Not all components may be available in G-Electrical’s standard library. Our library was assembled to have the most essential components in order to make it lighter and avoid useless components to the majority of designers.
Also, the library is not something “finished” because we will always have specific and private components for some customers or design teams. This means some components will have to be created. While designing with G-Electrical, you may have come across some components that could be customized to your company or client’s needs. In this article we shall see an in-depth step by step on how to register a complete component inside G-electrical – using a circuit breaker to illustrate an example.

Before we make any changes in the database, we will need to unlock the palette modifications.

If you do not know how to unlock the palette alterations, access this link to learn how to do it.

Now that we unlocked the palette, we have total control over changing, deleting and creating components and component folders.

1. Go to the Components palette;
2. Right-click the “Component” root folder;
3. Click on “New component” (make sure the palette is unlocked);

Notice that the wizard will show up. It will guide you through the desired component registration. The first screen will have a welcome message.

4. Click Next to begin the registration;

The general info tab will show up. Here we must set 3 configurations;

Now we will inform the family in which the component will be registered. The behavior of the component will be linked to what was chosen here.

What we type here will be displayed in the component palette and should identify the component.

We should have this two options on the properties appointment. By selecting the “Standard” option, G-Electrical will jump a few steps of the component creation, by setting standard models. By selecting “Manually”, G-electrical will follow all the steps of parameters settings.

5. Select the type – Circuit Breaker;
6. Fill the name in – SINGLE POLE CIRCUIT BREAKER, SD61 SERIES, C CURVE, 220 VAC, 10 A, MODEL SDD61C10.

7. Check the option “Define properties manually”.
8. Click Next;

This is where we shall define our components representations. If you want to learn more about how to insert a component representation, check out this link about all the methods.

9. Click on Schematic;
10. Click the “Copy from…” button;

11. On the “Filter by” field, change the “Kind” to Circuit Breaker and search for “SINGLE POLE”;
12. Use the component below:

13. Click OK and then Next;

In this step, let’s set two kinds of properties to our component: Behavior properties and custom properties (list properties).

Define if the component will show up in Electrical’s generated reports. (e.g.: Bill of materials).

This will not allow our component to have the same tag as other component in the project.

Here we shall choose the prefix used by the component. For example: Q and DM for circuit breakers, K for contactors, M to motors.

This property will define if the component info will be shown horizontally, irrespective of the angle of creation or the component insertion.

Would become…

Here we can select if the wires entering this component shall be assigned the same name as the wires coming out of it.
This option is usually enabled to passage components, like terminals and connectors.

The other properties are technical ones, that can be filled to be shown in bills of materials, for example.

14. Define Cut Size – 0 (Leave this value set to 0);
15. Define Include in Lists – Yes;
16. Define Avoid repeated names – Yes;
17. Define Automatic Name – Q0;

Always show properties horizontally can be set at will.

18. Define Keep wire name – No;
19. Define the Description – SINGLE POLE CIRCUIT BREAKER, SD61 SERIES, C CURVE, 220 VAC, 10 A, MODEL SDD61C10;
20. Define Manufacturer – STECK;
21. Define Part Number – SDD61C10;
22. Define Code – 020597;
23. Define Current – 10 A;
24. Define Voltage – 220 V;
25. Define Power Voltage – 380V;
26. Click Next;

Now we have a step called Accessories. In it, it is possible to link accessories to the same component, without having to insert it every time from the project palette (Customized).
In our case, it will not be necessary to link any accessories, because an instant auxiliary contact, for example, may or may not be linked to a circuit breaker, depending on the situations.

To fuses, that always need a base , protection ring, cap etc, it is possible to link these objects and save some precious design time.

We shall leave this step as it is.

27. Click Next;

At the contacts we can define the numbers of contacts that our component shall have, accordingly to its physical build. All the contacts linked here are already parts of the main component, this means, they are not provided of any kind or third party component (accessories).

We will not have to link any contact in our circuit breaker.

28. Next;
29. Next;

Done, our component, was created. We have two options now, or we finish the component registration our we can start a new one.

30. Finish;