About the Circuit Builder Spreadsheet

The Circuit Builder spreadsheet, ace_circuit_builder.xls, along with the template drawings that it references, control what is displayed in the Circuit Selection and Circuit Configuration dialog box options. The first sheet in the spreadsheet, ACE_CIRCS, contains the main circuit categories, for example “3ph Motor Circuit”, and types, for example “Horizontal - FVNR - non reversing”. Along with this first sheet, are one or more circuit code sheets. These sheets contain the information necessary to insert or configure a specific circuit selected from the first sheet.

The ace_circuit_builder.xls circuit builder spreadsheet can be relocated into any of the normal AutoCAD Electrical toolset or AutoCAD support paths.

The default location for the spreadsheet is: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Acade {version}\Support\{language code}.

The default spreadsheet name, “ace_circuit_builder.xls”, can be overridden by setting the environment variable, WD_CIRCBUILDER_FNAM, in the wd.env file.

ACE_CIRCS sheet

Circuit Builder reads the list of circuit categories and types from the first sheet in the spreadsheet, ACE_CIRCS. This information appears in a tree-structure selection window in the Circuit Selection dialog box. The ACE_CIRCS sheet contains the following columns.

CATEGORY	A major circuit category displayed at the highest level of the tree structure in the Circuit Selection dialog box.
TYPE	The specific type of circuit within a major category. The circuit types appear at the second level of the tree structure.
DWG_TEMPLATE	The drawing template that is inserted when this circuit is selected. If a .dwg extension is not present, it is assumed.
SHEET_NAME	The circuit code sheet name that is referenced for the selected circuit template. This circuit code sheet carries the definitions for all the marker blocks in the selected drawing template and any nested templates.
ANNO_CODE	Code maps to the ANNO_CODE table in the spreadsheet. Allows you to predefine the description, installation, location, and other key information, for the motor or load and the individual components that might be inserted into the circuit.

Circuit code sheets

Once a circuit is selected from the Circuit Selection dialog box (the CATEGORY and TYPE fields from the ACE_CIRC sheet), the associated drawing template is inserted (the DWG_TEMPLATE field), and a related circuit code sheet is ready for reference (the SHEET_NAME field).

The inserted drawing template contains special marker blocks. Each marker block contains a CODE attribute with a value. This CODE value is used to match up with a section in the circuit code sheet. The matching section in the circuit code sheet provides the key information on what action is required at this physical location in the circuit.

Each circuit code sheet contains the following columns.

CODE	Value is matched to the CODE attribute value on the marker block. Each code corresponds to one circuit element in the list or an action/decision that takes place at the insertion point of the marker block.
COMMENTS	Text displayed in the Circuit Elements list in the Circuit Configuration dialog box.
UI_DEF	The default option for a circuit element is marked with an “X”. When a circuit is inserted rather than configured, all elements marked with "X" are used to build the selected circuit.
UI_TITLE	Title for the group of options in the middle Select section of the Circuit Configuration dialog box. Each circuit element can have one or more groups of options. For example, the main disconnecting means might have two groups of options, the disconnecting means itself and an optional auxiliary contact. This field can also contain a predefined code to bring up a separate dialog instead of driving the middle Select section of the main Circuit Configuration dialog box. There are two pre-defined codes: !MCC_CTRL - invokes the Select Motor dialog box when the Browse button on the Motor Setup section of the Circuit Configuration dialog box is selected. It must be combined with the ace_cb_motor_select API call in the LOOKUP_CMD entry. !PF_CTRL - invokes the Select Load dialog box when the Browse button on the Load Setup section of the Circuit Configuration dialog box is selected. It must be combined with the ace_cb_power_feed_select API call in the LOOKUP_CMD entry. Note: Include the ace_cb_wire_select API call in the LOOKUP_CMD entry to invoke the Wire Size Lookup dialog box when the Browse button in the Wire Setup section of the Circuit Configuration dialog box is selected.
UI_PROMPT_LIST	The text to display in the middle Select section for each option within this group.
UI_VAL	A numerical value assigned to the selection from each group. These numerical values are added up and matched to the value in the UI_SEL column. Note: This value must be inserted as a text value in the spreadsheet and not as a number. An apostrophe character in front of the number forces the spreadsheet software to interpret it as a text value. You can also format the cells specifically as text. The text appears left justified in the cell.
UI_SEL	A numerical value matched to the sum total of the values in the UI_VAL column for each selection made within a group. The COMMAND_LIST value from this row is used to insert the selected options. Note: This value must be inserted as a text value in the spreadsheet and not as a number. An apostrophe character in front of the number forces the spreadsheet software to interpret it as a text value. You can also format the cells specifically as text. The text appears left justified in the cell.
COMMAND_LIST	The command calls to insert the selected options. Note: These calls are generally set up using standard AutoLISP format. Multiple calls can be concatenated in the same cell or in subsequent rows of the sheet. If multiple rows are used, the UI_SEL value cell is repeated. Anything after a semi-colon character is interpreted as a comment
ANNOTATE_LIST	Optional command calls to annotate the circuit element. The ANNOTATE_LIST calls execute after all rows of the COMMAND_LIST calls have executed.
LOOKUP_CMD	Optional command calls to perform the electrical standards database or catalog lookups for the selected circuit element. This field controls the right-hand side of the Circuit Configuration dialog.
TABLEn	Optional catalog lookup table name. If the option contains multiple components, such as a disconnect switch and a fuse, there are multiple columns where “n” increments for each component.
TITLEn	The title for the component within the Setup & Annotation section on the Configuration dialog box. If the option contains multiple components, such as a disconnect switch and a fuse, there are multiple columns where “n” increments for each component.

ANNO_CODE sheet

Allows you to predefine the description, installation, location, and other key information for the motor or load and the individual components inserted into the circuit.

ANNO_CODE	Value is matched to the ANNO_CODE value from the ACE_CIRCS sheet.
CODE	Value is matched to the CODE value of the marker block on the circuit template.
ATTRIBUTE	Attribute name on the component inserted at the position of the marker block.
PROMPT	Text prompt displayed in the Annotation Presets dialog box.
DEFAULT	The default value for the attribute if annotation presets are listed or applied. This value can be a text value or an AutoLISP expression that returns a text value.
OPTIONS	Future

How Annotation Presets work

1. Make a selection from the Circuit Selection dialog box, for example "Horizontal - FVNR - non reversing". This selection has a value in the ANNO_CODE cell, "ANNO_3M".
2. Circuit Builder finds the group of entries that match up with code "ANNO_3M" in the ANNO_CODE sheet of ace_circuit_builder.xls.
3. If any matching entries are found, the Special Annotation: Presets section of the Circuit Selection dialog box, is enabled.
4. If you select Presets and click the Presets List button, the Annotation Presets dialog box displays. The rows displaying the entries with non-blank DEFAULT values are initially marked as Selected.
5. Edit the attribute values as necessary and click OK.
6. Select to Insert or Configure the circuit.
7. Circuit Builder processes each marker block on the circuit template. If the CODE value matches the CODE value from the ANNO_CODE rows, the attribute values marked as Selected in the Annotation Presets dialog box are applied to the target attributes of the inserted component. If a target attribute is not found, the value is inserted as an Xdata value.