Updating the WD_M Block
Overview of the WD_M block
A special invisible block must be present on the drawing. The WD_M.dwg is found in the default symbol library. Here is an attribute list of information that is carried on the WD_M block of the drawing, sorted by category:
Drawing layout
SHEET or SHEET_
SHEETDWGNAME
IEC_PROJ
IEC_INST
IEC_LOC
UNIT_SCL
FEATURE_SCL
sheet number for the drawing (%S) optional drawing number for the drawing (%D) optional IEC project code (%P) optional IEC installation code (%I) optional IEC location code (%L) units scaling factor (1.0 = inch, 1.0 = full-size mm, 25.4 = inch scaled up to mm) scaling adjustment (0 = default, 1.25=for 25% bigger)
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RUNGHORV
Ladder defaults
REFNUMS
ladder orientation: "H" = horizontal rungs (vertical ladders);
"V" = vertical rungs (horizontal ladders) reference numbering system: ladder line reference-based or X-Y grid reference-based
■
1 = line reference numbers
■
2 = numbers with ruling
■
3 = user-defined line reference block
■
4 = X-Y grid reference mode
■
5 = X-Zone reference mode
RUNGDIST
DLADW
RUNGINC
DRWRUNG
PH3SPACE
default rung spacing default ladder width default rung-to-rung line reference increment (default = 1) draw ladder rungs: 0 = none, 1 = draw all rungs for new ladder, 2 = skip 1, 3 = skip 2, and so on.
3-phase bus spacing value
TAGMODE
TAG-START
TAG-RSUF
TAGFMT
Component tagging
tag mode value: S = sequential, R = reference-based starting sequential number of the drawing -for sequential tagging only (that is, "1") comma-delimited component tag suffix list -for referencebased tagging only (that is, "A, B, C") component tag format specifier (default=%F%N)
WIREMODE
Wire number tagging
wire number format: S = sequential, R = reference-based
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WIRE-START
WIRE-RSUF
WIREFMT
WINC
WLEADERS
GAP_STYLE
SORTMODE
WNUM_OFFSET
WNUM_FLAGS
starting sequential number of the drawing - for sequential tagging only (that is, "100") wire tag suffix list - for reference-based tagging only (that is, "A,B,C") wire tag format specifier (default=%N) wire number increment wire leaders: 0 = only as required, 1 = always insert wire leaders, 2 = never insert leaders wire gap style: 0 = wire gap, 1 = use loops across gaps, 2
= solid crossing
(no gap) retag and wire numbering sort mode wire number placement offset distance
(GBL_wd_wnum_offset); same as the project-wide +[19] value in the .wdp file. 0.0 or missing= centered on wire
(default), >0.0 = offset from top or left end by given distance
■
1's bit set = (GBL_wd_inline_gap global) auto in line wire gap adjust "ON" (see WNUM_GAP attribute for settings list)
■
2's +4's bits = 00 default wire number above wire
■
01 = below wire
TAG_LAY
TAGFIXED_LAY
Layer names
component tag layer fixed component tag layer
DESC_LAY
description layer of the parent component
CDESC_LAY
description layer of the child component
250 | Chapter 4 Drawing and Project Properties
TERM_LAY
XREF_LAY
CXREF_LAY
LOC_LAY
POS_LAY
MISC_LAY
COMP_LAY
LINK_LAY
LOCBOX_LAY
WIRELAYS
WIRENO_LAY
WIRECOPY_LAY
WIREFIXED_LAY
WIREREF_LAY
component terminal pin numbers layer cross-reference layer of the parent component cross-reference layer of the child component component location code layer component position code layer miscellaneous layer layer for schematic component graphics dashed link lines layer location box layer valid wire layer names where "" = all valid (comma-delimited) valid wire number extra wire number layer fixed wire layer terminal and signal arrow wire number layer
Fan In/Out
FAN_INOUT_LAYS
valid layer names for Fan In/Out, single-line wires (commadelimited)
Fan In/Out symbol style number
FAN_INOUT_STYLE
XREFFMT
ALT_XREFFMT
Cross-reference
cross-reference format specifier (default=%N) optional cross-reference format for inter-drawing references (that is, %S-%N)
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XREF_STYLE
XREF_FLAGS
XREF_UNUSEDSTYLE
XREF_FILLWITH
XREF_SORT
XREF_TXTBTWN
DATUMX
DATUMY
DISTH
DISTV
CHAR_H
CHAR_V
XREF_GRAPHIC
XREF_GRAPHICSTYLE
XREF_CONTACTMAP
XREF_TBLSTYLE
XREF_TBLTITLE
XREF_TBLINDEX
XREF_TBLFLDNAMS
XREF_TBLCOLJUST
Referencing
cross-reference style: 0 = text, 1 = graphical, 2 = table
