Announcements
Attention for Customers without Multi-Factor Authentication or Single Sign-On - OTP Verification rolls out April 2025. Read all about it here.

multiple wire layers need to display same wire numbering format

Anonymous

multiple wire layers need to display same wire numbering format

Anonymous
Not applicable

i have 3 sets of wire types that i would like to display on a schematic. basically factory,field,option,   each type of wire has its own wire layer and line type. so its red_factory with a solid line type, red_field is phantom, red_option is dot dot dash. the wire layers are named red_factory, red_field, red_option, the issue i am having is the end user of the schematic doesn't care what the layer is called. on the print  wire numbers  show up as 1/red_factory and so on. i would like all 3 to only show sequential number/red and have the line type distinguish to the end user what type of wire it is. 

 

i know i can make just 1 layer per color i need and manually change the line type on a per wire basis but i would like to automate things like that on my end.

 

the other way is to make the layer name format be %C%S but then i have 3 red wire layers that on my end all show up looking the same on the layer list.

in my create/edit wire type box i have everything configured and im using %C_%1 as my layer name format.  %1 being my factory,option,etc designation.

 

in my drawing properties im using %N%G as my wire number format. %G being wire layer name replaceable parameter.  i dont know of any other parameters to try. 

 

 

0 Likes
Reply
Accepted solutions (1)
818 Views
5 Replies
Replies (5)

rhesusminus
Mentor
Mentor
Accepted solution

You can always create wire numbers based on the layer they're on:
2017-01-05_20-57-27.png


Trond Hasse Lie
EPLAN Expert and ex-AutoCAD Electrical user.
Ctrl Alt El
Please select "Accept Solution" if this post answers your question. 'Likes' won't hurt either. 😉

dougmcalexander
Mentor
Mentor

There are a couple of approaches to take for this.  One such approach is to allow the wire numbering to contain the number only and use the Auto-insert function of the wire color/gauge label utility to assign the color.  You can setup a wire color label format that converts all layers that begin with RED (red*)  to label them as RED.  So layer red_factory, red_field, and red_option will all show the color simply as RED.

 

Edit: I see that Trond answered you as well.  That is another approach I was going to suggest, but since your layers contain _factory, _field, and _option as part of the layer name, the %G that you wish to use would add the complete layer name to your wire number.  But if you are willing to spend the time to setup the layer-based wire numbering the way Trond illustrated I believe you can achieve he results you want, assuming I understood your original intent correctly.  I am having to answer on the fly while I work on something else.

Doug McAlexander
Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
Specializing in AutoCAD Electrical Implementation Support
Phone: (770) 841-8009
www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623

Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

Anonymous
Not applicable

i would like some expansion on your idea, with the way we want to construct out environments configuring things inside of the project wont be viable for us.   i understand on the drawing properties  i should have wire number format set to %N but when i do the wire label color/gauge setup can it be a inline label on the wire and not a leader?

0 Likes

dougmcalexander
Mentor
Mentor

I can't imagine why setting the wire numbering format up at project level would not be viable.  One great thing about AutoCAD Electrical is that each project can have different settings, different library assignments, menu selections, and project properties can be used to override drawing properties in the event that you have a special order that requires different rules than those set in the Drawing Properties of your drawing template.  In fact, all of this functionality is especially great for integrators, who must design to their customer's standard and perhaps even use their customer's title block.

 

Now you might be thinking that the problem is you will have to customize the project properties for each project you start.  You will not.  Just copy a project that already has project properties set the way you need them to be set for your new project and the copied project will already be setup and ready.  You don't have to actually copy all drawings to the copied project either.  You can select just one drawing.  You can delete it afterwards if you wish.  Of course you could also use the New Project button instead of Copy Project but be sure that the "Copy Settings from Project File" field of the New Project dialog is pointing to a project definition file (.WDP file) of a project whose project properties you want to mimic. I will attach a screen capture that shows the "Copy Settings from Project File" field.  

 

Hint: The Copy Project option also copies optional support files, like a .WDW file, _wdtitle.WDL file, WD_FAM.dat file, custom catalog database, etc.  The New Project utility does not offer that option.

Doug McAlexander
Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
Specializing in AutoCAD Electrical Implementation Support
Phone: (770) 841-8009
www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623

Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

Anonymous
Not applicable

all are viable solutions to the problem i was having. the only issue is on my end with my company not wanting to utilize Autocad Electrical as intended and wanting to not utilize the Projects settings and options as intended out of the box.

0 Likes