Assembly Builder — Layout

Introduction to Layout View

The Layout View transforms your schematic harness design into manufacturing documentation. Create multi-page drawings with assembly views, tables, and annotations.

Accessing Layout View

To access Layout View, click the ruler icon (straighten) in the toolbar at the top of the canvas, on the right side near the settings. This will switch from Schematic View to Layout View.

Key Features

• 2D Assembly Views - Interactive representations of your cable assembly
• BOM Tables - Automatically populated bill of materials
• Wire Schedules - Complete wire connection tables
• Dimensions & Annotations - Measurement callouts and notes
• Standard Drawing Elements - Title blocks, legends, and more

Switching Views

Switch between Schematic and Layout views using the ruler icon (straighten) in the toolbar on the right side. Changes in the schematic are automatically reflected in Layout View elements.

Managing Drawing Sheets

Pages are managed primarily through the bottom toolbar. Click the page selector dropdown (article) to see all your sheets and manage them. Each sheet can have its own size, orientation, and content.

Page Selector (Bottom Toolbar)

The bottom toolbar shows your current page with navigation controls:

• Page Dropdown - Click to see all pages and select one
• Previous/Next - Use chevron_left / chevron_right to navigate between pages

Adding Pages

Open the page dropdown and click Add New Page (add) at the bottom of the list. Choose from several page sizes:

• Letter (8.5" x 11") - US standard
• A4 (210 x 297mm) - International standard
• A3 (297 x 420mm) - Larger drawings
• A2 (420 x 594mm) - Large format drawings

Editing & Deleting Pages

In the page dropdown, each page has action buttons:

• Edit (edit) - Modify name, size, orientation, and border settings
• Clone (content_copy) - Duplicate the page with all its elements
• Delete (delete) - Remove the page

Canvas Navigation

The center area is your drawing canvas. It displays the page with a realistic paper appearance, showing the actual printable area.

Navigation Controls

• Zoom - Click zoom_out / zoom_in or use scroll wheel
• Fit - Click the fit screen icon (fit_screen) to see the entire page
• Pan - Scroll to move around the canvas

Grid & Snapping

Elements snap to a grid for precise alignment. The grid helps maintain consistent spacing and professional layouts.

Available Drawing Elements

The Element Library contains all the drawing elements you can add to your pages. Toggle it by clicking the add box icon (add_box) in the top-right of the toolbar. When open, the icon changes to widgets.

Library Categories

• Views - 2D Assembly View, Cross-Section, Connector Front View, Stripping Detail
• Tables - BOM Table, Wire Schedule, Specifications, Notes, Datum Reference, Stripping Schedule
• Annotations - Dimension, Leader Note, Text Block
• Standard - Title Block, Component Legend

Adding Elements

Drag and drop elements from the library onto the canvas. Elements can be repositioned, resized, and configured after placement.

2D Assembly View

The 2D Assembly View is the centerpiece of your drawing. It creates an interactive representation of your cable harness from the schematic design.

Working with Assembly Views

• Resize - Drag corner handles to change the view dimensions
• Move Connectors - Drag connectors within the view to reposition them
• Multi-Connector Cables - Drag breakout endpoints to adjust cable fan-out positions
• Configure - Use the properties panel to adjust display options

Reshaping Cable Paths

Cable and bundle paths can be customized for better layout:

• Double-click on a cable/bundle to enter Bezier edit mode
• Add anchors - Click on the path to add control points
• Move anchors - Drag anchor points to reshape the curve
• Remove anchors - Select and delete unwanted control points

Accessories

Accessories are added in the Schematic View and appear automatically in your assembly views:

• Adding accessories - In Schematic View, right-click a bundle → "Bundle Properties..." → click "Add" to choose: Heat Shrink, Cable Tie, Sleeve, Tubing, Convoluted Tubing, Braided Sleeve, Spiral Wrap, Tape, Grommet, or Boot
• Positioning - In Layout View, drag accessories along the cable path to reposition them
• Resizing - Drag the start/end handles to adjust coverage length
• Dimensions - Accessory dimensions are shown automatically (toggle in Bundle Properties)

Connector Appearance

Connector shapes are automatically detected from the part specifications (D-sub, circular, ring terminal, ferrule, quick-disconnect, etc.). The properties panel allows further customization of labels, designators, and styling.

