AutoCAD Electrical

[#1]

My company will be transfering from AutoCAD to AutoCAD Electrical.

We currently have over 1000 part #s with their respective MFG & CAT that I will like to incorporate. Can someone tell me the best approach to transition these part #s from AutoCAD Electrical?

Your response is highly Appreciated.

Justin

[#2]

First, make sure you know how the information in your database relates to how ACADE organizes the information in it's catalog database.  Second, break your catalog information down to categories that match the tables in the default.mdb and then use Excel to organize you part info to match the columns in the default.mdb.  Once that is done you can literally copy and paste the Excel worksheet into the default.mdb table.  If you good with queries or Access you can code some automation to do it for you.

Scott

[#3]

Scott,

How does the queries or Access coding works? If you think it will save a lot of hassle please let me know so I can place a request for it .

After I've organized the catalog information in an excel format how do you recommend me incorporating this? I think clicking the "insert component" , "lookup"and add "new catalog" on each part # will take forever. Do you have another approach to get this done?

 Also how can I check to make sure I don't replicate a catalog # and if for example I want to include our company part # how will you suggest me doing this?

Your help is greatly appreciated.  

[#4]

I don't know how to do the access coding.  As for the excel method, have you ever worked with excel where you copied data from one spreadsheet to another?  Basically you can do the same thing by going from Excel to tables in the default.mdb database.

Scott

[#5]

As a suggestion, check the catalog database that comes with ACADE before you do anything. If the parts are common, ACADE may already have them listed in it's database.

You will have to check individual tables for the various types of compontents, PB for pushbuttons, CR for relays and so on.

Regards Brad

[#6]

I think I understand how the ACE catalog works. My question is :

1) I think clicking the "insert component" ,"lookup"and then add "new catalog" on each part # will take forever. Do you know an easy way to add our part # into the CAT database?

2)  If I want to include our company part # into the catalog page so when I add a particular CAT # my company part # also show up. How will you suggest me doing this?

I am currently stuck. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Justin

[#7]

I did the following procedure:

1. Make a copy of the default_cat mdb and save it in another folder

2. Open the default_cat mdb in access

3. Export the access tables to excel (write some code and do it at once to make it faster)

3. In excel modify the tables (delete what you do not need)

5. From access import the each table

6. Done

Be careful and make a backup to  your system before to start. If you do something wrong the system will become unstable and sometimes I had to restore it.

Good luck.

[#8]

Please help me - If I want to include our company part # into the catalog page(i.e. secondary) so when I insert component  my part # also show up. How will you suggest me doing this?

Your response is highly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

[#9]

I did not understand your question, could you please elaborate more in detail what the problem is?

[#10]

When you insert a part without your company's catalog number, click on edit.

In the Text Value box (down near the bottom), type "DESC1=<cat>". Make sure to remove the quotes and replace <cat> with the number you wish to come up.

This will fill in the DESC1 field with the aditional catalog number but you will lose a description line.

If you wish to keep the 3 description lines, you will need to go through the block library and edit every parent block to add an aditional attribute. If you go this way change the DESC1 in the Text Value box to read the same as the new attribute.

Regards Brad