Terminal Block Footprint Help

[max.bauerly]

Hey all,

I have a question about Terminal Block footprints. We keep running into one particular issue with the terminal block item # balloons.

When we have a single panel in a project we use the resequence item number command and everything works fine.

When we have multiple panels in the same project we have issues. We don't do one massive BOM for the whole project, we do one BOM for each panel. We want our BOMs to have no gaps in item numbers (meaning if I don't have panel 1 item number 3 on panel 2 I don't want there to be a gap between item 2 and 4 on panel 2 BOM). This means we have to do the item numbers manually through an import/export.

The problem comes in when I import the data after it has been changed. The item number on the footprint itself updates but the item number on the balloon does not. This means we have to delete and remake the balloons or manually change them. I'm wondering if the problem is in my block.

Here's a screenshot of a terminal block that I made. I didn't make our original terminal blocks, I just copied and modified them from a predecessor that's no longer here. In other words I don't have a grasp on why or how they should be made. I'm wondering if I should delete all the attributes excep the "TERM" attribute? Is that my problem?

The reason I ask if I should delete the attributes is because I don't have this problem with my terminal block accessories and they look like this.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

[james.mcmillanNYR6A · Accepted solution]

I would say that the attributes in the terminal are correct and shouldn't be removed, I would have the same attributes in the accessory (less those wiring specific). Although the info stored in the attributes will be stored in xdata if they are not present and generally this shouldn't present a problem.

Are you saying that a balloon attached to the accessory will update when changing the item number through export/import? I wouldn't expect this behaviour.

you must get a lot of messages about needing to resequence the item numbers! have you considered having projects for each panel, or even having sub projects to do the item number resequence?

[max.bauerly]

Thanks James,

That is correct - a balloon attached to the accessory will update after an export/import item# change but a balloon attached to the terminal block will not.

Our standard is if the panels are all in the same building or there are some wiring or network connections between them they are in the same drawing set. I am not sure what you mean by sub project. Are you suggesting making my main project with multiple panels and then making another project that has the same drawings from just one panel? I suppose that could work.

I suppose I should mention that we keep the BOM in alphabetical order so that's why we need to resequence item numbers. For example if we add in some new AB part that we missed in the initial design we don't just throw it at the end and give it the next item number.

[maxiesummerfeild]

Thanks for answering, I also want to know it.

[james.mcmillanNYR6A]

I don't see the same result, not to worry

I don't really have a solution, do a balloon setup with this checked and don't make any changes

[max.bauerly]

I did try to make the terminal blocks like the accessories and that did not work. I don't understand how the accessories are working but I'm guessing AutoCAD must put the attributes it needs in the footprint when it adds them in. I think there's a possibility your balloon idea might work but we've implemented a different solution. We took your idea of having a "sub project" for each panel. So, we have our main project with all the drawings from all the panels we are working on and then we have however many separate projects we need so that we can have a project with all the drawings for just one panel from the main project. We only do the item renumbering in the sub projects and that works a lot better than what we were doing.