Terminal AutoCAD: May 2012

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Where are the 2 Pole Components?

The icon menu has single and 3 pole components but where are all the 2 pole components? If this is something that you only need occasionally, the easiest way to a 2 pole is to simply place a 3 pole and use Delete Component on the unnecessary component.

However if you use many 2 pole, or if you need to create new icons that are 2 pole, you should know how multi-pole components work. First of all, they are NOT special symbols. A script runs placing a parent symbol, asking a direction, then places child type components on wires it finds. Finally a Dash Link Line is placed between the components.

So if you want to create a NEW multi-pole symbol create a parent and child symbol and then add a new "Command" to the icon menu using the Icon Menu Wizard.

The command is wd_3unit followed by a space and then the parent symbol name.

See the dialog below for my new 2 Pole Circuit Breaker. The command is wd_2unit. Oh and I made a new icon using MS Paint.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Mass Changes to Source/Destination Arrows

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I am working on a series of posts that start out with the basics of the Title Block Update utility and then takes it to the next level with some customizations. I am also working on some Electrical topics for this years AU. With all that going on, this question came in and I decided it would make a perfect quick post. You know... just so you know I'm still alive.

Question:
"Stan if I have a project with a source and multiple destinations, can I just change that source arrow wire number and have it change throughout the project?
Ex. Change source 122 to 24vdc and all destinations change also."

Answer:
The source arrow receives its wire number from the wire it is attached to. If you want to change the wire number then simply find the wire number on that wire and change it. The source arrow will push it through to all destination arrows. However I don't think the wire number is what's being questioned. I think the real question is, can you change the actual CODE and have it push across to all destinations. That answer would be NO. Once you change the source arrows code it is no longer tied to any of the destinations. The link is broken.

So what to do? Instead go to the Import/Export tab and select Export To Spreadsheet.

From the Export to Spreadsheet dialog choose "Wire number signal arrows." Make sure to export the entire project since this will affect many drawings. Save the Excel file out and open it.

Here you can change the SIGCODE and the DESC1 attributes at a mass level. Do a Find and Replace on the SIGCODE column as needed. Then save the Excel file and Import it back into the project.