Creating Custom Symbols (13:23 min)

Completion Time:  25 minutes

Prerequisites

Objective:  In this exercise, you create a new custom symbol and insert it on a rung in your drawing. You do the following:
■ Draw graphics for a new custom symbol.
■ Insert data attributes such as TAG1 and DESC1, 2, and 3.
■ Add wire connection attributes.

Instructions

1:  If the Project Manager is not displayed, on the Project tab, Project Tools panel, click Manager.

 

2:  If Custom_Components_NFPA is the active project, skip to step 6. If it is open but not active, in the Project Manager, do the following:
■ Right-click Custom_Components_NFPA.
■ Click Activate.
■ Skip to step 6.

3:  In the Project Manager, click Open Project.

4:  Browse to where you installed the exercise files and select Custom_Components_NFPA.wdp. Click Open.

5:  From the Projects list, click the expansion node next to Custom_Components_NFPA to expand the drawing list.

6:  Right-click Custom_Components_NFPA_04.dwg. Click Open.

7:  Zoom in to an empty area on rung 421.

 

8:  To draw a circle for the symbol geometry, do the following:
■ On the Home tab, Draw panel, click Circle - Center Radius command.
■ Specify the center point on rung 421.
■ For Radius, type 0.125 then press ENTER.

9:  To create a polygon around the circle, do the following:
■ On the Home tab, Draw panel, Rectangle flyout, click Polygon.
■ For number of sides, type 4 then press ENTER.
■ For the center of polygon, select the center of the circle.
■ For the Inscribed or Circumscribed prompt, accept the default of I by pressing ENTER.
■ For the radius of the circle, type @0.25,0 then press ENTER.

10:  Insert Data Attributes:
On the Schematic tab, Other Tools panel, click Symbol Builder.

 

11:  In the Select Symbol/Objects dialog box, under Select from Drawing, click Select Objects.

 

12:  At the Select Objects prompt, select the symbol graphics. Press ENTER.

13:  In the Select Symbol/Objects dialog box, click Pick Point.

 

14:  In the drawing, select the center point of the circle you just drew.

15:  In the Select Symbol/Objects dialog box, under Attribute Template, for Type, select (CR) Control Relays from the list.

 

16:  Notice that a preview of the selected graphics is displayed. Click OK.

 

17:  In the Block Editor environment, close the Block Authoring palette.

 

Note: This step is not required to create a symbol, but it reduces the clutter in the Block Editor environment.

18:  In the Attribute Editor, under the Required list, do the following:
■ Select TAG1, MFG, CAT, ASSYCODE, FAMILY, INST, and LOC.
■ Click Insert Attribute.


 

19:  In the Block Editor, select an insertion point at approximately 0.0,0.0625

 

20:  In the Attribute Editor, under the Required list, do the following:
■ Select DESC1, DESC2, and DESC3.
■ Drag the attributes into the Block Editor.
■ Select an insertion point at approximately -0.8125,0.3125.

Note: The insertion point of multiple attributes is based on the insertion point of the attributes in the attribute template being used.

 

21:  Insert Wire Connections:

In the Attribute Editor, under Wire Connection, from the Direction/Style list, select Left/None.

 

22:  Click Insert Wire Connection.

 

23:  In the Block Editor, insert the wire connection attribute exactly at the left corner of your symbol. Be sure to use some kind of Snap mode. Press ENTER.

 

24:  In the Attribute Editor, under Wire Connection, do the following:
■ From the Direction/Style list, select Right/ None.
■ Click Insert Wire Connection.

 

25:  In the Block Editor, insert the wire connection attribute exactly at the right corner of your symbol. Be sure to use some kind of Snap mode. Press ENTER.

 

26:  In the Attribute Editor, click Symbol Audit.

 

27:  In the Symbol Audit dialog box, notice the entry listing four missing attributes. These are the four attributes that you did not insert in the symbol. Click OK.

 

28:  On the Symbol Builder tab, Close panel, click Close Block Editor.

 

29:  In the Close Block Editor: Save Symbol dialog box, do the following:
■ Under Symbol, for Unique Identifier, type _My_Symbol
■ Press TAB or click anywhere in the dialog box to execute the change.
■ Click OK.

 

30:  In the Close Block Editor dialog box, click Yes.

31:  In the drawing, select an insertion point for the new symbol on rung 421, just to the right of the original symbol graphics.

32:  In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, click OK.