How to set wire direction at pin?

[barnadaniel]

Hello,

is it possible to define a 'natural direction' at a pin, in which a wire should start when connected to that pin? This would seem to be natural for me.

As the attached picture shows, my wire is connected at this pin in a weird direction (because I need to route it through the indicated segment).

What is the best strategy to do it correctly?

Another question: I increased the diameter of the segment, hoping that it means that the wires are constrained within the segment, but are free to move withini this. But they all seem to be constrained to the centerline. What I want is that all my wires pass within this 'tube' of 30mm diameter.

Thank you

Daniel

[JDMather]

Can you attach your connector here?

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

Did you author this connector yourself?

[mcgyvr]

JD's second post shows the proper way to author a connector and define is natural direction.

As for your second question..If you set the segment to "calculate size from wires" it will grow as more wires are placed into it and allow you to estimate the tube or cylinder that your wires will fit into. You set the calculate size from wires by right clicking on the segments and selecting harness properties then look at the bottom of the occurrence tab.

So for example if you route 2 wires with an OD of .150" through a single segment that segment will automatically become .300". It "seems" to even add a little "slop" when you have more than 2 wires in a segment.

For example I tried with 3 x .175" OD wires and it calculated a segment of .397" but actual tight segment OD should be .377" (calculated by drawing 3 tangent circles with a main circle tangent to those around it.)

[barnadaniel]

Shame on me. I started from an already existing assembly with existing parts, when I started up with the wiring. I figured out that I need to put pins into the part files to be able to connect wires, but the connectors were not authored as connectors. Thanks.

I also had a false imagination about segments, believing that they define a limiting envelope within which the wires must be running to avoid conflict with other parts.

Is it not possible to define surface geometry as a limiting envelope for wire routing? For example if my wires are running in a pipe, to select the inner surface of that pipe to constrain the wires' path?

Thank you

[mcgyvr · Accepted solution]

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@barnadaniel wrote:

Is it not possible to define surface geometry as a limiting envelope for wire routing? For example if my wires are running in a pipe, to select the inner surface of that pipe to constrain the wires' path?

Thank you

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You can do it 2 ways.. Fastest way is to simply create a segment and select the inner surface of each end of the pipe for your start/end of the segment and autoroute all your wires into it. (set the offset to the radius of the pipe ID) And if your segment shows through the pipe you know your pipe is too small.

Or you can always add points (RMB on a wire and select add point) along each wire and redefine those points to be inside the pipe surfaces (very similar offset tool like the segment creation is)

We have alot of single wires (with just a ring terminal on each end) I just manually route those wires one by one (or multi-select points and route at one time). I rarely use segments at my work. (but thats what works for me)

The cable/harness world is something you need to spend a few hours or more just learning how it works and what works for you.