General

This topic explains the options in the General tab.

To access the General tab, do one of the following:
  • Click Electrical project > Configurations > Project > General.
  • In the dockable panel, right-click an electrical project and click Configurations > Project > General.

Project Languages

Select up to three languages to be used in the electrical project. If you are not using a second or third language, select <Empty> from the list.

If you work in multiple languages, the text is displayed automatically if you change the electrical project languages.

Standard

Option Description
Drawing unit system Defines the electrical project units (metric or imperial). This option is used for the scheme units.
Dimension units Select the type of units you want to use for the elements of the electrical project (dimension of the manufacturer part).
Default cable size standard Defines the standard used for cable measurement (section, gauge or circular mil-kcmil).

Date Display Format

  • Display format: Select the date format you want to use from the list. You can also enter your own format.
    Format Description
    System date Uses the Windows date format.
    dd/mm/yyyy Uses the day/month/year format.
    mm/dd/yyyy Uses the month/day/year format.
    %d-%m-%y Lets you create your own date format (%d = day, %m = month, %y = year (2 digits) and %Y = year (4 digits))
  • Available variables:
    Variable Description Variable Description
    %a Abbreviated day of the week (for example, Mon) %p AM / PM indicator for 12-hour format
    %A Full day of the week (for example, Monday) %S Current second of the minute in decimal format (00 – 59)
    %b Abbreviated month (for example, Jan) %U Week of the year in decimal format (Sunday used as first day of the week) (00 - 53)
    %B Full name of the month (for example, January) %w Day of the week in decimal (0 – 6 ; Sunday = 0)
    %c Date and time in local format %W Week of the year in decimal format (Monday used as first day of the week) (00 - 53)
    %d Day of the month in decimal format (01 - 31) %x Date in local format
    %H Current hour in 24-hour format (00 - 23) %X Time in local format
    %I Current hour in 12-hour format (00 - 12) %y Year in two digits
    %j Day of the year in decimal format (001 – 366) %Y Year in four digits
    %m Month in decimal format (01 – 12) %z, %Z Time zone
    %M Current minute of the hour in decimal format (00 – 59)    
  • Preview: Show the result of the current display format settings.

Revision numbering

Option Description
Format Select the revision mode you want in the list, numeric or alphabetical, and with or without a leading 0. Select Custom, to use the following custom setting.
Custom formula Available only if the Custom item is selected in the previous setting. Access the Formula management to create a specific formula.
Fill attribute for recent revision Lets you manage the display of the revision attributes when you work on Relative mode.
Always fill lower index attributes Forces the display of the revision index on the bottom of the revision grid, without taking account of the index number of the attributes.
Fill attributes from index Lets you insert the revision index into the corresponding attributes. For example, if the attribute with the index number -0 (current revision) is inserted on the top of the revision grid, the current revision index will be inserted on the top of the revision grid.

<default>

Option Description
Book Acts as the default book when drawings are automatically generated (such as terminal strips, bills of materials).
Formula for calculation of PLC channel address The formula used to automatically generate PLC channel addresses.

Default configuration

Option Description
PLC drawing Select the default PLC card drawing configuration file for all cards in the electrical project.
Terminal strip Select the default terminal strip drawing configuration file for all terminal strips in the electrical project.
Connector Select the default connector configuration file for all connectors in the electrical project.
Cross references Select the default cross references configuration file for all cross references in the electrical project.
Drawing styles Select the default configuration file you want to use in the electrical project. If you do not want to manage the drawing styles, select the [<None>] option.

Options

Option Description
Always fill attribute for location mark Propagates the location mark into the corresponding attribute (#LOC_TAG), assuming this attribute is present in the symbol definition.
Always fill attribute for function mark Propagates the function mark into the corresponding attribute (#FUN_TAG), assuming this attribute is present in the symbol definition.
Update generated drawings Several actions (such as revisions, print or drawing export) can automatically update terminal strip, design rule or report drawings. Select the option you want to use to update these drawings. If you select Never, you must update the drawings manually. If you select Ask me, a dialog box opens to let you select an option. If you select Always, the drawings are automatically updated without option or message.
Exclude electrical components from mechanical Bill Of Materials Automatically selects the Exclude from Bill of Materials property of all the 3D parts associated with an electrical component in SOLIDWORKS. From the list, select the required option:
  • Do not exclude electrical components.
  • Exclude electrical components.
  • Exclude electrical components, except components in harnesses.
Keep attribute readable Keeps vertical and horizontal attributes always readable with the same orientation.
Reset manufacturer part information from component Removes manufacturer part information and its related information such as manufacturer data and terminal mark when you delete or replace it with a different part.

The option is cleared by default. If you clear this option, the part retains the terminal numbers even after you delete or replace it.

Wire Management

When you insert a wire, graphically you draw a line and create an equipotential. This line turns into a wire when you connect it to symbol terminals, when you launch the Cabling order, or when you Number the wires (depending on the options you use in the following parameter). You can assign several wires to one line, for example, when you connect at least three symbols (This wire has an equipotential and a wire number). Then you can assign a cable core to this wire.

Allow open-ended wires: This option lets you:
  • Keep the wire, equipotential, and cable core when you switch circuits of a component.
  • Have two physical wires from the same graphical line between two components.
  • Number a wire not connected to a component.
  • Create duplicated wires from wiring cabling order.
  • Keep the wire mark when you move a symbol and you disconnect it from the wire.
If you select this option:
  • When you draw the line, the wire is only created when you number the wires or when you initiate the cabling order.
  • When you disconnect a symbol from the wire, you can keep the wire if at least one of its ends is connected to a symbol terminal.
  • When you delete a symbol cutting a wire, the wire is not rebuilt. The two wire numbers are conserved.
If you do not select this option:

  • When you draw a line, the wire is automatically created if it connects to at least two symbols.

  • When you disconnect a symbol from the wire, the wire is removed when you disconnect one of its ends.

  • When you delete a symbol cutting a wire, the two wires connected on the symbol are automatically merged. Only the number of the first wire is conserved.

Excel Automation

This setting only concerns the macros that you insert using the Excel Automation, not the macros that you manually insert. Excel automation lets you automatically reset undefined macro variables.

  • Auto-connect macros: When you select this option, the software automatically connects the electrical connections (lines, wires, and equipotentials) between an existing scheme and the last inserted macro.

  • Reset undefined macro variable: When you select this option, the %xxx% variable does not remain in the inserted macro. It is replaced by one of the following:
    • An empty string
    • A removed object
    • An associated default object like a function or a location.