Umair Gaines
AutoCAD Electrical is a powerful tool that enables users to create and manage electrical designs efficiently. One of its key features is the ability to work with catalogues, allowing for easy access to various electrical components and their associated data. Adding a catalogue in AutoCAD Electrical involves several steps, including creating a new table in the catalogue database, defining subassembly quantities, and setting up symbols for the catalogue items. Additionally, AutoCAD Electrical supports secondary catalogues, providing the option to store manufacturer part numbers separately, which can be useful for organizing custom and out-of-the-box information. In this guide, we will explore the process of adding a catalogue to AutoCAD Electrical, covering the necessary steps and best practices to enhance your design workflow.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Command to add a new table to the catalog database | Expand the Other Tools panel on the Project tab |
| Default catalog database name | default_cat.mdb |
| Table name suggestion | Secondary_cat.mdb |
| Table fields | Field order, length, and type |
| Table name and description | Added to the _FAMILY_DESCRIPTION table in the catalog database |
| _FAMILY_DESCRIPTION table usage | Used by the Catalog Browser and Symbol Builder to show the description for a catalog table/symbol category |
| SYMBOL2D | Used in AutoCAD Electrical |
| SYMBOL3D | Used when inserting parts in Inventor when the project is linked to an Inventor assembly |
| PEERCOILPINS and PEERPINLIST fields | Applicable when the catalog value can have two parent symbols |
| PINLIST | Written to the database in the format required by the program |
| Assembly quantity | Defined by entering a number in the ASSEMBLYQUANTITY field |
| Quantity definition for each subassembly with multiple ASSEMBLYCODE values | Prefix the ASSEMBLYCODE value code with the quantity followed by a comma |
| TEXTVALUE field | Used to assign values to attributes when the catalog is assigned to a component |
| Secondary catalog | Allows users to store additional manufacturer part numbers in a separate database |
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What You'll Learn
Adding a new table to the catalog database
To add a new table to the catalog database in AutoCAD Electrical, you need to first ensure you are working on an active project with the main catalog database that you want to edit.
Next, go to the "Project" tab and select the "Other Tools" panel. From the drop-down menu, select the "Add Table to Catalog Database" command, or type "AEADDCATALOGTABLE" in the command line.
Once the command is activated, a pop-up window will appear where you can select the catalog database you want to edit. If you want to modify the default catalog database, select the "default_cat.mdb" file. After selecting the database, click "OK".
The table will then be added to the database with the correct fields, including field order, length, and type. The table name and description will also be added to the _FAMILY_DESCRIPTION table in the catalog database.
To see the changes reflected in the Catalog Browser, you need to exit and restart AutoCAD Electrical. Once restarted, your new category will appear in the Catalog Browser, and you can begin adding catalog data to your new table.
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Editing the catalog database records
To edit the catalog database records in AutoCAD Electrical, you must first exit and restart AutoCAD Electrical for the Catalog Browser to display your table. Once you've restarted, you can add catalog data to the table. Click on the table to enter edit mode. You can then start typing in the boxes.
There are, however, a few fields that are required. If you try to save changes with these blank, you will see an alert. To add a new line, press Enter. You can set up sub-assemblies in the catalog so that when you assign the main catalog value, extra parts are included when you run a Bill of Material report. You can refer to the Help topic, To Work With Editing the Catalog Database Records, for more information on setting up assemblies in the catalog.
To locate the catalog record for the subassembly item, click the ASSEMBLYLIST cell and select the ASSEMBLYCODE value for the main catalog from the drop-down list. Enter a number in the ASSEMBLYQUANTITY field to define the quantity of these subassembly items to include with the main catalog value. A blank value is the same as 1. Note that subassembly catalog items must be in the same database table as the main catalog item.
