Power Planning

[Ben3B]

Hello I 've a problem with color 
All my cable have a specific class, with different color assign to it and use at creation is checked...

But when when in a new file , after cable folder imported
When I draw, all the new cable are in black, I've to change class for it take the right color
or uncheck and chek bac the use at creation ...

is it a know problem ?
thanks !

[msharon]

Try setting your default attributes to "Make all attributes by class" before you draw the cable

[Ben3B]

11 hours ago, msharon said:

Try setting your default attributes to "Make all attributes by class" before you draw the cable

Thanks, it works, I thinks that setting will solved other problem too 😉 
So I saved my template with "make all attributes by class" checked 

 

Edit :
Is it possible to have a shortcut to "Make all attributes by class"

Edited August 4, 2023 by Ben59

[Ben3B]

hello what is the process to automatically have the distributor ID in the right class ?

I only find a way to do it after inserted it ...


is, as for lighting anr rigging, a setting to set somewhere ?

thanks

[Ben3B]

Also 
as you can see in the attached video, when I select multi distri and change the symbol, it change only the last selected
And some times it put the both consumption, I've to close and open back to only view one consumption

and when I insert distro with the tool, the 2d geom

 

 

 

 

etry isn't imported, when I change the label class, it is ...

[Ben3B]

Hello I've a question about 3 phases consumer

i've a 3phases 36kw consumer 

 

but il device graph only L is loaded, and only half loaded : 18kw 
Why ?

Here is the test in an empty file (copy paste generator and consumer from one file to the blank one ...)
the consumer is 12kw on L1 and L2 (but 36kw at all)

And the generator is correctly loaded ...

thank you

 

[Ben3B]

Hello it's me 🙂 
another question/ remark about power planing and datatags (may it will interest @Pat Stanford)

 

When I put a consumer part in a symbol, if 'i'm not wrong, I need insert the symbol with the distributor tool, and the the symbol is a dsitributor with consumer inside


So now I would use a datatag to show the power consumption of that symbol, but I can't use the record "electrical consumer" because it is a distributor, and in a the distributor field record, I can't find the consumption one ...

 

If i put a consumer directly on the drawing, I can use the  "electrical consumer"in datatag , but as soon as it is in a symbol, I can't .

may I'm wrong or may it is a way to "tag" the consumption in other way ?

 

thank you

[Scott C. Parker]

@Ben59 Would you please post a sample file with the items you're working with?
 

[Ben3B]

here a sample test file, 

There was some display bug, so I save it , close it and open it back, and no display bug but no more power consumption displayed, they was just before close it ... 
I don't understand why ... 

test distri elec.vwx

[Zrasap]

Hello, i see Cable Tool 2022 tutorial. the tutorial says that you can't connect multiple devices in a row, is that true or has something changed in version 2023?

[Scott C. Parker]

1 hour ago, Zrasap said:

can't connect multiple devices in a row

There is a "daisy chain" mode to the cable placement tool. However, the connected objects do not calculate power as the lights do not have output connectors. It's on our list of needed improvements.

[Stefan B.]

Hey,

 

Is it just me or does it not work to have the CableConnector.xml file in a workgroup library?

 

Libraries\Defaults\Cable Tools\CableConnectors.xml

[Stefan B.]

Hey again,

 

Sorry for my absence of questions and remarks on the cable/power planning tool.

 

How does one set up Vectorworks to only use a certain cable type? This is somewhat rhetorical. The cable parts list gives the possibility to uncheck the cables you do not want to use, but if you made the time to remove all unwanted cables, and then add a custom cable in your library and hit update, all the cables get checked again.

 

So, what is the best way to set up Vectorworks to only use my 1.5 mm Socapex 19 cable and not every other Socapex 19 in the long cable parts list? And how to keep it like that when adding new custom cables and hitting update?

 

Would it be a good function to say to Vectorworks to only use cables in drawing or workgroup library?

Edited August 30, 2023 by Stefan B.
Did not know CTRL+Enter did post, was going for line shift.

[jcogdell]

@Stefan B.

Cable sets are used for this, In you cable parts library use the cable parts manager to assign the parts to a set, by entering the new set name in the cable set column.
Once you have assigned the cable parts to a set the new set will automatically populate in the cable preferences and can be assigned either as the document default or using the cable area tool to a specific part or layer of the document.

The cable tools suite learning path on the Vectorworks University covers cable set in the cable preferences and area tool,  and the cable parts videos.

 

 

[Stefan B.]

Some questions about this. Since all customization is done locally, what happens when I share my drawing with someone? Are they able to continue my work/use the same cables, connectors, etc.?

 

Secondly, there is, under the cable preferences, a function to save the current settings as a default for future drawings. Where is this saved? Is this saved somewhere I can retrieve them if my computer is lost at sea?

