Automatic Drawing Generation

[pqphillips]

Okay, so my boss has tasked me with figuring out if there is a way to use AutoCAD Electrical for all drawings like we can for the PLC/IO Utility... Meaning that the Engineers create a spreadsheet listing out the components, wires, and stuff, and ACADE can take them and generate a drawing like they do with the PLC/IO stuff.

I know that we can insert components, export it to a spreadsheet, and fill in relevant information prior to reimporting the spreadsheet, but I don't think it can do the automatic connections (i.e. - drawing a wire or cable from one part to another).

Is this possible? I don't believe it is, but I wanted to get other people's feedback on this.

[rhesusminus]

Well', if you create pretty much the same stuff with a few changes/options every time, I guess you can automate a lot with the circuit builder.

It support sub-circuits and options.

But you'll have to create templates for everything and create some pretty heavy rules for everything.

And, as always... You have the API for both AutoCAD and AcadE that makes you able to automate pretty much whatever you like.

Also, you have Autodesk Inventor ETO (Used to be called Autodesk Intent), http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=18361292 

I know that this has been used for creating electrical schematics automatically as well. Not AcadE, but normal AutoCAD. But it shouldn't be to hard to make it create AcadE blocks in stead of "normal" AutoCAD Blacks.

However... Not sure if this product exist as as stand-alone product any longer, or if it's just the version that's integrated with Autodesk Inventor.

So, I guess the answer is... Yes.