AutoCAD Electrical Forum
Welcome to Autodesk’s AutoCAD Electrical Forums. Share your knowledge, ask questions, and explore popular AutoCAD Electrical topics.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Inserting wires

9 REPLIES 9
Reply
Message 1 of 10
KWNg
357 Views, 9 Replies

Inserting wires

I'm having a real problem creating point-to-point schematics with AE.

I want to create schematics without the preset ladder format.

When I insert components they sometimes do not snap to the wire.

Also, when I try to insert a wire it always seems to snap to a certain side of a component. A lot of the time it snaps to the wrong component. I have gone through the Test Drive and when I insert wires there it seems to work right. Could there be something wrong with the way I'm setting up my sheet template that makes the wiring act this way? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.
9 REPLIES 9
Message 2 of 10
Jay Mackey
in reply to: KWNg

The grid Snap, Object Snap, and Object Track can all work for and against you in ACADE. I work with a .125" grid snap and have to turn it off some of the time to get a wire or symbol in the right place. As long as you laid the wires or symbols down while using the grid snap, then adding wires or symbols is usually simple as long as you can keep everything 'on the grid'. At the same time, OSnap and OTrack will usually need to be off, but there are times when you want to snap a wire or symbol to a precise point manually. If you forget and leave OSnap on, you will get your symbols appearing in places that you did not intend, or your wires will snap to endpoints or intersections on the symbol instead of the wire termination point.

The other issue is that you have to be pretty close to the wire or wire termination point when placing a symbol or wire, or your wires won't be connected properly. It looks like you need to be with 1/32 of an inch from a wire or termination point on a symbol for the connection to be automatically made for you. So it's not very forgiving, and therefore it really helps to work with a grid and use OSNAP when it is necessary.

- Jay
Message 3 of 10
KWNg
in reply to: KWNg

Snapping wasn't the issue.

I just tried taking one of the default templates and then creating my own from it. Now the wiring is going smoothly, but I don't know why. I think I should find out for future reference.

Thanks for you help.
Message 4 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: KWNg

If you send me a copy of your original drawing that you were having trouble with, I can try to troubleshoot the problem... nate.holt@autodesk.com "KWNg" wrote in message news:7352437.1092250729191.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com... > Snapping wasn't the issue. > > I just tried taking one of the default templates and then creating my own from it. Now the wiring is going smoothly, but I don't know why. I think I should find out for future reference. > > Thanks for you help.
Message 5 of 10
KWNg
in reply to: KWNg

I blew away that, but I can send you what I made if from. All I added was the title block.

Hope this helps.

Thanks again.
Message 6 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: KWNg

I had an issue like this once as well. The problem was that I was drawing my symbols with Imperial units but the project settings referred to the JIC library. Be sure that your ACADE drawing settings and the units you actually want to work in correspond. cds "KWNg" wrote in message news:8953725.1092242773924.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com... > I'm having a real problem creating point-to-point schematics with AE. > > I want to create schematics without the preset ladder format. > > When I insert components they sometimes do not snap to the wire. > > Also, when I try to insert a wire it always seems to snap to a certain side of a component. A lot of the time it snaps to the wrong component. I have gone through the Test Drive and when I insert wires there it seems to work right. Could there be something wrong with the way I'm setting up my sheet template that makes the wiring act this way? Any help would be appreciated. > > Thanks.
Message 7 of 10
bbohmont
in reply to: KWNg

I am having a similar problem with a new project. When I insert components, I can only route one wire per side. Older projects work fine with the same setup, libraries, etc.

The same symptoms have happened to me before. I was creating an AutoCAD Electrical drawing but had not yet created the project. Once added to a project, the problem when away. In current case, however, this fix does not seem to work.
Message 8 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: KWNg

Carl Smith is exactly right. The most likely explanation for the INS WIRE command problem is using "inch" scaled symbols (i.e. jic1, jic125 libraries) when AcadE thinks that the current drawing is working to a "full MM" metric state. The key is to understand AcadE's wire connection "trap" distance value. This is a fixed distance, default 0.625 for "metric" (example: iec2, iec4 symbol library usage) or 0.025 for "inch" (jic1, jic125 symbol library usage). It defines how "far" AcadE will search from each end of a "wire" to find either a component connection attribute (the X?TERMxx attributes on a symbol) or the end of the mid-section of another wire (i.e. end-to-end wire to wire connection or a wire to wire "Tee" connection). You can view this "trap" distance setting by selecting the AcadE "Drawing Configuration" toolbar button (next to last button on the main AcadE toolbar) and then selecting the "Setup Scale" button in the upper right-hand corner of the displayed dialog. If the jic1/jic125 "inch" schematic symbols are being inserted but the new drawing's configuration is set up as "mm full size" on the CONFIG dialog > Setup Scale subdialog, then the wire connection "trap" distance defaults to 0.635. This value is so large that it captures both sides of the smaller "inch" scaled schematic symbols (but works fine for the much larger "mm" scaled library symbols). Instead of AcadE finding one wire connection point for starting a point-to-point wire, it finds two wire connection points. It picks the first one it finds in the database to start the wire from... so no matter which side of the symbol you pick on to start the wire, the wire always starts from the same wire connection point. Check the above mentioned subdialog. If the "mm full size" or "inch scaled to mm" radio button is selected, change it to the "inch" setting. See if this immediately solves the problem. "bbohmont" wrote in message news:15190602.1092338249089.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com... > I am having a similar problem with a new project. When I insert components, I can only route one wire per side. Older projects work fine with the same setup, libraries, etc. > > The same symptoms have happened to me before. I was creating an AutoCAD Electrical drawing but had not yet created the project. Once added to a project, the problem when away. In current case, however, this fix does not seem to work.
Message 9 of 10
bbohmont
in reply to: KWNg

Changing the scale factor on the Drawing Config & Defaults dialog fixed the problem. Thanks.

Is there a way to select "inch" as the default setting or is this something I will need for each need drawing?
Message 10 of 10
Anonymous
in reply to: KWNg

This setting is carried on the "wd_m.dwg" block that gets inserted on to your new, blank drawing. There is an "inch" version of this block stored in the jic and jic125 "inch" libraries and a "metric" version of this block stored in the iec2 and iec4 libraries. Whatever symbol library is active when you fire up AcadE with your new, blank drawing on screen is going to affect that version of wd_m block gets inserted and therefore affects the default "inch" vs "full size mm" setting. You have some options including: Option 1 - set up AutoCAD "template" drawing with your title block an such and with this "wd_m" block pre-inserted. When you start a new drawing, make sure that this AutoCAD template is the one you select. Option 2 - when you start your new, blank drawing, make sure that an "inch" project is selected, even though your new drawing has yet to be added to the project. AcadE should then select this project's jic1 or jic125 library path when it pops in the wd_m settings block. Option 3 - when you start your new, blank drawing and the wd_m block goes in, select the CONFIG > SETUP SCALE subdialog and make sure that the correct "inch" radio button is selected "bbohmont" wrote in message news:32440226.1092352409846.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com... > Changing the scale factor on the Drawing Config & Defaults dialog fixed the problem. Thanks. > > Is there a way to select "inch" as the default setting or is this something I will need for each need drawing?

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask the community or share your knowledge.

Post to forums  

Autodesk Design & Make Report

”Boost