AutoCAD tools you can use in AutoCAD Electrical part 3

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Synergis’ Application Consultant, Todd Schmoock
AutoCAD Electrical ships with tools specifically designed for the controls industry so if there is an AutoCAD Electrical tool you should use that tool before using an AutoCAD tool.  The biggest reason for this is due to drawing and project updates that are programmed into them.  However, sometimes there are tasks that do not have AutoCAD Electrical tools, or could be faster using an AutoCAD tool.  Always keep in mind that if you run an AutoCAD tool it is good practice to run an AutoCAD Electrical update tool on the drawing or project.
Working with block attributes:
After creating smart blocks in AutoCAD Electrical you may want to reorder the attributes so they display in a particular order if you decide to access them through AutoCAD’s Enhanced Attribute Editor.
The AutoCAD tool that can help you with this is called the Block Attribute Manager.  The command line is named BATTMAN.  It manages the attribute definitions for blocks in the current drawing.  You can use it after using the Symbol Builder tool to build your smart block.  After creating the block you may not like the order of the attributes when you double-click on the block. Here is an example of using BATTMAN on the push button from the NFPA library:
If you don’t like how the TAG1 is at the bottom you can use the tools in the Block Attribute Manager to move it to the top of the list.
You can edit the attribute definitions in blocks, remove attributes from blocks, and change the order in which you are prompted for attribute values when inserting a block.  Attributes of the selected block are displayed in the attribute list. By default, Tag, Prompt, Default, Mode, and Annotative attribute properties are displayed in the attribute list. For each selected block, a description below the attribute list identifies the number of its instances in the current drawing and in the current layout.  You can specify which attribute properties you want displayed in the list by choosing Settings.  Double-click an attribute to display the Edit Attribute dialog box, where you can modify attribute properties
You may have known about the Block Attribute Manager, but didn’t think you could use it in AutoCAD Electrical.  Now that you know you can try it out.  It will make using AutoCAD Electrical easier to use by organizing the attributes in a consistent manner.  There is a naming convention for schematic symbols so do not change the attributes name since AutoCAD Electrical uses them to make the block, drawings, and project smart.
 
If you missed Part 1 or Part 2.
Stay tuned for Part 4.