Layout Options

The properties panel provides layout tools to help arrange your assembly view:

• Arrange from Schematic - Positions connectors and cables based on their layout in the schematic view, scaled to fit the assembly view bounds
• Reset to Auto-Layout - Clears all manual position overrides and returns to automatic layout (appears when positions have been manually adjusted)

Stripping Detail View

The Stripping Detail element provides a visual representation of cable stripping specifications for a specific cable end. It shows the strip length dimensions in an easy-to-read diagram format, complementing the Stripping Schedule table.

Table Elements

Tables automatically populate data from your schematic design, ensuring consistency between your documentation and design.

BOM Table

The Bill of Materials table lists all components in your design with item numbers, part numbers, descriptions, quantities, and manufacturer information.

Wire Schedule

The Wire Schedule provides complete wire connection information including wire designations, From/To connections, and wire specifications.

Stripping Schedule

The Stripping Schedule table documents cable stripping lengths for manufacturing, showing strip dimensions for each cable end.

Other Tables

• Specifications Table - General, wire, and connector specifications
• Notes Table - Design notes and special instructions
• Datum Reference - Measurement datum legend

Customizing Tables

Select a table to access its properties panel where you can show/hide columns, adjust column widths, and modify text styles.

Adding Annotations

Add measurements, callouts, and notes to document your design requirements. Use the annotation tools in the left side of the toolbar.

Dimensions

Dimension elements can be linked to actual wire lengths from your design. Click the ruler icon (straighten) in the toolbar to add a dimension.

Leader Notes

Click the quote icon (format_quote) to add a leader note. Leader notes include an arrow pointing to a specific location with accompanying text. Use them for:

• Callouts to specific components
• Special instructions
• Reference notes

Text Blocks

Click the text icon (text_fields) to add free-form text blocks for general notes, instructions, or labels. Double-click to edit text content.

Standard Drawing Elements

Add professional standard elements to complete your drawing documentation.

Title Block

The standard drawing title block includes:

• Drawing title and number
• Revision information
• Date and author
• Company information

Component Legend

A legend showing all components and accessories used in the design with their designators and descriptions.

Properties Panel

When you select an element, the Properties Panel appears on the right side with element-specific settings.

Common Properties

• Position - X and Y coordinates
• Size - Width and height
• Rotation - Element rotation angle

Element-Specific Properties

Each element type has unique properties:

• Text elements - Font size, style, alignment
• Tables - Column visibility, cell formatting
• Assembly views - Scale, display options

Layers Panel

Open the Layers Panel by clicking the layers icon (layers) in the toolbar. The panel shows all elements on the current page and provides control over their arrangement, locking, and deletion.

Layer Controls

• Reorder - Click arrow_upward or arrow_downward to change stacking order, or use vertical_align_top / vertical_align_bottom to move to front/back
• Lock - Click lock_open to lock an element (shows lock when locked)
• Delete - Click delete to remove an element from the page

Stacking Order

Elements at the top of the layers list are drawn last (on top of other elements). Use the arrow buttons to reorder elements.

Global Text Scale

The Text Scale control in the toolbar adjusts how large text appears across all elements on the page.

Using Text Scale

• Click decrease text (text_decrease) or increase text (text_increase) to adjust text size
• Scale ranges from 50% to 200%
• Affects the final printed output
• Does not change element positions or sizes

Per-Sheet Settings

Each sheet can have its own text scale setting, allowing different scales for different sheet sizes (e.g., larger text on A2 sheets).

Exporting Your Drawings

Export your Layout View drawings for printing or sharing.

PDF Export

Generate professional PDF documents with all your drawing sheets:

• Multi-page PDF with all sheets
• Proper page sizes and orientations
• Vector graphics for high-quality printing
• Embedded fonts for consistent display

Export Options

• All Pages - Export all sheets to a single PDF
• Current Page - Export only the active sheet
• Selected Pages - Choose specific sheets to export