To Create a Schematic Terminal Symbol (Example)

In this exercise, you create a schematic terminal using the Symbol Builder tool.

Note: If you exit out of the Symbol Builder, restart it, and on the Select Symbol/Objects dialog box, click Select objects and select any graphics and attributes you added so far. You can then resume from where you left off.
  1. In an AutoCAD drawing, draw a rectangle on the drawing.
    Note: You can also create and modify the graphics for the symbol in the Block Editor environment.
  2. Click Schematic tabOther Tools panelSymbol Builder drop-downSymbol Builder. Find
  3. In the Select Symbol/Objects dialog box, Attribute template section, browse to the Library path C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Acade {version}\Libs\jic125.
  4. In the Attribute template section, choose Symbol: Horizontal Terminal.
  5. In the Attribute template section, choose Type: Terminal with wire number.
  6. In the Select from drawing section:, click Select objects and select the rectangle.
  7. Select OK.

Add attributes

In this part of the exercise, you insert some AutoCAD Electrical toolset attributes from the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor. You are not limited to these attributes, and you can include your own user-defined attributes on the AutoCAD Electrical toolset block files.

Note: The TAGSTRIP attribute is the only one required for a schematic terminal. The other attributes in the Required section are expected on a schematic terminal, however the symbol is recognized as a schematic terminal without them.
  1. If the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor is not visible,

    Click Symbol Builder tabEdit panelPalette Visibility Toggle. Find

  2. Select the TAGSTRIP attribute.
  3. Select the Properties tool to launch the Insert/Edit Attributes dialog box.
  4. Change the height to 0.125 and Justify to Center.
  5. Select OK.
  6. Click the Insert Attribute tool.
  7. Insert the attribute above the rectangle.
  8. Select WIRENO, click the Insert Attribute tool, and insert it above TAGSTRIP. Use the Properties tool to change it to Justify = Center.
  9. Select MFG, CAT, and ASSYCODE. Click the Insert Attribute tool, and insert them near the center of the rectangle.
    Note: If the CAT and ASSYCODE attributes are not listed they are inserted with MFG as a group.

Add wire connection attributes

You can define wire connection points for the library symbol. When you add a wire connection, you select the style and the direction the wire connects from. In this exercise, wire connection attributes are inserted at the left, right, top, and bottom of the terminal so that it can be inserted in either horizontal or vertical wires.

  1. If the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor is not visible,

    Click Symbol Builder tabEdit panelPalette Visibility Toggle. Find

  2. Expand the Wire Connection section of the Symbol Builder Attribute Editor.
  3. Select Left/None.
    Note: If the default terminal style is not None, select Others and change the default style to None. This wire connection style contains attributes only.
  4. Select the Insert Wire Connection tool and insert the wire connection in the center of the left-hand side of the rectangle. Use the Midpoint OSnap to insert the wire connection attribute in the middle of the line.
  5. The wire connection insertion remains active until you press Enter. Press “R{spacebar}” and insert the wire connection in the center of the right-hand side of the rectangle.
  6. Press “T{spacebar}” and insert the wire connection in the center of the top of the rectangle.
  7. Press “B{spacebar}” and insert the wire connection in the center of the bottom of the rectangle. Press Enter.

Finishing the terminal symbol

  1. Click Symbol Builder tabEdit panelDone. Find
  2. Click Base Point: Pick point and select the center of the rectangle.
  3. Select Wblock. Wblock creates the symbol .dwg file, while Block creates the symbol for this drawing file only.
  4. Enter the Name and file path or keep the default. AutoCAD Electrical toolset provides a default name for the new symbol based on the attribute template selected. Avoid changing the first four letters of the file name and limit the total length to 32 characters.

    One-line symbols follow the same naming convention as schematic parent and child symbols. For convenience the one-line symbols provided have a “1-” suffix. However, the symbol name does not define the symbol as a one-line symbol. This is defined by the WDTYPE attribute value of “1-” on the symbol, or a “1-1” on a one-line bus-tap symbol.

  5. (Optional) If you are going to add the symbol to the icon menu at a later time using the Icon Menu Wizard, check Icon image. Enter the image name and folder.
  6. (Optional) Click Details to see the Symbol Audit dialog box listing potential issues with your symbol.
  7. Select OK.
  8. Select Close Block Editor from the block editor toolbar.
  9. (Optional) Select Yes to insert the symbol on the drawing and select a location. If you place the terminal on an existing wire, the wire breaks. The terminal tag is assigned.

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