Home > SI Documentation (v14) > User Guide > Projects > Visio Interface > Visio Shapes > Wire Shapes

Wire Shapes

Details

 

Wire Shapes are intended for use on the Plan, Schematic, and Line pages in Visio and are located in the Wire Shapes Stencil:

 

wire in stencil tree.jpg

Signal Flow

 

Wire Shapes are designed to show signal flow, and most have arrows on them to indicate this. There is a "Start Terminal" or "From" end of the Wire Shape and an "End Terminal" or "To" end. The "From" end of the wire is considered the Headend of the wire.

Bulk Wire Shapes

 

There are three Bulk Wire Shapes. Bulk wire shapes are intended for use on the Plan pages in Visio. These shapes are intended for use for Bulk Wires, i.e. wires that come on a spool.

Bulk Wire

 

This Shape looks like this when dropped on a Visio page:

 

bulk wire 1.png

 

There is text displayed at each end of the wire. On the "End Terminal" end of the wire, the Wire Component ID, Model Number and Type are displayed.  The "Start Terminal" end of the wire the text "HE:" displays followed by whatever Head End you have assigned the wire.  The default setting is to have these fields be separate but they can be combined by using the Merge Text block functionality in the Shape Data or Right click options.  These text fields can be moved anywhere around the main wire shape by using the yellow control handle.

Bulk Wire 2

 

This Shape looks like this when dropped on a Visio page:

 

bulk wire 2.png

 

There is text displayed at each end of the wire. On the "End Terminal" end of the wire, the Wire Component ID and Model Number display, and on the "Start Terminal" end of the wire the text "HE:" displays followed by whatever Head End you have assigned the wire.

Bulk Wire 3

 

This Shape looks like this when dropped on a Visio page:

 

bulk wire 3.png

 

There is text displayed at the "Start Terminal" end of the wire where the Wire Component ID, Model Number, and Head End display. This Bulk Wire Shape is slightly different from the other two in that the "plain" end of the wire is the "End Terminal" end vs. the arrow on the other Bulk Wire Shapes.

Finish Wire

 

There is one Finish Wire shape and it is intended to be used on Schematic and Line pages in Visio. This Shape looks like this when dropped on a Visio page, depending on your settings:

 

finish wire.png

 

By default, the Wire Component ID displays on the ends of the shape. This can easily be changed in the Show Text setting of the Shape Data window or right click menu options to show the Component ID, Model or Terminal information.  

 

The Wire Shape may look different than the image above if you have set the Start Terminal and End Terminal field for the wire on the Specifications tab and have the "Display line end images in Visio for start terminal and end terminal on wire shapes" Project Setting set to "True":

 

terminals.png

 

project settings.png

 

In this case, the Finish Wire Shape will look similar to this:

 

File:SIX_Guide/007_Projects/003_Visio_Interface/Visio_Shapes_for_SIX/Wire_Shapes/finish_wire_shape_with_end_images.jpg

 

Below is an image showing all of the available line end images:

 

line end graphics.jpg

 

If you want to create your own line end images, click here for instructions.

 

The other Project Setting shown above, "Store wire terminals on connection", when set to "True", will automatically fill in the Start Terminal and End Terminal fields when the wire is connected to Schematic Shapes.

Bundled Cable

 

The wires within a Bundled Cable will display with a callout that will display the Component ID of the Bundled Cable.

 

bundled cable callout.jpg

 

 

You can select the wire and use the yellow handle to drag this callout wherever you want to place it. The leader line will connect to other parts of the wire shape automatically as you move the handle:

 

bundled cable handle.jpg

Pinout Details

 

If you would like to create/add a pinout shape for reference, you can do this via a right-click on the Finish Wire Shape:

 

pinout shape example.jpg

 

Click here for details.

Line Connector

 

The Line Connector shape is not linked to any Products by default in SI. This shape is intended to be used on Line pages in Visio where you just want to show what connects to what, without actually dropping specific wires on the page. This Shape looks like this when dropped on a Visio page:

 

line connector shape.jpg

 

Unlike the other Wire Shapes, when the Line Connector is dragged from the Stencil to a Visio page, you will not be prompted to select a Wire from your Catalog to add to the Project. Instead you will be prompted to select from your list of Subcategories associated with your Wire and Cable Category. Whatever you choose will display on the Shape:

 

line connector prompt.png

Off-page Reference

 

off page reference.jpg

 

Click here to learn about using the Off-page Reference shape.

Wire Run

 

The Wire Run shape allows you to measure the distance of a "wire run" (in 2D) on a scaled floor plan.

 

wire run.jpg

 

Click here to learn about using the Wire Run shape.

