About Rule Points

AutoCAD Utility Design uses rules to control many aspects of the application. Rules control design validation and analysis, material list generation, and aspects of the user interface.

The most basic element in rules configuration is the Rule Point. You can add new rule points as needed. AutoCAD Utility Design provides a preconfigured set of rules so you can begin work without time-consuming configuration.

There are two types of rule points:

• Expression/Value—These rule points define a value.
• Sequential/Action—These rule points define an action such as generating a validation error or creating a material list entry.

Rule points can contain subrule points. The location of the rule point in the rule configuration hierarchy determines what the rule point applies to. For example, to create a rule point that applies to all electric features, create it at the Electric level. To create a rule point that applies to all transformers, create it at the Transformer level. A rule point at the Electric level applies to all electric features unless a rule point is defined at the specific feature level. For example, if you create rules for both Electric rule point and Transformer rule point, then the Electric rule does not apply to transformers. The Electric rule will apply to the electric features that have no rule defined.

Most rule points are organized by Communications, Electric, Structural, and further organized by LineString and Point features. Analysis rule points are organized by analysis operation.