Placing Components

This task shows you how to place components from a catalog.
Enabling dynamic connectors in a component allows for automatic creation of connectors during the design process.

  1. Click or double-click the Place Components button .

    The Catalog Browser displays. (Double-clicking keeps the Catalog Browser open, and allows you to place components in various locations in your document.
    The left frame lists catalogs. If necessary, navigate to select the catalog of interest using the Browse another catalog button .

  2. Double-click in the left frame to open a catalog (such as Electrical_ANSI_Equipment) and display a list of families (such as Generators and Motors). These families display in the left and right frames.

  3. Double-click a family in either the left or right frame, and a list of specific components displays in the right frame.

  4. Select a specific component in the right frame. Click in your document to place the component.

    In the example below, DC_Motor was selected from the list, and placed in the document.

    The purple connector indicates that this is a cable or Wide Pin connector.

  5. To place the same component in another location in your document, click the other location. You can do this as many times as necessary (if you double-clicked the Place Components button, keeping the Catalog Browser open).

    To close the Catalog Browser and stop placing the same component, click the Place Components button again.

    Only a cable can be connected to a Wide Pin connector. You can route a cable between the two connectors, using the  Route Cable command.

  6. To place a component from another family, double-click on the appropriate family in the left frame of the Catalog Browser. Select a specific component in the right frame. and follow the above procedure to place it in your document.

    For example, you can place these two components, a Junction Box and a Terminal Board, in a document.

    The Junction Box has purple Wide Pin connectors and a green Terminal Board connector. The Terminal Board has a green Junction Box connector. If you click Connect and then click the Junction Box connector and the Terminal Board connector, the two components connect automatically.

  7. You also can place a component by clicking an already-placed component (when the Catalog Browser is open). Clicking the component creates a new instance of the same reference.

    Click in your document to place this new component.

  8. You can use three types of connections to connect electrical equipment to a cable:

    You can connect equipment directly to a cable using a Wide Pin connector.

    In this example, place an electrical component (a generator) in your document.

    Use the Route Cable command to connect the generator directly to the cable.

    You can connect equipment to a cable through a socket.

    In this example, place a -s generator and a socket in your document.

    Use the Connect command to connect the generator to the socket.

    Use the Route Cable command to connect the cable through the socket to the generator.

    You can connect equipment to a cable through a socket and plug.

    In this example, place a -s generator, a socket and a plug in your document.

    Use the Connect command to connect the plug to the socket, and to connect them both to the generator.

    Use the Route Cable command to connect the cable through the plug and socket to the generator.