Symbol Builder Audit Error.... Layers_LINK

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone.  I am having an issue with AutoCAD Electrical 2017.  I am using symbol builder to create an IEC symbol for an electronic overload relay with a NO and NC contact.  When I try to either run the symbol audit tool or try to close the block editor and save the symbol, I keep getting one error.  It is under Layers and the error is LINK.  I've tried researching this error with no luck.  I have attached a photo of what I created and the error report that comes up.  Any solutions or feedback that you may have would be greatly appreciated.  

Kind regards,

Tom Campenni

[TRLitsey · Accepted solution]

Hi there,

What happens if you click on OK?  Some of these flags are warnings, not critical errors.  If you click on OK can you proceed with the symbol builder?

Umm, which is to say that for the type of symbol you have designated by naming convention, ACE has a list of attributes it thinks should be on the smart symbol.  It may be a non critical attribute you do not need for your application.

Good luck

[Anonymous]

Thank you.  I thought that I needed to clear all errors.  The only thing is that the symbol is not scaled like the other symbols in the library.  It is huge!  I also cant place it on the correct phase of my vertical bus.  It just shows up outside of the title block.  Thank you.

[TRLitsey · Accepted solution]

Hi again,

So for the size.  Open the drawing/symbol itself.  If you created my_first_symbol.dwg open that directly like any other drawing.  Scale the graphic to the size correct or your drawing scale.  Then type BASE POINT on the command line.  Where you place the cross hairs and click will be the insertion point next time you use this symbol. Do a save, not save as, to over wright the first attempt.

Don't forget, if you have already put this into a drawing the easy way out is to use ACE Delete Component (not autocad erase), type PURGE on the command line and purge all, then insert your corrected symbol.

Just occurred to me, there are imperial and metric templates for creating symbols.  If this is way huge, check it to metric scale.  You may be creating metric but bringing it into a imperial drawing scale.  This could be using a IEC template and bringing the symbol into a NFPA or JIC schematic.

Good luck

arg - bad spelling day, sorry bout that

[TRLitsey · Accepted solution]

If you have the time, it would be worth it to take a few minutes and take a look at ACE Help ...

Good luck

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your guidance.  It is greatly appreciated.

[rhesusminus]

Just to clarify the error. AutoCAD Electfrical want's you to put ALL objects in a symbol on layer 0 (Zero). So, in this case, some of the objects, most likely some of the lines, is in the LINK layer, giving you this error message.

No matter what your woman tells you; Size DO matter 😛
That being said, you should clean up your symbol a little more. All connection point should be on a snap-point and so on. All symbols in the IEC2/4 library are meant to be used with 10mm spacing between the wires, so it would be a good idea to adapt your symbols to the same size.

And.. The symbol you've created is something that we in AcadE build using parent and child symbols instead of creating a complete symbols with everything in it. You can build it with the "out-of-the-box" symbols that comes with AcadE's IEC library.

When I teach how to make a symbol, we always draw the graphics first, inside a drawing with some symbols in it, so that we get the sizing about right.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your response.  The symbol that I am trying to build is a specific manufacturer component.  We are trying to map this part number to a symbol that is representative of it.  Can this be accomplished so that the overloads are the parent and the NO, NC contacts are the children?  In a single symbol?  We would also like for the correct pin connection numbers as shown in photo to show up as well.  Thanks.

Regards,

Tom

 

[rhesusminus]

That can be done. I'm writing up a tutorial now. caontact 97/98 and 95/96 should be used in another sheet I guess?

[Anonymous]

Yes.  That's what I was thinking for the contacts.  I look forward to reading the tutorial.  Thank you!

[rhesusminus · Accepted solution]

Part 1:

[rhesusminus · Accepted solution]

Part 2:

[Icemanau]

I'm not sure which library you are using, but check in the Motor Control section of the Symbol Browser.

There should be Overload symbols there that are both single phase and three phase. Theses can be installed as stand alone or connected to a motor contactor as needed.

When inserted, they come in as a parent (or parent with two child symbols).

There are also two overload contacts to match.

Being separate symbols, ACADE can adjust the spacing to suit different wire spacing in the dwg whereas a single symbol is set to the spacing it was drawn as.

Why re-invent the wheel when someone has done all the hard work already.

Regards Brad

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the excellent tutorial!  It was most helpful!

[Anonymous]

Good morning Trond.  Your tutorial worked great.  The only issues I am having is that my NO & NC cross referenced contacts do not show up to the right of the overloads like yours do.  Secondly when I insert the overloads I get the rating attributes displayed across all three overloads.  Can you provide a solution to resolve these issues.  See photos below.  Thanks.

Regards,

Tom 

[rhesusminus]

In the parent symbol, I've moved and rotated the XREF attribute to the location where i want to see the contacts.

In the child symbols, set the RATING1 attribute to invisible

[bala676]

It was a nice tutorial, thank you for your time.

In your Foot Print, there is only P-TAG1 thats fine. But i want to add Contact Description and Sheet Reference of the Child in the FP. But in Symbol builder editor, while i select FP, i could not find XREF to identify the sheet reference of the child.

Could you tell me what attributes required in FP, to identify the Child Contact description and Sheet Reference ?

[rhesusminus]

According to the help files, there are no way to insert an XREF attribute in a footprint: https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACAD_E/2021/ENU/?guid=GUID-0DBE4927-82FE-4276-AD0B-7750560CFD1B
Neither to the parent or to the child symbols.

I would also guess the the DESC1-3 attributes also return the description's from the parent symbol, and not the child symbols.