2011

NOTE Wire connection attributes are not included in the symbol attribute
templates but are in separate
wire connection templates on page 2107.
1 Create a drawing file following the naming convention
“AT_{symbol}_{type}.dwg” containing the AutoCAD Electrical attribute
definitions.
2 (Optional) Add the xdata and indexed attributes which tell the Symbol
Builder Attribute Editor how to handle each attribute.
3 (Optional) Add the symbol type to the “_FAMILY_DESCRIPTION” table
in the catalog database file.
Attribute template naming convention
Attribute templates follow the naming convention, AT_{symbol}_{type}. The
{symbol} and {type} values appear in the lists on the
Select Symbol / Objects
on page 342 dialog box. The selections from these lists direct Symbol Builder
to the appropriate attribute template.
The {symbol} value appears in the Symbol list in the Select Symbol/Objects
dialog box. Certain codes are recognized by Symbol Builder, such as “HP” for
“Horizontal Parent”. You can use an existing recognized code or use the full
text, such as “AT_Horizontal Parent_{type}.dwg”.
The {type} value appears in the Type list in the Select Symbol/Objects dialog
box. You can also map abbreviations for the {type} in the
_FAMILY_DESCRIPTION table of the catalog database, default_cat.mdb.
Indexed attributes and xdata
An attribute template can contain an attribute definition that can be indexed.
For example, AutoCAD Electrical allows up to 12 Rating attributes. If the
attribute template contains an attribute “RATING(x)” this attribute can be
indexed in Symbol Builder.
Certain optional xdata directs the attribute display in the Symbol Builder
Attribute Editor. Use the
Xdata Editor on page 1694 to add or modify the xdata
on an attribute definition.
Possible values "Required" or "Optional". The default value is “Re-
quired” if the xdata is not present.
VIA_WD_GROUP
The value provides an attribute description inside the Symbol Builder
Attribute Editor.
VIA_WD_TOOLTIP
2106 | Chapter 24 Advanced Productivity