SOLIDWORKS Electrical allows for extensive customization of project settings to accommodate a variety of customer needs and standards. Once the desired options have been set, projects can then be saved as templates so that future projects maintain these settings.
This blog will be referencing settings based off of the ANSI template that is provided with the software. Once a project is opened, you can access the Project Configuration Settings by going to the PROJECT tab and then selecting CONFIGURATIONS. If you select the drop down, you will choose “Project” for the configuration options.
Once selected, a dialog box will appear that allows you to edit a variety of settings. The first tab lets you edit the GENERAL settings such as the language, unit and cable standards, date display as well as revision numbering format.
As you explore the other tabs you’ll begin to see just how customizable a project is. GRAPHIC, SYMBOL,and FONT give you controls over default styles and colors for specific areas of the project. The next most utilized tab is MARK. This tab allows you to create formulas to automate how each new page is numbered in a project as well as customizing how components will be marked as they are placed into your project. You can also access the Wire Style Manager from this location which will bring up another dialog box that will allow you to make changes to how your wires are numbered.
The TITLE BLOCKS tab allows you to select which title blocks will be used by default as a new page is added to a project based on page type. This is useful in situations where you may have created your own custom title block – you’ll save time by applying the commonly used title blocks instead of having to swap them out each time.
The LIBRARIES AND PALETTES tab allows you to designate which symbols and title blocks will be available for use within a project. This is useful if you are managing multiple libraries of symbols but want to ensure that the correct symbols are used for certain template standards. Unchecking a library, assuming your symbols have been properly assigned to a library, removes items from use within a project.
The Project Configuration settings are the starting point for customizing projects and templates. We recommend that you go through these settings, update them as it fits for your needs, and then create a template project with these settings. Creating custom title blocks and developing formulas for marks to fit your needs will require some thought into how your company wants to organize and display schematic information, and the end result will be a complete and consistent template.
Check out this webinar for more detailed information on customization:
Questions or concerns on the basic SOLIDWORKS Electrical project configuration settings? Let us know – leave a comment or submit a support case. We’re always happy to help!
