IAN

This tool incrementally changes the suffixes of an alphanumeric series of attributes (e.g., TERM01, TERM02, TERM03, etc.). The user is prompted to insert the beginning value, and then given the option to increment or decrement with each click or select a group of attributes to update. The tool allows the user to update a single or group of attributes with the same suffix (e.g., TERM01, TERMDESC01, X1TERM01) to the selected suffix. When building larger symbols, such as wiring diagram relay symbols with dozens of pin connections, IAN will greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to add all the appropriate terminal, wire connection, and wire annotation attributes.

IAV

This tool incrementally changes the values of a series of attributes (e.g., TERM01, TERM02, TERM03, etc.). The user is prompted to insert the beginning value, and then may click on a series of attributes to automatically update and increment the value of that attribute. The user can also window select a series of attributes and update all of them instantaneously. When building larger symbols, such as wiring diagram symbols with multiple pin connections, the IAV tool will greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to add the appropriate value to each attribute.

CHA_DIR

This tool allows the user to specify the direction of an X#TERM attribute and update it quickly. (AutoCAD Electrical uses a numbering convention for determining wire connection direction: 1 is for right, 2 is for up, 4 is for left, and 8 is for down.) As with the IAV and IAN tools, CHA_DIR is useful when copying and pasting groups of attributes on large symbols. CHA_DIR allows the user to change the direction of the selected X#TERM attribute with a single pick.

AGAP

This tool allows the user to specify a blank gap distance between attributes on any symbol. It can also be used to create the appropriate spacing, both vertical and horizontal, between attributes and symbol geometry. AGAP is useful for those who must pay careful attention to their text standards, as well as for creating a clean and organized look to all of the user’s custom symbols. The gap created by the tool is the amount of blank space between two attributes; it is not the total space between the insertion points of two attributes. The user can define any value for the attribute gap, or can select a default distance of half of the attribute text height. (In the case where the two attributes selected have different text heights, the first selected attribute is the one that is used to calculate that distance.) The user can also choose from three different selection types: Continuous Pick, Multiple Attributes at Once, and One Pair at a Time.

HDC_REORDER_ATTDEF

This tool organizes the attributes of a particular symbol into a logical order. It doesn’t move any of the attributes around, it simply arranges them logically within the xdata of the symbol file. When creating a symbol, the attributes are arranged within the xdata from the first attribute created to the last. This tool reorders them with the most important attributes (TAG, INST, LOC, DESC, etc.) at the top of the list, and orders the rest alphabetically. The benefits of this tool are seen when the user double-clicks on the symbol on a project drawing, which opens up the Enhanced Attribute Editor dialogue window. In this window, the attributes are organized in a logical and orderly way, which makes searching and editing much easier.

HDC_TERMMAP

This tool allows the user to map terminal strips to major components on a panel front view drawing. In many cases, neat and orderly wiring of equipment panels is not just desired, but necessary. The electrical drawings of a project can facilitate good wiring practices by indicating how the terminal strips on a panel should be wired to the components within that panel. This tool lays the foundation of good wiring practices by allowing the user to predefine the relationships between the terminal strips and components on every rack within the project. HDC_TERMMAP is the first of a pair of tools that work in conjunction with one another to create boundaries for drafters and designers that take the guesswork out of terminal assignments. Mapping terminals to major equipment, which is done quickly and easily on a panel front view drawing, makes assigning terminals on schematic drawings simple, fast, and safe.

HDC_TERMASSIGN

This tool allows the user to assign terminal values based on the maps created on the associated panel front view drawing using the HDC_TERMMAP command. Users are able to select a terminal strip from a list, see which of the terminals on that strip are available, and pick from that list to make the terminal assignment. Users can also see a list of used terminals, and optionally show any cables connected to those terminals. This feature is meant to give the user a sense for how to assign the selected terminal, and where it will fit into the existing cabling structure. HDC_TERMASSIGN is the second of a pair of tools that work in conjunction with one another to create boundaries for drafters and designers that take the guesswork out of terminal assignments. Assigning terminals on schematic drawings can be done simply, and with confidence, when those terminals have already been mapped to major equipment.

