Custom Wire Marker Symbol Will Not Automatically Fill WIRENO Attribute

[mtakala9EKX3]

I have a custom symbol that I have created in AutoCAD Electrical 2025 that is a "cable marker" that I am using as a wire marker (name of symbol is: Hw01-WIRE -- attached).  This is the only logical way I could figure out to be able to assign a part number to the actual wire itself.  Upon creating this symbol, I put in the WIRENO attribute and hid all the other WIRExxx layers with the idea that when placing this marker, it would either be blank (meaning it is an indication the wire number has not been assigned) or if the wire number was assigned, it would automatically grab that info to display.  The issue is that this does not happen.  What happens is the X4TERM01 and X1TERM01 connection points grab the pre-entered wire number, but the WIRENO attribute does not.

If I click the wire and grab the blue sticky and take the wire off the wire marker connection point, and then do a stretch wire command so it builds itself back into the same connection point, it is like the database refreshes or something and the WIRENO info is there.  Another way to get the WIRENO attribute to populate is to do an EDIT WIRE NUMBER command, and then just press OK (without changing anything). Another way is to just have the wire number undefined when I insert the wire marker symbol, and then assign after.  However, this also is confusing because if I do a COPY COMPONENT, it will keep whatever the old WIRENO info is, until I do one of these manual processes to make the software refresh the WIRENO attribute.

If this makes sense, I would love if someone could give me ideas on either how to do this a better way, or why the way I have done it seems like a bug in the software.

[mtakala9EKX3]

SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT:

example of how it looks after inserting on a drawing and doing manual intervention to get it to look like i want

however, if i were to insert this on a wire with this wire number this is what the initial attributes are automatically

so it clearly sees the wire number on the connection points but does not translate that to the WIRENO attribute for some reason

[rhesusminus]

The general idea with AcadE is that you should put this in the Wire Types. In the project properties, you can rename the user columns when configuring wire types.

Then, when creating wire types, you can do something like this:

When using these wire types in your schematics, you can now extract that info in the from/to reports:

[mtakala9EKX3]

@rhesusminus --- this is awesome! thank you so much for this!   couple of follow up questions... is it possible using this method to extract this info on to a BOM report? If so, is length (quantity value) something that can be added and then added up for all the same wire types in a location?

Also, one of the reasons I made this wire marker symbol was because I do not like how ACADE handles the Wire Color/Gauge Labels.  The info that is inserted when doing this is not the desired location, justification of text, etc.  I know you can set Text Size format, but that is all... is this able to be edited somewhere so there is less manual intervention required when inserting this info?

Thanks again for your help!!!!

[rhesusminus]

The answers are mostly no. 

For placing the wire labels, look at this tool:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-electrical-forum/wire-color-gauge-labels-place-below-lines/td...

Made by @arshdeepsingh404 But him a coffee if you use it. 

And, let me know if you'd like to have a look at Eplan some of day. It does everything you ask for, and more. 

[mtakala9EKX3]

When we were looking into a new "smart" CAD software, I recommended AutoCAD Electrical because I had a few years experience with it.  I was going to look into EPLAN and when I requested the guided trial and I got absolutely zero response.  But I am interested in it.  How is the pricing compared to ACADE licenses? (are we allowed to discuss this on an AutoDesk forum? LOL)

Also, in that link you sent, someone had a lsp file created.  I have no experience here, and would love to take that lsp and add the ability to change the text style and justification for that wire label. Any pointers on HOW i could modify that lsp to include these items?  Thanks, again!!

[mtakala9EKX3]

Nevermind on the lsp questions. I was able to figure this out. Just needed to change my default STYLE for text and then in the lsp update the TC to the justification code I wanted. The EPLAN question is still valid.

Another wire question though for you @rhesusminus

     What would be the proper way to get wire part numbers on a BOM with length quantities?  Is this not really a thing in ACADE without external items such as other lsp files? Seems like a standard thing to require in a smart CAD software...

[rhesusminus · Accepted solution]

Without lisp, no. Remember that you live in a 3D world while AcadE is still living in 2D. 

Someone will probably mention the link to Inventor to calculate wire lengths... If you want to be kind to yourself, do not go there.