Multiline Attributes in SOLIDWORKS Electrical

This article shows how to create attributes that break over multiple lines in SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic. This is useful if the attribute text is long or the region in which the text is placed is small. Multiline attributes in symbols and title blocks are covered.

Symbols

1. Open the symbol that will have a multiline attribute.
2. Insert the attribute that will be broken across multiple lines.

3. Click Edit Symbol > Multiple Attribute, then enter the parameters for the operation:

• The number of attributes is the maximum number of lines over which the attribute can be broken.
• Distance between attributes is the spacing between each of these lines.

4. Select the attribute to break. This will create duplicates of the attribute, adding the suffix {n} to each duplicate (where n is the line number). Save the symbol.

5. When the symbol is placed on a drawing in SOLIDWORKS Electrical, the property driving the attribute needs to be edited to indicate where in the text the line breaks should occur. These breaks are indicated with a vertical bar symbol: |.

6. After editing the description, the attribute text will break across multiple lines. Note that you can add fewer vertical bars than the line count used when editing the symbol; unused lines simply will not show. Extra vertical bars will appear in the displayed text.

Title Blocks

The procedure for title block attributes is very similar to that for symbols, but there is no Multiple Attribute button to automate the splitting of the attribute, as in step 3 above. Instead, the duplicate attributes and their {n} suffices to need to be inserted manually. The simplest method for doing this is as follows.

1. Edit the title block and insert the attribute to make multiline.
2. Edit the text of the attribute (double-click it) and append “{1}” to the label.
3. Use the multiple copy tool (Modify > Multiple Copy) to create duplicates of the attribute and achieve the desired number of lines.
4. Edit the text of the duplicates and change the number for the label to the appropriate line number (i.e., 2, 3, 4,…).

5. Once again, the vertical bar symbol will need to be added to the property that drives the attribute. Once this is done, and the title block is updated, the attribute will appear over multiple lines.

For further assistance, please contact our HawkSupport team at 877-266-4469(US) or 866-587-6803(Canada) and support@hawkridgesys.com.