This video is Part 1 of a two-part series providing an overview of schematic creation in AutoCAD Electrical. Part 1 covers referencing systems, components, wiring, and wire numbers. Part 2 covers cross-referencing, source destination signals, and drawing audit. Schematic drawings are created by setting up a referencing system, inserting components, and drawing wires. AutoCAD Electrical supports three types of referencing.
XY grid, X zones, and ladders. Ladders can be horizontal or vertical. Ladders can be single or three-phase. A schematic component is an AutoCAD block with AutoCAD Electrical attributes. Different attributes are used on different symbol types.
For example, a parent symbol has a Tag1 attribute and a child symbol has a Tag2 attribute. AutoCAD Electrical also uses a block naming convention for schematic symbols to indicate the type of block. The Product Help describes the required attributes and the block naming convention. Use the icon menu to insert components. Devices that require separate contact symbols are inserted as a parent symbol and child symbols.
The parent symbol is assigned a unique tag when it is inserted. Assign a catalog number, selecting from an extensive catalog database. Pin values are assigned based on the catalog selected.
A child symbol inherits those properties when it is associated to the parent symbol. A wire is a line placed on a defined wire layer. Use the Create Edit Wire Type command to create and modify wire layers.
You can also import wire layer definitions from another drawing or a drawing template. Wires can be inserted starting at a component, another wire, or in empty space. Wires break automatically when inserted across components.
A wire connection dot is added when a wire meets another wire. Wire gaps are added automatically when a wire crosses another wire. The gap and connection style are defined in the drawing properties. You can quickly trim a wire, or stretch a wire. Wire numbers can be assigned project-wide, drawing-wide, or on selected wires.
AutoCAD Electrical assigns a unique wire number to each wire network. The wire number format is defined in the drawing properties. Wire numbers can be sequential or based on the referencing system. You can also add wire number copies at any location along the wire.
This concludes Part 1 of the Schematic Creation overview.