Macro Definition Guidelines - Intergraph Smart Electrical - Help - Hexagon

Intergraph Smart Electrical Help

Language
English
Product
Intergraph Smart Electrical
Search by Category
Help
Smart Electrical Version
10

You can generate schematics for the following item types:

  • All loads

  • All converting equipment

  • All disconnect equipment

  • Circuits

  • Buses

  • Generators

  • Battery banks

  • Instruments

You place macros on each block to retrieve relevant information from the database. Also, macros define default values that appear in the drawing if no data for a particular property is found in the database. Macros are text labels with a preceding ampersand (&). You can define macros in Catalog Manager or one of the following CAD applications: SmartSketch, AutoCAD, or MicroStation.

Macros Defined in Catalog Manager

In Catalog Manager, you define each block as a symbol (.sym) file. In addition to using text labels as macros, you can also place SmartText labels in a symbol. The advantage of using a SmartText label to define a macro is that instead of having to remember the item type property and typing it, you can select the property you require from a list. However, you can only use SmartText labels to specify properties of the specific electrical item that you specified for the symbol. For example, if the symbol was created for a cable, you can only select cable properties; if you want to retrieve properties for an associated item such as a motor, you must use a text label for the macro.

Note that for all SmartText labels used in a symbol, you have to set the Unit Space property to World.

Macro Syntax

The macro text has to contain the Smart Electrical item name, the name of the required item property, and a sequence number, according to the syntax:

&[ItemType].[Property].[Sequence]

For example, if you want to specify a name of a motor, the text label has to be:

&Motor.ItemTag.1

If a particular block contains several items of the same item type (that is, several cables, control stations, and so on), you have to use the sequence number to ensure item uniqueness. For more details, see Sequencing Items in Block Macros.

You can also add the Unit or Area name to an item by using the following syntax:

&[ItemType].Unit.Name or &[ItemType].Area.name

Note the following for multi-item schematics:

  • The logic of the macro syntax for single-item schematics also applies to the macro syntax for multi-item schematics. The macro syntax of multi-item schematics is almost the same as the macro syntax of single-item schematics. The only difference is that for multi-item schematics there is no definition of blocks. Therefore, you have to include the block name in the macro syntax of multi-item schematics. The software retrieves the data from the block type even if the associated item differs from the one that is associated with a particular schematic.

  • The software resolves the macros according to each item that has been associated with the current schematic drawing on the Document Properties dialog. Note that if the item type is Bus, the associated items are only circuits.

  • For more details about multi-item schematics, see Generate a Multi-Item Schematic.

Panel Macros

Use the following syntax to create macros for local panels or junction boxes that include circuits:

&Circuit.Panel.[Property].[Sequence]

Cable Macros

Use the following syntax to create macros for cables:

  • &Cable.[Property].[Sequence] — for power cables

  • &ControlCable.[Property].[Sequence] — for control cables

  • &GroundingCable.[Property].[Sequence] — for grounding cables

  • &InstrumentationCable.[Property].[Sequence] — for instrumentation cables

Supported Electrical Items

Each drawing block can support the following electrical items and their properties:

Loads

Load blocks can include all the items that appear connected between a particular load and its feeder circuit in the Electrical Engineer hierarchy. Also, load blocks include load-related object properties regardless of whether these objects appear in the Electrical Engineer or not:

  • Direct load properties.

  • Related power cable properties.

  • Related grounding cable properties.

  • Related control cable properties.

  • Related instrumentation cable properties.

  • Related feeder circuit properties.

  • Related circuit internal properties (disconnect equipment)

  • Related bus properties.

  • Related cell properties.

  • Related power distribution board properties.

  • Related control station/Panel properties.

  • Related I/O signal item properties.

Circuits

  • Direct circuit properties.

  • Related circuit component properties (circuit breakers, fuses, and so on.). If data for more than one item of the same type (for example, two circuit breakers) has to be retrieved, the macro name ends with a sequence number such as "& CircuitBreaker.ItemTag.1".

  • Related electrical parent item properties: circuit - bus, circuit - power distribution board, circuit - cell, and so on.

  • Related I/O signal item properties.

Control Stations

  • Direct control station properties.

  • Related control cable properties. If data for more than one cable has to be retrieved, the macro name ends with a sequence number, for example "&Cable.ItemTag.1".

  • Related I/O signal item properties.

Converting Equipment

  • The properties of all electrical items connected above the converting equipment item up to the feeding bus and then down up to the first incomer circuit or load.

  • Related I/O signal item properties.

Power Source Items, Generators and Battery Banks

  • The properties of all electrical items connected below the power source item up to the first incomer circuit.

  • Related I/O signal item properties.

Now you can do one of the following: