About User Symbols

Explains the concept of user-defined symbols and the assignment of data to these symbols.

If the symbols available by default are adequate for your purposes, you can additionally create your own symbols. You can place these symbols on designated symbol bars. From there you can insert them into your drawing. In order for these symbols to be taken into account in the calculation of a network, you must assign values to the symbols via their properties.

You create your own symbols by adapting one or more existing symbols in your drawing according to your requirements or by creating new symbols with the AutoCAD drawing functions. Each newly created symbol is saved as a DWG file in the installation directory ..\Cad\TGA Desktop\User-Standards\Symbol Toolbars\Trade\Symbols. In addition, when a new symbol is created, an image (Slide file) is created to represent the symbol on the button.

To ensure that a new symbol can be fitted to scale when used in the drawing, the scale of a reference block must have the value 1. The scale of a block is the product of the drawing scale and the symbol factor and can be adjusted in the block’s properties in the Geometry section for the X,Y and Z axes.

The rotation of a new symbol should be 0 when it is created so that any rotations that may be required during installation can be logically understood (e.g. 90° counterclockwise for installation in vertical pipes).

When creating a new symbol, you will be asked to show a frame for the image of the new symbol in the symbol bar. The “image” of the new symbol is a Slide file that does not capture solid surfaces and text with true-type fonts.

If you create a new symbol on layer 0, this symbol will always be inserted in the current layer. Symbols created on other layers are inserted into the current drawing accordingly with the original layers of the symbol.

Each symbol has the attributes P1 and P2. When inserting a symbol, the pipe underneath is displayed as a broken line between the base points P1 and P2. When connecting the symbol, it is necessary to select a pipe for connection. For fixtures such as sinks, radiators or storage tanks, special attributes define media, force connection circuits and draw chamfers.