AutoCAD & CADPIPE Electrical Template Drawing Setup Setting up a template drawing ensures that when starting a new drawing the AutoCAD and CADPIPE settings are all setup and will be consistent in all drawings. Open the template drawing and use File\Save As so you retain the template drawing. You can now attach xrefs but we recommend using the AutoCAD drawing cleanup procedure on the xrefs first.

1. Setting up an AutoCAD template drawing.

a) View\Viewports, this is a user option.

b) Format\Layer, Add layers and set the parameters for all your layers including a viewport layer. Color Linetype Lineweight Transparency if needed Plot Style Plot New Viewport Freeze

c) Format\Linetype, load any linetypes you use and set the global scale factor.

d) Format\Lineweight, this is a user option.

e) Format\Text Style, set the text styles your company uses.

Note: Set the Width Factor to .65 or .75 so the text is compressed and takes up less space in your drawing.

f) Format\Dimension Style, set a dimension style for your company and set all parameters within the Dimension Style Manager

g) Format\Point Style, set to single point.

Note: When plotting set the point style to nothing if you don’t want to plot the nodes.

h) Format\Drawing Units Length Type, set to Architectural Length Precision, set to 1/8” Angle Type, Decimal Degrees Angle Precision, set to 0.00 Insertion Scale, set to Inches

i) Layout Tabs, setup the names and parameters.

j) AutoCAD Tools\Options\Display Tab – Set Contour lines per surface to 0 and check Draw true silhouettes for

solids and surfaces.

k) Make sure 3D Osnaps and Allow/Disallow Dynamic UCS are turned off.

l) Setup a color table for plotting.

2. On the Design Pulldown menu or Design Toolbar select Configure Cable Tray.

a) Configure Cable Tray Tab, select or turn on Collision Checking, this is a user option Solids Auto Spec Show Prompts Dialog, this is your Osnap selection Show Join Pt Icon, this is a user option

b) Text Options Tab, select or turn on Display Selected Text, this is the information you want displayed in the drawing Tag Options – Tag Style, this is the symbol you would like displayed around the tag Tag Options – Next Tag #, set to number 1 Text Size Options, set your text size for model and paper space Text Style

c) Tooltip Query Tab, select or turn on Show Dynamic Tooltip Query and Label Each Tip Available Tip Info, double click items you want added to Tip Info to Display Note: The items in the Tip Info to Display box can be placed in any order by using the up and down arrows.

3. On the Design Pulldown menu or Design Toolbar select Configure Conduit.

a) Configure Conduit Tab, select or turn on Collision Checking, this is a user option Solids Auto Spec Couplings Fitting Origin, At Top or At Bottom Show Prompts Dialog, this is your Osnap selection Show Join Pt Icon, this is a user option

b) Text Options Tab, select or turn on Display Selected Text, this is the information you want displayed in the drawing Tag Options – Tag Style, this is the symbol you would like displayed around the tag Tag Options – Next Tag #, set to number 1 Text Size Options, set your text size for model and paper space Text Style

c) Tooltip Query Tab, select or turn on Show Dynamic Tooltip Query and Label Each Tip Available Tip Info, double click items you want added to Tip Info to Display Note: The items in the Tip Info to Display box can be placed in any order by using the up and down arrows.

4. On the Utilities Pulldown menu or Utilities Toolbar select Bom-to-Dwg Format.

Note: You can create and save different report types for cable tray and conduit.

5. On the Architectural Pulldown menu or Architectural Toolbar select Configure Architectural.

a) Configure Architectural Tab Item Kind, set your layer name and color for each

b) Tooltip Query Tab, select or turn on Show Dynamic Tooltip Query and Label Each Tip Available Tip Info, double click items you want added to Tip Info to Display

Note: The items in the Tip Info to Display box can be placed in any order by using the up and down arrows

6. On the Spec Pulldown menu, who will take responsibility?

Cable Tray System, to setup systems and layers Conduit System, to setup systems and layers Circuitry System, to setup systems and layers Cable Tray Fitting Specs\Edit Fitting Databases, for adding new cable tray manufactures and dimensions Edit Symbol Libraries\Control Drawings, for adding new symbols for use in Circuitry \General \Layout Drawings \S/L Diagrams \Wiring Devices Change Database Location Backup Databases Restore Databases Backup Symbol Slide Libraries Restore Symbol Slide Libraries

7. CADPIPE Databases are currently on each machine in the ElecDBS folder under C:\CP_Gen2\Commercial. They can be put on the network and mapped to from each machine through the Commercial.ini file. The Commercial.ini file is in the Windows folder under C:\.

You need to change the path of the ElecData line on everyone’s machine to match the drive and folder on the network.