AutoCAD Electrical offers two different techniques to automate or populate your title

block with data. In this article I am going to cover one of these techniques in full detail. I
am also going to by-pass the AutoCAD Electrical menu system so you can see what is
happening in the background, and actually witness how the files are used and how the
process works.
I have broken this process down into what I call the six simple steps to success.
NOTE: Items in RED print can be changed to meet your own company needs or title block requirements.
Step 1: Create your label file.
Create a text file named default_wdtitle.wdl. (You can use any basic text editor for this.)
This file will contain the labels for your project description input dialog.
Here is the text to be included in the default_wdtitle.wdl file
Line1=Customer
Line2=Address
Line3=City
Line4=State
Line5=Zip Code
Line6=Job Number
Line7=Date
Line8=Drawn By
Line9=Checked By
Line10=Scale
Line11=Etc
Example: Project description dialog before creating a WDL label file.
(https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.hagerman.com/assets/images/FALL2012-ELEC1.jpg)
Example: Project description dialog after creating a WDL label file.
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(https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.hagerman.com/assets/images/FALL2012-ELEC2.jpg)
The purpose of this default_wdtitle.wdl file should be pretty clear. How would the AutoCAD Electrical user know what data to place
on each line of this dialog? By having the labels in place, the AutoCAD Electrical user knows what information to place on each
individual line.
I will also point out that any of this project data can also be sent to your AutoCAD Electrical reports by checking the in reports
checkbox by each line of data.
Step 2: Create your AutoCAD title block.
Open a new AutoCAD drawing and create a sample title block.
Save and name the sample title block with the name of TITLEBLOCK.
Create AutoCAD Attributes in your block as follows
ATTRIBUTE1
ATTRIBUTE2
ATTRIBUTE3
ATTRIBUTE4
ATTRIBUTE5
ATTRIBUTE6
SHEET
SHEET_MAX
Example: Title Block
You can also use your existing company AutoCAD title block. You will need to know your block name and the names of the
attributes within the block.
To find the block name, type LIST on the command line and then select your block. The text window that appears will contain your
block name.
To find the names of the attributes within your title block, create a scratch drawing containing your title block and then EXPLODE
your title block. The attribute names will be exposed. Make a note of each of the names and placement of these attributes, you will
need them later.
Step 3: Create your data mapping file.
Create a text file named default.wdt. (You can use any basic text editor for this.)
This file will contain your title block attribute mappings.
Here is the text to be included in the default.wdt file
BLOCK = TITLEBLOCK
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ATTRIBUTE1 = LINE1
ATTRIBUTE2 = LINE2
ATTRIBUTE3 = LINE3
ATTRIBUTE4 = LINE4
ATTRIBUTE5 = LINE5
ATTRIBUTE6 = LINE6
ATTRIBUTE7 = LINE7
SHEET = SHEET
SHEET_MAX = SHEETMAX
NOTES:
BLOCK = TITLEBLOCK - The name of your company title block will go here. In my example the name of my title block is
TITLEBLOCK.
ATTRIBUTE1 = Line1 This tells the AutoCAD Electrical program to place the data from Line1 in the project descriptions dialog box
into the block attribute named ATTRIBUTE1. In my example, the data collected as Customer would appear in the top left box in
my title block.
ATTRIBUTE2 = Line2 Same as above for each line in the rest of the file.
SHEET = SHEET - See APPENDIX A for this variable and other variables that may be used.
Step 4: Create a location to place these files.
Create a folder on your local C:\ drive named Electrical Standards.
NOTE: If you are working in a multi-user environment, it is worth setting up a shared folder on a network server so you can all share
and reference the same files.
Step 5: Place the files in your special folder.
Copy the two files created above to your new Electrical Standards folder.
(default_wdtitle.wdl & default.wdt)
Step 6: Tell AutoCAD Electrical where you placed the files.
Launch AutoCAD Electrical and type in OPTIONS on the command line.
In the OPTIONS dialog click on the FILES tab.
Click the + next to Support File Search Path to expand the search path listings.
Click the ADD button to add a new file search location.
Click the Browse button to browse to your Electrical Standards folder.
Example:
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Use the Move Up button to move the Electrical Standards folder to the top of the search list.
Example:
You have just finished your six steps to success.
Close and restart AutoCAD Electrical and you can now process your title block data.
Right Click on your project and use the Title Block Update utility.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This process can also be used for individual projects
If the two files, default_wdtitle.wdl & default.wdt, exist in the same location as the active project, the label and mapping files
associated with the project location will be used.
If the two files, default_wdtitle.wdl & default.wdt, do not exist in the same location as the active project, the label and
mapping files in your Electrical Standards location will be used.
This comes in handy if you need to accommodate a customers title block for a specific project without interfering with your
company title block setups.
Now that you have learned the six simple steps to success, you can use the Title Block Update utility and have all your key
information routed directly into your title block. You should also be able to accommodate other title blocks in the future using this
same information.
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APPENDIX A
Other Variables used
SHEET for WD CONFIG's sheet value (the %S value)
SHEETMAX for count of drawings in the active project
(The "N" value in title block "SHEET x of N")
DWGNAM for the drawing name value (the %D value)
IEC_P for the drawingwide IEC defaults (the %P values)
IEC_I for the drawingwide IEC defaults (the %I values)
IEC_L for the drawingwide IEC defaults (the %L values)
DWGDESC for the oneline description text for each drawing that can be displayed in WD's PROJ drawing list dialog. To map
delimited DWGDESC
text to multiple attributes, apply the "|" delimiter to the attribute list.
(Ex: TITLE1|TITLE2|TITLE3 = DWGDESC)
DWGSEC for optional "Sec" code entered on PROJ drawing list dialog
DWGSUB for optional "Sec/Sub" code entered on PROJ drawing list dialog
FILENAME for ".dwg" filename without path or extension
FULLFILENAME for full path/filename
FILENAMEEXT for ACAD file name + ext
PLOTTIME for plot time stamp (24hr military format)
PLOTTIME12 for plot time stamp (12hour am/pm format)
PLOTDATE for plot date stamp (MM:DD:YYYY format)
PLOTDATEMMDDYY for plot date stamp (MM:DD:YY format)
PLOTDATEYYMMDD for plot date stamp (YY:MM:DD format)
PLOTDATEYYYYMMDD for plot da
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