AutoCAD Electrical

[#1]

There are only a few if the items in the standard data base as supplied on the install disk that are used by my company.

To reduce search time i would like to have a company specific .mdb file and from that file create a project specific .mdb.

There by having a company data base of items and a project specific bom.

Is this possible?

If so, how?   I do not fine the help feature informative.

Cheers  john q

[#2]

Indeed, this is possible.  First, when you installed AutoCAD Electrical, you selected manufacturer content to include.  From that, the default_cat.mdb file was populated with items from those various companies.  If you were to go back through Add/Remove Features (Windows Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs (XP) or Programs and Features (Vista/7) > AutoCAD Electrical) and deselect all but one of those companies, then the rest of the catalog entries would be removed from the default_cat.mdb file, making the resultant MDB file much smaller and quicker to search.

Alternately, you can indeed create project-specific catalog lookup database files.  Lookup the command AECREATEPROJCATALOG in AutoCAD Electrical's Help file.  It creates a database file with the current project's name and will include only the components which have already been used in the current project.

If desired, you could then take that new MDB file, rename it to default_cat.mdb and replace the existing one that resides in the C:\Users\<username>\Documents\AcadE 2012\AeData\catalogs directory (Win Vista/7) or in C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents\AcadE 2012\AeData\catalogs (Win XP).

With regard to adding or removing entries from catalog lookup databases, see the following Help item:

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/AutoCAD_Electrical/enu/2012/Help/0888-Tutorial888/0923-Schemati923/0932...

[#3 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your reply Zac

I have created the files as suggested and I have completed my first BOM.  Another small step.

Cheers  jq