topic Re: Square with Terminal Number in AutoCAD Electrical Forum

Square with Terminal Number

mbruska — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:11:59 GMT

Very new to AutoCAD Electrical, using 2023. When inserting "Square with Terminal Number", the number is placed to the upper right, outside of the square. Can't find the way so that the number is inside the square. This also happens with round, hex, etc.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

mbruska — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:28:37 GMT

Does anybody know how to adjust for this?

Re: Square with Terminal Number

arshdeepsingh404 — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:42:30 GMT

In order to adjust the location of the Terminal attribute, you will have to modify the symbol.

If you hover over the symbol, it will tell you the name of the symbol. For example: The square terminal is called HT0001.dwg

Every symbol has two versions, Horizontal and Vertical. In this case, the horizontal symbol would be HT0001.dwg, and the vertical symbol would be VT0001.dwg

You will need to browse to the symbol location.

The symbols location would look something like this C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Acade 20##\Libs\(library used in the project, like NFPA)

For example, mine is C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Acade 2026\Libs\NFPA

Once you have opened the symbol drawing, you can move the TERM01 attribute to the desired position you would like.

I suggest changing the attribute justification to Middle Center and then moving it to 0,0 coordinates, like in the image below.

You might also have to reduce the attribute text size.

Save the symbol and try inserting it into a fresh new drawing.

You won’t have any issues if you're inserting the modified symbol into a fresh new drawing. AutoCAD Electrical will load the latest version of the block from disk, including changes like a repositioned TERM01 attribute in the HT0001.dwg square terminal symbol.

However, if you're working in a drawing where this symbol was already inserted, the changes won't appear automatically. This is because AutoCAD Electrical stores the block definition inside the drawing when first inserted, and re-inserting the symbol uses that old definition from memory.

To update the symbol and reflect your modifications, you need to use the Swap/Update Block tool. This tells AutoCAD Electrical to reload the updated block from disk and apply it to existing instances in the drawing, while preserving all project data such as tags, wire connections, and catalog information.

https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACAD_E/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-4673F13C-93D5-4C74-8F15-77AB8B4EB9EF

Re: Square with Terminal Number

mbruska — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:34:07 GMT

Arshdeep, thank you very much for your detailed explanation. I will have to wait till tomorrow to try it out. Makes sense that the attribute needs adjusting.

I find it interesting that this is happening with all the shapes with terminal numbers (square, circle, hex, triangle) since this is a new install of AutoCAD Electrical 2023.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

rhesusminus — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 13:33:00 GMT

The image you see in the Icon Menu is NOT representative of what the symbol looks like. Your installation is correct.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

mbruska — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:18:51 GMT

Rhesusminus, thanks. I was wondering what else in my install might be corrupt. I didn't think that with a new install, it should be different from the icon.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

rhesusminus — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:26:12 GMT

And that is one of many reasons that I wouldn't recommend AutoCAD Electrical for users starting to do schematics now.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

mbruska — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:12:15 GMT

This was a learning experience for me. Your directions were clear, and it worked. The images of the move was very helpful as I first tried to find an attribute for "TERM01" that didn't exist. Then I realized that the "move" command was needed and to physically move the position of "TERM01".

Instead of making the text-number size smaller, I enlarged the square. By keeping the text font the same size, it matches the wire number font size.

Thank you again.

Now it's time to figure out how to globally increase the wire number size. Then I'll go back and increase both the square and number size for terminal numbers. They are too small for my liking.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

arshdeepsingh404 — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 04:05:29 GMT

You're welcome, I am glad that helped.

Good idea about making the square larger.

One of the reasons the text is outside of the square by default is exactly this, The text will have to be too small to show the wire numbers inside the square, especially if it's more than one character.

If you need to enlarge the wire numbers, you can do it the same way as you modified the Terminal Block.

When you double-click on the wire number, it will show you the block name. (WD_WNH for Horizontal Wire number and WD_WNV for Vertical Wire Numbers)

Just simply browse to the symbol location, open it, and increase the attribute size to your liking.

To update existing wire number sizes on a drawing, perform a swap/update block after modifying the wire number symbol.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

mbruska — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 01:35:35 GMT

Thanks again, it really helps.

A question that is off topic but relevant to the drawing, I understand that this maybe a sample drawing. I see the drawing has PL207 ( a 3ph, 4w plug) ahead of DISC207. Having been an industrial control electrician for a few decades, I would think the plug disconnect be downstream of DISC207 (between DISC207 and the motor) to facilitate a motor change/testing. There may be a reason I don't know because of the situation of the install.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

arshdeepsingh404 — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 03:18:52 GMT

Great observation! This is a snapshot from the sample NFPA drawing that comes with AutoCAD Electrical.

I never really noticed this before, and you are right, it makes a lot more sense for it to be after the disconnect. I have never seen this setup either in my field experience.

Maybe this is supposed to represent some of the disconnect box with quick-connect connectors ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The closest I have seen is something from Siemens catalog where you can bring AC power using a quick-connect connector to a field-mounted VFD with an embedded disconnect, and the VFD plugs to the motor directly.

Re: Square with Terminal Number

rhesusminus — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 21:29:57 GMT

You would expect the demo projects to be error-free as well? You know, like a good example?