Avoiding repetition in ACADE
Accepted solution
You're right, there's another way. Actually with ACADE and most other ACAD-based products, there's usually a few dozen ways. And don't worry about how much you post. Very many of us on this forum were once right where you're at now. I was! It's all good, we'll get you together.
1. Enter AECOPYCIRCUIT at the command line, or go to Schematic> Edit Components>Copy Circuit. This command copies any circuit to another location in the same drawing. If you need to copy a circuit to a different drawing, use AECIRCCOPYCLIP, which is also found at Schematics>Circuit Clipboard>Copy Clip. This command will let you copy a circuit, any circuit, no matter how large or small, to another drawing. When pasting the circuit (using either command), ACADE will automatically update all tags. There are a few selections in the dialog for dealing with source arrows, fixed numbers, etc. You may want to review those options in HELP if they come into play for you.
2. As for I/O drawings, it's pretty common to see several drawings in a row that all have the exact same blocks in the exact same locations, with only field devices and buttons etc being different. However, if you're doing a 'Save As' and changing the drawing's name, you're making a lot of extra work for yourself. Also, if you're using Project Manager (which you should be, IMHO), then you'd have to manually add the drawing to the project. So here's what I would do, broken into several steps. This should help minimize the amount of go-back-and-edit that has to be done:
*Set up the I/O drawings, with only your ladders (or grid), bus wires if you need them...and rungs only if you must. Do this by entering ACENEWDRAWING at the command line, or go to Project Manager>New Drawing. This command makes the new drawing a part of the active project. I usually set up all of mine at once, the end result is a dozen or so empty drawings.
*Go to the first one and bring in your PLC modules. Don't add any wiring unless it's going to be on every drawing.
*Now, use the circuit clipboard to copy these two modules. Go through the next few drawings and paste it into each one. ACADE will retag for you, unless you made them fixed. (DO NOT use this command with fixed tags active. If you do, the software will consider each pasted component as a child and the original component as the parent. Trying to retag one will change the tags on the others. Un-fix any fixed tags BEFORE starting this command.)
Some notes:
--This command won't renumber wires; you'll have to do that part manually.
--When selecting the circuit to copy, make sure you capture all of the connection dots/tees. ACADE won't redraw those for you later if you miss them at first.
--It's to your benefit if you can have anything that will appear in the other drawings in your original circuit. So it's worth taking a beat to pause and think about what needs to be drawn later. This command copies everything about the circuit - even normal, non-attribute text. I often include notes and other things that aren't *technically* a part of the circuit. So if there's anything like that, be sure to have it in place when you start to copy.
--If you didn't know about it before, consider the command AEMULTI (Schematic>Insert Components>Multiple Insert). It's very useful when adding terminal blocks in a ladder drawing, or even a bunch of NO or NC contacts. It allows you to draw a single line across the rungs, and everything inserts along that line. So it all comes in already aligned, and you generally only have to input the catalog info once, and it's all done in one command. I use the crap out of that one.
Hope this helps,
Jim
Jim Seefeldt
Electrical Engineering Technician
1. Enter AECOPYCIRCUIT at the command line, or go to Schematic> Edit Components>Copy Circuit. This command copies any circuit to another location in the same drawing. If you need to copy a circuit to a different drawing, use AECIRCCOPYCLIP, which is also found at Schematics>Circuit Clipboard>Copy Clip. This command will let you copy a circuit, any circuit, no matter how large or small, to another drawing. When pasting the circuit (using either command), ACADE will automatically update all tags. There are a few selections in the dialog for dealing with source arrows, fixed numbers, etc. You may want to review those options in HELP if they come into play for you.
2. As for I/O drawings, it's pretty common to see several drawings in a row that all have the exact same blocks in the exact same locations, with only field devices and buttons etc being different. However, if you're doing a 'Save As' and changing the drawing's name, you're making a lot of extra work for yourself. Also, if you're using Project Manager (which you should be, IMHO), then you'd have to manually add the drawing to the project. So here's what I would do, broken into several steps. This should help minimize the amount of go-back-and-edit that has to be done:
*Set up the I/O drawings, with only your ladders (or grid), bus wires if you need them...and rungs only if you must. Do this by entering ACENEWDRAWING at the command line, or go to Project Manager>New Drawing. This command makes the new drawing a part of the active project. I usually set up all of mine at once, the end result is a dozen or so empty drawings.
*Go to the first one and bring in your PLC modules. Don't add any wiring unless it's going to be on every drawing.
*Now, use the circuit clipboard to copy these two modules. Go through the next few drawings and paste it into each one. ACADE will retag for you, unless you made them fixed. (DO NOT use this command with fixed tags active. If you do, the software will consider each pasted component as a child and the original component as the parent. Trying to retag one will change the tags on the others. Un-fix any fixed tags BEFORE starting this command.)
Some notes:
--This command won't renumber wires; you'll have to do that part manually.
--When selecting the circuit to copy, make sure you capture all of the connection dots/tees. ACADE won't redraw those for you later if you miss them at first.
