Building a Component Database

[shanebwhite]

Does anyone know of a place where people can put the blocks they have created for everyone to use? This could be a great time saver. I am sure there are lots of components out there that are redrawn multiple times. To take it a step further, if we were able to access this database directly from AutoCAD Electrical we could always be accessing the "latest and greatest" component files too. Does anyone else have any thoughts or insights on this?

[dlshood]

You have a great idea....We have been fighting this thing for years, if we could just find a way to do this AutoCAD Electrical would be the standard though out the electrical engineering world. I have been using this product for over 7 years.....
Dave

[rjtcm1]

An ACAD E " repository " with updated *.dwgs from the major players would be a great start.
If I am user a particular tool, and a manufacturer wants me to use their product versus a competitors, then they should have enough sense to make their drawing available to me, and to anyone one else who would use their drawing in a project. Also, the tool maker should be helping it's users with what has been given to the public domain. It seems like common sense to me, but maybe I am missing a business angle that says otherwise?

[SRayC]

If AutoDesk did this right it should have depository of the following:
Parts Database
Schematic symbols
Wiring diagram symbols
2D Panel layout symbols
3D Models of device (Inventor)
Panel Punch Tool iFeature (Inventor sheet metal)

Manufacturers of electrical components could supply this data for use by AcadE and IV users. This would be a Win-Win for both ADSK and the Electrical Mfg's.

Just a pipe dream.

Ray C.

[rjtcm1]

Maybe NOT a pipe dream.
N8 and team have been paying close attention.
They hear us ;-).
It's probably more a question of $$$ resources and finding a higher level manager with vision and common sense.
It's a giant opportunity under their nose.
But unfortunately, more times than not, these BIG companies get bogged down with political BS...and missed the window of opportunity before the rest of the world catches on.
Keep your fingers crossed that doesn't happen here.

[ssherwick]

Sounds like a good project for an ACADE Users Group. If there are none an even better reason to create one 🙂

[Anonymous]

There was at one time a push to do just this thread is talking about. It is/was called Partspec. Although it has Mechanically taken off, the electrical side never got off the ground for a few reasons:

Snap & Layers - Every place I've worked at for the last 10 yrs has used a different snap base distance and different layers.

Block Naming conventions/Block Retrival - Use the Manufacturers part number or your own internal part number?
If you are currently or are planning on integrating with an MRP package, the choice is made for you, so how are you going to get every supplier to send you a drawing with your numbering system. (there is no way to prevent a manufacturer from creating a part number for its own use, that is the same as a part number for another company)

I never seem to get the CTB file for plotting when we get drawings from an outside source.

It will never happen - Little psycology there for ya 😉

Been using WD practically as soon as it was comercially available, and it is useful, the only beef I have with it is the fact that now we get to do Data Entry for engineers to create a BOM for them.

At least we've integrated it into our Publishing Department for sumbittal Generation and Purchasing. (Dont ask, its been a nightmare.)

Wish List?
A. MRP Integration Package
B. Autodesk to standardize on a Customization and upgrade method that takes less than 2 days (30 seconds would be nice) to move customizations from installation to installation. This has been the same since R12 for windows.
C. Open database file that allows hooks to push and pull data from entities.

[SRayC]

I agree with a lot of your statement. But AcadE seems to be taking care of some of the standards for us. The intial library of schematics symbols seems very good. If some sort of drafting standards for electrical symbols could be formalized like they have been in other areas of CAD then we would be halfway there. Standards for different companies have been developed over the years because nothing else was available.
As far as the parts database, a simple change by adding an extra field that has the vendors reference catalog number would allow users to put in their unique style number association.
The potential for such libraries to benefit users, suppliers, and software suppliers is mind boggling. I would give my eye teeth to be able to download a required device's, scheme symbol, wiring diag symbol, 3D model and hole pattern all at once when needed by some description/cat# search.

Here I go again dreaming.

Ray C. :>)

[Anonymous]

Part of this needs to happen at the device vendor level... There is an analogous thing that devicenet uses - the .eds file. If vendors were to be aware of how to provide a file for the parametric builder, and would diligently pop these out, life could be much nicer. Probably causes some conflict to vendors who sell competing products to ACADE, though.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty new to the ACADE end of things. But I've worked with Inventor for awhile:
Take a look at Charles Bliss's Inventor stuff on his website. It is a collection of Inventor parts, tutorials, etc., that folks have put up for free use. www.cbliss.com
I think it would be a great model for a grass roots collection for ACADE. IMHO

[mdbrownn]

If you use ACADe as it was designed Out of the box, there is an Allen Bradley plugin available: http://www.ab.com/raise/abecad.html

If you are like me, and you cant get enough of the social inerta necessary to convince management to use standards set by industry and scrap existing drawing databases, you are stuck. We dont even use the ARM format. (Something to be said for having a TRAINED drafter as a CAD Manager, at least to start a drafting department on the right foot.)

Anyone found a way to plug this thing into Navision?
We've had a quasi-programmer working on it for over a year now with no luck.