash course in how to use them.

Thanks,

John
Message 7 of 9
John
in reply to: John

Oh, and another thing...

In the schematic, how do you define on which level the terminal is?

At the moment I just number my terminals 1B, 1M, 1T, 2B, 2M, etc. for 1(bottom), 1(middle) and so on. Not sure if this is the best way.

Basically, although I have done the starter course (3 day), after that I am self taught (finding out as I go along). And without this forum, I'd be stuck!

Personally, I think you ought to write the definitive book (the one that AutoCAD doesn't want to produce). There's a few thousand of us out here who would buy it!

Anyway, thanks for all your help .

John
Message 8 of 9
dougmcalexander
in reply to: John

Funny that you mention a book. I am sitting here writing a tutorial for
AcadE 2008 while I answer questions on this forum. I teach basic and
advanced AcadE courses that last 4-5 days. The basic is 4 days and the
advanced is 2 to 4 days, depending upon the number of advanced topics a
customer wants to cover. I have been working on this tutorial since April
between training trips and at night in hotels.

There is a great training tutorial for AcadE 2007 at www.ecaddesigner.com.
It is an e-book that functions via Internet Explorer and features animated
graphics of click-by-click instructions with screenshots. It is only
available for version 2007 because the author did not sell enough to break
even, thus he cannot justify the time to create one for 2008. Mine will be
a written tutorial with color screenshots, step-by-step and click-by-click
instructions, and tips, tricks, and hints.

wrote in message news:5647263@discussion.autodesk.com...
Oh, and another thing...

In the schematic, how do you define on which level the terminal is?

At the moment I just number my terminals 1B, 1M, 1T, 2B, 2M, etc. for
1(bottom), 1(middle) and so on. Not sure if this is the best way.

Basically, although I have done the starter course (3 day), after that I am
self taught (finding out as I go along). And without this forum, I'd be
stuck!

Personally, I think you ought to write the definitive book (the one that
AutoCAD doesn't want to produce). There's a few thousand of us out here who
would buy it!

Anyway, thanks for all your help .

John


Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.
Message 9 of 9
dougmcalexander
in reply to: John

Attached are the Entrelec blocks I modified for the drawing you saw earlier.
These are from the training tutorial I am developing. This tutorial starts
off with creation of the intelligent border template and then you design an
actual control system with AcadE 2008. These blocks have been corrected
(the rotation was 180 degrees wrong). I cleaned up the sub-standard
drafting by Entrelec and added the attributes for P_ITEM, color-coded
levels, etc. When you insert from TSE set the scale to 25.4 to convert
these from English to Metric.

Unzip the contents to: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Acade
2008\Libs\panel\ENTRELEC\TRMS-TERMINAL BLOCKS

Overwrite the existing blocks or make a backup of the original files before
unzipping.

The way you set the program to insert a certain footprint is through the
Footprint Database File Editor under the Misc. Tools fly-out menu of the
Panel layout toolbar. It is juts a lookup table by MFG and CAT. You set
the footprint to use for a certain MFG and CAT combination. See below a
paste from the Electrical HELP system with regard to using the Footprint
Lookup Database.

Use the footprint lookup file
Concept Procedure Quick Reference




Panel footprint lookup database file editor


The footprint lookup database links a manufacturer's catalog part numbers to
appropriate footprint block .dwg files. This information is in a multi-table
Access database file (footprint_lookup.mdb). There is a table for each
manufacturer code.

Access:

Click the arrow on the Miscellaneous Panel Tools tool to access the
Footprint Database File Editor tool.

From the Panel Layout menu, select Database File Editor Footprint
Database File Editor.


Each entry in the table maps a given part number to its footprint block
name. The table name must match the manufacturer code.

Edit existing table
Opens a sub-dialog box for editing existing manufacturer footprint
lookup tables.

Create new table
Opens a sub-dialog box for creating new manufacturer footprint lookup
tables.

Create empty file
Opens a sub-dialog box for creating a blank footprint lookup file. This
option is available if a Footprint_lookup.mdb file does not exist in the
designated location.

wrote in message news:5647263@discussion.autodesk.com...
Oh, and another thing...

In the schematic, how do you define on which level the terminal is?

At the moment I just number my terminals 1B, 1M, 1T, 2B, 2M, etc. for
1(bottom), 1(middle) and so on. Not sure if this is the best way.

Basically, although I have done the starter course (3 day), after that I am
self taught (finding out as I go along). And without this forum, I'd be
stuck!

Personally, I think you ought to write the definitive book (the one that
AutoCAD doesn't want to produce). There's a few thousand of us out here who
would buy it!

Anyway, thanks for all your help .

John


Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.

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