Panel Part Numbers

[MadMage863]

Is there a way to auto fill in part numbers, especially for identical objects? I've got a pretty big chain of terminal blocks on a strip and doing each one at a time is insane.

I've tried resequencing the numbers, but it only filled out numbers on parts I already had numbers in (though it changed them...) and left the rest blank.

[dougmcalexander]

In Terminal Strip Editor you can go to the Catalog Assignment tab, select
all blocks at once and assign the same MFG and CAT to all by right-clicking
and selecting Catalog Assign. This is the easiest way to do it. You can
also export to spreadsheet and fill them in with Excel, then run the
spreadsheet update. You could also use the Copy Catalog Assignment under
the Edit Component fly-out menu, pick a master and then click all blocks
that should match the master component's MFG and CAT.

wrote in message news:5948361@discussion.autodesk.com...
Is there a way to auto fill in part numbers, especially for identical
objects? I've got a pretty big chain of terminal blocks on a strip and doing
each one at a time is insane.

I've tried resequencing the numbers, but it only filled out numbers on parts
I already had numbers in (though it changed them...) and left the rest
blank.

[MadMage863]

I'm not talking about catalog numbers. I'm talking about item numbers. You know, the ones you use for callout baloons? While I'm here I might mention that those baloons are retardely low on options and glitch an awful lot.

I'm trying to generat a parts list that fills in it's own 'find numbers'. Gotten it so far, but I don't want to manually fill in all of these item numbers.

[dougmcalexander]

Are you using AcadE 2009? It has enhancements for item numbering. You can
assign a unique item number to subassembly items listed under Multiple
Catalog. It will auto assign item numbers to terminal footprints as well.
It doesn't insert the balloons for you. It would not really know where you
want them anyway. But you can run panel item resequence and it will assign
the item numbers to all devices, including terminals. Attached is an
example that shows a terminal strip that was inserted by Terminal Strip
Editor and then I ran Panel Item Resequence to assign the item numbers to
the terminals, end stops, end plates, jumper bars, etc. This also shows a
fuse and fuse holder with double balloons. I entered the fuse holder under
Multiple Catalog for the fuse. I clicked find and let AcadE give me the next
available item number for the fuse holder.

Note: If you want to be able to assign item numbers to Multiple Catalog
entries you need to engage this feature at project level. Right-click the
project, select properties. Click the Components tab. At the bottom click
Item Numbering. Select item numbering on per-part basis.


wrote in message news:5948530@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm not talking about catalog numbers. I'm talking about item numbers. You
know, the ones you use for callout baloons? While I'm here I might mention
that those baloons are retardely low on options and glitch an awful lot.

I'm trying to generat a parts list that fills in it's own 'find numbers'.
Gotten it so far, but I don't want to manually fill in all of these item
numbers.

[MadMage863]

I've got 2009 here, but haven't had our IT guys install it yet. It's a bit of a hassle to have it done, so I'm stuck with 2008 for now... unless the upgrade has some major changes I should know about?

I discovered that if while filling out catalog info, if all existing instances of a part have an item number asigned, it'll auto fill it in. But that doesn't help me if I've already got that information filled out. I finally broke down and filled them in by hand, but I'd much prefer not having to do that again for the next enclosure I work on...

[dougmcalexander]

You can force the terminal item numbers to be auto-assigned with the Panel
Item Resequence tool in 2008. I posted the complete instructions already on
this forum, but basically you have to add an attribute to your terminal
footprints named P_ITEM. Find the folder for the panel footprints you use.
Open each terminal footprint drawing file for editing in AcadE. Either
ATTDEF or copy an existing attribute, like MFG, CAT, or something and name
the new one P_ITEM. This attribute can be very small text size like 0.01
and set to invisible. If you copy MFG or CAT and rename they are already
set to invisible. Save the file. You will need to run the update block
utility (Under the fly-out of Insert Component) to update the blocks that
are already inserted into your drawings.

Once you have a P_ITEM attribute in your terminal footprints the Panel Item
Resequence in 2008 can auto-assign item numbers.

wrote in message news:5949413@discussion.autodesk.com...
I've got 2009 here, but haven't had our IT guys install it yet. It's a bit
of a hassle to have it done, so I'm stuck with 2008 for now... unless the
upgrade has some major changes I should know about?

