Templates for Terminal Strip Diagrams

Wiring diagram templates for terminals in terminal strip diagrams allow you to define the exact appearance of each terminal. A template represents a single terminal in the strip. The use of a template only enables you to show extra graphical information and set the position of the name or number of the terminal. Other elements of a terminal strip, such as conductors and their positions, cannot be controlled via the template.

Terminal strip diagrams created from templates

When the terminal strip diagram is constructed, the template is inserted directly into the drawing. The attributes of the symbols inside the inserted template are updated to hold the information from the terminal.

Templates for terminals will be rotated as required when inserted.

Simple superimposed graphical symbol alternative

If you require only additional graphics over the standard wiring diagram then the Wiring Diagram Generator can superimpose a simple graphical symbol without requiring the creation of a wiring diagram template.

Template files

Wiring diagram templates are drawing files containing wiring diagram symbols. There is no requirement for the names of the template files, however since they co-exist with MTD symbols you should use a file name that makes the templates easy to identify. For example, you could prefix all wiring diagram templates with "wd_".

The templates are stored in the same directories as MTD symbols:

<EDS>\MET_GMTD for metric symbols
<EDS>\IMP_GMTD for imperial symbols

Do NOT copy or rename a wiring diagram template with the file system of your computer. The name of the graphical elements block within the template is expected to be related to the name of the template. Copying or renaming a template breaks this relationship. The MTD Name function enables copies of templates to be made correctly.

Drawing wiring diagram templates - MTD editor

A wiring diagram template is created using the same tool that creates Multi-Terminal Device (MTD) symbols. The MTD editor is part of Elecdes. Wiring diagram templates contain different component symbols from MTDs. The following is an outline of the procedure to create or edit a wiring diagram template. For full instructions, refer to How to Create a Device with a Custom Terminal Layout.

Select Create/Edit Multi-Terminal Devices from the Elecdes main menu.

NOTE: You must always use Create/Edit Multi-Terminal Devices to edit an existing wiring diagram template. If you were to open the file manually from the CAD package then Elecdes would not know you were editing a template and would not re-build the graphical elements block when you save the file.
You will be provided with a list of existing MTD symbols and wiring diagram templates.

Select one of the wiring diagram templates for editing OR enter a new name for the new template.
The chosen drawing will be opened.
Use the MTD toolbar items to insert a single wiring diagram tag symbol.

NOTE: Wiring diagram templates for terminals should not have terminal symbols, unlike templates for devices. Templates for terminals represent the entire discrete terminal.
Draw any graphical parts of the template that you require. You can use simple entities such as lines, arcs and circles as they will be grouped automatically into a block when you save the template.

NOTE: You must include at least one drawing entity for a graphical elements block, even if it is on an invisible layer. Wirediag will read the insertion point of the graphical elements block to position the diagram when it is refreshing an existing diagram.
When you have completed editing the template, save the file with the SAVE command of the CAD package. Elecdes will intercept this command to prepare the drawing for use as a wiring diagram template.
The graphical parts of the template will be grouped into a graphical elements block. The block name will be based on the template name.
You will be asked for the insertion base point for the template.
The symbol will be saved in the MTD directory, as described above.
The template drawing will be closed.

Linking a wiring diagram template to a terminal - WD_TPLT

As a terminal is linked to its WD template via its catalog record, a termnal using a WD template must itself have valid catalog data. Enter the file name of the template for a terminal into the WD_TPLT column of the catalog record for that terminal. You do not need to enter the directory or the ".dwg" file extension.

You can use a single WD template for several terminals, if they share a common appearance.

Once the template is created and specified in the WD_TPLT column of the catalog, it will be used automatically when the terminal strip is generated.

You can specify more than one template choice for a terminal. Enter all of the template drawing names into the WD_TPLT column, separated by semicolons. If you specify multiple template options, Wirediag will attempt to choose the template with the most "similarity" between the filename of the template and the filename of the schematic symbol.