Beatrice Lang
AutoCAD Electrical is a software toolset within the AutoCAD suite that is used for creating and modifying control systems. It offers a library of over 65,000 electrical symbols that can be used in projects. This article will explain how to change the default symbol library in AutoCAD Electrical.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Default symbol library | Defined within the active project |
| Example default libraries | "jic125" (non-IEC project using inch units); "iec2" (IEC-style project using metric units) |
| To switch to a different library | Right-click project name in Project Manager, select Properties, then Project Settings, click the plus sign next to Schematic Libraries or Panel Footprint Libraries, click Add, and enter the path of the library |
| To set a default symbol library | Exit AutoCAD Electrical toolset, make a back-up copy of the environment (.env) file, open the .env file in a text editor, edit the line beginning with "WD_LIB" to reflect the path of the default library |
| Symbol library file naming convention | "WD_LIB,�AD_SUP_LAST%,AutoCAD Electrical toolset symbols" or "WD_LIB,�AD_SUP_FIRST%,AutoCAD Electrical toolset symbols" |
| Duplicate symbols | Not allowed in various symbol libraries |
| Substituting symbols | Possible by temporarily altering a symbol in the standard library |
| Symbol libraries | JIC and IEC |
| Symbol library size | 65,000+ intelligent electrical symbols |
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What You'll Learn
Selecting a default symbol library
To set a default symbol library for a particular project, right-click on the project name inside the Project Manager and select Properties. In the Project Properties Project Settings dialog box, click the plus sign (+) next to Schematic Libraries or Panel Footprint Libraries. Click Add and enter the path of the library into the edit box, or click Default to use the default libraries.
You can also set a default symbol library by editing the environment (.env) file. First, exit the AutoCAD Electrical toolset and make a backup copy of your environment (.env) file. To find the full name and path of your environment (.env) file, right-click on a project name inside the Project Manager and select Settings. Open the .env file in a text editor, such as WordPad, and look for a line beginning with "WD_LIB." Edit this line to reflect the path of your desired default library.
Additionally, you can use keyboard shortcuts to access symbol palettes. For example, using the keyboard combination CTRL+3 can bring up symbol palettes, and some symbols can be found in the sample files that come with AutoCAD.
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Editing the environment file
The environment file, "wd.env", in AutoCAD Electrical, controls where the software retrieves the content required to create drawings. It identifies the location of libraries for various symbols used in schematic drawings. The file also tells AutoCAD Electrical where to retrieve and save other files, such as menus, images, reports, and catalogs.
When making changes to the environment file, project files created before the changes will not automatically update the library and menu file paths from the original project creation. In most cases, you will need to update the project to the new locations. To do this, go to the Project Settings tab and select each of the four categories under the Library and Icon Menu Paths. Then, click the "Default" button to update each category to the new paths.
If you are working alone, you may not need to share the environment file. However, if you work with a team using AutoCAD Electrical, you should share or sync the environment file. This will ensure that all team members are working with the same content. You can set up a shared location that is synced, or use a sync tool to sync to a common location.
Additionally, when editing the environment file, new symbols and images will need to be added via drag and drop. It is important to put in comments when making changes so that there is a clear paper trail of the edits.
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Using multiple symbol libraries
When using multiple symbol libraries in AutoCAD Electrical, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, ensure that each symbol library set is in its own subdirectory and adheres to the AutoCAD Electrical toolset file naming convention. Duplicate symbols across libraries are not allowed.
You can select the desired library for each project by right-clicking on the project name inside the Project Manager and choosing Properties. From there, navigate to the Project Properties Project Settings dialog box, click the plus sign (+) next to Schematic Libraries or Panel Footprint Libraries, then click Add. Here, you can either enter the path of the library or choose Default to use the default libraries.
It's important to note that the IEC and JIC libraries may have different scales. For example, inserting symbols from both the JIC125 (0.125 unit text height) and IEC2 (2.0 unit text height) libraries into the same drawing will result in the JIC symbols appearing much smaller in comparison. To address this, you can copy or create new symbols, adjusting their scales appropriately.
Additionally, when AutoCAD Electrical toolset searches for symbols, it follows a specific sequence. It first looks on the drawing for a copy of the requested symbol, then checks for the specific file name if a full path name is provided. Subsequently, it checks your user subdirectory (specified by the WD_USER setting in the .env file), the directory of the active project's .wdp file, the selected library based on the active project, the directory containing AutoCAD Electrical toolset support files, and finally, the current directory.
