Simple Electrical Connectors

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The connectors shown in this article were developed as a training exercise for the ABS Content Builder, but they do have a practical utility. Engineers will, especially in the early phases of development, place simple blocks or masses to indicate the place of large equipment. By indicating connection placement with simple connectors, conduit (and duct and pipe) can be placed, simply and accurately, and without cluttering the content library with temporary unspecified parts. Additionally, in the electrical space, Panels, Devices, and equipment do not share a common connection. Contrary to the current solution in ABS, some Engineers DO want to show conduit all the way to switches, fixtures, and particularly Panels. Simple Connectors are a way to provide that connection point.

Start by defining, in a blank drawing, a set of Concentric circles, centered on 0,0 (we will be making blocks of each one (see image 1)).   You can then select the entire group and extrude them 1” (see image 2).

One at a time, make each 3dSolid (as the circles now are) into a block. Name them (for example) Conn-size, e.g., Conn6in. As you make them into blocks, move them to a convenient place away from 0,0. This is technically not necessary, but if your are working on a part that someone may need to update in the future, he/she will thank you for not leaving an incomprehensible drawing of overlapping blocks to work with (see image 3).

Note that this final drawing is your working drawing, and should be saved in a library of editable parts, but is not the drawing from which parts are actually generated. That drawing will be automatically generated in the parts catalog, by the content builder.  You invoke the content builder from the “MEP Common”->”Content Builder” Menu (see image 4).

At this point we could create a new chapter, or work with the existing structure. For our purposes, just put the connectors in the “Terminator Boxes” or “Junction Boxes” chapters, and select the “New Block Part” icon (see image 5).

One thing you will notice is that you CANNOT create a new “Type” of part. In the current implementation of ABS, the available types, and their behavior, is “hard-wired” into the ABS code. When you create a new part, you have to find a place for it in the list of available parts. For this part, I recommend using the “JunctionBox” type.

For each size, the block you created is selected as the model block, and the remaining blocks are generated by the content builder (see image 6).

Next the content builder asks you to select an image for the content browser to display, usually selecting on of the original model blocks is the easy and proper action (see image 7). Then we can define the connector for the family, and place (and importantly here, size) the connector for each size of the connector (see image 8).

For this simple connector, there is little to be done, but set the size. Notice that the red pointer defines the direction (in 3d) which the connecting conduit will run, and the position (0,0 – as in the block definition) is already correct. You only need to set the size for each connector. At this point for this simple content, we are finished (see image 9).

At this point you can select connectors from the electrical parts catalog, select the size you need and place them on panels or blocks as at left. Often placement of the connectors can be controlled with Object snap and tracking; sometimes construction lines offset from the edges of the block will help (see image 10)...

If the connectors are selected, you will see the “Plus” sign. Clicking the plus sign automatically starts generating the proper conduit size; other properties such as system, elevation, and connection type can be set in the dialogue box. With the connectors establishing starting points, laying out conduit (at right) is greatly simplified (see images 11 and 12).