<!DOCTYPE html
  PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">

<!--
Copyright (c) 2006 UGS Corp.

All Rights Reserved.

This software and related documentation are proprietary to UGS Corp.
-->
<html>
   <head>
      <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
      <title>Cable drawing automation</title>
      <script language="javaScript">
        abridged="false";
        displayConditions=new Array();
      </script>
      <link type="text/css" href="../css/main_styles.css" rel="stylesheet">
   </head>
   <body class="bodydocs" onload="top.pageLoader()" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Cable drawing automation</div>
      <hr noshade="true">
      <p class="para_topic">Given a simple cable created with Routing Electrical, you can generate a basic cable drawing. The drawing consists of top and side views of the cable and connectors.&nbsp;Views base on explosions and are not truly orthographic. Because of this, you can place attributes on various parts of the cable to identify how the drawing generates. The system uses a drawing template to define where you place the basic elements of the drawing. The following figure identifies a typical cable drawing with supporting annotation.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/cable10.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Sample cable drawing</div>
      <div class="title_division">System requirements for cable drawing automation</div>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">In order to use <b class="uiTerm">Cable Drawing Automation</b> (CDA), a few system settings need to be in place. Set UGII_USER_DIR or UGII_SITE_DIR to point to $UGII_BASE_DIR\ugroute_elec\cda. This informs NX to scan those directories for items to add to the menu.
            </p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">A User Function Exercise license is necessary to run the CDA.</p>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <div class="title_division">Assembly:</div>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">The cable assembly should contain two connectors joined by a set of segments that have some stock assigned to them.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">No attributes are necessary, but you can apply them ahead of time to further automate the drawing process.</p>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="para_division">Currently, there are numerous prerequisites that you need to address before generating a cable drawing for an assembly. While these prerequisites will continue to exist in this application, you will have the opportunity to fulfill them as necessary in an interactive environment. Once all requirements are in place to generate a cable drawing, the application will process the pre-verified data and generate the cable drawing.</p>
      <p class="para_division">The cable drawing generates according to the following rules:</p>
      <div class="title_division">Native mode:</div>
      <p class="para_division">The program opens a new part with the name of the cable assembly suffixed with _dwg. For example, the name of the drawing part for a cable assembly named as cable.prt will be cable_dwg.prt. The system adds the basic cable assembly as a component to this drawing. A drawing with the name CABLE_ASSY creates in the drawing part and the drawing template imports into the drawing. If a previously saved drawing exists in that directory then the system retrieves this part.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Teamcenter Integration mode:</div>
      <p class="para_division">The program opens a new specification NX Part for the NX Master with the same part revision as the <b class="uiTerm">Master</b>. The part name of the cable assembly ends with _spec_0 for the part name of the specification. For example, the part name of the drawing part for a cable assembly named as cable will be cable_spec_0. The specification part creates from the drawing template seed part present in the NX seed parts folder. For more information on the NX seed parts folder please refer to the Teamcenter Integration documentation. The cable assembly adds as a component to this specification part file. If a previously saved specification exists in the database then the system retrieves this part. You are prompted to overwrite or revise the existing specification.
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">Overwriting the specification will always overwrite the *_spec_0 revision. Revising the existing specification will result in a new specification part created inside the item with a new name of *_spec_&lt;next revision number&gt;.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Cable drawing automation data</div>
      <p class="para_division">This section details the data that is necessary to completely define a cable drawing. This data can be set up before program execution or interactively through the cable drawing automation interface.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Drawing template file</div>
      <p class="para_division">A drawing template must exist that identifies the layout of the cable drawing. The template identified here is an expanded version of the template format currently in use.</p>
      <p class="para_division">The drawing defines the size of the drawing and key placement points for notes, views and other drawing members. The parts list template is also defined within the template file. Please refer to <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.popUpPage('assemblies/index.html?goto=assemblies/01topic_1.html&vars=-aux,-home','linkInter','menubar=yes,status=yes,resizable=yes,toolbar=yes,scrollbars=yes,location=no,directories=no');return(false);">Assemblies Help</a> for more information on NX Parts List functionality. 
