Getting_started_EN (Ind : 3)

06/01/2014

elecworks
Getting Started

1
 Start with elecworks
This document has been made to help you in starting elecworks. It summarizes
the features available. If you would like more information on the use of a control
or operation of a dialog box, please consult the online help by pressing the [F1]
key.

Launching elecworks

When you start elecworks, the Projects Manager opens automatically.

The projects manager can create, open and delete projects. Two lists of projects
are available:
• All projects: All projects accessible to the user and can be shared by
several users.
• Recent projects: Recent projects opened by the user.

Changing the language of the software

To change the language interface, use the menu "Tools / Interface
configuration". Then select the language which you want. Close and restart
elecworks.

2
The application menus
The menu display differs depending on whether a project is opened or a folio is
opened.
Before opening a project, only four menus are available.

“File” menu
 Open the projects manager, quit
elecworks.
 The DWG group can manage dwg files
(or dxf) to make drawings outside of a
project.

“Library” menu
 Management of libraries of symbols,
terminals, title blocks and macros.
 Management of cable references and
manufacturer parts.

“Tools” menu

 Various options of the application and

graphics…

“Help” menu
 Access to online documentation.
 Access to your customer portal, for
example for downloading updates.
 Access to Technical Support

3
Projects
When you use elecworks for drawing a wiring diagram, remember that every
action causes a systematic action in the database.
Only the drawing made on a sheet is stored in the project database.

Sample Projects
At first, to familiarize yourself with the use of elecworks we recommend that you
open a sample project (Available in your customer portal).
Open the Projects Manager, and unarchive it.

In the Projects Manager, Click on the Unarchive button and

select the sample Project.

Creating a new Project

In the Projects manager, to create a new Project, click on the New button.
You must then choose a template project in the list.

A template project is a predefined project that contains a standard configuration,

project data and documents. You can define your own project template or use
the existing one.
Project templates save you a lot of time as they have defaults such as the units
you want to use (metric, imperial) the symbol library you want (IEC standard or
ANSI standard, etc.), graphical options, etc.

4
elecworks comes with two templates:
 IEC: predefined option for projects following international IEC standard.
 ANSI: predefined option for projects following American National
Standards Institute symbols and settings.

You can also create an empty project. In this case, you will have a project with a
blank configuration, no data, or document. You will have to set the configuration
before starting work on the project. It’s not recommended as a starting point
until you are familiar with the software.

Opening a Project
Select a project in the list and open it. A project contains all the data and
drawings of an electrical installation. When the Project is open, it appears in the
side panel.

Navigation trees

On the left side, there are two navigation trees. You can
browse by sheet or by component. You can change the
layout to see only one navigation tree at one time or
several.

5
“Document” display
The project can be seen as a consistent set of documents about an electrical
installation.
The navigator allows the user to organize the project on several levels.

Project contains all documents.

A Book groups documents that will be printed together.
Folder lets you organize the book as directories on your hard
drive.
Documents are scheme drawings or other files.

Several kinds of documents are available. All the documents editable in elecworks
will be called “drawings”.

 Documents created by user:

Cover sheet Cover page or presentation page, no drawings.

Line diagram To draw synoptic diagram, (line diagram), used to describe
cabling with block diagrams.
Scheme, electrical scheme or any kind of drawing (default
Scheme
type of document).

 Documents generated by elecworks (cannot made by user):

Terminal strip Terminal strip schema generated from terminal found on

electrical diagrams.
report Report made based on data extraction. List of folios, BOM,
cable reports, wiring list…
3D cabinet 3D Solidworks™ assembly, to realize cabinet layout.

 Data files:
Data files are external files copied into the project. They can be any files in any
format.

DWG and DXF files are managed as elecworks documents. A

preview is displayed. They can be modified and printed in
elecworks.

All other file formats may be added to the project but it will not
be possible to preview or edit them in the elecworks interface.
If you wish to open them, the application associated with the
type of file will open them.

“Component” display
The main information of the project after the document is the electrical
component (device). Electrical components are identified by a tag (usually
single) and can be made up of several symbols. elecworks allows you to manage
components, even if they are not represented in the diagram. One or more
manufacturers can be allocated to the component.

6
 For example, a contactor relay is one component
with its own mark but it may be represented by a
coil symbol, a power contacts symbol and several
other symbols indicating the other contacts. In
addition there is another symbol for the coil used in
the Synoptic, (Single line diagram). The components
navigator shows the corresponding symbols and
coordinates for each component part, from which
you can reach, (go directly to), the symbols.

A component can have several references, the main reference (base) and
auxiliary contact blocks added to the base.

This component view also displays terminal strips ,

considered as components containing terminals that
are also components. Here we have one terminal strip
symbol on a synoptic diagram and for each terminal,
one symbol on the scheme .

Project data
When you open a project, but before you open any diagram, some new menus
become available.

“Project” menu

 Manage project properties and configuration.

 Print project documents.
 Manage locations and functions.
 Manage electrical data as cables, wire type, wire links, cabling order.
 Manage PLC and Inputs / Outputs.
 Report management and creation (folios, (drawing), list, bill of material,
cabling list, etc.).
 Terminal strips diagram management and diagram creation.