HDC_ANNOPREVIEW

This tool allows the user to get a preview of what a selected terminal strip’s annotation will look like. The information is organized in three columns, with the terminals in the center column, internal connections to the left, and external connections to the right. External connections show both the cable and the far-end connected component. Certain attributes of the external connections can be edited, including the cable tag and conductor color, as well as the INST, LOC, TAG, and PIN values of the connected component. The user can also flip internal and external connections for a selected terminal, or surf directly to a terminal using the “Go To” button.

BLANKFAM

This tool allows the user to delete the values in selected attributes for all components of specified family types. For example, if the user wants to delete all the description information in all of the control relay symbols on the active drawing, he would select the control relay family code (probably something like “CR”) and all the description attributes (typically DESC1, DESC2, and DESC3). This would erase the information in those attributes and allow the user to start over. This tool is especially useful when the user imports or copies an existing drawing into the active project and only needs to modify certain component attributes, but the overall design does not need to change. Working from a blank slate provides the user with visual cues of what components need to be updated.

HDC_HIDEATTRS

This tool allows the user to hide or show select attributes for all components of specified family types on either the active drawing or the entire project. The user can also choose to process child symbols only. Hiding an attribute does not delete the value or erase the attribute itself, it merely makes it invisible. This means that it won’t print when the drawing is plotted. Sometimes, during drafting, it’s important to have certain attributes visible, but when the time comes to plot the drawing, those attributes should not be plotted. Using HDC_HIDEATTRS is a quick and easy way to maintain the important attribute data while also making it invisible.

HDC_SETWIRESEQ

This tool allows the user to build a master wire sequence based on the layout of equipment on a panel front view drawing. A wire sequence is a defined order of components on a given wire network, and in AutoCAD Electrical these sequences can be edited manually. This tool makes that editing process automatic. HDC_SETWIRESEQ is the first of two tools that work in conjunction with one another to quickly and effortlessly set wire sequences for all wires in the active project. This tool lays the groundwork for this automation by building the master wire sequence of all the components on a given panel. This sequence is based on the layout of the panel, and users have a number of options to apply to the creation of their master wire sequences.

HDC_DOWIRESEQ

This tool allows the user to process the master wire sequences created by HDC_SETWIRESEQ across selected wire networks. The tool will process any wire network with 3 or more components on it, and it will only process internal wire networks. This means that it will ignore wire networks with components whose location codes do not match, or wire networks with a cable marker on them. The tool will process all wire networks that have a corresponding “LOC_wireseq.txt” file in the active project folder, where LOC stands for the location code of the panel on which those components are built. This tool works in conjunction with HDC_SETWIRESEQ to effortlessly set wire sequences for all schematic drawings in the active project. Wire sequences are vital to wiring diagram annotation, and wire networks of 3 or more components must have their sequences manually adjusted to correspond to proper wiring protocols. These tools work together to do nearly all of the wire sequencing work automatically.

CHECKWIRE

This tool will perform some maintenance on a picked wire. It will check for a wire number pointer to make sure that the assigned wire number is correct. It will also update X?TERMXX values that are connected to the selected wire if those values are not up-to-date. Finally, it allows the user to quickly edit the wire number of the selected wire, or a add a new wire number if the wire does not already have one.

MARK_DWG_REFONLY

This tool allows the user to quickly mark a selected drawing as “reference-only.” A drawing that is marked reference-only remains in the project but its components, including blocks and wires, are not considered to be part of the active project. The entire drawing is considered a reference drawing, so no intelligent data is pulled from that drawing. The smart components and wires are not changed in any way, so the drawing itself is unaffected by this change. This tool is useful when a group of drawings in a project need to be “turned off,” but the user does not want to remove them from the project. The tool also allows the user to return “reference-only” drawings to a normal state.

BLOCKS_INUSE

This tool gives the user a .CSV file of all the blocks in use on AutoCAD Electrical drawings in a selected folder. The .CSV file is a simple table that shows the name of each block, the total number of instances of that block on the drawings, and the names of the drawings on which it appears. This document is a useful reference for drafters or designers who want to know where specific blocks are being used. The user can also search for a specific block name and get a report for just that individual block. Wildcards are also acceptable search criteria, so the user can enter “VPB*” at the command line and get a report showing all the instances of every vertical push button symbol in the selected folder.