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">The <b class="uiTerm">Drawing Template</b> file contains following elements:
      </p>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Size of the drawing &ndash; defined by the size within drafting. The template file may be of any size desired; however, each positioning attribute must be compatible with the size specified.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Parts list template &ndash; defined from <b class="uiTerm">Assemblies&rarr;Parts List</b>.
            </p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">LENGTH, TOTAL_LENGTH, and ADDITIONAL_LENGTH expressions &ndash; These expressions are available within the <b class="uiTerm">Preference File</b> or from the user interface. If any of these expressions are found to exist in the cable assembly, the value from there is used, otherwise you may enter values into the user interface. The default value for LENGTH is the calculated length of the cable. You can use TOTAL_LENGTH and ADDITIONAL_LENGTH to specify additional parameters for manufactured lengths. You can also call out these expressions in the <b class="uiTerm">Drawing Template</b> file for placement onto the cable drawing.
            </p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Named Placement Points</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">NOTES_ORIGIN_&lt;x&gt;: Identifies the location of a note from the drawing notes package. The &lt;x&gt; refers to the name of the particular notes package to be placed at the particular location.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">DATE: Identifies the location where the drawing date will appear.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">VIEW_SPEC_&lt;x&gt;: Identifies the location where a specific drawing view will be placed. The &lt;x&gt; refers to the name of the particular view to be placed.</p>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <table border="0">
         <tr>
            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
            <td valign="bottom" align="left" width="100%">
               <div class="para_note">
                  <p class="para_note_body">The outline of the use of &lt;x&gt; designators is in the <b class="uiTerm">Cable Drawing Preferences File</b>.&nbsp;Any of these may be post&ndash;processed and reassigned.
                  </p>
               </div>
            </td>
         </tr>
      </table>
      <div class="title_division">Environment variables</div>
      <p class="para_division">Environment variables used to allow the definition of settings are relatively static once you define a drawing automation process.</p>
      <p class="para_division">The <b class="uiTerm">Cable Drawing Automation</b> application uses the following environment variables:
      </p>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">UGII_ROUTING_DWG_TEMPLATE</p>
            <ul>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item"><b class="uiTerm">Native Mode</b> &ndash; defines the explicit path to the drawing template file. If not defined, you are prompted to identify a drawing template file to use.
                  </p>
               </li>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item"><b class="uiTerm">Teamcenter Integration Mode </b> &ndash; defines the Teamcenter part name of the template file. The template file(s) must reside in the NX seed part&rarr;specification folder.
                  </p>
               </li>
            </ul>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">UGII_ROUTING_DWG_NOTES_FILE</p>
            <ul>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">Defines the explicit path to the directory where the notes files reside. If not defined, you are prompted to identify where the notes file reside or to skip the notes on drawing. This setting is the same for both <b class="uiTerm">Native</b> and Teamcenter Integration modes. Consider UNSET also.
                  </p>
               </li>
            </ul>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">UGII_LOCING_PATTERN_FILES_DIR</p>
            <ul>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">Defines the explicit path to the directory where the locking pattern files are located. If not defined, you are prompted to identify where the pattern files reside. This setting is the same for both <b class="uiTerm">Native</b> and Teamcenter Integration modes. Consider <b class="uiTerm">UNSET</b> also.
                  </p>
               </li>
            </ul>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">UGII_CDA_PREFERENCES_FILE</p>
            <ul>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">Defines the explicit path to the <b class="uiTerm">Cable Drawing Preferences File</b>. If not defined, you are prompted to enter any information that is not defined through other environment variables, the template file, or the cable assembly. This setting is the same for both <b class="uiTerm">Native</b> and Teamcenter Integration modes.
                  </p>
               </li>
            </ul>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">UGII_SCHEMATIC_PATTERN_FILES_DIR</p>
            <ul>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">Defines the explicit path to the directory where the schematic pattern files are located. If not defined, you are prompted to identify where the pattern files reside. This setting is the same for both Native and Teamcenter Integration modes. When using Teamcenter Integration there should not be a path because the file is in Teamcenter.</p>
               </li>
            </ul>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <div class="title_division">Connector requirements</div>
      <p class="para_division">A connector is a routing qualified component that is required to contain a pin port and one or more cable ports. Optional notes that need displaying on the drawing with the connector should be placed in a view called PIN_VIEW either in the connector part or in any of its subassemblies.</p>
      <p class="para_division">A connector contains characteristics and attributes that tell the <b class="uiTerm">Cable Drawing</b> application what to display.