“Process” menu

7
  Wire numbering.
 3D cabinet layout for SolidWorks.
 2D cabinet layout
 Project translation.

Realization of the scheme

Your wiring diagram must be drawn in the sheets provided for this purpose
(sheets for schematic or line diagram). Each action (inserting symbols, wires,
etc.) made in these sheets, causes an update of the project database.
All this data will allow the automatic generation of terminal strip and report
sheets.
The two types of sheets in which you can add electrical information (symbols,
wire, cables, terminals, etc.) are the line diagram and schematic sheets. They
have a specific menu for inserting electrical data.

Line diagram Line diagram menu

Scheme Schematic menu

However, you have drawing commands ("Drawing" menu) allowing you for
example, to create your own symbols or your own title blocks.

“Drawing” menu

This menu has all the tools you’ll need to draw shapes, insert text, images, etc.
These drawing types contain no electrical information.

8
“Line diagram” menu

 Insert block symbols and draw

links between symbols.
 Insert link redirections between
diagrams.
 Draw function and location
outlines.
 Edit cabling between components.

“Schematic” menu

 Draw electrical wires for power or command schemes.

 Insert symbols, terminals
 Define interconnection links between schemes.
 Draw function and location outlines.
 …

9
Drawing wires
To draw your electrical scheme, you have an infinite number of styles of wires
(For example, for command or power wires). They are defined in the Line Style
Manager. The choice of styles of wires will be very important when numbering
wires.

Wire drawing commands

You have two different commands for drawing wires.

Multiple wires Single wires

Upon insertion of the wire, the side panel will change.

It allows:
- Access to the Line Style Manager.
- Access to the various plot options.

The Line Style Manager includes all available wires for the Project. These wires
are grouped by Numbering Group. This means that, when numbering the wires,
all wires in the same group share the same counter.

10
Inserting symbols
elecworks has a symbols library that meets the needs of electrical schematics
drawing. You can use these symbols or create your own symbols and incorporate
them either into the existing library or to your own library.

You have several ways of inserting electrical symbols:

 Copy / Paste.
 Symbol insertion commands.
 Symbols palette.
 Macros palette.

Copy/Paste
The elecworks interface follows Microsoft Windows standards and uses
Copy/Paste, Drag and Drop, Undo/Redo, etc.
The easiest way to add a symbol is to copy an existing one. You can copy a
selected symbol from one scheme to another, from one project to another, or in
the same scheme.
You can also select a symbol and move it pressing [Ctrl] key to make a new
copy.

When you copy a symbol this way, a new component is created and the symbol
receives a new mark.

Symbol insertion command

The "Insert symbol" command changes the look of the side panel. It displays the
last symbol used.

The "Other symbol" button opens the symbols library to select the symbol to
insert.

11
Symbols palette
When you open a scheme, two tabs appear in the side panel: palettes of
Symbols and Macros.

The palette is a shortcut to the symbols

library. You can customize the groups
(protection, switches, etc.) and the
symbols it contains to get direct access to the symbols you use
most. The palette does not contain all the symbols in the
library, just a selection.
The first group in the palette, named “Find” lets you search for
a symbol from its description. The search is connected to the
whole symbol library, not only symbols shown in the palette.

Macros palette
A macro is typically a standard layout
you use a lot. It is composed of a scheme
and all the data linked to symbols
(components, references, location, etc).

To add a new macro, the user just needs to select the part of
scheme he wants to save, then drag and drop the selection
onto the macro palette.

Note: it is not possible to insert either a synoptic symbol on a standard scheme

or a standard electrical symbol on a line diagram. So, line diagrams and standard
schemes have separate symbols and macros palettes.

12
Electrical components
A Component is by definition an electrical device. It includes devices such as
circuit breakers, contactors and also terminal strips and PLCs.
The component has a mark that guarantees its uniqueness. Typically a
component is represented by one or more symbols using the same mark, but
also elecworks manages Components without a graphical representation in the
scheme.

Symbols and Components

When you insert a symbol on a schematic or line diagram sheet, the symbol
editor window opens to allow you to define a new mark. A new electrical
component is created. You can also associate a Location and a Function with this
component.

Symbols using the same mark are automatically associated (Component).

When you insert a symbol, to associate an existing mark, select the component
mark from the list on the right. The symbol inserted will be automatically
associated with the selected component.
Warning: If you switch to manual mode and force the mark to an existing mark,
you will have two different components without cross-references.

If you forget to change the symbol mark on insertion you can

change the association between symbol and component using the
contextual menu.
“Symbol properties”: Lets you change the component associated
with the symbol.

13
Allocating a manufacturer’s reference
The catalogs of leading manufacturers of electrical equipment are present in
elecworks.

When creating a component, elecworks asks you to

select a manufacturer's reference. It is therefore
possible to create all components of the Project
without having completed the scheme.

This can be done afterwards using only the symbols

associated with components.

