Lines, cable trays - scheme

In CADprofi program schematic lines are drawn with lines or polylines that lie on the corresponding layers. The term "line kind" means the intended use of the selected line or a specific system (for example the L1,L2,L3 line). It is also possible to add "type" to the line, which defines its physical properties (e.g. YDY 3x2,5 for installation lines). Line type can be specified during drawing or later after the lines are already drawn with the Schematic lines - edit command.

Standard line kinds from IEC and ANSI standards are grouped in categories. The Cable, cable trays - schematic command gives the possibility to draw one or many electrical installation lines. The process of drawing single lines is possible after selecting in the dialog window the necessary line kind and clicking the OK button. This procedure however doesn't allow to change the drawing settings. These options are available only after user has added a line to the list of list of selected lines. User can add many lines to this list, thanks to which it is possible to simultaneously draw several lines.

Cable, cable trays – schematic dialog window

The dialog window contains the following elements:

Lines menu – tools menu that allows user to manage lines’ kinds:

•    Define new  – allows to add a new position (line) to the list as a user line. Afterwards it opens a new edit window and allows user to edit the line data

•    Copy  – copies the selected line with all its parameters, therefore creating an element made by user. Copied lines may be edited.

•    Edit  – opens the edit properties window of user created lines. Line name can be edited directly by pressing the F2 key.

•    Delete  – deletes the selected line from the list. Only the lines created by user may be deleted.

•    Add to favourites  – adds the selected line to the *Favourites* list.

•    Add element to a list  – adds the selected line to the List of selected lines.

List of selected lines – contains lines, which will be drawn after clicking the OK button.

Menu of selected lines list – allows to manage the content of the selected lines list.

•    Move selected rows down  – moves the selected line one position down.
Move selected rows up  – moves the selected line one position up.

•    Remove selected rows  – deletes the selected line from the list.

•    Copy selected rows  – copies the selected line and adds it to the list.

•    Save as set of lines  – allows to save the current list of selected lines as a new set.

•    One-line mode – this option blocks the possibility of adding more than one line to the List of selected lines. When enabled, program will convert the list of lines to a one line, chosen by user.

In order to do this, user has to enter an appropriate value in the Type field that is located next to the line name on the List of selected lines.

Draw by type – enables the line type view for the newly created lines.

Lines conducting options – options that allow user to specify the way of drawing lines.

•    Left – draws lines along the left edge.

•    Center – draws lines symmetrically regarding the indicated points.

•    Right – draws lines along the right edge.

•    Spacing – the distance between the lines.

•    Offset – an offset of the drawn lines from the points that are actually indicated in the drawing. This option allows to easily draw lines at a specified distance along the walls or other elements that exist in the drawing.

Show category *User*– enables/disables the visibility of the folder that contains all categories and lines created by user. If you turn off this feature then lines defined by user will be "mixed" with other standard CADprofi lines.

Drawing settings – line drawing options.

•    Rectangle snap – 2D drawing default settings.

•    Additional angles – enables the diagonal dimetric mode, through the use of polar tracking options (POLAR) according to the angle value that was defined in the CADprofi – options window.

•    Isometric – allows to turn on the mode that allows to create isometric schemes (SNAPSTYLE variable). Three options are available (left, up, right) which can be easily switched during drawing isometry by pressing the F5 key.

Connection points – when drawing a single line it is possible to automatically insert connection points. There are several options available:

•    Lack – no symbol on the line joint.

•    Always – adding a symbol regardless of the kind of connected lines.

•    On the same layer – adding a connection symbol only when both lines are on the same layer.

•    Connection symbol – allows to select the graphical symbol that will be inserted in the place where lines connect. User can select one of the following symbols:

•    Settings  – setting up the scale (symbols’ size) and the Remove unnecessary connection points option, which automatically searches for unnecessary connection points (e.g. remnant after line removal) and removes them from the drawing.

•    Settings  – setting up the scale (symbols’ size) and the Remove unnecessary connection points option, which automatically searches for unnecessary symbols of line endings (e.g. remnant after line removal) and removes them from the drawing.

Advanced Ortho – in this mode between the indicated points, two or three orthogonal segments are being drawn. This mode automates the process of connecting objects or lines while maintaining a right angle between the segments.

•    2 segments – creates a line consisting of two segments.

•    3 segments – creates a line consisting of three segments.

