Create and Update Drawings - Notes

Additional notes and information on creating and updating drawings.

Template Files

Template files are used as Templates for all drawing types except the Enhanced Cable Block Diagram drawing type. Templates are copied to create the drawing file and are not modified graphically, except for text values (AutoCAD attribute values) that have Datalinks assigned.

When a drawing based on a Template is updated every Datalink is evaluated and translated into a value based on the current drawing's data and is placed into its corresponding drawing attribute. Datalinks are easily placed into Templates file blocks, refer to Assign Datalinks to Templates and Seed Files.

To create a drawing that uses a Template, the drawing must be assigned to a Template using the Hookup Drawing Information window (for Hookup drawings - refer to Add a New Hookup Drawing) or the Drawing Information window (for the other drawing types - refer to Add a New Drawing).

For further information of the use of Templates and associated functionality refer to Create Templates and Add them to the Project, Templates List and Templates Used Report.

Seed Files

Seed files, along with Templates files, are used to define the layout of drawings created using Designer. Refer to Drawing Generation Overview for their role in this process.

For how to add them to a project and configure them, refer to Seeds List and Enhanced Cable Block Diagram Seeds List.

Termination Diagrams and Enhanced Termination Reports

In the case of Termination Diagrams and Enhanced Termination Reports, terminations are parametrically (automatically) drawn based on the Wiring Manager's termination data for that equipment number and the Seed drawing’s parameter data.

Seed File parameters for Termination Diagrams and Enhanced Termination Reports include drawing sheet size (physical dimensions), the maximum number of terminal strips per drawing, maximum number of terminals per terminal strip/Din Rail, spacing between terminal strips etc. Refer to Seeds List for further information.

In addition to the Seed File parameters, which are defined per Seed File, AVEVA Instrumentation provides user project definable preference settings that control drawing parameters such as terminal height/width, cable core/wire length, text heights, etc. These project preferences are set in the Terminations Tab of the Options window.

To create a Termination Diagram or Enhanced Termination Report the Equipment No field must contain a valid project equipment number from the Wiring Manager's Equipment List and there must be internal terminals/devices with cable/wire connections.

Multiple Equipment Items and Drawing Sheets

In the case of Termination Diagrams and Enhanced Termination Reports, if the selected equipment has more terminations than can fit on a single drawing sheet, additional drawing sheets will be created automatically as required when the drawing is created or updated during this procedure.

These additional sheets will be added to the Drawings List and assigned automatically generated (incremented) sheet numbers and index sheet order numbers.

If a Termination Diagram or Enhanced Termination Report drawing number is associated with more than one item of equipment, only the sheet or sheets for the item selected when the Update option was clicked are created/updated.

If an update results in the number of drawing sheets increasing or decreasing, the sheet numbers and index sheet order numbers for all subsequent drawing sheets are automatically increased or decreased as appropriate to reflect this.

Only drawing sheet numbers in the same sequence as the updated drawing are affected. So, if sheets of the Cover, Index, Notes and Reference Drawing Sheet Drawing Types are identified using a separate sequence from the Termination Diagram or Enhanced Termination Report drawing sheets with the same drawing number (for example, by using letters), these sheet numbers will not be changed.

AutoCad Command Line Window

The AutoCAD command line window may optionally be turned off during the drawing update procedure (see the General Tab of the Options dialog). This option is available because the drawing update process will "grab" the pointer focus to the AutoCAD command line. If you do not notice this, and think you are interacting with another application, AutoCAD could crash, and the drawing could be lost.

Drawing Backup During Update

In the event that AutoCAD crashes during an update operation, drawings being updated are temporarily copied to a back-up folder. If there is a crash, they can be recovered from this folder.

The folder, called Backup, is located in the Drawings folder of the project.