      </p>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">CONNECTOR_PART_NUM &ndash; distinguishes a connector part from all other connector parts in the cable assembly. Therefore, this must be unique in the assembly.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">PORT_TYPE &ndash; a characteristic applied to the Pin Port of a connector. This characteristic has a value of either PIN (male connector designation) or SKT (female connector designation). There should be only one Pin Port in a connector. Any number of Cable Ports may exist on a connector. This characteristic has a value of CABLE to identify a Cable Port.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">LOCKING_PATTERN &ndash; identifies the base file name of the connectors locking pattern file. If the connector has a LOCK component, depending upon the direction of the locking, the locking patterns will place. That is, if the direction is upwards, the Locking pattern &lt;LOCKING_PATTERN&gt;_up_note.prt is placed. Locking pattern files should be named:</p>
            <ul>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">&lt;LOCKING_PATTERN&gt;_up_note.prt</p>
               </li>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">&lt;LOCKING_PATTERN&gt;_down_note.prt</p>
               </li>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">&lt;LOCKING_PATTERN&gt;_left_note.prt</p>
               </li>
               <li>
                  <p class="para_item">&lt;LOCKING_PATTERN&gt;_right_note.prt</p>
               </li>
            </ul>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <div class="title_division">Label component requirements</div>
      <p class="para_division">A label component is optional and exists at the same level as the connectors in a cable assembly. The label component should contain a face. You must mate these labels to the corresponding connectors. Each label component must have a single note text defined in the TOP view of the part with its font, text size and other parameters defined as it should appear on the cable drawing in the label view. Label components must contain an attribute LABEL_PART_NUM. If LABEL_PART_NUM is empty, the value will assume a predefined name of: &lt;LABEL&gt;_MATED_CONNECTOR_PART_NUM_&lt;INDEX&gt;. A connector will support multiple mated label components.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Locking component requirements</div>
      <p class="para_division">You may use an optional component within the connector assembly named LOCK to define the locking direction for that connector. The locking direction is from the origin to the point named LOCK_DIR. If there is no such point, the locking direction is along the X-axis orientation of the component within the assembly. This lock component displays on the parts list. If this component does not exist for a connector then the locking direction does not display for that connector.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Sleeve component requirements</div>
      <p class="para_division">A <b class="uiTerm">Sleeve Component</b> is an optional component that exists in the same level as the connectors and labels. A <b class="uiTerm">Shrink Sleeve</b> is a hollow cylinder that is qualified using Routing Electrical to contain a port. To distinguish a shrink sleeve from any other component, it must contain an attribute with the name SLEEVE_PART_NUM. You should mate the face of the sleeve to the face of the connector. The mating conditions determine which sleeve attaches to which connector.
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">Shrink sleeves are not currently qualified. Shrink sleeves should also be handled as normal mated components to the connector.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Cable drawing preferences file</div>
      <p class="para_division">The <b class="uiTerm">Cable Drawing Preferences File</b> allows you to predefine all necessary global data for the <b class="uiTerm">Cable Drawing Automation</b>. The <b class="uiTerm">Preference</b> file may contain any or all of the following settings; examples are bullet&ndash;listed for clarity.
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">Environment variable settings:</p>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">UGII_ROUTING_ELEC_DRAWING_TEMPLATE =D:\examples\drawing_template.prt</p>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="para_division">Named aliases</p>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">ALIAS CONNECTOR_PART_NUM CONN_UNIQUE_ID</p>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="para_division">Placement Coordinates for template locations</p>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">COORD NOTES_ORIGIN_&lt;x&gt; x,y,z</p>
            <table border="0">
               <tr>
                  <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
                  <td valign="bottom" align="left" width="100%">
                     <div class="para_note">
                        <p class="para_note_body">Placement coordinates founding the preferences file will override an existing named point in the template file.</p>
                     </div>
                  </td>
               </tr>
            </table>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Connector Subsections</p>
         </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="para_division">A connector subsection exists for each connector to be included in the assembly. This section contains the CONNECTOR_PART_NUM identifier that must exist on a connector in the assembly to use this particular section. You must fully define this section to run in batch mode.</p>
   </body>
</html>
