Symbol Builder Tutorial

Create custom symbols with Symbol Builder.

Follow the workflow topics listed below to accomplish these tasks:

 Create a schematic parent

 Add attributes
 Add wire connections
 Save the symbol

Creating custom symbols

Use the Symbol Builder to create an AutoCAD Electrical toolset symbol.

This utility builds a smart schematic symbol by either adding AutoCAD Electrical
toolset attributes to the geometry of the symbol, or by converting text entities
to AutoCAD Electrical toolset attributes. You can also use AutoCAD attribute
definition and editing commands to do the same thing. This tool makes the task
easier because you quickly pick and place attributes. It tracks what attributes are
present and checks your work to make sure that any required attributes are not
omitted.

Note: If you exit out of the Symbol Builder, restart it. On the Select
Symbol/Objects dialog box, click Select objects and select any graphics
and attributes you added so far. You can then start from where you left off.
Create a parent schematic symbol
1. If AEGS is not the active project, in the Project Manager, right-click AEGS and
select Activate.
2. In the Project Manager, double-click AEGS to expand the drawing list.
3. Open AEGS03.dwg.
4. Draw a rectangle anywhere on the drawing.
Tip: It is easiest to draw it in the white space on the left-hand side of the
drawing.

5. Click Schematic tab Other Tools panel Symbol Builder drop-down

Symbol Builder. Find

6. In the Select Symbol/Objects dialog box, Attribute template section, browse to
the Library path C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Acade
{version}\Libs\jic125.
7. In the Attribute template section, select Symbol: Horizontal Parent, Type:
Generic.
8. In the Select from drawing section, click Select objects, select the rectangle,
and press ENTER.
9. Select OK.

Adding attributes
Add the attributes TAG1, DESC1, LOC, INST, FAMILY, MFG, CAT, and
ASSYCODE to the custom symbol.

You are not limited to these attributes and you can include your own user-defined
attributes on the AutoCAD Electrical toolset block files.

Note: The TAG1 attribute is the only one required for a parent schematic
symbol. The other attributes in the Required section are expected on a
parent schematic symbol, however the symbol is recognized as a parent
symbol without them.
Add attributes

1. If the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor is not visible,

Click Symbol Builder tab Edit panel Palette Visibility Toggle. Find

Use this palette to assign attributes to the rectangle as well as set the height and
justification for each attribute. The palette displays the AutoCAD Electrical
toolset attributes that you can insert and define as part of the symbol. Once an
attribute is inserted on the symbol a check mark displays next to it and you
cannot insert it again. AutoCAD Electrical toolset allows only one insertion of
each attribute.

2. In the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor, select TAG1 and click the Properties
tool.
Enter:

Value: PS

It is the default code used as the %F value of the tag format (such as “CR” ,
“PB”, “LT”)
 Height: 0.125

Justify: Center

Click OK.

3. Click the Insert Attribute tool.

Insert the attribute above the rectangle.

In the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor, notice the check mark next to the
TAG1 attribute. Continue placing the rest of the attributes.

4. In the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor select DESC1.

Click the Insert Attribute tool.

5. Insert the attribute below TAG1.

6. Insert the LOC and INST attributes as indicated.

7. Insert the FAMILY attribute near the center of the rectangle.
8. With FAMILY still highlighted in the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor, select
the Properties tool.
Enter:

Value: PS

Click OK.

This assigns the %F value to the FAMILY attribute inserted.

9. Select MFG and insert near the center of the rectangle. Repeat for CAT and
ASSYCODE.

Adding wire connections

Insert wire connection attributes and related pin attributes.

If an X?TERMxx of the component (for example, "X2TERM01") wire connection-

point attribute lies within the small trap distance of the end of a wire,
then AutoCAD Electrical toolset interprets the component connected to the wire.
The only time the trap distance changes is when you change the Feature Scale
Multiplier in the Drawing (or Project) Properties Drawing Format dialog box.

Note: Components with closely spaced wire connection points may not be
processed properly if the connection points fall within the AutoCAD
Electrical toolset trap distance of one another.
A wire connection attribute can have a related terminal text attribute, TERMxx,
and terminal description attribute, TERMDESCxx. The "xx" is a two-digit number
(starting at 01) that is used to match up with the corresponding X?TERMxx wire
connection attribute.

Insert connection points

1. In the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor, expand the Wire Connection section.
2. In the Direction / Style list, select Others.
3. On the Insert Wire Connection dialog box select Terminal Style: Screw.
This terminal style inserts both the graphic to represent the screw and the wire
connection points.

4. Check Use this configuration as default. It directs Symbol Builder to use the
current Terminal Style and Scale as the default in the Symbol Builder Attribute
Editor.
5. Select Connection direction: Left & Top.
It determines the direction the wire attaches to the component.

6. Enter “L” as the value for TERM01 in Pin Information.

7. Select X2TERMDESC01 in Pin Information and click Delete.
8. Click Insert.
9. Select the Insert Wire Connection tool and insert the terminal in the upper left-
hand corner as shown.
Note: Always use AutoCAD Snap to insert the wire connection point.

10. Back on the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor, expand the Wire Connection
Direction / Style list and select Right & Top / Screw.
11. Select the Insert Wire Connection tool and insert the terminal in the upper right-
hand corner.
 You can continue to insert wire connections until you press ENTER by entering
the characters indicated in the command line prompt followed by a space. You
can also select from the Direction / Style list.

12. Insert the rest of the terminals as follows:

TERM03: Right

Insertion Point: below TERM02

TERM04: Bottom

Insertion Point: in the lower right-hand corner

TERM05: Bottom

Insertion Point: to the left of TERM04

TERM06: Bottom

Insertion Point: to the left of TERM05

TERM07: Bottom

Insertion Point: to the left of TERM06

13. Press Enter if necessary to return to the command prompt.

14. On the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor, expand the Pins section. Enter the Pin
values as follows:
TERM02 : N

TERM03 : GND

TERM04 : -

TERM05 : -

TERM06 : +

TERM07 : +
 Your drawing looks like the following image:

Saving the symbol

Save and insert the symbol onto a drawing.

You have two options for saving the symbol: WBlock or Block. WBlock creates
the symbol .dwg file while Block creates the symbol for this drawing file only.

1. Click Symbol Builder tab Edit panel Done. Find

2. On the Close Block Editor: Save Symbol dialog box, in the Base point section,
click Pick point. Select a point in-line with the top terminals so that it is easy to
place on a wire later.
3. Select WBlock.
4. Enter a file name or accept the default.
5. Click OK.
6. When asked to insert the symbol, click Yes.
7. Place the symbol on the empty wire on the left-hand side of the drawing.
 The wire breaks, the component tag inserts, and the wires connect to the
symbol.

Note: New symbols you create can also be inserted with the AutoCAD
Electrical toolset Insert Component command. You can add your new symbol
to the icon menu. Or, you can select it from the Type it or Browse dialog box
file selection options in the icon menu.
8. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, click OK.