CadActiveSupport

reference

USE_PATH Options

USE_PATH lists optional published curves Cabling Auto Routing may ride as a highway.

USE_PATH is a comma-separated list of skeleton curves that Auto Routing may treat as an optional highway. The cable is allowed to ride any subset of those curves, in either direction, or skip a curve entirely. Comma order is not visit order.

Typical result:

FROM → (Auto Routing, using the USE_PATH highway as optional geometry) → TO

note

USE_PATH vs REQUIRE_PATH. USE_PATH curves are optional. REQUIRE_PATH curves are forced corridors (or vias) spliced into the path in list order; Auto Routing only fills the gaps. Coverage and direction flags (WHOLE, TOUCH, SPAN, FORWARD, BACKWARD, ANY) apply to REQUIRE_PATH only. They are not parsed on USE_PATH.

USE_PATH vs REQUIRE_PATH. USE_PATH curves are optional. REQUIRE_PATH curves are forced corridors (or vias) spliced into the path in list order; Auto Routing only fills the gaps. Coverage and direction flags (WHOLE, TOUCH, SPAN, FORWARD, BACKWARD, ANY) apply to REQUIRE_PATH only. They are not parsed on USE_PATH.

Syntax

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Each comma field is a published-geometry curve name (or wildcard). Matching is case-insensitive. * wildcards work (for example PWR_* or TRAY_*).

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Do not put REQUIRE_PATH flags on a USE_PATH token. USE_PATH=TRAY:FORWARD looks for a curve literally named TRAY:FORWARD and will miss TRAY.

Empty USE_PATH

If the attribute is missing or empty:

  • No optional highway is given to Auto Routing.

  • If REQUIRE_PATH is also empty, the path is a straight splice FROM → TO (plus entry-port extend / offset). Auto Routing does not search a network of curves.

  • If REQUIRE_PATH is present, Auto Routing still fills the gaps around the required corridors, but those legs have no USE_PATH highway to ride.

Empty does not mean “use every published curve.”

Skeleton copy

Path curves are copied into the harness skeleton only when the route lists them on USE_PATH or REQUIRE_PATH. If both lists are empty, Auto Routing skips path-geometry copy for that wire (FROM/TO still work via entry-port CSYS copy).

Name match uses the published-geometry name with the published-geometry prefix stripped, not the copied feature name that includes the designation. A wildcard can still match the copied name when that is how the token is written (for example a token that includes the designation).

In-session vs logical file

The Auto Routing tree shows a Use Path node per wire. You can add or remove USE_PATH names on the cable independently of the XML or NWF. Status compares the applied list to the logical import and notes when they differ.

Curve sampling (how finely Auto Routing divides each highway) comes from the cable’s Routing Profiles Curve Options.

Examples

Value

Result

(omitted / empty)

No optional highway. Straight FROM→TO unless REQUIRE_PATH is set.

USE_PATH=PWR_NTWK_PTH_8

Auto Routing may ride that curve, skip it, or use either direction.

USE_PATH=TRAY_A,TRAY_B

Both curves (and any consecutive merge of them) are optional. Visit order is not forced.

USE_PATH=TRAY_*

Every published curve whose name matches the wildcard is optional.

USE_PATH=TRAY_A plus REQUIRE_PATH=CLIP:TOUCH

Must visit CLIP. Auto Routing may use TRAY_A on the FROM→CLIP and CLIP→TO legs.