Solidworks Routing Guide
Solidworks Routing Guide
Contents
Introduction..1
1.0 Routing Paths set-up1
1.1 General setup & options
1.2 File Locations
1.2.1 Local Files
1.2.2 Network to Files
1.2.3 Mapped Drives
1.3 Setting and Checking the Paths
1.3.1 Setting the Design Library path
1.3.2 Setting the Routing Library path
1.3.3 Setting the Piping Parts Library Paths
1.3.4 Checking the Electrical Routing Library Paths
1.3.5 From-To File (Electrical)
1.3.6 Cable and Components Libraries (Electrical)
1.3.5 Standard Cables and Tubes files
1.3.6 Additional Files used by Harnessing (Electrical)
1.3.8 Additional Files used by Harnessing (Electrical)
1.4 General SolidWorks Options settings
2.0 Routing Options settings...11
2.1 Routing Use Auto Naming
2.2 Use Default Routing Template
2.3 Routing Auto Add Clip
3.0 Routing: Hints, tips & methods.13
3.1 Simple rules for Library set-up.
3.2 Simple rules for library setup - Electrical
3.3 Add to Route or just draw a line?
3.4 Regenerating and replacing route components
3.5 Electrical Schematics
3.6 Electrical Modelling - Bundles
3.7 Electrical Conduit
3.8 Creating a Conduit route
3.8.1 Conduit Route with no From-To listelectrical first
3.8.2 Conduit with a From-To listelectrical first
3.8.3 Conduit starting with an adaptor conduit first
3.9 Harnessing
3.9.1 To Create a Harness Drawing
4.0 FAQs19
4.1 Question: Why dont I see the connectors blocks in harnessing
drawings?
4.2 Question: If I create a route assembly on my local machine how do
I update it to a networked location?
4.3 Question: Fitting-to-fitting when and where to use it?
4.4 Question: If I see issues when using Routing what should I do?
4.5 Question: How do I work with components with Multiple CPoints?
4.6 Question: Where should I create a Harness drawing from?
4.7 Question: How do I set up Routing to work with PDMWorks?
30 July 06 -Rev 3
Introduction:
SolidWorks Routing is a powerful and versatile tool in SolidWorks Office
Premium that enables pipe, tube, electrical cable/harness, and electrical
conduit routes to be added to designs. This document is intended to
streamline the set up and use of Routing to obtain best results.
Instructions and screen images are based on SolidWorks Routing 2007.
30 July 06 -Rev 3
Tip: when using Network drives the folders should be read-only for safety and
improved performance.
1.2.3 Mapped Drives
Best practice is that the naming convention for the users Central Design
Library follows that of the SolidWorks installation and that all users use the
same drive letter for the mapped Design Library location. For our example we
assume the Design Library is on the following mapped location:
x:\data\design library
For simplicity all users should map to this directory using the same drive letter
X in this example and it is important that the relative path for each mapped
drive is the same.
Machine1- mapped drive should be:
x:\data\design library
Following these simple rules ensures that all downstream operations can be
performed easily and Routing is easily maintained. Note: If you are using
PDMWorks do NOT use mapped network drives, use UNC paths.
1.3 Setting and Checking the Paths
With the directory structure from our example the Routing Directory should be
at:
x:\data\design library\Routing
30 July 06 -Rev 3
Again note how the directory structure is the same as that of the SolidWorks
installation. Although not essential, the Routing directory should be the top
level folder and contain subfolders for Conduit, Electrical, Piping and Tubing
folders, as shown below.
After deciding on the actual location for the common Design Library and
subsequent Routing libraries we need to set the appropriate paths for the
Design Library, Routing and finally general SolidWorks.
30 July 06 -Rev 3
30 July 06 -Rev 3
30 July 06 -Rev 3
E. As a check, ensure the Library Folder path under Options is set to: X:\data\design
library\Routing
F. Set the pipe to: X:\data\design library\routing\piping\pipes\pipe.sldprt
G. Set the Bends-Elbows to the desired elbow from:
X:\data\design library\ routing\piping\elbows\.
H. OK on the Route Properties PM and the default Location and files for Pipe and Elbow
fittings are now set. You will not need to set these options again unless you move the location
of the Design Library or want to change the default Pipe or Elbow.
