Drawing Generation Overview

Drawings are generated in AutoCAD from drawing records in the AVEVA Instrumentation Designer’s Drawings List and Hookup Drawings list.

Drawing Records

Before a drawing can be created, a drawing record must exist for each drawing to be created as an AutoCAD file.

To add a drawing record

1. Do one of the following:

   • Use the Add a New Drawing procedure, or Add a New Hookup Drawing procedure.

   • Or import drawings from Engineer's Loop list (Loop diagrams) or Wiring Manager's Equipment or Enhanced Cable Block Diagrams list (Termination diagrams and Enhanced Cable Block diagrams) using the Import Drawings into the Drawings List commands.

   • As part of the creation of a drawing record for a Loop diagram or Loop Check Report, the loop that is to be the subject of the drawing is selected.

   • As part of the creation of a drawing record for a Segment Check Report, the segment that is to be the subject of the drawing is selected.

   • As part of the creation of a drawing record for a Termination Diagram or Enhanced Termination Report, the equipment that is to be the subject of the drawing is selected.

   • As part of the creation of a drawing record for a Enhanced Cable Block diagram, the ECBD that is to be the subject of the drawing is selected.

Templates and Seed Files

When drawings are generated in AutoCAD, they are created using a combination of data from the drawing record, including that of the equipment (for example) that is associated with the drawing record, and a Template file or Seed File from which the layout of the drawing is derived.

For further information of how Templates and Seed Files are added to a project, refer to:

• Create Templates and Add them to the Project

• Templates List, Templates Used Report

• Seeds List

• Enhanced Cable Block Diagram Seeds List.

Datalinks

Designer uses Datalinks placed on Templates and Seed Files to establish a link between a value in the AVEVA Instrumentation project database and a drawing block attribute, so that when a drawing is generated by Designer the AutoCAD attribute is automatically updated with the data from the database.

Datalinks can be linked to data such as project name or number or client name from Project Data, or drawing number or title from the Drawings List, Tag No, Cable No or other engineering data from Engineer or Wiring Manager data.

Once the Datalinks are added to a drawing they ensure that the engineering data in drawings is the same as that currently in the project database.

For further information, refer to Assign Datalinks to Templates and Seed Files, Datalinks Window, Datalinks - Further Information, and Auto Insert Blocks.

Drawing Creation and Update Procedures

Drawings are initially created and subsequently updated using options on the List Tools - Drawing and Hookup Drawing tab.

Refer to Create or Update AutoCAD Drawings for details.