Shape Data Window

 

All user adjustments are accessed through the Shape Data window. To display the Shape Data window, click the View tab then select "Shape Data" from the Task Panes dropdown:

 

shape data dropdown.png

 

The most common used settings can also be accessed by right-clicking the Shape:

 

File:SIX_Guide/007_Projects/003_Visio_Interface/Visio_Shapes_for_SIX/Wire_Shapes/right-click_shape_data.jpg

Bulk Wire Shape Data

 

The following image displays the shape date for the Bulk Wire and Bulk Wire 2 shapes. The shape data for Bulk Wire 3 is slightly different but all of the settings are described below.

 

shape data bulk 1 and 2.png

 

Arcs: This will vary the shape of the wire. The options are 1 Arc, 2 Arcs, 3 Arcs, or Straight. Default is 1 Arc for the Bulk Wire shape and Straight for the Bulk Wire 2 shape. The 2 Arc and 3 Arc options are shown below:

 

2 arc.png

 

 

3 arcs.png

 

 

Show Text: This will show or hide the text blocks for the shape. Default is set to True.

Merge Text Blocks:  You can combine the Wire Component ID, Model Number, and Head End into one text block. This often won't make sense as you will generally want the Head End to display at the proper end of the wire.  Default is set to False.

Text Angle: This allows you to align your text with following options: In-line or Level. In-line keeps the text aligned with the curve of the wire shape and Level display the text horizontally. Default is set to In-line.

Show Component ID: This will allow you to Show/Hide the Component ID on the shape.  Default is set to True

Show Model: This will allow you to Show/Hide the model information on the shape.  Default is set to True.

Show Subcategory: This will allow you to Show/Hide the Subcategory of the product on the shape.  Default is set to False.

Show Headend: This will allow you to Show/Hide the Headend information on the shape.  Default is set to True.

Line Color: You can change the line color. Default is set to Black.

Line Pattern: You can change the line pattern. Default is set to Solid.

Line Weight: You can change the line weight. Default is set to 3/4 pt.

Arrow Style: You can change the arrow style on the wire. Default varies between the Bulk Wire Shapes.

Text Size Factor Head End: Allows you to change the text size on the Headend text section independent of the main text section when Merge Text is set to False.

Text Size Factor Main: Allows you to change the text size main text independent of the Headend text section when Merge Text is set to False.

Finish Wire Shape Data

 

shape data finish.png

 

Line Color: You can change the line color. Default is set to Black.

Line Weight: You can change the line weight. Default is set to 3/4 pt.

Line Pattern: You can change the line pattern. Default is set to Solid.

Line Curve: You can change the line curve of the wire from a right angle to a smooth curve. Default is set to 0 in.

Show Text: There are multiple options for how and where the Wire Component ID displays on the Finish Wire shape. Default is Show Start and End Text.

 

show text drop down finish.png

 

Text Size Factor (Middle): This allows you to change the text size of the middle text section independent of the start and end text.
Text Size Factor (Start/End): This allows you to change the text size of the start and end text section independent of the middle text.

Show Text-positioning handles: This will display yellow handles on the text fields and allow you to move the text wherever you wish on the shape. This can be used to override the Start Text Offset and End Text Offset settings (see below).

 

text positioning handles.png

 

Start Text Display: You can choose which text you want to display on the start area of the shape. Choices are Component ID, Custom, Mfg-Mod, Model, Subcategory, Terminal.

Start Text Custom: If you choose Custom from the Start Text Display option you can add custom text here

Start Text Offset: This allows you to choose how near or far the Start text will display relative to the end of the shape. Choices are Near, Medium, or Far. This can be overridden with Show Text-positioning handles setting (see above).

Middle Text Display: Same as Start Text Display but for the middle of the wire shape. The only difference here is that if you choose Terminal, both the Start and End Terminal information will display.

Middle Text Custom: Same as Start Text Display but for the middle of the wire shape.

End Text Display: Same as Start Text Display but on the other end of the wire shape.

End Text Custom: Same as Start Text Custom but on the other end of the wire shape.

End Text Offset: Same as Start Text Display but on the other end of the wire shape.

Line Connector Shape Data

 

File:SIX_Guide/007_Projects/003_Visio_Interface/Visio_Shapes_for_SIX/Wire_Shapes/shape_data_line_connector.jpg

 

Type: Here you can change the text that displays on the Line Connector Shape. This is a list of the Subcategories associated with your Wire and Cable Category.

Line Color: You can change the line color. Default is set to Black.

Line Weight: You can change the line weight. Default is set to 3/4 pt.

Line Pattern: You can change the line pattern. Default is set to Solid.

Arrow Style: You can change the arrow style on the wire. Default varies between the Bulk Wire Shapes.

Line Curve: You can change the line curve of the wire. Default varies between the Bulk Wire Shapes.

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