To Create a Panel Layout Symbol

Select the Create Symbol

option from the Manage ribbon to display the Symbol Creation Wizard.

Select one of the following choices from the Symbol Creation Wizard:

Select New Symbol (from Scratch) if you intend to draw the graphics for the symbol

or

Select New Symbol (Import Symbol Graphics) if you intend to import existing graphics for the symbol.

You can also base a new symbol on an existing symbol, but for these instructions assume you are creating an entirely new symbol.

Note: The Symbol Creation Wizard step number will vary depending on your choice in Step 1.

Select Next to continue.

If you chose to import graphics, select the desired graphics.

In the Specify Symbol Type step, choose the Panel Layout option (the Preferred Orientation setting is not important for panel layout symbols) and select Next to continue.

Note: If you are creating a symbol from scratch, a blank drawing screen will appear. Draw the symbol graphics using the line, circle, rectangle and other drawing tools as needed. Use lines, not wires to draw symbol graphics. Be aware of the grid spacing that will be used in your drawings so that connection points are properly spaced; connection points must always be on this grid. When the desired graphics are drawn, return to the Symbol Creation Wizard and continue.

The Import Connection Points step displays. This step allows you to import connection point designations from an existing symbol or family. These can then be used in the Place Connection Points step, saving you from having to remember and re-enter this information. If you don't wish to import connection points, select Next to go to the next step.

Panel layout symbols need connection points if you intend to use the Shortest Distance Wire Routing function. The connection points help establish precise wiring distances between components.

Note: If you are basing the new symbol on an existing symbol (selected in step 1), the connection points of that symbol will appear in the drawing area when you define the device ID in a later step, so you can skip this step.

Click on the Select Symbol button to display the Select Symbol dialog from which you can preview and select a symbol.

Select the Import Connection Points From a Family option if you wish to import connection designations from parent and child symbols at the same time. Use the Select Family button to select the desired family.

Select Next to continue.

The Specify Device ID step displays. In this step you enter a tag mnemonic. This is the portion of the device tag that will be given to every instance of this symbol, such as K or CR for a relay.

Note: If you are placing panel layout symbols using the Insert Symbol by Device ID function, the existing device ID will replace any tag that was defined during symbol creation.

Select the Suppress Display of ID check box if you wish the device ID to be suppressed by default. When the symbol is placed, the Suppress Device ID check box in the Device Properties dialog will be selected by default.

Select the Default Tag = ? check box if you wish the user to be prompted to enter the device tag when the symbol is placed instead of having the software automatically assign the device tag. Typically this is done for child symbols so that you can associate the child symbol with the device tag of a selected parent symbol. When the symbol is placed, the Device Tag field in the Device Properties dialog will show the tag mnemonic followed by a ?.

Enter the desired character(s) for the tag in the Tag Mnemonic field. When you have entered all the data for the device tag, select the Place button (below the Tag Mnemonic field) to select a position for the tag by clicking in the drawing.

Note: You may wish to zoom in on the graphic before selecting Place.

After you select a position, the dialog will reappear with the coordinates of the selected point in the X and Y fields. Coordinates are from the drawing origin. You can adjust the values, if desired.

If you are creating a terminal strip layout symbol, enter a value in the Seq No field to define a position on the terminal strip. Enter a value in the Terminal Number field to define the terminal number label. To create fields for additional terminals, select the + button. Use the Place button (below the Terminal Number field) to place these terminal designations. You can place them individually by selecting a terminal number followed by the Place button. You can also use the Select All button followed by the Place button to place them one after another in order. If you select the Array check box, the Array dialog will appear allowing you to enter settings and place all the terminal designations with one click.

Use the Default Text Style field to set the appearance of the device tag. Select the Edit button to display a dialog where you can make various text settings.

Use the Text Align field to set the orientation of the text to the point that is selected.

Use the Insert Symbol button to place an existing symbol in the symbol you are creating. This is useful if you wish to put contact symbols in a symbol for a relay or add fuse symbols to a disconnect switch. When you select the button, the Insert Symbols dialog appears, allowing you to select a symbol. If you only want the graphic portion of the symbol you are inserting, you will have to delete the unwanted connection points, etc.

Select Next to continue.

The Place Connection Points step displays. As stated earlier, you will need connection points on the panel layout symbol in order to use the shortest distance wire routing function.

If you have imported connection points in an earlier step or are basing the new symbol on an existing symbol, the connection points will be listed. If not, you can place connection points using this dialog.

The connection point text you enter must match the connection point text on the corresponding schematic symbol.

On panel layout symbols, there are extra data columns available for connection points:

Additional Wire Length - An optional field for additional wire length (in inches or mm). This is to be added to the length of the wire going to this connection point. This value can be used to account for the distance the terminal is raised from the surface of the panel (the Z dimension).
Direction to Wireway - This field should contain one of the following single upper case letters which represent the direction a wire should take from the connection point to enter a wireway.
- U - Up
- D - Down
- L - Left
- R - Right
- N - Find nearest wireway. This value is used as a default in most cases and assumed when the field is blank.
- X - Route without wireway. Typically used where two components must be connected with a short flying wire without the aid of a wireway.
Role - This field is only used if you have imported connection points from a family. The field will be populated with the roles (for example, Parent, Child1, Child2, etc.) from the selected family. You can associate a connection point to a particular role by selecting the role. This is useful if you would like to make a generic symbol that can be used with multipole families where the connection point text could change.

Select Next to continue.

The Specify Attributes step displays.

Symbol attributes can be set up to prompt for text that is entered by the user at the time the symbol is placed. Select the attributes you wish to add to the layout symbol. Use the Place button to position them on the symbol.

After you place an attribute in the drawing, it will be marked in the list with an X in the left-most column.

If you plan on using the Wiring Rules Method of the Shortest Distance wire routing function, there are two special attributes to be added to layout symbols for mounting panels: PanelName and ExitPoint.

The PanelName attribute prompts for the panel identifier. These names determine the sorting order of panels and are defined in your wiring rules file. If only one panel name will be associated with this layout symbol, enter it in the Default Value field.
The ExitPoint attribute defines the point(s) where wires leave the panel. Enter exit point coordinates in the Default Value field using the format
x,y;x2,y2

where x,y are the X-Y coordinates of the first exit point and x2,y2 are the coordinates for the second exit point. Separate the coordinates with a semicolon. These coordinates are relative to the insertion point of the panel.

Select Next to continue.

The Specify Position step displays. In this step you select the insertion point for the symbol. The insertion point represents the cursor position when the symbol is placed in the drawing. It determines how the symbol is placed in relation to the selected point. Use the Pick Point button and click on the desired point in the drawing screen. The coordinates of the selected point will appear in the X and Y fields. These values can be adjusted if desired.

Select Next to continue.

The Save Symbol step displays. In this step you enter the symbol's name and description and select a catalog in which it will be saved.

Enter a name for the symbol in the Symbol Name field. The symbols provided with the software follow a naming format whereby layout symbol names begin with L- but you are not required to follow this convention.

Enter a description for the symbol in the Description field.

Use the Search Language Phrases button to select and place phrases from the language database into the Description field. These phrases are displayed in the language that is currently selected (Project Options - Region Settings).

In the Save in field, select the symbol catalog in which the symbol will be stored.

Select Finish to save the new symbol.