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    AutoCAD Electrical

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    Contributor
    Posts: 15
    Registered: ‎05-20-2012
    Accepted Solution

    new terminals for terminal block layout

    291 Views, 10 Replies
    01-16-2013 12:05 PM

    I am trying to use a new phoenix terminal that is not yet in my 2010 database (electrical). I got the .dwg form the phoenix website and I want to add it to my database to use it all the time. How can I accomplish this?

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    *Expert Elite*
    Posts: 2,528
    Registered: ‎10-18-2003

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-16-2013 05:01 PM in reply to: mikegoutier

    Use the symbol Builder to add the appropriate attributes for a terminal footprint.  Use AutoCAD’s Wipeout command to outline the portion of the terminal that should hide DIN rail behind it.  Enter the part number into the CATALOG database for part number assignment and make an entry in the footprint lookup database to direct the software to use your downloaded footprint when that part number is assigned. 

    Regards,

    Doug McAlexander
    Electrical CAD Industry Specialist
    Independent Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
    AutoCAD Electrical, VIA/WD, Toolbox/WD, ecscad, promis-e, RSWire

    Web site: www.ECADConsultant.com
    E-mail: ECADConsultant@gmail.com
    Phone: (770) 841-8009
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    Contributor
    Posts: 15
    Registered: ‎05-20-2012

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 07:07 AM in reply to: dougmcalexander

    Everything seems to be working correct now except I cant get the terminal blocks to go next to each other. They are always in a line.. any ideas?

     

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    Valued Contributor
    Nata_ly
    Posts: 82
    Registered: ‎08-21-2012

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 07:11 AM in reply to: mikegoutier

    Rotate? I mean a template of the terminal.

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    Contributor
    Posts: 15
    Registered: ‎05-20-2012

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 07:15 AM in reply to: mikegoutier

    A little more info...

    In symbol builder I am building a "panel terminal"

    Type is generic

    I put in the MFG and CAT

    Then I go into wire connection go to others and select 2 level (because its a 2 level terminal)

    and than put a wire connection on one of the terminals

    than closed and saved the symbol

    I then use the command AEFOOTPRINTDB and add the location i saved the symbol in.

    I than go to editor and select my TB (just 3) and use the layout preview and there all in a row...

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    *Expert Elite*
    Posts: 993
    Registered: ‎03-09-2004

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 07:24 AM in reply to: mikegoutier

    It sounds like the terminal template is vertical instead of horizontal. As Nata_ly suggested, rotate the template and it should look okay in TSE. ACE expects the terminal blocks to all be horizontal. You can change the orientaion during the insert from within TSE. Be sure to purge the drawing first to get rid of any existing blocks that are not referenced in the drawing.

    Bob Hanrahan
    Ace User since 1998
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    Contributor
    Posts: 15
    Registered: ‎05-20-2012

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 08:10 AM in reply to: testsubject

    But How can I change how the proceding terminals are inserted, IE ontop, to the left, to the right.....

    In other words I create 1 terminal in SE

    But my terminal block layout has 30 terminals how does it know where to put the new ones in relation to the original.

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    *Expert Elite*
    Posts: 993
    Registered: ‎03-09-2004

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 08:37 AM in reply to: mikegoutier

    Terminals are grouped by the TB they are associated with. TSE (Terminal Strip Editor) has the built in intelligence to check the size of the terminal and place the next one in the terminal block list right next to the previous one.

     

    By default, the TSE will build the terminal strip so that it will go on a Dinrail that is mountaed vertically. Therefore, all template drawings have to have the terminals drawn horizontal, not vertical. From within TSE, you can tell it what the orientation is.

     

    What you need to do is open your symbol drawing, rotate it (with 0,0 as the rotation point) so that the "Bottom" of the terminal is on the left side.

    Bob Hanrahan
    Ace User since 1998
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    Contributor
    Posts: 15
    Registered: ‎05-20-2012

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 09:16 AM in reply to: testsubject

    That explains everything, a nice ahhhhhhhhhhh moment. Thank you for your time.

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    Contributor
    Posts: 15
    Registered: ‎05-20-2012

    Re: new terminals for terminal block layout

    01-17-2013 12:19 PM in reply to: mikegoutier

    one more quick one. So If i wanted to perminatly change somehting on the terminal block like the position of text what is the easiest way to do this?

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