Pro|E: Make a Symbol

For labels, notes, weld symbols, flags, BOM balloons, etc, use a Symbol. When there isn't one that meets your standard, or there's something you keep remaking alot, like a material note or Centerline symbol, create your own Symbol. Place them all in a "symbol palette" for quick access; this is actually a drawing with a special name and location. Save them as separate files to allow operations like changing BOM balloon type.

Creating the Symbol

1. Open a drawing, or a symbol palette drawing such as C:\ptc\proeWildfire30\symbols\palette\draw_symbol_palette.drw
2. Draw/create the item you want to make into a symbol, then copy it. Surrounding text in the symbol with "\" makes it editable, for example: \text\
3. From dropdown menu, pick: Format/Symbol Gallery pick "define"
4. Follow the steps to define the symbol.
5. The original sketching that the symbol was created from is not in fact a symbol, so you may want to delete it from the drawing.

Placing the Symbol:

Using the "Insert a customized instance of a drawing symbol" button:

Select the new symbol by name from the dropdown-carrot, and place the symbol in the drawing.

Saving in a Palette:

Open a symbol palette drawing, place the symbol in it, and save. The symbol is now available to place from that palette. Set default palette in Tools/Options/pro_palette_dir, then browse to the file

To save as a separate symbol file:

1. From dropdown menu, pick: Tools/Options, then find "pro_symbol_dir". The path listed in the "Value" field is your default path. This is where your new symbol file will be written. If you want to change the path, write down the default first so you can revert back later. My default path is I:\Pro_E\Pro_Stds\et50_custom_config\et50_symbols
2. From dropdown menu, pick: Format/Symbol Gallery
3. Choose "write", select the desired symbol, and save it out.
4. Set the pro_symbol_dir back to your default.