To Work With the Tagging and Linking Tools

How to use the manual conversion tools to create a smart AutoCAD Electrical toolset block.

Note: These tasks use schematic components, but the same procedure can be done using panel components.

Initial Set-up

1. Explode any existing blocks. Click Conversion Tools tabTools panelSpecial Explode. Find

   It explodes attributes and blocks to geometry and text entities while maintaining the value previously defined in the attribute.

2. Select the wire layer from the grid to add wire lines to.

   The selected wire layer highlights in blue to indicate which layer is selected; the current wire layer highlights in gray.

3. Click Conversion Tools tabTools panelChange/Convert Wire Type drop-downChange/Convert Wire Type. Find
4. Click Pick and select wire lines from the drawing to add to a wire layer.
5. Click OK.

Convert Text to Tag Block

1. Click the Conversion Tools tab, Schematic panel, to access any of the schematic tagging commands.
2. Select the text entity to replace with the component TAG1 template block file.

   The selected text string highlights indicating what was selected for conversion.

3. Right-click to apply the tag.
4. (Optional) Tag any other text entities with the proper block file.
5. Right-click to exit the Tagging command. Right-click a few times before exiting, if necessary.

Convert Text to Attribute Within a Block

1. Click the Conversion Tools tab, Attributes panel, to access any of the linking commands.
2. Select the existing tagged TAG1 block definition.
3. Right-click to apply the selection.
4. Select the text to link to the tagged attribute. The selected text properties are applied to the new attribute.

   Colors change to distinguish visually what was converted and temporary lines display the link.

5. Right-click to create the link.
6. (Optional) Link any other text entities to the proper attribute.
7. Right-click to exit the Linking command. Right-click a few times before exiting, if necessary.

Add Geometry and Wire Connections

1. Click Conversion Tools tabTools panelAdd Wire Connections. Find
2. Select the block to tie the wire connections to.
3. Select the endpoint of the wire or a position on a symbol. Press Shift, right-click, and select Endpoint from the menu to select the endpoint easily.
4. After you define the wire connection attribute, you can select the terminal text if the drawing contains the value. If not, continue with the next wire connection attribute.
5. Right-click to apply the selection.

   Visual indicators (x) appear where the wire connection attributes were already applied.

6. Repeat the selection for the other endpoint.
7. Right-click to exit the command. Right-click a few times before exiting, if necessary.
8. Click Conversion Tools tabTools panelAdd Geometry. Find
9. Select the block to add the geometry to.
10. Pick or window select the geometry to associate to the template block file.
11. Right-click to apply the selection.
12. Specify the insertion point.