Layer Update & Relay Pin Problems

[Anonymous]

Thanks Doug for the help recently, getting there slowly but surely!

I have two current problems that I can't seem to resolve.

1. I need to change all the blocks within my current project to another layer. Primarly the components, currently they are in 'SYMS' I would like them on 'MY_LAYER' for example. I have changed them other iin the drawing and project 'define layers' option and tried to update the blocks within the drawing. Firstly, they won't update, however, when I insert a new block it works fine. Secondly, once I have worked around this, is the only way to do each drawing and update block, or can you do it project wide somehow?

2. From previous posts I have created my own relay pin assignment, which when not used or paired with a child contact shows fine. However, when I assign a child contact to the relay the pins numbers disappear but shows the sheet reference and location, please help?

Thanks in advance.

KC.

[dougmcalexander]

KC, regarding number 1, I think you may be going outside the scope of
AcadE. Remember this is not a drafting tool allowing us to get away with
anything. It just so happens that it is integrated into the greatest
drafting engine there is. I wish the name wasn't AutoCAD Electrical though
because so many companies send drafters to my training classes, assuming
that it is a drafting tool. I often wind up explaining design principles as
a I teach, because I get such questions as, "how did you know you needed a
fuse there? How did you know what size and type? How did you know what size
and color of wire to use?"

Almost everywhere I go, people coming from plain vanilla AutoCAD, where
there are no rules, try to make AcadE play by their past rules, which are
mostly outdated or made up, not adhering to any established standard. AcadE
however, follows established electrical standards and thus must have some
absolutes with which to work against. That being said, the default layer
for symbols is SYMS. I have never found a need to change that. If you wish
you can change the layer names to something custom by clicking the Layer
button on the Drawing Format tab of Drawing Properties. But to mass change a
symbol's layer assignment is biting off a bit more. You can probably do it
with the combination of a script and a lisp routine. However I have been
using the program since 1997 and I just design with it; I try to not
reconfigure it too much, especially since I teach it as well, and it would
confuse my students to see mine look and act so different.

As for number 2, I cannot say that I have seen such a phenomenon. If you
insert a relay coil that has an entry in the pin list database, once you
perform a lookup and assign a MFG and CAT, AcadE pulls the pin assignments
in from the database and fills in the coil pins. Then when you later insert
a child contact and associate it to the coil, the first set of available pin
numbers are assigned. If you prefer a different set of pins, you click the
List button and select a different set.

wrote in message news:5992622@discussion.autodesk.com...
Thanks Doug for the help recently, getting there slowly but surely!

I have two current problems that I can't seem to resolve.

1. I need to change all the blocks within my current project to another
layer. Primarly the components, currently they are in 'SYMS' I would like
them on 'MY_LAYER' for example. I have changed them other iin the drawing
and project 'define layers' option and tried to update the blocks within the
drawing. Firstly, they won't update, however, when I insert a new block it
works fine. Secondly, once I have worked around this, is the only way to do
each drawing and update block, or can you do it project wide somehow?

2. From previous posts I have created my own relay pin assignment, which
when not used or paired with a child contact shows fine. However, when I
assign a child contact to the relay the pins numbers disappear but shows the
sheet reference and location, please help?

Thanks in advance.

KC.

[rhesusminus]

Hi KC.

Just a thougt...

Can't you just rename the layer?
That would give the same result as to mye each object to the new layer, and
purge the SYMS layer?


THL

[Anonymous]

I would have to say it is a bad idea to change the layer name from SYMS. When you insert blocks using the ACADE icon menus it will create that layer SYMS if it is not existing. Changing the layer name is only going to create more hassels for you down the road.

Scott

[Anonymous]

But you can define the layer SYMS to be a different layer name at Drawing
Properties level. You can do this under the Drawing Format tab at the lower
right-hand portion of the dialog. Then AcadE will work with your alternate
name. But moving components to this new layer that have already been
inserted will be a bit tricky.

It's like the paperspace versus model space discussions. Use the program as
close as possible to the way it functions out of the box and you will meet
industry standards and stay away from software issues. I have used model
space exclusively since 1997. I do panel layouts to scale and plot to fit.
It works just fine. I have no problem with one drawing border per file.
That's how AcadE expects it and thus when I don't stray too far away from
the beaten path, all is well. We get into trouble when we try to make AcadE
fit non-standard standards.

All that is to say, if you have a compelling reason to rename SYMS then you
can, but do it under drawing properties when you define your template.

wrote in message news:5994380@discussion.autodesk.com...
I would have to say it is a bad idea to change the layer name from SYMS.
When you insert blocks using the ACADE icon menus it will create that layer
SYMS if it is not existing. Changing the layer name is only going to create
more hassels for you down the road.

Scott

[Anonymous]

Thanks Guys for all the help!!

The reason for changing the layer is becuase I have been designing a project and I'm now 90% complete. However, the client (as always) has moved the goal posts! They now want all the drawings in a standard font, at a standard height, for standard paper size, with their standard layers. Which as Doug points out I have used the define layer, which is great, except I have to update block on every drawing to every block on 200+ drawings I need a CAD monkey or a routine. I like the way ACADE is designed and used, but working for such clients requires a great deal of customisation. However, having said that they are our biggest client, so once I have cracked the customisation I should have to modify to much in the future.
In regards to number 2, well I think I may have caused this myself, can a library update affect this? I recently changed all my text heights and fonts to match our clients, and I have the relays contacts setup for graphical, showing 'Spare' for unused. It's just I know the contacts are MT Entity, I have also edited the environment file as per Mr Holtes blog for continous use of the font and height for this contact arrangements.

Thanks in advance,

KC.