Advanced ortho 2 segments	Advanced ortho 3 segments

Draw with polyline – enables/disables drawing line segments as polyline.

End automatically – enables/disables automatic ending of lines when the drawn line is being connected to a different object in the drawing.

Procedures                                                                       

Schematic lines are simple lines or polylines that's why it is also possible to draw lines with the CAD program standard commands such as Line or Polyline. However, it should be noted, that lines drawn in this way should be placed on appropriate layers. In order to match properties (e.g. layers), between the drawing objects, the Match properties (_Matchprop) command located in the CAD program can be used.

Drawing risers (vertical lines)

In schematic lines it is possible to present vertical lines segments using special symbols, such as risers.

Despite the fact that risers are being inserted using the Symbols - other) command, program treats them as schematic lines.

Data that is saved in the riser is included during the BOM creation when user uses the „Electrical – schematic cable trays” template (check page   \* MERGEFORMAT 66).

Installation view

Scheme with risers view

Lines BOM view

Linetype scale for lines

Each line is being drawn with different line patterns, such as a dashed line (Dashed) used for the "Return" line. The line pattern density is set using the CAD command: Ltscale (_Ltscale). By default new drawings have got a linetype scale factor set as 1.00. If this factor number is too small or too big then line pattern may not be visible and all lines will be seen as drawn with a continuous line.

Ltscale = 200     Ltscale = 50

In CADprofi program it's possible to design in units set as millimeters, centimeters or meters. For this reason, when drawing schemes the linetype scale should be always adapted to the edited scheme. For example, when drawing a scheme with the unit set as "millimeters" with symbol's size set as 200 then the linetype scale factor should be between the 50 and 200 range.

Defining new user lines

User can add his own type of lines to the program. In this way, program can be adapted to user's needs and can be used in a variety of projects in which it is necessary to draw schemes.

Procedures                                                                       

*Favourites* category

It is also possible to create a folder that contains a list of most frequently used installations by the user. This folder is created automatically when a first element marked as favorite  has been added to the program. In the *favorite*category user can define any branch structure, in which the individual elements will be located.

Edit line data

CADprofi allows to edit parameters (drawing features) of lines created by user. To do this, use the Edit option.

In CADprofi program pipe and ventilation lines can be drawn as schematic (with use of lines or polylines) or in 2D view. Therefore, when editing properties it is possible to specify different parameters for schematic lines as well as for lines in 2D view.

Edit line data dialog window

The Edit dialog window contains the following items:

Name – name of edited line.

Text notation – text marking for lines used as an ending of layer’s name in the extended layer structure.

Category – currently assigned category in CADprofi database.

Branch – currently assigned industry branch in CADprofi database.

Add to most recently used – this option adds the edited line into the default list of line types in the in the 2D Pipes – plan dialog window.

Lines or 2D lines – settings used for schematic lines or lines drawn in 2D:

•    Line color – determines the line color. Color can be selected in several ways: by clicking on the button that contains the line preview, with the help of the by layer option or by entering CAD program color number.

•    Line type – determines the line type (kind). Line type can be selected from the list of available line types or from the by layer option.

•    Line weight – determines the line width. Line width can be chosen from the list available values in the program.

Procedures                                                                       

Installations from drawing

All lines and polylines that lie on appropriate layers are treated by CADprofi program as schematic lines. This includes layers with names similar to 2DX_PLS_xxx.

When several designers are working on the same project, then it is possible that one of these designers has used his own line kinds and then has forwarded the drawing to further edition. In this case, CADprofi application will automatically detect the presence of additional lines (installation kinds) and will display them in a new category called Installations from drawing. Name of the new lines that were identified from the drawing are being taken from their label (ending of the layer's name). If these lines' parameters will be edited in the dialog window, then they will be permanently saved in the program's database as user's lines.

Lines’ layers

Each line kind is being drawn on separate layers. In order to easily manage layers in the top menu of CADprofi programs are located additional commands that allow to quickly hide or show all layers that belongs to central heating, sewage, water and other kinds of installations.

In the C:\ProgramData\Cadprofi\20XX.x\PlotStyle printing styles are located that suit the program's layers structure. Out of these files user can select monochrome printing (CADprofi Mono.ctb) and color printing (CADprofi Color.ctb).

*.ctb files should be copied to the appropriate folder of used CAD program.

For more information, please refer to the layers section (check page 35).