Generally manufacturer's reference is allocated when inserting the symbol. The

symbol mark dialog box has a tab to list references associated with the
component.
Use the "Search" button. You can browse the catalog using the filters to find the
reference you need.

You will see that the manufacturer's reference has generated circuits (visible in
the bottom of the dialog box). These circuits are also in symbols, and when you
associate symbols with manufacturer's references, these circuits are colored
according to their status.

- : associated to a symbol and a manufacturer’s reference

- : associated to a symbol only (without manufacturer’s reference)
- : associated to a manufacturer’s reference but no corresponding symbols.

14
The PLC manager
elecworks allows you to manage any type of PLC. It can be single-piece PLC, or
PLC with rack and controller cards. You have two interfaces, one to manage the
structure of the PLC and a second to manage IO.
Sheets on which the PLC will be drawn are automatically generated. You may be
able to complete them.

The PLC commands are available in the Project menu.

To launch the PLC drawing, click on the Generate / Update drawings button.

15
Numbering wires
The command numbering wires uses the wires specific parameters.

You have the choice of numbering equipotentials or numbering wires.

In the Line Style Manager, wires are grouped by "Numbering Group" which
means they share the same counter. Each wire also has a formula to format the
wire number.

You have two commands in the Process menu to number the wires.

Number the wires that are not yet numbered.

Renumber wires when changes were made in the scheme or in the numbering
settings.

You can also edit a wire mark using the context menu for the wire.

16
Managing terminal strips and cables
elecworks offers you the opportunity to realize the wiring diagram of your
installation before even having drawn your schema and generate the list of
cables. The wiring diagram materializes how devices are connected between
them and you can pre-reserve your cables. This step is not compulsory, you can
realize your wiring directly into the schematic part of your Project.

Cables reservation in the line diagram

Having completed the line diagram of the installation, to make your cable
reservation, just select the command "Reserve cables and cores" in the context
menu of the cable.

The cable management interface allows you to add new cables to your project,
and in this case to reserve them.
Once reserved, the cable may be reused in the developed scheme of the
installation.

Inserting terminals
The terminals are managed like symbols. Symbols representing the terminals are
also classified in the library.

Two commands are available in the Schematic menu to place the

terminals. The first will be used to place terminals unitarily, for example
on command wires. The second will be used to insert the terminals on an
axis, for example on a multiconductor wire.

Like symbols, terminals have a mark. However, they must be attached to a

terminal strip.

17
Editing terminal strips

The Edit terminal strips command is available in the Project menu.

The terminal strips are classified by location. Each terminal strip is associated
with a configuration file for generation of the sheet. Select the terminal strip and
click the "Edit" button.

The terminal strips editor is used to:

- Create wiring terminals
- Renumber Terminals
- Manage multi-level terminals
- …
When the terminal strip is complete, you can launch the automatic generation
of sheets, by clicking the "Draw pages" button in the editor.

18
Reports
elecworks includes several reports provided as standard: :
- List of sheets
- Bill of materials
- List of cables
- etc.
You can run as is or modify the templates so that reports display the information
you need.

You must first select the reports that you want to appear in your Project.

Report Manager displays the results of data mining in the form of tabs. To add a
new report click "Add".

Editing templates
Standard reports may sometimes not be enough, as they do not display the
information you want or on the contrary display too much information. You can
edit the report template (by clicking the "Properties" button) to modify its
appearance, its data, etc.

Generating reports
You can get your reports in three different forms:
- In the form of sheets
- In the form of Excel files
- In the form of text files

Commands are available in the Report Manager.

19
Cabinet layout
elecworks has two types of cabinet layout, depending on your equipment.
- A 3D cabinet layout, made in SolidWorks
- A 2D cabinet layout, made in elecworks.

3D cabinet layout in SolidWorks

elecworks generates files which will then be used under the SolidWorks
software. The command is available in the Process menu.

As all Project locations are not necessarily the subject of a cabinet layout, a
dialog box lets you select those you want to process. One file is created per
location. These files are visible in the Project navigation tree.

2D cabinet layout in elecworks

If you do not have SolidWorks or 3D cabinet layout does not match your needs,
you can simply make a 2D cabinet layout directly in the elecworks interface.

The command to generate the sheets for 2D Cabinet layout is available in the
Process menu.

When you open a Cabinet layout sheet, the side panel

has a new tab showing a list of materials referenced.
Each reference is preceded by a checkbox telling you
whether it has been inserted in the sheet.

The reference context menu

allows you to display the insertion
commands.

20
Printing sheets
The final step in drawing an electrical scheme is obviously the printing of the
project documents. Even if you can print each document separately, elecworks
has a print manager that helps you in printing your project.
The command to open the "Print Manager" is available in the Project menu.

You can also generate a file in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF), containing all
your sheets. The command is available in the Process menu.

21
Conclusion
We hope that this document was helpful to get started on elecworks. If your
schedule permits, we advise you to unarchive a sample project, to print it and try
to reproduce it.

We would like to remind you that many documents are available to assist you in
drawing your projects. See the contextual help (F1 key), and the documents
available on your Customer Portal (www.elecworks.com).

22