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Changing scale when going from IEC to JIC

4 REPLIES 4
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Message 1 of 5
Martin_Rule
886 Views, 4 Replies

Changing scale when going from IEC to JIC

We have a client who wishes his electrical schematics to be to the American standard. I have previously only used the international (IEC) standard symbols and metric grid and scaling.

I have had no difficulty creating a new project using the project settings from the Demo project, which uses the jic125 library symbols.

I do however wish to use the same title block as used on all our other projects, which is metric A3 (420mm x 297mm). The jic symbols when placed on this page are using imperial dimensions on an apparent grid of .125" (1/8 inch) and are 25.4 times too small, so I am attempting to convert my metric title block to an imperial one of A3 16.535" x 11.693".

A simple ACad rescale of the title block by a factor of 1/25.4 (0.03937) seems to work and the symbols drop onto the sheet properly sized. I have altered the grid and snaps to 1/4" and 1/8" respectively.

The problem I have is that stray grips are apparent on the sheet when I do a select all (Ctrl-A), these grips are way outside the drawing frame and prevent me doing a proper zoom extents.

These stray grips seem to associated with title block attributes. Even grabbing the grips and bringing them into the drawing frame does not solve the zoom extents problem.

I have tried the LIMITS command to reduce the size of the grid but this does help either.

Any suggestions - am I approaching this the wrong way - should I be creating a new title block with imperial dimensions?

TIA

MR Edited by: Martin_Rule on Jan 23, 2009 2:30 PM
4 REPLIES 4
Message 2 of 5

There is no need to scale your border. AcadE allows you to scale symbols upon insert. You can set your project properties to use your familar IEC menu but assign one of the JIC libraries. When you pick a symbol from the menu, AcadE will insert the JIC equivalent. Be sure and set a scale factor 25.4 to scale the JIC symbols up for your metric environment.

Another option is to use the Modify Symbol Library tool. For example you can copy the JIC125 folder and rename to JICmetric. Run the Modify Symbol Library tool and rescale the entire library by a factor of 25.4. This is actually the best method overall because some of the features, like dots and angled wires, will get scaled along with the components. Dots and angled wires are inserted from the assigned library folder by AcadE automatically with no opportunity to change their scale. Scaling the entire library will solve this.

Still another option is to go ahead and complete your design with IEC symbols. Then use the Swap/Update Block tool to perform a Library Swap to JIC125. There is a box to select the 25.4 scale factor in the Library Swap dialog. You can perform this library swap project wide. There is sometimes a need to reposition certain text elements that insert dfferently between JIC and IEC but this is easy to do with the Attribute Move tool.


Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.
Message 3 of 5
Martin_Rule
in reply to: Martin_Rule

I tried the last option experimentally on a single sheet of an older project. It worked ok but for the fact that we have had to modify some library symbols because they were off grid (Form C relay contact is an example) and we have put these modified symbols in a custom library.

Also, wire numbers have changed to a larger font and any numbers which were correctly oriented on a vertical wire have become horizontal and overlap adjacent wires and wire numbers. (see attachment).

This option would probably be best but we would have to rescale off-grid symbols and presumably have to save them back to the IEC library under their original filenames. The wire number issue I don't have an answer for - any guidance?

MR
Message 4 of 5
sgsawdy
in reply to: Martin_Rule

Your original post states that your client wants the American Standard. If so, they may not want the drawing done as a metric drawng at all so you may still have to work it out in the JIC standard. If your only problem is initially with the border, then copy your border to a new name, JIC_Border for instance, open the drawing and then scale it down by 0.03937 and work out any issues with placement. Then use that border on new drawings. That should resolve your grip issues and allow you to use the JIC125 library symbols without having to change them.

Scott
Message 5 of 5

If you use the Modify Symbol Library tool and scale an entire IEC library folder by .03937 the IEC symbols, including wire numbers, should fit nicely on an English size 34X22" border. To scale the JIC library to fit an IEC border scale by 25.4. Copy the folder of the library you want to scale and rename to something else. Like copy JIC125 and rename the copy to JICmetric or something.

The wire numbers are blocks from the library just the same as a coil or contact. By scaling the entire library folder and pointing the project properties to this scaled folder, you will cover all the bases.

There is no conversion for Form-c since JIC has no form-c contact symbol. For JIC I insert a NO and NC contact next to one another and connect the commons with a line on a layer named Jumper. This layer will pass wire number information but the wire will not appear on the wire list.

You will find that the IEC library folder has more symbols than the JIC because there are more symbols in the IEC standard.


Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.

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