You can also edit the terminal pin values on the parent (COILPINS) and child (PINLIST) symbols. To do this, locate the catalog value and double-click on the COILPINS cell. Click to open the Coil Pins dialog box, where you can define the pins for the parent symbol. If the parent symbol has a contact state, select the contact type. If it does not, leave it as an undefined type. Enter the list of pins separated by a comma. The pin values are assigned in the order listed to the TERM# attributes on the component.
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Defining a secondary catalog
When working with AutoCAD Electrical, a default database is created for users to access. Over time, this default database can be modified to create a database that is more specific to the company using it. This can be done by adding or removing records from the default database or by creating a new database from scratch. This new database can be used as either the default database or a secondary database.
To define a secondary catalog, you must first have two databases to choose from. You can create a secondary database by copying the default "default_cat.mdb" file and then adding or removing records as desired. You can also create a new database by opening an existing project with the desired vendor information and using the "Create Project-Specific Catalog Database" tool on the Project tab. This tool extracts all the catalog data from the project. After creating the new database, move it to the Catalogs folder located under the AeData folder or to the shared content folder location. It is best practice to name the secondary database "Secondary_Cat.mdb" to make it easily identifiable.
Once you have created your secondary database, you can set it as the default option for catalog lookups on symbols in your drawings. To do this, right-click on the project file you want to add the secondary database to and select Properties from the list. On the Project Settings tab, select the "Other File" button in the Catalog Lookup File Preference area. In the Catalog Lookup File dialog box, choose the second option: "Optional: Define a secondary catalog lookup file for this project." Click the browse button and select your secondary database from the Catalogs folder. Select OK to confirm your selection and make the secondary database available for catalog lookups.
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Adding symbols to the icon menu
To add symbols to the icon menu in AutoCAD Electrical, you must first select a menu file. If you're working with schematic drawings, select 'Schematic' to bring up the default DAT file. If you're using NFPA standards, for instance, you'll see the NFPA menu.DAT file. Click 'OK', and the Icon Menu Wizard will appear.
Right-click on a blank area in the Icon Menu Wizard and select 'Add a new submenu page'. If you've created an image for your symbol, you can use that as your page image. Double-click on the new icon to open the new blank page. Select 'Component' on the 'Add' drop-down menu, then enter the name, icon, and symbol in the dialog box. Repeat this process for any other symbols you want to include on the same page.
Once you're done, click 'OK' to exit the Icon Menu Wizard. When you open the actual Icon Menu, you'll see your new submenu and components.
You can also insert symbols without going through the icon menu. To do this, go into Edit Mode in your browser and scroll over to the SYMBOL2D column. Click on the field, then click the browse button that appears. Enter the symbol names for each symbol you want to associate with the catalog. If you've created both horizontal and vertical versions, add both. Click 'OK', then save your changes.
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Using the ASSEMBLYLIST cell
To add a catalog to AutoCAD Electrical, you must first locate the catalog record for the main catalog item. Once you have located this, click the ASSEMBLYCODE cell. If you are adding to your catalog, select the empty catalog field on the row with the asterisk (*) and start typing. If you are editing, select the field in the row you are editing.
Now, to work with the subassembly item, locate the catalog record for the subassembly item. Click the ASSEMBLYLIST cell. To define a quantity for each subassembly when multiple ASSEMBLYCODE values are assigned, prefix the ASSEMBLYCODE value code with the quantity followed by a comma. For example, if you want two of the subassembly items, type "2,".
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Frequently asked questions
Expand the Other Tools panel on the Project tab and select your catalog database .mdb file. The default catalog database file is called default_cat.mdb.
The default catalog database file is called default_cat.mdb.
You can define a secondary catalog in AutoCAD Electrical to search for catalog data and store manufacturer part numbers separately. You can do this by either making a copy of the default_cat.mdb file and editing it or by using the "Create Project-Specific Catalog Database" tool on the Project tab.
The command to add a new table to the catalog database is found in the Other Tools panel on the Project tab.
Exit and restart AutoCAD Electrical for your new table to show up in the Catalog Browser.
