Symbols and Components

Symbols with multiple forms

On some occasions, you may want to create drawings that display symbols horizontally. At other times, you may want to create vertical ones. Capital Electra X makes it easy to do both, with one single symbol.

Symbols in Capital Electra X are intelligent, and can be rotated vertically or horizontally with a simple right click. Rotated symbols automatically have their text and descriptions moved to the correct positions.

Drop a symbol onto a drawing and right click for more options.

Electrical symbols with multiple forms
Electrical symbols with multiple forms

Symbols that works irrespective of units

Symbols in Capital Electra X are also unit agnostic. This means that you can create a single symbol and use it on multiple page measurement units including inches, millimeters, centimeters and meters, where Capital Electra X will automatically resize your symbols so that they fit nicely on whatever units you have chosen.

How to duplicate symbols and wires

In electrical drawings, you would have to duplicate circuits, symbols and wires. To easily duplicate, select shapes with your mouse, and simply press the CTRL key, then drag and drop.

Press CTRL key, then drag and drop to duplicate
Press CTRL key, then drag and drop to duplicate

In addition, you can also select shapes, and press CTRL-C to copy, CTRL-X to cut and CTRL-V to paste.

Intelligent automatic numbering

All symbols will be automatically and intelligently named when placed or duplicated on a drawing.

For symbols dropped from a stencil, Capital Electra X will follow the naming format during symbol creation. For example, when you create a symbol and called it C1, then Capital Electra X will name it C1, C2, C3, etc when you drop them onto your drawings.

For duplicated symbols, Capital Electra X will follow the existing format on the symbol. For example, when you dropped a symbol called C1 onto a drawing, and then renamed it Control1. When you duplicate Control1, Capital Electra X will name subsequent symbols Control2, Control3, etc, all automatically.

Intelligent automatic numbering
Intelligent automatic numbering

Automatically assigning pin names

Capital Electra X automatically assigns the next available pin set when symbols share the same references.

Automatic pin sets on electrical symbols
Automatic pin sets on electrical symbols

Users can right click on a symbol and select Set Pin Names to manually assign another pin set or to show/hide pin names.

Set pin names dialog
Set pin names dialog

In addition, you can click on Properties | Layers, and modify the Pins layer to show or hide pin names for the entire page.

How to assign and manage components

Users can assign and manage components by clicking on Manage Components.

Symbols in Capital Electra X are organized by references and then divided into groups. Each group can then be assigned to one or more real world component. These assignments will then be used in generating layout, bills of materials and reports.

Assigning and managing components dialog
Assigning and managing components dialog

Understanding the component database

The Component Database stores all component specifications so that they can be used and re-used on multiple projects and drawings. Once a component is selected, it's specifications is then transferred and stored on the drawing itself for portability.

Components stored on the database are divided into categories and a single component can appear in more than one category. Users can click Component Database, to add, edit or delete components from the database. In addition, the entire database can be exported for editing, and imported back into Capital Electra X.

Component database dialog
Component database dialog

How to make your own symbols

To create your own symbols, first draw your own graphics and text.

Draw your own graphics and/or text
Draw your own graphics and/or text

If you have multiple shapes, group them all and add connection points.

Add connection points
Add connection points

Click on Create Schematic Symbol, and fill in required information, then click OK.

The Create Schematic Symbol dialog

During symbol creation, Capital Electra X will ask users for a category. This category will then be used during component management where only components with the same category is initially presented to the user.

For example, if a symbol is assigned to the "Motor" category, during component management, only motors will be initially presented. Users can then select a component from the same category or select another one from a different category. Categories are used to facilitate easier component management and selection.

When creating symbols, a default component will be assigned to the symbol. For example, a motor symbol will be assigned a default motor component. Users can override this default and choose the required component later using Manage Components.

The component dialog when making a symbol
The component dialog when making a symbol

How to assign pin names to symbols

When creating symbols, users can set pin names using the Set pin names dialog, including setting the position of the text and it's orientation.

Assigning pin names when making a symbol
Assigning pin names when making a symbol

How to see location of symbols using AutoLocation

The AutoLocation symbol displays the location of your references automatically in real time, all without user interference. Autolocation will update automatically when you move symbols, even across multiple pages.

Right click on an AutoLocation shape to jump to monitored references. Multiple AutoLocation symbols can be used to monitor the same reference on multiple pages.

AutoLocation symbol automatically showing the location of symbols
Capital™ Electra™ X