# Drawings from scratch



## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Sketch it out on paper before you get onto cad. Then make blocks of all your components/ devices and it will be easy after that.


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

Sketch it out on paper.. Then I use Microsoft Excel for pretty much everything I've done...
Some people ask "why excel?" or "what about program xxx?"... Everyone has excel... Not everyone has every version of autocad...


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

This is inexpensive and will do what you want. The engineer responsible for this software is a member here. Dan Wade.

http://www.wadeinstruments.com/ez_schematics/description.htm


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

glen1971 said:


> Sketch it out on paper.. Then I use Microsoft Excel for pretty much everything I've done...
> Some people ask "why excel?" or "what about program xxx?"... Everyone has excel... Not everyone has every version of autocad...


That's pretty much what I do when I have a pus case and no idea what's going on. I try to trace out every terminal and make a T chart on paper. Then I transfer it to a spreadsheet. 

The other nice thing about a spreadsheet, it's easy to read on a phone.


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

splatz said:


> That's pretty much what I do when I have a pus case and no idea what's going on. I try to trace out every terminal and make a T chart on paper. Then I transfer it to a spreadsheet.
> 
> The other nice thing about a spreadsheet, it's easy to read on a phone.


The ones I've done can be single lines, PLC I/O, relay panels, etc that include the symbols (fuses, switches, contacts, pressure switches, etc).. Once thy're drawn once, I rarely have to build a new one...


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Can someone post a drawing done in Excel? I've never seen one (that I'm aware of). Just a screen shot will be fine; don't need the xls file.


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## Beavis (Sep 2, 2016)

These are good suggestions. I've never made a drawing with excel. An example would be awesome. 

As far as some sort of standard format, the "EZ schematics" program looks like one I might like. I'm familiar with 'blue beam' and have used that.

It's a little intimidating never having made one from scratch though


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

MikeFL said:


> Can someone post a drawing done in Excel? I've never seen one (that I'm aware of). Just a screen shot will be fine; don't need the xls file.


Here are a few I've done... Nothing too fancy, but it's better than the blank page that was there before...


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

And one more.. Sorry the clarity may be off, but it was also my first time using Paint to do a screen shot...


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

That's awesome. Thanks for the post.


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## Beavis (Sep 2, 2016)

Thanks for the example drawings. That looks lie a great idea


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Very cool glen, great answer.


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

As an additional note, I usually try and build them so they print on 8 1/2"x 11" paper.. Mainly because I am always a printer that will do that that, and not always 11" x 17"..


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Really nice Glen! 

Mine aren't anything like this, mine are just tables. I will have to try this. 

Did you make the lines and symbols in the cells yourself?


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

splatz said:


> Really nice Glen!
> 
> Mine aren't anything like this, mine are just tables. I will have to try this.
> 
> Did you make the lines and symbols in the cells yourself?


Yup.. Each symbol I've got I've built myself. I built some templates (PLC DI, DO, AI, AO.. Junction Boxes with the homeruns on the left and right...) and had a second worksheet with all the symbols there. Then it is just a copy and paste.. Once I had a few done from various jobs, it got easier and easier as the number of new symbols to build got less and less.. 
When I did a job that had a particular type of panel, I built a specific template for them which saved a ton of time...


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

glen1971 said:


> Yup.. Each symbol I've got I've built myself. I built some templates (PLC DI, DO, AI, AO.. Junction Boxes with the homeruns on the left and right...) and had a second worksheet with all the symbols there. Then it is just a copy and paste.. Once I had a few done from various jobs, it got easier and easier as the number of new symbols to build got less and less..
> When I did a job that had a particular type of panel, I built a specific template for them which saved a ton of time...


That's the trick. You can do drawings in any MS document format, Excel, Word, even PowerPoint. The problem is, MS does not have a library of objects that you can simply import and use, you have to create and save them somewhere. What I have is a document on my hard drive (in Word because it tends to open faster for me) with all of the symbols I have ever used stored in it, each one as a "grouped" object*. Whenever I need a new symbol that I haven't used before, I make it in that one document and save it there, then from that document I just right click, Copy, then Paste it into the new drawing. 

I too like Excel for simple schematics because the cell format of a spreadsheet makes lining up rungs simpler, as well as labeling.

*If you don't understand what "grouped object" means, post and I'll explain it.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

John Valdes said:


> This is inexpensive and will do what you want. The engineer responsible for this software is a member here. Dan Wade.
> 
> http://www.wadeinstruments.com/ez_schematics/description.htm


I just downloaded this just to check it out. It's real nice, straightforward, does the job. For $150, I'll spring for it next time I have something to work on that has to be presentable and professional with proper symbols.


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