--It's to your benefit if you can have anything that will appear in the other drawings in your original circuit. So it's worth taking a beat to pause and think about what needs to be drawn later. This command copies everything about the circuit - even normal, non-attribute text. I often include notes and other things that aren't *technically* a part of the circuit. So if there's anything like that, be sure to have it in place when you start to copy.
--If you didn't know about it before, consider the command AEMULTI (Schematic>Insert Components>Multiple Insert). It's very useful when adding terminal blocks in a ladder drawing, or even a bunch of NO or NC contacts. It allows you to draw a single line across the rungs, and everything inserts along that line. So it all comes in already aligned, and you generally only have to input the catalog info once, and it's all done in one command. I use the crap out of that one.
Hope this helps,
Jim
Jim Seefeldt
Electrical Engineering Technician
First about the thing with the NC contact, remember that it's a child device. It wants a parent somewhere. If ACADE can't make the decision as to what a child's parent is, it will 'blank out' the attributes for that contact. This is actually a check box when you paste a circuit: "don't blank out orphan contacts". If you check that box, then it will leave those attributes alone instead of blanking them out. Problem there is, you have to remember to go back and either manually enter that information, or link it to a parent. It's easy to forget to do that, when the attribute text is still there.
OK, so, title blocks. This is actually a major function of the software, in that ACADE will keep track of your title block updates for you ... but you have to do a little setup first. It can get a little confusing, so be prepared in advance for it to not work on the first attempt or three. However, once you're set up, every new drawing will come in with a title block, layers, whatever you need. You won't have to run Title Block Wizard after that.
This is done with .dwt files (i.e. template drawings). If you don't know what these are, a brief review in HELP should give you enough information. But essentially, you will create a template drawing for use with your schematics. It will need to already contain a title block and whatever else you need. Each time you create a new drawing with the Project Manager, you'll just need to be sure you're using the correct template drawing.
I use the WD_TB method. For this, the general process is: first design your title block, and then place attribute definitions in it. Then, you create a simple file in Notepad that links your attribute names to values called 'LINE 1' 'LINE 2' and so forth. Then, you run the title block wizard and link it all together. Doug McAlexander has a good write up on this at his website:
http://www.ecadconsultant.com/tips.html#Template
It can look a little daunting at first. But I promise it isn't too difficult, it's just a lot of little steps to do.
Once your title block is added to your template drawing, you're *basically* done. But there are lots of other things to do to your template files that can save you time later. You can define layers and their properties. You can include some graphics or text that you use a lot, because you can always delete them if it ends up you don't need them there. I keep a non-plotting layer in everything I do, and in my schematic template I have little lines and pointers that live there. These guys tell me where to start a ladder, for instance, and provide lines I can snap to so that I can place things a certain way later. Templates are a huge time saver.
Don't feel like you have to figure out everything to include in a template right away though. You can always add to them later. Only brand-new drawings are affected by the template; once a drawing is created from it, there is no further link between them.
Post back if (when, lol...i had to do this a dozen times, I remember it well) you have issues. I or someone will get you through it.
Good luck,
Jim
Jim Seefeldt
Electrical Engineering Technician
OK, so, title blocks. This is actually a major function of the software, in that ACADE will keep track of your title block updates for you ... but you have to do a little setup first. It can get a little confusing, so be prepared in advance for it to not work on the first attempt or three. However, once you're set up, every new drawing will come in with a title block, layers, whatever you need. You won't have to run Title Block Wizard after that.
This is done with .dwt files (i.e. template drawings). If you don't know what these are, a brief review in HELP should give you enough information. But essentially, you will create a template drawing for use with your schematics. It will need to already contain a title block and whatever else you need. Each time you create a new drawing with the Project Manager, you'll just need to be sure you're using the correct template drawing.
I use the WD_TB method. For this, the general process is: first design your title block, and then place attribute definitions in it. Then, you create a simple file in Notepad that links your attribute names to values called 'LINE 1' 'LINE 2' and so forth. Then, you run the title block wizard and link it all together. Doug McAlexander has a good write up on this at his website:
http://www.ecadconsultant.com/tips.html#Template
It can look a little daunting at first. But I promise it isn't too difficult, it's just a lot of little steps to do.
Once your title block is added to your template drawing, you're *basically* done. But there are lots of other things to do to your template files that can save you time later. You can define layers and their properties. You can include some graphics or text that you use a lot, because you can always delete them if it ends up you don't need them there. I keep a non-plotting layer in everything I do, and in my schematic template I have little lines and pointers that live there. These guys tell me where to start a ladder, for instance, and provide lines I can snap to so that I can place things a certain way later. Templates are a huge time saver.
Don't feel like you have to figure out everything to include in a template right away though. You can always add to them later. Only brand-new drawings are affected by the template; once a drawing is created from it, there is no further link between them.
Post back if (when, lol...i had to do this a dozen times, I remember it well) you have issues. I or someone will get you through it.
Good luck,
Jim
Jim Seefeldt
Electrical Engineering Technician
