Electrical Design Software | Elecdes Design Suite by Scada Systems Ltd

Cross Referencing

General

Elecdes cross-referencing creates cross-reference annotation, in the form of lists, for:

  • Duplications of a component or conductor marker with the same name.

  • Devices that have multiple subcomponents inserted onto drawings in the current project. Unused subcomponents of a device are also listed.

  • Modular subcomponents [e.g. A detachable auxiliary contact block] with the same tag name as a device will be listed – with spares.

    If modular components specify a TAGSUFX then they will have their own cross-reference lists separate to the main device.

Cross-Referencing the Project

See How to Cross-Reference an Elecdes Project (Ebase) for information on how to cross-reference all of the drawings in the project without a CAD session.

All of the cross-referencing functions of the Elecdes drawing program can be found on the Elecdes > Cross Ref. menu.

See Cross Reference Functions.

See also: Configuring cross-referencing (Ebase).

Cross Reference Annotation on a Drawing

Cross-referencing information will appear on the drawing in one of three ways depending on the number and type of symbols cross referenced:

Direct Reference

Elecdes can create a cross-reference annotation for components having no sub-components (e.g. a LAMP) or a drawing in your project. When you generate the cross-reference for the sheet the REFERENCE attribute of the direct reference symbols will be loaded with the cross-reference information of the component. See How to use a direct reference in your drawings.

  • For TWO symbols with the same name, the position of each is directly referenced by the other.

  • The REFERENCE attribute is used to display the reference data. i.e. the REFERENCE attribute of each symbol has a reference identifying the location of the other symbol.

  • Devices with subcomponents are an exception to this and always use one of the following two methods.

  • If you use a pair of direct reference symbol in your project then you can Navigate to these components. After generating the cross-reference for the sheet the pair will refer to each other.

  • Unused direct references will be marked as SPARE.

  • You will not get a direct reference if a reference list or table header has been inserted for the component. When a reference list or table header has been inserted you will always get a list or table.

Reference List

  • For MORE THAN TWO symbols with the same name, or a symbol for a device with subcomponents, a reference list is created under a reference list header.

  • You will always get a reference list if a reference list header has been inserted for the component, even if there is only a single symbol to reference in the list.

  • The REFERENCE attribute, of each of the symbols requiring cross-referencing, has a reference identifying the location of the reference list header.

  • The list is sorted a/ by subcomponent number and b/ alpha numerically by the REFERENCE attribute.

  • Each item in the reference list references the location of one of the related symbols. See reference list symbols for more information on the symbols used in a reference list.

  • For a device represented by multiple subcomponents, any unused subcomponents are also listed, with a reference of "SPARE".

Reference Table

  • If a reference table header has been inserted, on any drawing in the current project, with the same name as a symbol requiring cross referencing, then a table of references is created under the table header.

  • The REFERENCE attribute, of each of the symbols requiring cross-referencing, has a reference identifying the location of the reference table header.

  • Each item in the table references the location of one of the referenced symbols. See reference list symbols for more information on the symbols used in a reference table.

  • For a device represented by multiple subcomponents, any unused subcomponents are also listed, with a reference of "SPARE".

Reference Annotation Order

Cross-reference lists are ordered as follows:

  • Main components before modular components.

  • Lower subcomponents numbers before higher e.g. *0 before *2 and *M0 before *M2

  • Errors are listed last.

  • Lower sheet numbers first.

  • Lower X/Y positions first.

Drawing Reference Symbols

Drawing reference symbols that refer to an entry in the Reference Drawings table can be inserted instead of a textual reference.

To enable this, turn on the Back annotate references to the Reference Drawings table setting in the cross reference settings. You must also ensure that drawing references between the appropriate types of component representations are enabled in the checkbox matrix (on the same preferences page).

The appropriate drawing reference symbol for the component representation will be inserted at the insert point of the REFERENCE attribute of the component.

Automatic Reference List Header insertion

Where a reference list is required, and no reference list header is found on any drawing in the project, one will be automatically inserted.

Reference list headers are inserted relative to the MASTER subcomponent. The MASTER subcomponent is the symbol with the lowest subcomponent number OR the first component in the drawing database (for duplicated symbols).

You may change the relative insertion offset from the MASTER subcomponent, see Configuring cross-referencing (Ebase).

Reference List and Table placement

Reference list headers and reference table headers can be placed at or moved to any location on any drawing in the current project.

Each time an Elecdes Cross Reference is executed, all reference lists are rebuilt underneath the appropriate header.

Reference list symbols from previous cross-referencing are erased before new reference lists are inserted by the Cross Reference function.

You may have more than one cross reference list or table header for a symbol. If you insert a cross reference list or table header then a cross reference will be generated for that symbol even if there is only a single instance of the symbol.

Inserting reference list and table headers.

Cross Reference Layers

The reference headers are inserted upon the current symbol layer. The references within reference lists, or tables, are inserted upon the Elecdes XREF layer.

References can be moved to the XREFINV layer to hide them for plotting etc. Functions are provided to assist with erasing, hiding and unhiding cross-reference information. These are described in How to Hide Cross Reference Symbols and Text.

See also: Layers.

Cross-Referencing with Zones

If a symbol is placed in an Elecdes zone then references to that symbol will contain its zone number. Zone numbers override all other methods of cross-referencing. If a reference list header or table header appears within a zone then symbols referring to that header will use the zone number for their reference.

Zones and Rung numbering.