Circuit panel drawings are crucial in the design of electrical systems, depicting the configuration of breakers that control power distribution. The article explains the integration of SaaS Electrical and DIAGRAMS to streamline the automation of circuit panel design.
DIAGRAMS automatically generates Circuit Panel drawings from SaaS Electrical, assigning AutoScripts to 1, 2, or 3 pole circuit breakers. SOCKETWorx as a Service (SaaS) transitions electrical design and engineering to the cloud, allowing DIAGRAMS to interface and produce AutoCAD® drawings.
While Circuit Panel drawings are fundamentally simple electrical system design drawings, their complexity increases with the number of circuits, phases, and phase taps.
Default Symbology naming conventions help users choose symbology when drafting manually from the Panel Layout symbol group.
Circuit Panel drawings are divided into three groups: Left Side, Center, and Right Side and there are symbols for them under the Circuit Breaker Panels section. From here users can manually draft panels, but this article is about automation, so read on.
Circuit breaker AutoScript naming conventions are based upon the number of phase taps and the tap side.
Circuits are designed to be inserted along its center and offset at 0.5 inch increments per phase. In this example, the circuit panel power/tap will be positioned at X=17 and Y=18 within 34x22 inch D-Size borders. Insert the first left and right electrical taps at X=17 and Y=18 too followed by more breakers below left and right at the appropriate offset increments.
Here is the normal data entry workflow:
- Add Circuit Breakers into SaaS Electrical
- Assigning DIAGRAMS AutoScripts and drawing positions
- Batch drawings from SaaS Electrical using DIAGRAMS
This article is a step-by-step guide on how to enter data and ultimately use DIAGRAMS to produce drawings using the DIAGRAMS AutoScript technology.
Demonstration Video
STEP 1 - Add Circuit Panel and Circuit Breakers into SaaS Electrical
SaaS Electrical includes a set of standard Assignment and AutoScript data views under Electrical System Design table.
Each view contains a set of columns that satisfy respective data requirements. Navigate to AutoScript - Loop Drawings to add rows that will represent instruments within your electrical control system.
Adding Instruments
There are numerous Header Controls that support data entry, reporting, document attachment, and document associations. The first task is to add new rows to projects. Up to 1000 rows can be added, but generally users are adding rows in quantities relative to the scope of work. In this example add 20 rows for a new electrical circuit breaker panel drawing.
Launching Worksheet Mode.
Once 'NewRows' are added, launch worksheet mode to enter data.
Enter the ID_Type and ID_TagNumber because they are concatenated to form the ID_Tag. Columns with colorized backgrounds are set read-only for conditions like this. The data must be saved and then reloaded to populate the ID Tag column.
Otherwise, most of the columns represent electrical circuit properties that are visible on breaker panel drawings.
Important. Column B, DWG PowerDistribution, must be populated with a filename that DIAGRAMS will use to produce *.dwg files. In this use case W JBox0Tag is being set to specify the tap side and S Phase to specify the number of taps.
These values will be used to help filter for bulk AutoScript assignments.
Once saved, close worksheet mode.
STEP 2 - Assigning DIAGRAMS AutoScripts and drawing positions
DIAGRAMS contains numerous electrical and control system symbols suited for manual and automated drafting.
Users draft collections of DIAGRAMS Routes, Symbols and Groups and upload them to SOCKETWorx as SaaS Electrical AutoScripts. The default symbol offering is available at saas.socketworx.com where trial access can be granted to explore it and uploading custom AutoScripts.
Enabling AutoScript Views
AutoScripts are assigned to rows within SaaS Electrical Data Views, when their Automated Script option is active.
Edit Data View setups to find that setting.
Assign AutoScripts to instruments one-by-one
Once active, two row control buttons appear.
(1) AutoScript Assignment
One click launches the AutoScript Assignment popup window.
Select one and close.
(2) AutoScript Datasheet
One click launches the AutoScript Datasheet popup window.
Enter the AutoScript insertion point X and Y drawing file coordinates.
Review all visible AutoScript drawing annotation and attribute sourced from the data row.
Optionally, override data coming from the source row, and close.
Row controls are used to make changes one-by-one, and the header controls enable bulk updates.
Assign AutoScripts to instruments in Bulk
Prior to updating in bulk, it is helpful to filter using the global or column options. If the Data View is limited to a target group, the column 1 header 'check-all' can be used. Otherwise, multi-select rows by using the checkboxes.
Begin bulk updates by choosing an option. Generally, it is recommended to work from top to bottom workflow.
Bulk Assign:
Drawing Script Templates. The DWG 1Line Column lists all the drawing files to produce. This option launches the Assign Drawing Template popup window with a distinct list of drawings with a row control button to pick one.
Drawing Titleblock Information. New feature preview at the time of this article. Set electrical ladder diagram rung numbering for each drawing.
AutoScripts. Launches the assignment popup window. It offers AutoScripts in groups. Use the global filer to search by name or scroll through the groups. Once selected, the associated image displays to aid in the selection process.
Clear AutoScripts. Remove the association but preserves the drawing XY coordinates.
Drawing Positions. Launches the bulk edit popup window. The first four columns are presented along with Columns G and H. These are the only editable columns where X and Y Offsets from AutoCAD World Coordinate System (0,0). This provides the instructions for DIAGRAMS to insert at these coordinates them automatically.
This pop up summarizes the AutoScript and Position assignments.
Once rows have filenames and AutoScripts assigned, DIAGRAMS will produce drawings from the data
STEP 3 - Batch DIAGRAMS drawings from SaaS Electrical
Create New Projects
DIAGRAMS is designed to enable drafting from its default symbol library within any AutoCAD drawing file.
However, the AutoScript processor requires a project be set that it is set to use the default Configuration and SymbolLibrary XML files. AutoScripts can be run from projects with or without databases. Consider that a database is required to join off-page connectors, and bulk update from the Project Manager.
Reference these legacy self-help content on creating new projects:
https://support.ecedesign.com/en/support/solutions/articles/24000091888-creating-projects
After creating new projects, open them by using the DIAGRAMS Control Center palette from AutoCAD®
Next launch the SOCKETWorx AutoScript panel (2), browse to a SaaS Electrical Connection (3), select a Script View (4), and double click on Drawings (5) to create them.
If drawings are already open or already exists within the project, an option dialog will display with options to clear and recreate it.