Terminal strip settings (NF)

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You can create as many configuration files as you need. The configurations are grouped within the Terminal strip configuration management.

 

The terminal strip drawings are automatically generated by the insertion of specific symbols; a header and symbols representing the different terminals you inserted in the schemes. You can use the default symbols (most of the terminals have the same representation) or use symbols associated with the manufacturer parts or scheme symbols (each terminal can have this own representation).

The other elements, like texts, attributes, and graphical representation of cables are drawn according to the configuration parameters. A terminal strip configuration file groups all the parameters of the terminal strip layout.

 

The configuration file edition dialog box is divided into two parts. The upper half illustrates the parameters selected in the lower half. When you select one parameter, the graphics shown in red are previewed in the upper half of the screen. You can deactivate the preview by checking the Drawing preview box, at the bottom of the dialog box.

It has several tabs that you can access to change parameters.

General

This tab allows you to name the configuration file and to give it a description in any of the languages supported by the software. When a name is changed, it is automatically copied into all the interfaces where it is used (Configurations, list of terminal strips ...).

Terminals

This tab displays the parameters necessary for the graphical representation of terminals.

Terminal dimension

Width and Height: These parameters allow you to specify the width (A) and height (B) of the terminal. They stay the same, regardless of the terminal strip orientation (horizontal or vertical).

 

 

 

Accessory terminal

Insert accessory terminal: Activate this option if you want to generate the graphical representation of the accessory in the terminal strip drawing.

Width and Height: These parameters allow you to specify the width (C) and height (D) of the accessory. They stay the same, regardless of the terminal strip orientation (horizontal or vertical).

 

Earth collector

Active earth collector: This option allows you to activate or deactivate the earth collectors. It allows you to connect all unused cable cores to the earth collector.

 

When the earth collectors are not active, the parameters below are deactivated.

Collector spacing: Allows you to specify the distance (E) separating the earth collector from the row of terminals.

 

 

Connect all unconnected cable cores to earth collector: When activated, this option allows you to connect to the earth collectors all the cable cores that are not connected to a terminal, even if they are not Green/Yellow.

Multiple level terminals

These settings apply only on terminals, not on components.

Width of last level (%): Indicate the scale factor (in %) between the first and the last level of the multi-level terminal. The width of the intermediate levels are automatically calculated.

Line thickness : Enter the thickness of the outline of the multi-level terminal.

Color: Select the color of the multi-level terminal.

Symbols

Terminal strips are drawn by stacking up symbols (header symbol, terminal symbol...). This tab allows you to select, edit or delete the symbols, allowing the drawing of terminal strips to be generated.

Custom symbol

Insert custom symbol: Several possibilities are available allowing you to draw the terminal strip with the default terminal symbols or with personal terminal symbols associated with manufacturer parts or scheme symbols.

 

- The Insert custom symbol parameter is not activated:

If you clear this option, SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses the generic terminal symbols corresponding to the different types of terminals (header symbol, Default terminal, Reserve terminal...) to generate the terminal strip drawings. For each of these terminals, you must select the terminal symbol to use in the terminal strip drawing and define their orientation and their scale.

 

- The Insert custom symbol parameter is activated:

If you activate this option, 2 options are available:

 

Note: In the properties of a manufacturer part or a symbol, you can find 2 parameters allowing you to associate a Terminal type or a Terminal strip symbol.

 

You must activate the Insert custom symbol parameter to configure the priority.

 

Priority - Manufacturer part / symbol: In first, select in the list if you want to prioritize the Manufacturer part or the Scheme symbol association.

If you select the Manufacturer part option, SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses the terminal symbol associated with the manufacturer part and if you select the Scheme symbol option, SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses the terminal symbol associated with the symbol.

 

Priority - Terminal type / Terminal symbol:Then, select in the list if you want to prioritize the Terminal type or the terminal symbol.

If you select Terminal type, to generate the terminal strip drawings, SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses the terminal symbol associated with the symbol or the manufacturer part in the Terminal type parameter (properties of the symbol or the manufacturer part). In the configuration, you must add the Terminal type to define its orientation and its scale.

If you select Terminal strip symbol, to generate the terminal strip drawings, SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses the terminal symbol associated with the symbol or the manufacturer part in the Terminal strip symbol parameter (properties of the symbol or the manufacturer part).