1's bit = include unused contacts, 2's bit (if table)= include parent coil
0 = separate reference, 1 = contact count totals cross-reference fill-with text
0 = sort by line reference, 1 = sort by pin list cross-reference text between references (text style cross-referencing)
0 = contact mapping (text), 1 = graphic
0 = JIC, 1 = IEC contact mapping list table style name table title table fields to include table available field names table fields justification
X coordinate origin for X-Y or X-zone
Y coordinate origin for X-Y or X-zone horizontal interval spacing for X-Y or X-zone vertical interval spacing for X-Y referencing horizontal starting character for X-Y or X-zone vertical starting character for X-Y referencing
252 | Chapter 4 Drawing and Project Properties
HOIRZ_FIRST
XY_DELIM
X-Y referencing format: 0 = V-H, 1 = H-V
X-Y delimiter character
PLC_STYLE
ARROW_STYLE
Styles
PLC module style code (default = 1) default signal arrow style number
WNUM_GAP
MISC_FLAGS
Miscellaneous
list of 3 in line wire number/label gap settings (see WNUM_FLAGS bit 1 for toggle mode); value saved to GBL_wd_inline_gapas a list. nil or "(num1 num2 num3)" miscellaneous flags
■
0 = gap
■
1 = loop
■
2 = no gap
■
1's bit = mm full-size
■
2's bit = ignore non lay0 lay vector
■
4's bit = use plc wire numbers
■
8's bit = insert new ladders without references
■
16's bit = search for PLC address on component insert
■
32+64 bit =
■
10 = none
■
01 = angle 1
■
11 = angle 2
■
00 = dot
Change the WD_M block
You can change the WD_M block so that your settings are always the default.
1
Open an existing AutoCAD Electrical drawing and set the properties and layer names.
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2
Save the drawing.
3
Click Project tab
➤
Other Tools panel
➤ ➤
Update Symbol
Library WD_M Block.
4
Select the WD_M - schematic settings to modify and click OK.
The settings and layer names are collected from the drawing and appropriate adjustments are made to the WD_M block.
5
Save the modified WD_M drawing.
NOTE
Update the version of your template drawing of the inserted WD_M block if a template drawing exists for your project.
6
Open your template file.
7
Click Project tab
➤
Other Tools panel
➤ ➤
Update to New
WD_M Block, Values, Layers.
The new version of the WD_M block replaces your existing one.
Add missing attributes to the WD_M block
As AutoCAD Electrical adds new features, new attributes are sometimes added to the default WD_M block. However, if your drawing was created with an older WD_M block it may not carry these attributes. AutoCAD Electrical provides an easy way to swap older WD_M blocks with the new WD_M block.
1
Select Project tab
➤
Other Tools panel. Select one of the following options:
Update to New WD_M Block, Values,
Layers
Replaces the schematic wd_m.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, and converts to the newer configuration values and layers.
254 | Chapter 4 Drawing and Project Properties
Update to New WD_M Block, No Changes
Replaces the schematic wd_m.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, but keeps existing configuration values and layer names.
Update to New WD_PNLM Block, Values,
Layers
Replaces the panel wd_pnlm.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, and converts to the newer configuration values and layers.
Update to New WD_PNLM Block, No
Changes
Replaces the panel wd_pnlm.dwg block in the current drawing with a newer copy, but keeps existing configuration values and layer names.
2
Select the WD_M drawing to use as the new WD_M block in the drawing.
3
Click Open.
Copy active drawing settings to
Writes the attribute settings for the wd_m block in the current drawing to the wd_m.dwg drawing file in the symbol library.
Ribbon: Project tab
➤
Other Tools panel
➤ ➤
Update Symbol
WD_M
WD_PNLM
Library WD_M Block.
Menu: Projects
➤
Swap WD_M or WD_PNLM Blocks
➤
Update Symbol
Library WD_M Block
Command entry: AECOPY2SYMLIB
The WD_M and WD_PNLM blocks carry attribute values that define the default
AutoCAD Electrical settings.
Defines the default schematic settings.
Defines the default panel settings.
Alert
A drawing needs an invisible block, WD_M.dwg, on the drawing to be compatible with AutoCAD Electrical.
Overview of the WD_M block | 255
