2008

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Table Of Contents

Contents
AutoCAD Electrical What's New
- What's New in AutoCAD Electrical 2008
- What's New in Previous Releases
- What's New in 2005 Release
- What's New in 2006 Release
- What's New in 2007 Release
Project Management
- Overview of AutoCAD Electrical Help
  - Use AutoCAD Electrical Help
- Overview of projects
- About collaborative design
- Create a new drawing
- Change drawing display options
- Overview of project related files
- Overview of the project file format
- Archive a project
  - Archive a drawing set
- Work with Multiple Clients
  - Overview of set up for multiple clients
Drawing and Project Properties
- Overview of project and drawing properties
  - Set project or drawing properties
- Use replaceable parameters
- Save settings to the project file
- Create a template drawing
- Updating the WD_M Block
  - Overview of the WD_M block
    - Make changes to the WD_M block
    - Add missing attributes to the WD_M block
- Using Layers
Symbol Libraries
- Determine symbol block names
- Library Symbol Naming Conventions
  - Overview of symbol naming conventions
- Split a tag name into two pieces
- Use multiple symbol libraries
  - Set a symbol library as the default
- Overview of Hydraulic and P&ID symbols
- Attribute Requirements
- Managing Library Symbols
PLC
- Generate PLC layout modules
  - Parametric PLC symbols vs. Full Units
- Insert PLC modules
- Overview of the PLC database file
  - Copy modules
  - Adjust the terminal information
- Single, Stand-Alone I/O Points
  - Modify single, stand-alone PLC layout symbols
    - Insert PLC layout points
    - Annotate stand-alone I/O points
- Work with PLC styles
- Create PLC I/O Drawings from Spreadsheets
Component Tools
- Insert schematic components
- Insert a copy of a component
- Insert similar components
- Insert from catalog lists
- Use the schematic lookup file
  - Insert components from equipment lists
- Insert from panel lists
- Manipulate Components
- Swap contact states
- Check coil/contact count
- Follow signals
- Insert dashed link lines
- Overview of DIN Rails
- Edit schematic lookup files
- Overview of user data records
- Component Cross-References
- Circuits
  - Use circuitry
- Wire Jumpers
  - Define wire jumpers
Component Attribute Tools
- Edit attribute values
- Force attributes to layers
- Manipulate component text
- Manipulate terminal text
- Move description values
- Manipulate Attributes
  - Manipulate component attributes
- Set tags to fixed
- Change to multi-line text
- Add location codes
- Update child codes
- Location Mark Symbols
  - Substitute location mark symbols for text location codes
- Change attribute justification
- Change attribute text style
- Change attribute text size
- Modify library symbols
- Add attributes to blocks
Wire/Wire Number Tools
- Overview of wires
- Insert 3-phase bus wiring
- Insert wires
- Trim wires
- Stretch wires
- Overview of wire color/gauge labels
  - Map wire type labels to each wire layer
- Insert cable markers into wires
  - Insert cable markers
  - Insert multiple cable markers
- Insert shield symbols
  - Add a second shield to a cable/shield represenation
- Insert in-line wire markers
- Wire Gaps
  - Manipulate wire gaps
- Ladder Tools
  - Define and insert new ladders
    - Set ladder defaults
  - Modify an existing ladder
- Wire Numbers
- Wire Sequencing
- Source and Destination Markers
  - Show source and destination markers on wires
Terminal Tools
- Overview of connection sequencing
- Insert terminals and connectors
  - Insert terminals
- Multi-Level Terminals
  - Overview of terminal relationships
- Edit terminal jumpers
- Resequence terminal numbers
- View terminal wire connections
- Terminal Strips
- Terminal Properties Lookup
  - Overview of terminal properties database
    - Edit terminal properties database
Point-to-Point Wiring Tools
- Working with Connectors
  - Use point-to-point wiring tools
- Bend wires at right angles
- Insert multiple bus wiring
- Import data from Autodesk Inventor Professional Cable & Harness
  - Import connector wire lists
- Overview of the spreadsheet import file structure
  - Import connector wire lists
- Insert splices
Project-Wide Tools
- Move from reference to reference
  - Start the Surfer
  - Continue a previous surf session
- Move between drawings
- Plot one or more drawings
- Create a project-wide script file
- Track drawing changes
  - Track changes made to a drawing set
- Translate description text
- Publish to the web
- Title Block Utility
Icon Menus
- Overview of the Icon Menu Wizard
- Use alternate icon menus
- Modify Icon Menu File Directly
  - Overview of the icon menu file
BOM and Catalogs
- Use catalog tables
- Overview of the catalog database table structure
- Use the merge utility
  - Merge files
- Catalog Assignment
- Contact Quantity/Pin List Lookup
  - Use pin lists
    - Pin list data carried on the parent
    - Modify the pin list database
  - Set pin list assignments for special uses
Reports
- Generate reports
- Schematic Reports
  - Generate schematic reports
- Panel Reports
  - Generate panel reports
- Overview of format files
  - Define format files
- Run automatic reports
  - Generate a report using format files
- Modify spreadsheet data
- Create user-defined attributes
  - Edit user defined attribute list
- Export to Autodesk Inventor Professional
  - Set up for export to Autodesk Inventor Professional Cable & Harness
    - Output reports to Autodesk Inventor Professional Cable and Harness
    - Configure wire numbering for export
Panel Layout
- Overview of panel layouts
  - Automatic schematic/panel update
  - Access panel layout tools
- Relationship between schematic drawings and panel layouts
- Overview of footprint attributes/Xdata
- Footprint/Terminal Insertion
- Layout Wire Connection Annotation
  - Merge schematic wire numbers onto footprints
  - Add wire information to footprints
- Lookup Files
  - Use the footprint lookup file
- Item Numbers/Balloons
  - Assign an item or detail number to a footprint
    - Assign an item number to a component's footprint
    - Resequence item numbers
- Nameplates
  - Insert nameplates
    - Create your own nameplates
    - Insert a nameplate
- Panel Leveling/Sequencing Tools
Conduit Tools
- Overview of conduit tools
- Overview of conduit marker support files
- Generate a conduit marker report
- Generate a conduit routing report
Conversion Tools
- Convert promis.e drawing files to AutoCAD Electrical
  - Convert promis.e drawings to AutoCAD Electrical drawings
- Convert non-AutoCAD Electrical blocks
  - Finish mapping values from non-AutoCAD Electrical blocks
- Convert text to an attribute
- Convert Arrows
  - Convert non-AutoCAD Electrical arrows
    - Convert a block to a source arrow
    - Convert a block to a destination arrow
- Overview of ECDS legacy conversion
  - Convert using the ECDS to Electrical Database Builder
- Tagging and Linking Tools
  - Use tagging and linking tools
  - Overview of block/attribute mapping
    - Map block values using a user-defined spreadsheet
Miscellaneous Tools
- Overview of power check tools
- Overview of pneumatic tools
- Insert hydraulic components
- Insert P&ID components
- Troubleshooting Tools
  - Overview of real-time error checking
  - Modify invisible data
    - Edit existing invisible data
    - Add invisible data to an attribute
Advanced Productivity
- Set up peer-to-peer component relationships
- Create automated pin assignments
- Set up AutoCAD Electrical for multiple users
- Show source and destination markers on cable wires
- Use the PLC Database File Editor
- Add your own symbols, circuits and commands to the icon menu
- Build your own symbols
- Configure projects for various drawing standards
- Use Autodesk Vault with AutoCAD Electrical
AutoCAD Electrical Command
- AutoCAD Electrical Commands
Index