 

If SOLIDWORKS Electrical does not find an association, it automatically switches to the other known association. If no association exists, SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses the default symbol defined in the configuration.

Default terminals

The first table displays the default symbols used to generate the terminal strip drawings. It is not possible to add a new type of symbol. You can modify the affected symbols (Symbol name) and change their orientation or their scale.

 

	Opens the symbol selector allowing you to change the symbol associated with the default symbol.
	Removes the associated symbol.
	Opens the symbol editor to modify the selected symbol.

Custom symbols

The second table allows you to manage the terminal type symbols used to generate the terminal strip drawings. You can modify the affected symbols (Symbol name) and change their orientation or their scale.

 

	Opens the Terminal type selector allowing you to add a new terminal type symbol in the configuration.
	Removes the selected terminal type symbol.
	Purges the selected terminal type symbol.
	Opens the Terminal type management allowing you to manage the terminal types.

 

	Opens the symbol selector allowing you to change the symbol associated with the terminal type.
	Removes the associated symbol when it is not the default terminal type.
	Opens the symbol editor to modify the selected symbol.

 

Wires and cable cores

The lower part of the dialog box allows you to manage the text parameters (font, size, display...) as well as the text's position on the line representing the wire or cable core connected to the terminal. In the upper part of the display, red dots (visible when you select a parameter for offset in X or Y) mark the default text insertion point (offsets in X and Y equal to 0).

General

Wire length: Allows you to specify the length (A) of the line representing a wire.

Cable core length: Allows you to specify the length (B) of the line representing a cable core.

Options

Visualize terminals pins: Select this option if you want to show the terminal pins like in the terminal strip editor.

Line color: Allows you to select the color of the line representing the terminal pins.

Cable core length: If this option is selected, all the cable cores connected on one terminal are grouped and only one cable core is connected to the terminal.

Distance to connection point: Allows you to enter the distance between the terminal and the line allowing to group the cable cores.

Bridges

General

Dot diameter: Allows you to specify the diameter (A) of the dots representing the bridge connection on the terminal.

Bridge offset: Allows you to specify the distance (B) between two lines representing a bridge. This parameter is added to the Distance before bridge parameter.

Distance before bridge: Allows you to specify the distance (C) between the terminal axis (middle) and the line representing the bridge.

Color: Allows you to specify the color in which the bridges will be drawn (point and line).

 

Automatic bridges

Color: Allows you to specify the color in which the automatic bridges will be drawn (point and line).

Show wire: Allows you to show/hide the wire connected on the terminal when it is linked with another.

Cable

The cable is represented in the terminal strip drawing by a customizable basic symbol (Cable label), composed of a rectangle, text displaying the cable location, text displaying the cable reference, and two lines.

 

 

The first two zones of the lower part of the dialog box display the text parameters (such as the font, the color or the size) as well as their positioning parameters.

Text is positioned in relation to the intersection point of the rectangle's two diagonals. The X offset and Y offset parameters allow you to control the distance between the text and this point.

 

The third zone of the lower part (Cable label) allows you to select a symbol that is positioned on the base point (intersection of the rectangle's two diagonals). Three icons are available to Add a new symbol, Remove the symbol displayed and Edit the symbol displayed.

Please note: this symbol is added to the basic symbol. If you would like to display your own symbol, certain parameters should be set in order to hide the basic symbol (set its dimensions to 0 and hide the texts).

General

Cable position: Allows you to control the position of the symbol marking the cable label in relation to the thick line grouping together the cable cores. The Top parameter corresponds to the first cable core, the Center parameter positions the symbol in the center of the thick line and the Bottom parameter places the symbol on the last cable core.

Minimum distance before label: Defines the length (A) of the line separating the rectangle of the cable label and the thick line of the cable.

Label width: Defines the width (B) of the rectangle of the cable label.

Label height: Defines the height (C) of the rectangle of the cable label.

Maximum distance after label: Defines the length (D) of the line placed at the other end of the rectangle.

 

 

Minimum number of cable cores before next drawing: This parameter allows you to define the number of cable cores that can be drawn on the drawing before it reaches the limit zone and generates an automatic page break.

For example, if you enter 0 in this parameter, the cable will be drawn on another drawing if the software is not able to place all of this cable's cores on the drawing.