I discovered that if while filling out catalog info, if all existing
instances of a part have an item number asigned, it'll auto fill it in. But
that doesn't help me if I've already got that information filled out. I
finally broke down and filled them in by hand, but I'd much prefer not
having to do that again for the next enclosure I work on...

[MadMage863]

It's actually a generically generated terminal block (one which already has that attribute - and my custom ones I add every attribute just to be sure) that isn't filling out completely when I resequence the numbers. About half got numbers while the rest were left blank. I mentioned this in my original post.

[dougmcalexander]

I haven't seen your original post. I view this forum through Outlook and
have it set to show me postings within the past three days. But my 2008 is
set up exactly as you describe. I have P_ITEM attribute in my terminal
footprints. They all get item numbered with Panel Item Resequence, even the
end stops, end plates, and jumper bars. So you may have something else
wrong. I know that 2009 can handle it either way, P_ITEM or not.

wrote in message news:5949625@discussion.autodesk.com...
It's actually a generically generated terminal block (one which already has
that attribute - and my custom ones I add every attribute just to be sure)
that isn't filling out completely when I resequence the numbers. About half
got numbers while the rest were left blank. I mentioned this in my original
post.

[sgsawdy]

Doug, does the 27x auto fill next to the balloon or do you enter that manually? That would be a nice way to reduce the number of item balloons one needs. Right now, we use my brace routine for identical items located side by side (like terminals and fuse blocks) with a single balloon, but for multiple items like terminal separators we have to balloon each one.

Scott

[sgsawdy]

I find that some of my "canned" panel blocks do not have the P_item attribute but uses xdata instead. For these items I have a routine called p_item that I run which lets me select as many of the blocks in one drawing as I want and assign all of them the same item number. When the blocks have the attribute P_Item, then I use a different VBA macro that lets me select as many blocks in the drawing I want to and has three fields that list all of the attributes per block to pick from and allows me to assign a new value to those attributes. It will only show the attributes that are found in all of the selected blocks so unique attributes per different blocks will not show up. It has come in quite handy.

Unfortunately, neither of these routines will trigger an update for all parent or child instances of a block you are changing. For instance, change a value on a relay coil with contacts on other pages will not update the contacts on those other pages as it does when you use component editor.

Scott

[dougmcalexander]

I added the 26X. It is the standard from one of my customers not to add
more balloons than necessary. Their panel technicians are smart and
well-trained. Telling them what kind of crimp terminal to use at the end of
a wire and even specifying wire gauge and color sometimes offends them, but
I do it anyway. But I will insert one balloon per rail per MFG and CAT
combination and use the text like 26X to avoid the redundant clutter of the
repeated balloons. I cannot expect AcadE to automatically know when or if I
want to use this design technique.

wrote in message news:5949832@discussion.autodesk.com...
Doug, does the 27x auto fill next to the balloon or do you enter that
manually? That would be a nice way to reduce the number of item balloons
one needs. Right now, we use my brace routine for identical items located
side by side (like terminals and fuse blocks) with a single balloon, but for
multiple items like terminal separators we have to balloon each one.

Scott

[sgsawdy]

Thanks Doug. However, it should not be too hard for ACADE to determine how many of a device on a rail when you use Inst/Loc properly. We have been leaving the Inst blank for all items except cable and terminals. On cables the Inst designates where the cable comes from and the Loc indicates where it lands. For terminals the Inst is the terminal rail the terminal is located on and Loc indicates what panel or cabinet the terminal is located in.

This should allow ACADE to be able to include Inst/Loc in the sort and count when inserting balloons. Of course, it would be just one more thing to break. 🙂

Scott

[dougmcalexander]

Scott, I mostly design to IEC standard so Installation and location are used
to denote things like LINE1 and the location is used denote which panel,
like MAINPNL, JBOX, REMOTE, MACHINE, FIELD, etc. Your idea is good though.
I think everyone can make good use of INST and LOC if they will.

wrote in message news:5949999@discussion.autodesk.com...
Thanks Doug. However, it should not be too hard for ACADE to determine how
many of a device on a rail when you use Inst/Loc properly. We have been
leaving the Inst blank for all items except cable and terminals. On cables
the Inst designates where the cable comes from and the Loc indicates where
it lands. For terminals the Inst is the terminal rail the terminal is
located on and Loc indicates what panel or cabinet the terminal is located
in.

This should allow ACADE to be able to include Inst/Loc in the sort and count
when inserting balloons. Of course, it would be just one more thing to
break. 🙂

Scott

[jkuzma]

Try This.

John