v1406 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I want to lay electrical conduits in my model but have problem when the conduit changes plane. how can i quickly lay conduits may be by using bends etc as blocks.. if possible... and then just extend conduits using extend command or just giving the distance.... I have heard that Autocad MEP is great for laying electrical conduits etc. I tried using it but could not get desired results because of probably wrong settings. the biggest problem is the bend radius. also i would like to know how to use custom switch boxes and junction boxes as per my country standards. your valuable inputs are eagerly awaited. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 If your bends are actually blocks and you are well aware of the insertion point for each block then it is just a matter of making sure your UCS is oriented correctly when you insert the block. If AutoCAD MEP is set up to route electrical conduits I would think using plain AutoCAD to do the drawing instead would be a step backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Wow, you really need to use AutoCAD MEP. All the ANSI standard conduit fittings are there. If you need help then I can surely help you along. The AutoCAD MEP conduit routing tools are an absolute must-have and it's "CAD suicide" to try this with vanilla AutoCAD tools. What issues are you having in AutoCAD MEP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 We agree? That's a first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 We agree? That's a first! I know!! haha, jk, u know I like you Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 v1406: Stick with Tanner and you can't go wrong. He'll have you on the right track in no time. The dude knows his stuff! Right back at you StyK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v1406 Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 (edited) 11.zip Wow, you really need to use AutoCAD MEP. All the ANSI standard conduit fittings are there. If you need help then I can surely help you along. The AutoCAD MEP conduit routing tools are an absolute must-have and it's "CAD suicide" to try this with vanilla AutoCAD tools. What issues are you having in AutoCAD MEP? First of all let me confess that i am new to autocad and even newer to autocad mep. Infact i downloaded mep version just a couple of weeks back and stopped using it after a couple of days of failure to get the desired results. when i draw a conduit say 25mm pvc, the bends autocad puts in are very slow and long bends. I want them to be similar to the ones used to residential wiring which are short and sharp 90 deg. the problem is that on very short walls these long bends will overshoot the wall ..... especially in corner columns. i have compiled a set of pictures of what i get in autocad mep and what i want from it. I hope pics will clarify better than words. please let me know where i am going wrong with this wonderful autocad mep. thanks Edited June 10, 2012 by v1406 IMAGE SEEMS TO BE BLURRED: ATTACHING THE FILE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 when i draw a conduit say 25mm pvc, the bends autocad puts in are very slow and long bends. I want them to be similar to the ones used to residential wiring which are short and sharp 90 deg. the problem is that on very short walls these long bends will overshoot the wall ..... especially in corner columns. please let me know where i am going wrong with this wonderful autocad mep. Ah, I see. Well, you can definitely fix this issue, but I'll forewarn you that you'll already be getting into the more advanced part of AutoCAD MEP. All the parts are based on "Catalogs". Here's a link to get you started in reading up on them: http://exchange.autodesk.com/autocadmep/enu/online-help/search#WS1a9193826455f5ff1eae43410b4d164b91-7fdd.htm What you'll want to do is find the Electrical Catalog that you use and edit the bend radius. This is what the Catalog Editor looks like: http://exchange.autodesk.com/autocadmep/enu/online-help/search#WS46b90c3cb2c58cad4413eefe2b2e9998-7fff.htm These files are *.APC files. It's good to copy/paste them to a directory to create a backup in case you goof something up, you can always copy/paste the original overwriting the file with any errors. I got in there and created some very small conduit bend radius' and it worked great. All these "advanced techniques" are covered in this book here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Aubin-Academy-Master-Series/dp/1461141265/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339340847&sr=8-1 I would suggest buying this book (or getting your company to). This book is outstanding in giving detailed tips, tricks and techniques for all facets of the AutoCAD MEP interface and functionality, including all disciplines. Also, we have a dedicated AutoCAD MEP forum so post all your MEP specific questions there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v1406 Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 Sorry to have posted it at wrong place.... actually i wanted to avoid using autocad mep after facing initial hurdles but now once again i want to go for mep version. just trying to understand what actually needs to be done. till now i havent succeeded..... thanks for the helpful links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 No need to apologize I wasn't trying to hold you accountable, I'm just informing you that we have a specific forum to help you if you wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daft vader Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Hi guys i am a sparky and i have never had a drawing showing the conduits only points on a wall, are you telling me that somewhere in the world you are making drawings showing conduits etc as working drawings or is it just to see if it will all fit in ? I do know that MEP is good at that but I have never seen a drawing made with it showing all the 3D stuff,prehaps someone can post one ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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