Creating Intelligent AutoCAD Electrical Symbols

When working on electrical designs in AutoCAD, it's essential to have a comprehensive library of symbols and components at your disposal. While AutoCAD Electrical comes with hundreds of smart blocks, or symbols, there may be instances where you need to create custom symbols for specific components not included in the library. In this article, we'll explore how to use the Symbol Builder tool in AutoCAD Electrical to convert standard blocks into intelligent electrical symbols.

Exploding a Block

To get started, let's begin by exploding a block that was previously created in AutoCAD. This will allow us to access the individual components and attributes within the block. Select the AutoCAD block from the Tool Palette and right-click on it. Choose 'Block' > 'Edit' to explode the block.

Using Symbol Builder

Once you've exploded the block, you can use the Symbol Builder tool to create an intelligent electrical symbol. This tool is located under the 'Misc' section of the Tools menu in AutoCAD Electrical. The Symbol Builder allows you to convert standard AutoCAD attributes into intelligent electrical attributes, creating a fully functional symbol.

Adding Attributes

To add attributes to your symbol, start by selecting the attribute text from the Tool Palette and placing it within the symbol. You can then use the Symbol Builder to assign specific values to each attribute. This will enable parametric abilities in your AutoCAD Electrical drawing, allowing you to tie components together and generate reports based on information stored in the intelligent blocks.

Creating Reusable Symbols

In addition to converting standard blocks into intelligent symbols, the Symbol Builder also allows you to create reusable symbols from scratch. For example, if you need a custom switch symbol that isn't included in the AutoCAD Electrical library, you can use the Symbol Builder to add the necessary attributes and create a reusable symbol.

In conclusion, the Symbol Builder tool in AutoCAD Electrical is an essential tool for creating intelligent electrical symbols. By converting standard blocks into intelligent symbols, you can take advantage of parametric abilities and generate reports based on information stored in the intelligent blocks. Whether you need to create custom symbols or reuse existing ones, the Symbol Builder makes it easy to work with electrical designs in AutoCAD.

Autocad electrical library