Icon Menu Wizard Enhancements

The Icon Menu Wizard allows you to easily customize the icon menus. You

can now copy and paste icons from one submenu into another, drag and drop

icons to place those that are commonly used at the top of the Symbol Preview

window and those that are used less frequently at the bottom of the window,

and create new icons to use when inserting components.

You can also easily modify the existing icon or menu properties like changing

the name, image or block name. Right-click the menu or icon on the Icon

Menu Wizard dialog box and select Properties. The existing data is overwritten

in the *.dat file with the new changes.

For More Information (page 730)

Direct Wire Sequencing

You can now use the Edit Wire Sequence tool to define additional

direct-to-terminal wire connection sequences in schematic networks. For

example, 1 side of a schematic terminal might be connected to 3 field devices.

A specific wire connection sequence can be defined to force the connection

reporting, but it is limited to reporting the terminal as a common connection

point for only 2 of the 3 field devices. The third has to be reported as jumpered

to 1 of the other 2 devices. Now, with the support for secondary

direct-to-terminal sequences, the third field device can be sequenced directly

to the terminal and the Wire From/To report shows all 3 field devices tied

directly to the terminal.

For More Information (page 528)

Visual Wiring Sequence Indicators

Once you define additional wire connection sequences, use the Show Wire

Sequence tool to graphically show the new sequencing. When any changes

are made to a wire sequence, the updated information is accurately reflected

in the from/to wire list report.

For More Information (page 530)

Terminal Strip Editor Enhancements

The Terminal Strip Editor provides an easy way to manage and edit terminals

used throughout a project. You can now start designs with a terminal strip

layout drawing representing the terminal strip. In the modified Terminal Strip

Selection dialog box, you can either select a terminal strip for editing, or create

4 | Chapter 1 AutoCAD Electrical What's New