AutoCAD tools you can use in AutoCAD Electrical part 4

Posted on October 11, 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.
Copying circuits:
After creating your smart AutoCAD Electrical drawings you will want to reuse the circuits that are in them.  There are several AutoCAD Electrical tools you can use like Copy Circuit, or the newer Circuit Clipboard tool set.  These tools have AutoCAD Electrical updates programmed in them so it will save time using them.
However, you can use the AutoCAD Copy command, or the windows Copy and Paste options.  If you use these tools you just need to run the AutoCAD Electrical update tools to make sure your project file, and the scratch database gets updated to recognize the new components.  The best update tool to use is the Project-Wide Update or Retag tool.  This tool can be found in the Project Manager, or the Project ribbon set of tools.  It will be best if you select the three option at the upper left.  These will update the component tags, cross references, and wire numbers at the same time.  Additionally, make sure you select all the drawings that require updating.  If you are not sure do all the drawings in the project.  Here is the tool and the options you should select:
If you copied ladders you should make sure you use the Revise Ladder tool to update the ladder reference to the left before you run the Project-Wide Update or Retag tool.  This will guarantee your component tags, cross references, and wire numbers update correctly, and to avoid any duplicates as a result of copying them from previous projects.
Now that you know you can use the AutoCAD Copy command, or the windows Copy and Paste options you can save time by reusing circuits you already created.  Just don’t forget to run the AutoCAD Electrical update tools to make sure your project file, and the scratch database gets updated to recognize the new components.  Another option would be to use the Copy with Base Point command.  After you select what you want you right-click and fly out the Clipboard option.  Practice with these commands to get familiar with them, and to make sure everything updates correctly.
 
In case you missed Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.