AutoCAD Electrical

[#1]

Our standard in drawing and plotting sizes is to design on a D-size drawing with 1inch ladder-rung spacing, and plot to B-size. I don't think this is uncommon, but maybe it is only a Texas thing.

This works fine if all text is .125 in height. I know there is a global attribute text height change utility, but am I going to have to edit every symbol to get the attribute positions adjusted for this text height change?

ALSO, what about the source/destination text, ladder ref num text, etc.

Thanks,

Jay

[#2]

Jay,
There is a symbol set already in the software that uses .12 text height I think it is "jic125"
I am at a loss right now on how to change it.

Chad

[#3]

My symbol library path only links to the JIC125 folder, so I assume I am already utlilizing the 125 symbols. I'll double-check this in a bit. The component reference (TAG1) does come in at .125" or close to it, but most of the other attributes are .08 down to .06 or so.

I 'know' I can't be the only person who finds a multitude of different text sizes on a schematic to be irritating and ugly. There is a utility that changes most but not all of the text in an entire drawing to whatever size you want, and there is a utility that can go through the entire symbol library and change all attributes to a given size. But they are not really going to cut it.

Is there a symbol set that does what I want? Or am I going to have to edit each symbol to adjust attribute positions after performing the global attribute size change to the symbol library?

I found this in the AE manual on changing the ladder:

"Display the MLR block’s drawing and modify it to suit but don’t delete any of the attribute definitions you find. Move and/or change the text size of the RUNGFIRST attribute definition. The other attribute definitions are marked invisible.
Here are the file names (default path is \Program Files\Autodesk\Acade\libs\jic1\):

WD_MLRH.dwg For horizontal rung / vertical ladders
WD_MLRV.dwg For vertical rung / horizontal ladders
WD_MLRHX.dwg Hexagon-shaped user block -- horizontal rung / vertical ladders
WD_MLRVX.dwg Same as above but for vertical rung / horizontal ladders

Let’s say that you want line reference numbers to be 0.15 units tall and 1.5 units to the left of the ladder’s vertical bus. Open WD_MLRH.dwg. Change the RUNGFIRST attribute definition text size to 0.15, make sure it is right justified, and then move its insertion point to -1.5,0.0. Save and exit."


I also found that I have to change these drawings manually to affect the wire number text heights:

WD_WNH.dwg - Normal wire number for horizontal wire insertion
WD_WNV.dwg - Normal wire number for vertical wire insertion
WD_WCH.dwg - Extra wire number copy for horizontal wire insertion
WD_WCV.dwg - Extra wire number copy for vertical wire insertion

I assume that it is the same situation for the signal references. I would have to edit an existing set or make a custom set of signal reference blocks that incorporate attributes with a height of .125".

[#4]

OK, I figured out something. Thanks for your help, Chad.

Even though I have the project's Active Symbol Library path set to "//mustang/users/autocad files/viasupport/jic125/", the actual symbols being used are from a jic1 directory, probably the local one on this computer.

Now why would it do that?

Apparently, if I can get it to use the jic125 symbol library, all my problems will be solved.

Could it be using the symbol library path in wd.env despite selecting a network path in the project settings dialog?

Any help would be appreciated!

- Jay

[#5]

OK, I think this is it:

I had begun creating this drawing prior to getting our network totally set up, and my wd.env customized for our setup. After changing over to JIC125, 'new' symbols inserted into the drawing will use symbols from the JIC125 directory. However, since the block search path sequence starts by looking for the block in the drawing itself, AE will never go out to the JIC125 directory for blocks that are already present in the drawing, and this apparently includes ladder reference blocks, wire numbers, signal reference text, and schematic component symbols. Even though I deleted the original ladder and schematic that I had started testing with, the JIC1 blocks were still present in the drawings. They must be deleted and purged.



Is there a way to alter the block search path?

- Jay

[#6]

Each AcadE project you create carries its own copy of the symbol library search path that it will use for that project. You can access the project's library path search sequence by opening the PROJECT dialog and selecting the "Symbol Library" button in bottom left-hand part of screen. The search path is what shows up in the middle edit box on the next subdialog. You can have multiple paths defined... separated by semicolons. The default value that is held in wd.env file is applied to your project's search path if you hit the WD_LIB button just below the edit box. The reason that Autodesk did this is that some users may need to access different libraries for different projects (ex: different customers, different plants, different standards such as IEC vs. JIC). So, when you call up project A that needs to access the IEC library, it does it automatically... minutes later, when you call up project B, it needs to use the JIC125 library and does it automatically... then you call up project C and it has a customer-supplied special library...accessed automatically. But, for users who want to access the same library for every project, set it up in wd.env and then when each new project is started, verify that the lib path is correct. If not, hit the "WD_LIB" button described above. "Jay Mackey" wrote in message news:26112800.1089229272562.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1... > OK, I think this is it: > > I had begun creating this drawing prior to getting our network totally set up, and my wd.env customized for our setup. After changing over to JIC125, 'new' symbols inserted into the drawing will use symbols from the JIC125 directory. However, since the block search path sequence starts by looking for the block in the drawing itself, AE will never go out to the JIC125 directory for blocks that are already present in the drawing, and this apparently includes ladder reference blocks, wire numbers, signal reference text, and schematic component symbols. Even though I deleted the original ladder and schematic that I had started testing with, the JIC1 blocks were still present in the drawings. They must be deleted and purged. > > > > Is there a way to alter the block search path? > > - Jay

[#7]

None of that affects the base AE block search 'sequence', does it?

The sequence of always checking the drawing itself for a symbol before getting to the chosen directory is what I meant to refer to.

- Jay

[#8]

Hmmmm...

I found that the Ladder block being used in my drawing (from the JIC125 directory) is only .1 text height, not .125. To get .125 text, I had to change this block in the JIC125 directory, delete all of them from my drawing, purge, and re-insert my ladders.

- Jay

[#9]

The 'Swap Block' utility has a 'LIBRARY swap' function that might help you out here. "Jay Mackey" wrote in message news:21008019.1089234987107.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com... > None of that affects the base AE block search 'sequence', does it?