Possible to remove components from ACE_JIC_MENU.DAT? (ACADE JIC icon menu)

[ddander]

Hey there fellow CAD Electrical users,

I am wondering if it's possible to add/remove components from Standard Component library provided by CAD Electrical. I am finding there are a lot of components I will never use. When I try to access the .dat file through Icon Menu Wizard, I am finding it to be read-only. I'd like to both remove unnecessary components and add new symbols I am building so that we only have necessary components in our icon menu and that they are all located in one menu.

I am creating my own icon menu and would like to add my components to the standard library so we don't have everyone flipping between multiple menus trying to find components. 

Any information regarding editing the standard AutoCAD Electrical library will be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks,

David Dander

Mechatronics Engineering Student, McMaster University

[iancross]

Are you wanting to remove the icons from the icon menu file? or is it the dataase of manufactures and standards?

if its the icons from the icon menu file, just go through the icon menu wizard on the Schematic Tab > Other Tools Panel > Icon meu Wizard find the icon, right click and delete.

if it is read-only, maybe you dont have read-write permissions to that location on your PC, if you are not an administrator on your PC, you may be restricted to this.

Ian

[pqphillips]

Personally, I am loathe to ever remove components from either the menu or the library, as one never knows when those removed components might be useful again.

What I would suggest doing instead (provided you have write access... if not, talk to your bosses and IT to see if they can give you write access) is creating a new, custom menu. The easiest way to do so would be to find the ACE_JIC_MENU.DAT file on your hard drive through Windows Explorer, make a copy of it, and rename the copy.

At this point, you want to right click on the new .DAT file and go to Properties. Clear out the check box that makes it read only. 

Then you simply point the search path for the Schematic Icon Menu (under Project Properties) to the new file and edit that one to remove the components you don't use and add the ones you do. This will give you the custom menu you want without compromising the original. Assuming that the .DAT file is accessed from the network, everyone should then be able to use the same menu. If not, then you can either put the .DAT file on every user's computer in the same directory, or set up Electrical for networked usage, where everyone uses the same icons, menus, parts catalogs, etc (this is actually better, as it ensures that any changes or additions are available to everyone immediately).

Nota Bene: If you have a Project template change that search path there as well so all future projects will use the new menu.