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Substituting symbols in the library
- Understanding Default Libraries: The default symbol library in AutoCAD Electrical is determined by your active project. This means that you can have different symbol libraries for different projects. For example, a non-IEC project using inch units might use the "jic125" symbol library, while an IEC-style project using metric units could be set up with the "iec2" library.
- Selecting a Different Library: If you want to switch to a different symbol library for a project, you can do so by right-clicking on the project name inside the Project Manager and selecting Properties. From there, navigate to the Project Properties Project Settings dialog box, where you can expand the Schematic Libraries or Panel Footprint Libraries section. Click Add and either enter the path of the desired library or select Default to use the default libraries.
- Customising Symbols: AutoCAD Electrical allows you to customise symbols by copying or creating new ones. You can modify existing symbols or create entirely new ones to suit your specific needs. When copying symbols between libraries, remember to adjust the scale appropriately, especially when combining IEC and JIC libraries, as they use different scales.
- Setting a Default Symbol Library: If you want to set a specific symbol library as the default, you can do so by editing the environment (.env) file. First, exit the AutoCAD Electrical toolset and make a backup copy of the .env file. Open the file in a text editor and locate the line starting with "WD_LIB." Edit this line to reflect the path of your desired default library.
- Third-Party Libraries: You can also purchase third-party symbol libraries for AutoCAD Electrical. These libraries may offer additional symbols, formatting options, and functionalities that better suit your specific requirements. However, they can be costly, and you may still need to customise and add to them to match your exact needs.
- Library Compatibility: It is important to ensure that your symbol libraries follow the AutoCAD Electrical toolset file naming convention and that there are no duplicate symbols across libraries. This helps maintain consistency and avoid confusion when working on projects that require specific symbol sets or customisations.
By following these steps, you can effectively substitute symbols in your AutoCAD Electrical symbol library, allowing you to customise and adapt the software to your specific project needs.
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Accessing the IEC and JIC libraries
The IEC and JIC libraries are set up at different scales. For instance, inserting symbols from the JIC125 (0.125 unit text height) and IEC2 (2.0 unit text height) libraries into the same drawing will result in the JIC symbols appearing much smaller than the IEC2 symbols.
You can copy or create new symbols in either library and adjust the scale accordingly. You can then add references to the JIC or IEC icon menu to access these new symbols, or browse to them from the INS COMPONENT icon menu.
To switch one of your projects to use the IEC2 library, for example, you can follow these steps:
- Exit the AutoCAD Electrical toolset.
- Make a back-up copy of your environment (.env) file.
- To find the full name and path of your environment (.env) file, right-click a project name inside the Project Manager and select Settings.
- Open the .env file in a text editor such as WordPad.
- Look for a line in the environment file that begins with "WD_LIB."
- Edit this line to reflect the path of your default library.
It is important to note that the default symbol library that AcadE uses is defined within your active project. This means that you can have a non-IEC project (e.g. using inch units) set up to use the "jic125" symbol library and an IEC-style project (e.g. using metric units) set up to use the "iec2" symbol library.
Additionally, when switching between IEC and JIC libraries, you may encounter issues where AutoCAD continues to insert IEC symbols or indicates that symbols cannot be found. This can occur if you are using drawings that previously had IEC symbols inserted, even if you have deleted them and are now pointing to the JIC library. To resolve this issue, you need to purge the drawing of unused blocks.
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Frequently asked questions
The default symbol library that AcadE uses is defined within your active project. You can set up a non-IEC project to use the IEC library. To do this, exit the AutoCAD Electrical toolset, make a back-up copy of your environment (.env) file, and open the file in a text editor. Look for a line in the environment file that begins with "WD_LIB" and edit this line to reflect the path of your default library.
Yes, you can select the library you want to use for each project. Each symbol library set must be in its own subdirectory, but adhere to the AutoCAD Electrical toolset file naming convention. You can also include electrical, pneumatic, or other schematic libraries in the path.
You can temporarily substitute an altered symbol for a standard library symbol. Put the altered symbol’s ".dwg" file in your USER subdirectory (select the Projects > Project > Project New/Existing > Settings button to find the full path). The AutoCAD Electrical component insertion command will always look at this directory first.
