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Level up your panel layouts with smart footprints you can add as easy as A-B-C.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
4 min.
Transcript
00:03
In AutoCAD Electrical, you can insert smart footprint outlines of electrical components and devices onto your layout drawings.
00:11
To insert a panel component, on the ribbon, select the Panel tab, and on the Insert Components panel, click Icon Menu.
00:19
This opens the Insert Footprint dialog, which displays symbol categories, such as Push Buttons, Selector Switches, and Relays.
00:28
Note: The footprint symbols included with AutoCAD Electrical are scaled to the Imperial system.
00:34
When working with IEC-style drawings, in the Insert Footprint dialog, set the Scale panel value to 25.4 to ensure proper scaling.
00:44
To insert a symbol, first select the general component category.
00:47
For this example, select Push Buttons.
00:51
Next, select one of the push button component symbols, such as Push Button NO.
00:57
The Footprints dialog appears, because a catalog number is not yet assigned.
01:01
Here, you are given three choices—A, B, or C.
01:07
In the Choice A group box, select Catalog lookup.
01:10
In the Catalog Browser, you can browse for and select a part number.
01:15
Select the first part number, and then click OK.
01:18
This populates the manufacturer and catalog number.
01:22
In the Footprints dialog, click OK.
01:25
AutoCAD Electrical attempts to find a matching footprint symbol for the part number in the footprint database.
01:31
If it finds one, the footprint appears in your crosshairs, at which point you can select the insertion point in the drawing.
01:39
If it does not find a match, you need to select Choice B or Choice C.
01:44
Choice B, which is only a temporary solution, has several options for manually selecting or creating a footprint.
01:52
You can use a generic marker, draw a shape, use a similar footprint already in the drawing, or click Browse to use an external footprint file.
02:01
You can also select Pick to select a non-AutoCAD Electrical block in your drawing—for example,
02:07
if you have downloaded component symbols from a manufacturer.
02:11
For a more permanent solution, if you have the manufacturer and catalog number of the component,
02:17
you can select Choice C and add a new entry to the footprint look-up file.
02:22
Now, clicking OK finds the matching symbol, as in Choice A.
02:27
With the footprint in your crosshairs, click to insert it into one of the panels.
02:33
In this case, orientation does not matter, so click again to accept the orientation.
02:38
This opens the Panel Layout – Component Insert/Edit dialog.
02:42
Here, you can add an Item Number and edit the Installation, Location, and Component Tag.
02:49
Note that AutoCAD Electrical does not automatically calculate the tag for the panel drawings.
02:55
You can either type the value in manually, or you can click Schematic List or External List to select it.
03:03
From this dialog, you can also edit Catalog Data, enter Descriptions, and for reports, enter the Mount or Group.
03:10
When you finish with these options, click OK to complete the insertion.
Video transcript
00:03
In AutoCAD Electrical, you can insert smart footprint outlines of electrical components and devices onto your layout drawings.
00:11
To insert a panel component, on the ribbon, select the Panel tab, and on the Insert Components panel, click Icon Menu.
00:19
This opens the Insert Footprint dialog, which displays symbol categories, such as Push Buttons, Selector Switches, and Relays.
00:28
Note: The footprint symbols included with AutoCAD Electrical are scaled to the Imperial system.
00:34
When working with IEC-style drawings, in the Insert Footprint dialog, set the Scale panel value to 25.4 to ensure proper scaling.
00:44
To insert a symbol, first select the general component category.
00:47
For this example, select Push Buttons.
00:51
Next, select one of the push button component symbols, such as Push Button NO.
00:57
The Footprints dialog appears, because a catalog number is not yet assigned.
01:01
Here, you are given three choices—A, B, or C.
01:07
In the Choice A group box, select Catalog lookup.
01:10
In the Catalog Browser, you can browse for and select a part number.
01:15
Select the first part number, and then click OK.
01:18
This populates the manufacturer and catalog number.
01:22
In the Footprints dialog, click OK.
01:25
AutoCAD Electrical attempts to find a matching footprint symbol for the part number in the footprint database.
01:31
If it finds one, the footprint appears in your crosshairs, at which point you can select the insertion point in the drawing.
01:39
If it does not find a match, you need to select Choice B or Choice C.
01:44
Choice B, which is only a temporary solution, has several options for manually selecting or creating a footprint.
01:52
You can use a generic marker, draw a shape, use a similar footprint already in the drawing, or click Browse to use an external footprint file.
02:01
You can also select Pick to select a non-AutoCAD Electrical block in your drawing—for example,
02:07
if you have downloaded component symbols from a manufacturer.
02:11
For a more permanent solution, if you have the manufacturer and catalog number of the component,
02:17
you can select Choice C and add a new entry to the footprint look-up file.
02:22
Now, clicking OK finds the matching symbol, as in Choice A.
02:27
With the footprint in your crosshairs, click to insert it into one of the panels.
02:33
In this case, orientation does not matter, so click again to accept the orientation.
02:38
This opens the Panel Layout – Component Insert/Edit dialog.
02:42
Here, you can add an Item Number and edit the Installation, Location, and Component Tag.
02:49
Note that AutoCAD Electrical does not automatically calculate the tag for the panel drawings.
02:55
You can either type the value in manually, or you can click Schematic List or External List to select it.
03:03
From this dialog, you can also edit Catalog Data, enter Descriptions, and for reports, enter the Mount or Group.
03:10
When you finish with these options, click OK to complete the insertion.
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