You draw schematic lines just as you draw regular lines in AutoCAD®, using AutoCAD MEP 2023 toolset snaps and tooltips to help you. You add schematic symbols just as you add entities in AutoCAD, using an insertion point for placement and a rotation angle.
However, schematic lines and symbols are more powerful than AutoCAD lines and objects because they recognize the connection points built into each schematic symbol, enabling you to create an intelligent building system diagram.
Connecting a schematic line to a schematic symbol
You can assign systems to schematic lines and symbols. Schematic systems store properties that remain constant for all lines and symbols within the schematic diagram. They enable the lines and symbols in a layout to act together as one by maintaining the same look and feel. For example, a layout of schematic symbols and lines can represent a mechanical air supply system, an electrical power supply system, or a cold water supply system. New lines and symbols inherit the current system’s property defaults, such as layer and color, providing a consistent method of drafting the schematic diagram. For more information, see Working with Systems.
Mechanical schematic line and symbol components
Electrical schematic line and symbol components
Plumbing schematic line and symbol components