30 July 06 -Rev 3
When a new route is created the Pipe and Elbow files specified above will be
used by default. Please note the same procedure applies for Tube parts as
well.
1.3.4 Checking the Electrical Routing Library Paths
Although the top level Routing directories are set up we will check this with a
quick test.
A. Open a new assembly in SolidWorks (save the
assembly)
B. Ensure the SolidWorks Routing Add-in is loaded
C. Go to Routing>Electrical>Route by Drag/Drop of
Connector
D. Drag a Connector into the assembly to start a Route
and OK/Yes to all dialogs until you get to the Route
Properties Property Manager (PM) as shown below:
E. Ensure the Library folder path under Options is set
to: X:\data\design library. The default Electrical
locations are now checked and ready to use.
30 July 06 -Rev 3
10
30 July 06 -Rev 3
This file also holds relative path names, so if the Routing Folder and child
folders are moved the cable and tube definitions will still work. The same
applies for all the Standard Tubes file.
11
30 July 06 -Rev 3
12
30 July 06 -Rev 3
This greatly improves workflow and usability. However the user loses the
ability to control the naming of the files. NOTE: There are API notifications
that can be used to automatically name the files using user defined names.
These are used primarily for PDM but can be used by other applications.
2.2 Use Default Route Template
This option specifies whether to use the default route template when creating
a route. If turned off the start route dialog will be displayed to allow selection
of the template to be used.
Note: Only route assembly templates can be used.
Note: Workflow is smoother with this dialog not displayed. To do this enable
Auto Naming and Use default templates options.
2.3 Routing Auto Add Clip
For electrical routing and flexible tube routing, if enabled this option means
that whenever a clip is dropped into the active route sketch, the route will be
13
30 July 06 -Rev 3
extended to route through the clip. If the route has only one open end, this
end will be routed through the clip. If not, the last edited open segment or a
selected segment end point will be used.
14
30 July 06 -Rev 3
15
30 July 06 -Rev 3
16
30 July 06 -Rev 3
17
30 July 06 -Rev 3
Drag/drop the adaptor component into the route to mate with the entry hole or
other geometry. Enter appropriate attributes in the route properties dialog a
default elbow and conduit pipe etc.
Route the conduit using lines and arcs, use autoroute, route through clips etc.
Add Tees, pull elbows, crosses, etc the same way you would for piping.
3.8.2 Conduit Route with a From-To list: ELECTRICAL portion first
Import a From-To list in the usual way and place the connectors. Add conduit
adaptors where required then use autoroute or insert splines to route from the
open end of the conduit adaptor to the connector/terminal CPoints. (Please
note SolidWorks Routing supports both rigid and flexible types of conduit).
Route the conduit using lines and arcs, use autoroute, route through clips etc.
Add Tees, pull elbows, crosses, etc the same way you would for piping.
Flexible type conduit segments can be routed using spline-type auto routes.
3.8.3 Conduit Route starting with an adaptor: CONDUIT portion first
Drag/drop a conduit adaptor into an existing assembly using smart mates, or
manual mates to locate it in position. RMB on the conduit CPoint then select
Start Route. This will create a route assembly and route feature. Continue to
model the route by adding lines arcs, route through clips and autoroute.
Drag/drop tees, crosses, pull elbows and additional adaptors etc, as required.
To model the wires from the open end of each adaptor use Add to route on
the other CPoint of the adaptor, or just create a line from the end of the
existing line (at the adaptors RPoint) such that it passes straight out through
the CPoint. From the end of this line, use splines or autoroute to connect to
the electrical connectors or terminals.
Route guidelines can be used as a guide to the required connections with
conduit. Dont use the Merge/convert functions as these create harness type
connections with splines, not conduit routes.
3.9 Harnessing
With the exception of conduit routes, all routes are considered to be
harnesses.
NOTE: Route type = Cable/wire. This type is obsolete but has been retained
for consistency to earlier releases. When creating routes/CPoints, use the
harness sub-type.
3.9.1 To Create a Harness Drawing
Open the assembly (not just the route assembly but the assembly that
contains the Route Assembly). From the routing menu choose:
Routing>Electrical>Harness>Wiring summary.
A dialog is displayed allowing you to choose which electrical route assembly
you wish to process. Select the desired assembly, select a drawing template
18
30 July 06 -Rev 3
to use for the drawing and OK (prior to 2007 select the Create Drawing
button).
