Got Legacy ACADE Symbols?? Here’s some tips to make the Import process go smooth and easy.

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Whether you are just transitioning from ACADE, collaborating with another design team or just want to use a symbol you got from a colleague you will at some point go down the process of importing your file into the Solidworks Electrical environment.  I just wanted to point out a few items that I feel will help to ensure the process is as efficient and accurate as possible.

The first tip I have is to ensure that the DWG file for your legacy symbol is saved in the 2013 .dwg file format or earlier.  The attributes will not be recognized from later releases.

The next tip or better next suggestion I have is that you understand the attributes contained within your legacy symbol and how you want your symbol to function within SOLIDWORKS Electrical.  As we all know there are a bunch of different attributes in both ACADE and SOLIDWORKS Electrical.  Because there are numerous attributes and it can be difficult to understand what they all do, I have attached some reference material that specifies the common symbol attributes for both SOLIDWORKS Electrical and ACADE as well as their functions.

*can we put this images side-by-side

Now let’s walk through the import process and take a better look at the attribute mapping process.

You can find the Import DWG Files icon within the Management panel of the Symbol Manager.

When selecting the files be sure to locate the actual .dwg file for the block and not just a drawing containing the block.  After you have selected your files the next step is to select a configuration format.  SOLIDWORKS Electrical comes with an out-of-the-box configuration format for ACADE symbols.  If you do have have a custom config file then I would recommend starting with the one provided by the software.  I will also covering creating a configuration file later in the blog.

Once you have specified the units, class, library, etc it will come time to map the attribute conversion.  Based upon the configuration format selected the software will list the attributes from both softwares and will give you the option to customize each attribute mapping.  When the software detects the ACADE attributes it will list the pairing Solidworks Electrical attribute.  You can either accept the default or use the drop-down selection to get the appropriate attribute.  You also have three convert options.  You either Replace the attributes, Delete the attribute or Do Nothing.  I would recommend that for the attributes that are not being mapped that you select the Delete option so that they are completely removed.

As far as which attribute from ACADE corresponds to which attribute in SOLIDWORKS Electrical, you will find another PDF that contains some attribute conversion options and tips.

So the final step to the Import process to save the current Configuration with the previous changes, Create a new Configuration file or to not save the changes.  I would recommend to go ahead and create a Config file for the various symbols that you might importing.  This will make future Imports go extremely quick and accurately.

I hope that the above information helps when converting your legacy symbols and any other symbols you need convert in the future.  Below you will also find a video covering the above process in more details.

Thomas Smith

Thomas Smith

As a Technical Manager for SOLIDWORKS ECAD Solutions, Thomas is responsible for providing comprehensive technical pre-sales support and coaching to SOLIDWORKS resellers and TTM employees working in all areas of North America. Thomas acts as the primary SOLIDWORKS Electrical and SOLIDWORKS PCB technical pre-sales resource for North America's WEST and CENTRAL areas. With SOLIDWORKS, Thomas assists with developing and training resellers and TTM employees on SOLIDWORKS Electrical and SOLIDWORKS PCB demonstrations, specific product positioning, new product releases, competitive overviews, and contributing to help sell other products in SOLIDWORKS’ portfolio.