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      <title>Wire path creation overview</title>
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      <div class="title_topic4" id="xps10_pagetitle">Wire path creation overview</div>
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      <p class="para_topic">This topic presents information about path creation specifically for the Routing Electrical application of Routing. For more information see <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('routingtools/paths_create.html');return(false);">Create Paths</a>.
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      <p class="para_topic"><b class="uiTerm">Routing Segments</b> define the paths on which wires route from one component to another. When defining the segments of a path, you typically create a segment that begins at a component port or multiport. At this point of the design, you do not need to be concerned with the connection of individual terminal paths if a multiport is used. Later, you may use <b class="uiTerm">Create Terminals</b> to model individual wires as a connection to a component, if desired.
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      <p class="para_topic">You can interconnect paths to define a harness. Path segments that come together into a common path result in bundles formed when wires are routed along the paths later in the design process.</p>
      <p class="para_topic">Routing Electrical creates segments with the <b class="uiTerm">Create Path</b> function of Routing. It incorporates the <b class="uiTerm">Create Path</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Heal Path</b> tools from prior releases and has new path editing functions. See <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('routingtools/paths_create.html');return(false);">Create Paths</a> for more details.
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      <div class="title_division">Path creation tools</div>
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      <p class="para_division">You can access the path creation and editing tools through the <b class="uiTerm">Create Path</b> button of the Routing toolbar. There are four tabs in this dialog box. Typically, electrical assemblies are designed using splines, rather than lines and arcs. The following descriptions assume that <b class="uiTerm">Generate Splines</b> (found on the <b class="uiTerm">Path Settings</b> tab) is on.
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      <div class="title_division">Simple</div>
      <p class="para_division">In Routing Electrical, use the <b class="uiTerm">Simple</b> method of path creation for creating paths that have definition points (or objects) other than at the start and end (if just start and end points define the path, the <b class="uiTerm">Heal</b> method should be used). Using <b class="uiTerm">Simple</b>, you can select as many defining objects as needed. Associations are built such that the segment created is dependent the selected objects. For instance, you can select the fixture port of a clamp as a through point for the segment. If you move this clamp, the segment will update to continue to pass through the clamp.
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      <p class="para_division">Another use of the <b class="uiTerm">Simple</b> method is to use existing curves as path segments. If you have a legacy harness design with the path center lines already defined, you can create segments that follow these curves using the <b class="uiTerm">Simple</b> method. There may be other circumstances that you want your path to follow a curve created by methods outside of Routing as well.
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      <div class="title_division">Heal</div>
      <p class="para_division"><b class="uiTerm">Heal</b> provides a set of path creation methods that allow you to create segments between existing objects. Only objects that provide both position and direction may be used (an arc is <b class="uiTerm">OK</b> but a point is not).
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      <div class="title_division">Shape</div>
      <p class="para_division">The <b class="uiTerm">Shape</b> tab lets you edit existing path segments. If you select a line segment or an arc segment, the segment automatically converts to a spline to facilitate using the <b class="uiTerm">Shape</b> tools (though this does not immediately change the appearance of the selected segment).
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      <p class="para_division"><b class="uiTerm">Shape</b> provides methods to add through points and drag them to alter the path. You can lock the length of a spline, which still allows you to modify the shape but not alter the length.
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      <p class="para_division"><b class="uiTerm">Shape</b> provides the capability to assign slack to a segment. The slack can be in the default down direction or in any defined direction.
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      <p class="para_division">When working with the <b class="uiTerm">Shape</b> tool, it is important to understand that the segment you are modifying is driven by a spline that you don't see, which is called the <em>Follow Curve</em>. If you subdivide the segment, the two resulting segments share the single follow curve. When you reshape one of the segments the other segment may be affected.
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      <div class="title_division">Settings</div>
      <p class="para_division">The most important setting for Routing Electrical is the <b class="uiTerm">Generate Splines</b> option. This applies to both the <b class="uiTerm">Simple</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Heal</b> methods of path creation. Path segments create as spline rather than lines and arcs when this option is on.
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      <div class="title_division">Spline Segments and Port Extensions</div>
      <p class="para_division">Both the <b class="uiTerm">Simple</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Heal</b> methods of path creation use the <b class="uiTerm">Extension Length</b> of ports, and the <b class="uiTerm">Extension Length</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Back Extension Length</b> of fixture ports. The lengths specify the distance a segment remains linear before it is allowed to bend. The length values define for the ports when the component part is qualified. However, you can override these preestablished extension lengths, either during creation or through the <b class="uiTerm">Shape</b> tab.
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