topic Re: Default layer names/properties and default text styles in AutoCAD Electrical Forum

Default layer names/properties and default text styles

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 15:22:16 GMT

Hi all,

Curious if we had to use WD text styles and all the default layers when creating symbols and working overall in ACADE, or is that able to be changed somewhere within a template file?

We have our own standard text styles and layers that we wish to use, I understand we will need to make exception for the wire layers, but for all else can we utilize our own layer standard names and properties?

Thanks much.

Re: Default layer names/properties and default text styles

rhesusminus — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 17:54:49 GMT

Hi!

All symbols that comes with AcadE have attributes using the WD or WD_IEC text style. I guess you can write a macro that changes all the attributes in the entire symbol library.

To use your own layers, make sure you set this up in BOTH the project template (wdp-file) and the drawing template (dwt-file).

These are the settings you want to change:

In the DWT-file also make the changes for the panel drawing layers:

When AutoCAD Electrical inserts a symbol, all the entities are placed in different layers, according to these settings.

Re: Default layer names/properties and default text styles

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 21:09:25 GMT

Thanks for the comprehensive answer! That is more than enough info that I should be able to figure something out.

We will probably be creating near all of our symbols from scratch, so I might just opt to manually change each text style.

Re: Default layer names/properties and default text styles

Icemanau — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 23:07:51 GMT

You can change the font used by both the WD & WD_IEC styles quite easily.

By changing the Text Style settings, it will also affect all the attributes in the blocks that use the style you change without having to go in and edit the blocks.

First of all, make sure your menu bar is active. Click on the small down arrow on the end of the quick access bar up the top of the ACADE screen/window and select the option to show the menu bar.

On the menu bar, click on format and select Text Style from the menu.

Select the WD or WD_IEC text style and change the settings as required.

Once you have finished, select the font you want to use for text and click on the Set Current button on the right.

Now all your blocks should show their attribute text as per your settings.

Any text or mtext you now insert will use the text style you selected as the current style.

I would suggest setting this in your template drawing file so that you don't have to do this on every drawing you start.

Regards Brad

Re: Default layer names/properties and default text styles

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 16:14:26 GMT

I was hoping to use a different text style name altogether...not just the properties. I could do a rename on the styles in addition to changing the properties, but would the default WD text style continue to come back each time I create a symbol since it's default?

Re: Default layer names/properties and default text styles

Icemanau — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 23:16:36 GMT

If you define the WD & WD_IEC text styles in your template dwg, then when you insert a block, the attributes will take on the text style that is already defined.

If there is no text style defined for that name, then and only then will the text style come from the first block you insert. All other blocks will then follow that text style.

To test and see how it works start a new dwg and set the WD or WD_IEC text style to use an unusual font before making it current.

Insert a block with some text in the visible attributes and check the result.

I found it was easier to change the text style to the appropriate font & width in my template rather than opening every single block and changing the attribute text styles. It took me about 5-10 minutes to update our template with the new style instead of the 8+ hours required to automatically update every block.

It also has the added benefit of allowing you to quickly change fonts when a client specifies a specific font.

Regards Brad