If you enter 3 in this parameter, the software will place three cable cores on this drawing (if it is able to do so, i.e. without exceeding the drawing limit) and will draw the other cores on another drawing. If there is only space to draw two terminals on the drawing, it will place all of the cable's cores on a new drawing.

Distance between cables: This parameter allows you to define the distance between the two thick lines representing the cables (E).

 

 

Cable line width: This parameter allows you to define the width of the lines grouping the cable cores. If you enter 0, the width is not applied.

Destinations

This tab allows you to manage the display of cable destinations. These destinations can be represented in the form of a symbol. If you opt not to represent the cable destinations in the form of a symbol, only the mark and location name will be displayed.

 

General

Detail cable destination: When this option is activated, the destinations are represented by a rectangle in which one or several symbols are placed. The software displays the detail of the cable cores as well as the material terminals of the component. If this option is not activated, only the mark and location name are displayed.

You will notice that the following options are available depending on your choice.

 

Destination symbol type: You can choose the type of symbol (Line diagram or Schema) you wish to insert. Options are possible if the software does not find symbols of the requested type.

Destination cable core length: Defines the length (A) of the line, symbolizing the cable core on the destination side.

Length of the box containing the destination symbol: Defines the length (B) of the side of the rectangle framing the symbol.

Symbol centering margin in percent: Defines the margin between the symbol and its contour; a scale factor is assigned to the symbol according to its size.

Offset for the next destination: Defines the offset distance (A) when there is a change of location in the cable destination point.

In the lower part of the dialog box, the first three zones are only active if you have activated the Detail cables destination option. If this option is not active, only the last two zones are active. They allow you to manage text style (font, size...) as well as text positioning.

Layout

This tab allows you to manage the layout of the graphical representation of the terminal strip within the drawing. The bottom right-hand part of the dialog box displays the title block in which the drawing will be drawn (Default title block: title block associated with the terminal strip drawings in the electrical project configuration or Title block specific to this configuration: all terminal trips using this configuration will be generated with this title block).

It is essential that the bottom left-hand corner of the title block is positioned at coordinates (0,0). All the layout parameters are based on this point.

General

Terminal strip orientation: Allows you to choose whether the terminal strips are to be drawn vertically or horizontally.

Terminal strip mark orientation: Defines the angle of rotation of the terminal strip mark placed in the header symbol of the terminal strip. This parameter is not assigned by the orientation of the terminal strip (Horizontal or Vertical).

Terminal mark orientation: Defines the angle of rotation of the terminal's mark placed in the terminal symbols. This parameter is not assigned by the orientation of the terminal strip (Horizontal or Vertical).

Horizontal representation

 

Terminal strip length: Defines the maximum length (B) of the terminal strip. The origin of this length is the X coordinate of the right-hand segment making up the rectangle of the header symbol of the terminal strip. Beyond this limit, the terminals are drawn on the following drawing.

First terminal X position: Defines the X coordinate (C) for the insertion of the first terminal in relation to the origin (0.0) of the title block.

First terminal Y position: Defines the Y coordinate (D) for the insertion of the first terminal in relation to the origin (0.0) of the title block.

Vertical representation

 

 

Terminal strip height: Defines the maximum height (A) of the terminal strip. The origin of this length is the Y coordinate of the bottom segment making up the rectangle of the header symbol of the terminal strip. Beyond this limit, the terminals are drawn on the following drawing.

First terminal X position: Defines the X coordinate (C) for the insertion of the first terminal in relation to the origin (0.0) of the title block.

First terminal Y position: Defines the Y coordinate (D) for the insertion of the first terminal in relation to the origin (0.0) of the title block.

Multiple

Activate: Allows you to activate the graphical representation of several terminal strips on one drawing.

Spacing: Defines the space between the representation of two terminal strips.

Group: Allows you to manage the terminal strip grouping criterion, for example, to group together terminal strips for one location.

Sort: Defines the sort criteria for all terminal strips or within one group when the terminal strips are grouped together.

File data

This tab allows you to define the parameters for the automatic generation of information to be transferred into the properties of the terminal strip drawing. Clicking the column allows you to open the Formula management.

Description: Allows you to define the parameters for the automatic generation of data to be transferred into the description of the terminal strip drawing.

User data/Translatable data: Allows you to set the parameters for the automatic generation of data to be transferred into the user data of the terminal strip drawing.