The harness drawing will be created.
Other options on the
Routing>Electrical->Harness menu allow the layout to be checked, edited,
and tables to be added such as connector tables, BOM, wiring schedule etc.
19
30 July 06 -Rev 3
4.0 FAQs
4.1 Question: why dont I see the connectors blocks in harnessing
drawings?
Answer: There were numerous reasons for this the primary cause if there
are no wires terminating at a connector.
If a connector has no wires it is assumed that the connector itself is not
required so it wont show up in the harness drawing. (This is changed in
sw2007)
Also in sw2006 the harnessing application looks in the Design Library folders
for all of its files. It looks for the file terminals.xml under the design library. It
then looks for all of the block files in the same folder. To ensure that the files
are found add the folder \data\design library\routing\electrical\harnessing to
your design library.
In 2007 reliance on the Design Library folders has been removed. Block files
are now located in the same folder (Electrical Folder) as the 3D connector
models and have a name based on the name of the 3D model. So, for a
connector called db9-male.sldprt the block file would be in the same folder
and would be named db9-male-hblock.slddrw.
4.2 Question: If I create a route assembly on my local machine how do I
update it to a networked location?
Answer: There is no problem with this as long as the initial setup is done
correctly. Use the same process as detailed in Section1.
As an overview, all machines/users should have the same library installation
and should point the library to the same folder. Typically:
\data\design library\routing
The default Pipe & Elbow files to use under this folder are:
\data\design library\routing\piping\pipes\Pipe.sldprt.
\data\design library\routing\piping\elbows\Elbow.sldprt.
What is stored with the assembly is the relative name of this file:
\\piping\pipes\Pipe.sldprt
\\piping\ elbows\Elbow.sldprt
You want to move the library to a network drive. Let us use the example we
have already used in Section1:
x:\data\design library
20
30 July 06 -Rev 3
Important NOTE: Change the other Piping and SolidWorks paths too as
described in section1 including the Design Library folder and external
references paths to also use the new location.
When opening existing assemblies they will find the files in the new Design
Library not in the original design library.
Remember that you need to update the Location of the default Pipe and
Elbow files in the Route Properties PM (See Section 1.3.3) before creating
new Route assemblies.
Now, when you open a route part it will look for a pipe part using the changed
library path and the relative path to the pipe.
x:\data\design library\data\routing\piping\pipes\pipe.sldprt
It may be worth archiving the original files as it is a good idea to only have one
copy of any file available. Having multiple copies of files is a regular source of
problems.
Use File>Find references with the assembly open to check all references
have been updated.
Electrical.
The overall process is the same but with one difference. The electrical
application makes use of a component library file as described in section
1.6.3. This file contains additional information about the components and is
also used to map a given part number to a SolidWorks document. The
document names are stored in this folder as relative names so all components
should be in the same folder as the library file or a sub-folder of it
21
30 July 06 -Rev 3
split entity then drop the new fitting and use RMB remove pipe to remove the
pipe between the new fitting and the adjacent fitting.
Fitting to fitting can be used for most route components
4.4 Question: If I see issues when using Routing what should I do?
Answer: The most generic cause of problems in Routing is a mismatch in the
Path set-up. Go through section 1 of this document and ensure all paths are
correct.
Use File>Find References on an assembly and ensure all paths are correct.
If customers are complaining about stability then they should be advised to
turn on the performance email option:
Tools>Options>Enable Performance feedback.
This provides SolidWorks with specific information about Crashes which is
used to diagnose and fix problem areas. Customers should also ensure that
they submit Problem reports through the correct channels. If SolidWorks are
not made aware of these issues then we cannot fix them.
22
30 July 06 -Rev 3
This is all you need to do on the SolidWorks side. To set-up PDM works
launch the PDMWorks Workgroup 2007 VaultAdmin tool.
Start>All Programs>SolidWorks 2007>PDMWorks Workgroup 2007>VaultAdmin:
Note: If this is not carried out then PDMWorks will not be synchronized with
respect to the Routing Library. This will cause all the design library parts to be
revision managed.
23
30 July 06 -Rev 3
24
30 July 06 -Rev 3
25
30 July 06 -Rev 3