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Show Multiple Colored Wire In Schematics (Dashed Color)?

Question asked by Lord Fly on Apr 11, 2018
Latest reply on Jan 11, 2019 by Johnathen Lieber

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I'm working on a set of schematics where the +24 is blue, and the DC com is blue with a white stripe. Because the white stripe is a secondary color, on the screen, both wires show up as blue lines, and it's a bit confusing to look at. Does anyone know of a way to have wires on screen show up with a secondary color? Sort of like this:

(If you can't see that picture where well, it's a regular blue line, but I put a dashed white line on top of it)

I'm looking for a way to do that automatically though. I don't want to be overlaying dashed lines on every DC common.

Thanks!

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Robert Hanrahan Apr 11, 2018 4:18 PM

Not the answer you are looking for but what I do is use a lighter color blue for the for the striped wire.

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Lord Fly @ Robert Hanrahan on Apr 11, 2018 4:27 PM

Better solution than nothing, but not what I was hoping for. It's kind of surprising that in a program specifically designed for doing electrical, something as basic as wire color can't be shown in a good way. I'm going to start calling it Solidworks Electrical-ish.

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Tim Pulaski Apr 12, 2018 11:19 AM

My recommendation would be to edit the equipotential mark formula to display the jacket color of the wire instead of a number. (EQUIPOTENTIAL_COLOR)

Using line color to graphically indicate the color of a wire is problematic since a lot of information is then lost when printing in black & white.

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Lord Fly @ Tim Pulaski on Apr 12, 2018 11:31 AM

Typically I use the wire label to display gauge and color. The label will display the proper blue/white (assuming you set up the symbol correctly). It's just that things like this...

...don't look as clear as they could be if the wires were actually displayed in the correct colors. It would also be very handy for multiconductor where most wires are at least 2 colors. Clarity is key.

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Jeff Hoffman Jan 4, 2019 5:00 AM

I previously used AutoCad and had numbers in the line type as well as other text. With my new company, we use Solidworks and I have been searching for this exact answer. I have 24 different wire colors that we use and can't show those on a schematic and print without having to trace one at a time. My schematics are way too busy to have descriptions on each wire. I was wondering if you found an answer? I am also using 2018.

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Johnathen Lieber Jan 11, 2019 11:14 AM

Another option I see commonly is to use different wire styles to represent your wires (Solid, Dash-Dash, Dash-Dot, etc) and placing a legend on your drawing.

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6 Replies

Robert Hanrahan Apr 11, 2018 4:18 PM
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Not the answer you are looking for but what I do is use a lighter color blue for the for the striped wire.
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- Lord Fly @ Robert Hanrahan on Apr 11, 2018 4:27 PM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Better solution than nothing, but not what I was hoping for. It's kind of surprising that in a program specifically designed for doing electrical, something as basic as wire color can't be shown in a good way. I'm going to start calling it Solidworks Electrical-ish.
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
Tim Pulaski Apr 12, 2018 11:19 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
My recommendation would be to edit the equipotential mark formula to display the jacket color of the wire instead of a number. (EQUIPOTENTIAL_COLOR)

Using line color to graphically indicate the color of a wire is problematic since a lot of information is then lost when printing in black & white.
Like • Show 1 Like1
Actions
- Lord Fly @ Tim Pulaski on Apr 12, 2018 11:31 AM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Typically I use the wire label to display gauge and color. The label will display the proper blue/white (assuming you set up the symbol correctly). It's just that things like this...
  ...don't look as clear as they could be if the wires were actually displayed in the correct colors. It would also be very handy for multiconductor where most wires are at least 2 colors. Clarity is key.
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
Jeff Hoffman Jan 4, 2019 5:00 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
I previously used AutoCad and had numbers in the line type as well as other text. With my new company, we use Solidworks and I have been searching for this exact answer. I have 24 different wire colors that we use and can't show those on a schematic and print without having to trace one at a time. My schematics are way too busy to have descriptions on each wire. I was wondering if you found an answer? I am also using 2018.
Like • Show 1 Like1
Actions
Johnathen Lieber Jan 11, 2019 11:14 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
Another option I see commonly is to use different wire styles to represent your wires (Solid, Dash-Dash, Dash-Dot, etc) and placing a legend on your drawing.
Like • Show 1 Like1
Actions

Show Multiple Colored Wire In Schematics (Dashed Color)?

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