Work with Splices

You can splice a wire or insert a splice onto wires or segments. You can also associate the splice to other existing geometry or offset it from a face within the harness assembly. For visualization of the spliced wires and best placement of the splice on the segment, Autodesk recommends that you create the splice from a face within the harness assembly, splice the wires, and then redefine the splice onto the segment. If you prefer, you can create the splice on a segment, import wires onto the splice, and then route the wires. You can also connect wires to splices manually.

When a splice is inserted onto an existing wire or segment, the object is split. To place a splice on a segment, click directly on the spline at the center of the segment. A unique name is assigned to each object. For wires, all work points on the spliced wires are retained, and any redundant wires are deleted. For example, if there are two wires that share a common point when they are spliced, only one wire to that pin remains when the splice operation is complete.

Note: Use the Splice Object Selection dialog box to indicate whether to display properties for the splice or the splice pins: While editing a nailboard sketch, select a splice in the graphics window, and then click Nailboard tabManage panelProperty Display.

Insert a splice

1. In the browser, double-click the harness assembly.

2. On the ribbon, click Cable and Harness tab Create panel Create Splice .

3. In the Create Splice dialog box, accept or change the RefDes.

4. Accept the default splice listed, or select a different splice from the Cable & Harness Library. To choose a different splice, optionally select a splice category from the list, and then select the desired splice name from the Name list.

   The Default Library Splice is the default for the first splice you create in a harness assembly.

5. Optionally, click Properties to view the properties for the library definition of the selected splice, and then click OK.

6. Click Select Location, if not already selected.

   A green circle that represents the splice is attached to the cursor.

7. Do one of the following to place the splice:

   • Click a segment spline.
   • Click a wire.
   • Click in the graphics window to place the splice offset from a face. The offset distance is represented by a line that extends from the splice. To change the offset, right-click and then select Edit Offset.
   Note: Like segments, you can also associate a splice with existing geometry. Select a vertex, work point, sketch point, or center points on circular components.

8. Click Apply.

9. Repeat steps 2 - 8 to place additional splices, or:

   • Select one or more wires to splice.
   • Add wires manually or by importing.
   • Redefine the splice onto a segment.

Splice wires or add wires to the splice

Once a splice is created you can add wires. To add wires, splice the wires, import the wires, or create wires manually.

1. To select wires to splice, do one of the following:
   • Click the splice, right-click, select Splice Wire from the context menu, and then click the wire to splice.
   • Click the wire to splice, right-click, select Splice from the context menu, and then click the splice.
2. Click OK.
3. To add wires to the splice, do one of the following:
   • Use the Import Wire List command to import wires onto the splice.
   • Use the Create Wire command to select the splice pins for connection.

Delete wire or segment splices

If you delete a splice with two wires attached, the wires heal and any control points on the wires remain. If there are three or more wires attached to the splice, the logical connection of the signal carried by the wires is maintained. Wires that are not required to maintain this connection are deleted. Only the properties from the wires that are kept are retained.

If you delete a splice from a segment, the two segments that the splice intersected heals, and all routed wires remain routed. If a segment or wire that has a splice on it is deleted, the splice remains. Any virtual parts assigned to the splice are also deleted.

1. Double-click the harness assembly.
2. From the browser or graphics window, right-click one or more splice occurrences, and then select Delete from the context menu.

Redefine splices for wires or segments

You can redefine a splice to a new location on the existing wire or segment. You can also redefine a splice on a segment to a location that is off that segment. If the new location is on a different wire or segment:

• the new wire or segment is split
• the existing segment is healed
• any wires attached to the splice are unrouted
• redundant wires (wires that share a common point when spliced) are deleted

Once a wire is spliced, you cannot redefine the splice to a location off the wire. You can only delete it.

1. In an active harness assembly, right-click a splice from the browser or graphics window, and then select Redefine Splice from the context menu.
2. Optionally, right-click to edit the offset, select Edit Offset from the context menu, and then enter an offset value (with or without a unit). If no unit is specified the default unit setting is used.
3. Click OK.
4. In the graphics window, select the new location for the splice:
   • To associate the splice with existing geometry, select a vertex, work point, sketch point, or center points on circular components.
   • To offset the splice at a specified distance, select a face.
   • To create a non associative splice without an offset, select a work plane, a work axis, or anywhere along a wire or segment.
5. Right-click and select Finish Edit.

The splice is redefined and the splice and any connected wires recompute.