About Panel Footprint Attributes and Xdata

AutoCAD Electrical does not have attribute or naming requirements for the mechanical footprint block symbols. As AutoCAD Electrical inserts a footprint symbol into the drawing, it copies various data to the footprint block such as component/device tag name, description, manufacturer code, and catalog number. It first looks for target attributes to copy the data to. If not found, AutoCAD Electrical simply inserts the schematic values as standard AutoCAD, nonvisible extended entity data (Xdata).

Some manufacturers provide free, to-scale mechanical libraries of their control components, all in AutoCAD format. Or you may have your own in-house footprints set up. In either case, since AutoCAD Electrical does not have naming or attribute requirements, these libraries can be used as is. When AutoCAD Electrical inserts such a block footprint symbol, it immediately becomes AutoCAD Electrical smart.

Footprint block attribute/Xdata names

The following table is a list of footprint block data names that are inserted or read by AutoCAD Electrical. If the footprint block has an attribute with any name listed here, AutoCAD Electrical uses that attribute to carry the specific piece of data. Otherwise, AutoCAD Electrical uses extended entity data with names based on the data names listed here but with a VIA_WD_ prefix (ex: "VIA_WD_DESC1").

FP	identifies block as a component footprint
FPT	identifies block as a terminal footprint
NP	identifies block as a nameplate
P_TAG1	panel component tag (used on component footprints and nameplates)
DESC1-3	description line 1 - 3 (60 char max)
P_ITEM	item/detail number
ITEM_FLAG	optional attribute with a value of 1 indicates the item number is fixed
MFG	manufacturer name (24 char max)
CAT	catalog number (60 char max)
ASSYCODE	optional assembly code
INST	installation code (24 char max)
LOC	location code (16 char max)
MOUNT	mount location code (24 char max)
GROUPWITH	group location code (24 char max)
WDBLKNAM	schematic symbol block name (used for catalog lookup)
RATING1-12	rating values (60 char max each)
P_TAGSTRIP	terminal strip ID (terminal footprints only)
TERM	terminal number (terminal footprints only)
WIRENO	wire number (terminal footprints only)

Minimum attribute/Xdata requirements

The following tables are the minimum requirements for AutoCAD Electrical to recognize a block as a panel footprint, terminal, or nameplate.

Component footprint - block must carry a minimum of one of the following:

Xdata name	VIA_WD_FP
Attribute	FP (blank value)
Attribute	P_TAG1 (and no attribute NP present)

Terminal footprint - block must carry a minimum of one of the following:

Xdata name	VIA_WD_FPT
Attribute	FPT (blank value)

Panel nameplate - block must carry a minimum of one of the following:

Xdata name	VIA_WD_NP
Attribute	NP (blank value)

Attribute template drawings

You can set up to have visible attributes added to any footprint automatically at footprint insertion time. Using non-intelligent footprint representations can insert with smart AutoCAD Electrical attributes added automatically, on the fly.

There are five attribute template drawings:
wd_ptag_addattr_comp.dwg	component footprints
wd_ptag_addattr_trm.dwg	terminal footprints
wd_ptag_addattr_wtrm.dwg	terminal with wire no. as terminal number
wd_ptag_addattr_itemballoon.dwg	balloons
Wd_ptag_addattr_pnltermstrip.dwg	terminal footprints (when inserted by Level/Sequencing tools)

If the appropriate attribute template exists, the following steps are performed when a panel footprint is inserted.

1. Find the center of the footprint by collecting and averaging the objects that make up the footprint.
2. Insert the attribute template at the calculated center of the footprint.
3. Make sure there are no duplicate attributes. If duplicate attributes are found, the attribute from the footprint is kept.
4. Reblock the added attributes with the inserted footprint.
5. Add the schematic data to the footprint. If the target attribute exists, the data is added as attribute data. If the target attribute does not exist, the data is added as invisible Xdata.