Location code updating all like components

[Thomasbatson]

I have been looking for some detailed instruction about location codes for a while now and haven't come across an answer, which I hope is simple I just missed somewhere.  I attached an image of what I am doing below in ACADE 2018.   I also attached a snip of the devices with the attributes. 

I am creating some 1 line symbols.  In the example attached shows panel box, then location box linked by using the Link Components with Dashed Line.  This updates the location code, the problem is the dialog box come up asking if I want to update the other 3 items.  These "Panel" boxes were inserted separately, on different lines.  Not sure what is connecting them or why.  

I created:

HDV1_001_1-PANEL

VDV1_001_1-PANEL

HDV2_001_1-LOC (I want to select the "panel" box as parent).

Can anyone tell me why these are connecting and how to prevent that?  

Thank you.

[rhesusminus]

It's impossible to say why based on these images. What tags do you use for the parent symbols? My guess is that they are the same.

[jseefdrumr · Accepted solution]

It almost sounds like your second parent is actually a child to the first. But, I don't think ACADE will allow you to make a child component into a parent for another, third, component.

Some questions:

*You said that you're working with location codes here. But what happens if you change some other attribute? Leave the location alone, add a description instead. Does that want to be pushed to the other 3 symbols too? If so, it's nothing to do with locations.

*How did the symbols come to be in the drawing:   -which command used\  -in what order\   -how did you link the children to the parents\   -anything in there have a fixed tag\  -inserted fresh, or copied with the Copy Component command?

If it's 'yes' to the first, and if you had a fixed tag, and if you did use ACADE's Copy Component command, then it sounds related to a known issue with the copy circuit command, see my post on the Idea Station here. If so, you could fix this by doing it over, and inserting each parent fresh from scratch (no copying). Then, insert the children individually (no copying).

I had almost this exact same problem for nearly a month before I put it all together, and it began just like this.

The only other thing i can think of, is that on your VDV1_***** (vertical symbol), that you are using TAG2 instead of TAG1. This could be making ACADE think that everything is a child to the horizontal symbol, depending on how they were all placed. We can't tell because you only posted shots of the horizontal symbol and the child.

If none of this applies, we need more info. Could you post the actual drawing from the screenshot, with the misbehaving symbols already in place? It *looks* like the symbols are OK based on the screenshots, but posting those wouldn't hurt either.

Jim

[Thomasbatson]

The process I am using to test these is:

1-Schematic Icon Menu> One-Line Components, insert my "Panel" component.  I am not using the copy command.  

2-Go back into Icon Menu, select my "location box" component.  In the Insert/Edit Child Component dialog box, select Parent/Sibling and then select the "Panel" component.

3-Use Link Component with Dashed Line, select Parent and select Sibling.  

I have attached the drawing.  I have exploded versions below to show tags.  

        (This drawing has many of my tests, please ignore the mess.  I have the symbols in Revclouds)

I changed description on one "Panel" component and it wants to update all as well.  

I tried inserting into a new drawing and does the same thing.  Maybe I have to delete the symbols and try again?  

I think that answers the questions.  I appreciate the help. 

[rhesusminus · Accepted solution]

I guessed correctly. The TAG is "-???" on all components. The TAG must be UNIQUE.
Or, in "IEC mode".. The combination of INST, LOC and TAG must be unique.

[rhesusminus]

Also... You must NOT draw schematics in the layout!!!
The title block may be in the FIRST layout, but ALL schematic objects MUST be in model space (The model tab).
You WILL get into trouble here, sooner or later.

[Thomasbatson]

I see.  I am using Icon menu to insert.  I guess took advantage of the fact that the system normally makes this unique, something just happened here.  

I also appreciate your comment about schematics in layout.  We are just now starting to use some of the advanced features in ACADE and we have done schematics in layout for a long time.  I will research the reasons and have to address this in our process so it doesn't impact us in the future.  

Thank you for the information and help.  As we move to use ACADE more, the help on here is very much appreciated.

[jseefdrumr]

Thanks for jumping in, Trond --I'm still on 2017 and so couldn't open the drawing.

[jseefdrumr]

To add to Trond's comments, the thing that makes tags unique automatically is dependent on your reference system. Whether it's Line Numbers, or X-Y Grid, one of those has to be in place before placing a symbol to get an automatically assigned, unique tag.

The main reasons on why you should only place components in modelspace aren't really easy to learn about, ACADE's HELP doesn't really explain it very well. Essentially, it has to do with the way the software scans the drawings to get information. Any report or update function that you do, ACADE will scan the relevant drawings and look at all of the attributes in the blocks, in order to gather its information. The attributes in the symbols tell the software whether there are any components linked to it (XREF), what its catalog assignment is (FAMILY MFG CAT), etc. And for whatever reason, when it goes looking for all that info, it can't (always) see it if it's on a layout tab. IDK why, maybe someone on here does and can chime in.

Just FYI so that you don't waste too much time looking for something that I found very hard to find, back when I started. Because I looooooove paperspace, and if I had my way, each project would be a single drawing with a bunch of layouts. It's just the way I was used to working for years and years.

Also, if you are very used to doing the schematic AND printing it from the same Space (i.e., paperspace), rest assured that you could just shift to doing it all in modelspace without very much learning curve. The only thing you really lose by doing this is the ability to have more than one layout tab, which ACADE doesn't support anyway.

But Trond is right on point, if you try to implement some of ACADE's smarts, something will eventually break if you only draw in paperspace.

Jim