 

I do miss the general possibility of saving cable stuff as a whole in a workgroup folder. So one can set up a complete cable set suited for the special rental stock for each company and share it easily with all the other users within the company.

 

If my company uses both 1,5mm soca and 2,5mm soca, but rigging prioritizes the use of 1,5mm and light prioritizes the use of 2,5mm, both are interchangeable and I really do not want to have both 2,5mm and 1,5mm in one cable run, or in every other cable. Rigging and light are both using these two cables on the same truss. So neither a document setting nor a cable area will solve this. Do I need to make a custom connector, thus making it impossible to use a 2.5 mm soca for rigging? And yes I'm aware that I can check on and off the cables I would like to use, but if I make a new cable and hit update, every cable is checked again, and I need to redo my selection.

 

 

 

[jcogdell]

25 minutes ago, Stefan B. said:

Some questions about this. Since all customization is done locally, what happens when I share my drawing with someone? Are they able to continue my work/use the same cables, connectors, etc.?

Yes anything used in your file will be saved into the file.
Additionally you can share the cable connector xml, cable part and distributor libraries with colleagues.
At this point the connector xml and cable part libraries are not user or workgroup enabled so your colleagues will need to add the customised libraries into their application library folders

 

48 minutes ago, Stefan B. said:

Secondly, there is, under the cable preferences, a function to save the current settings as a default for future drawings. Where is this saved? Is this saved somewhere I can retrieve them if my computer is lost at sea?

I'll need to ask where this is stored as I'm not 100% sure. However the easiest way to store this to be transfered to another computer is to save them into a template file. This ensures that you have them configured for any project using the template as a starting point.

 

57 minutes ago, Stefan B. said:

I do miss the general possibility of saving cable stuff as a whole in a workgroup folder. So one can set up a complete cable set suited for the special rental stock for each company and share it easily with all the other users within the company.

This is meant to be possible but hasn't been enabled yet. I'll raise the issue again with the dev team.

 

1 hour ago, Stefan B. said:

If my company uses both 1,5mm soca and 2,5mm soca, but rigging prioritizes the use of 1,5mm and light prioritizes the use of 2,5mm, both are interchangeable and I really do not want to have both 2,5mm and 1,5mm in one cable run, or in every other cable. Rigging and light are both using these two cables on the same truss. So neither a document setting nor a cable area will solve this.

Cable area's have an option in their properties to apply a set of cable preferences to a single design layer, for this specific reason.

 

 

 

 

[Stefan B.]

49 minutes ago, jcogdell said:

Cable area's have an option in their properties to apply a set of cable preferences to a single design layer, for this specific reason.

I'm not really sure how this best is applied, since a lot of cabling is different, while some are the same. It is not possible to select more than 1 set at a time, and if I understand you and the University correctly, I need to make sets e.g., Rigging and Light. But we do and can use the same feeder cables(32A, 63A, power lock, etc.) This means one must have separate layers for rigging and power cables, and to be able to separate departments one needs two power layers.

 

Or am I missing something?

 

It is not that I'm complaining, it is just not a particularly user-friendly system, Cabling in general that is. Connectors are edited via an XML file(I read regarding another case that it is not recommended for users to edit the XML files for Vectorworks), a lot is text-based, making huge possibilities for type errors.

 

I would suggest making(as you say is in progress) the cable module, as a whole, workgroup library friendly and in one single properties window. Why is there not just a tab under "Manage cable parts" for connectors?

 

I would also suggest that the "Manage cable parts" has more options to it. One is to keep the current selection after updating. In general, hide/remove/disable cables and connectors not of interest would be great. It is awesome you have created so many different types, but we will never ever use Camlock in Europe.

 

And for the Document-wide or Cable area settings, it would be great to be able to select more than 1 set as your "Cables to use". In general, this would not be needed if the Cable module was a bit better set up from the start. If the user was able to have more control over the cables "available" for Vectorworks to choose from, then we as a company could create all the cables we have(rental stock), and remove the rest forever and ever. Then it actually would make sense to make a 1,5mm Soca connector to specify what Soca you want to use. and maybe if possible to say that the 1,5mm soca fit with a 2,5mm soca and have the choice to override and force a 2,5mm cable when needed for whatever reason. 

 

I do understand that the cable module is under devolpment, but it seams like it was rushed out there, then to accomodate for user feedback it is just clashed on some new features instead of going back to the basics of the module. When i think about it is Vectorworks in genral.

[jcogdell]

19 hours ago, Stefan B. said:

I'm not really sure how this best is applied, since a lot of cabling is different, while some are the same. It is not possible to select more than 1 set at a time, and if I understand you and the University correctly, I need to make sets e.g., Rigging and Light. But we do and can use the same feeder cables(32A, 63A, power lock, etc.) This means one must have separate layers for rigging and power cables, and to be able to separate departments one needs two power layers.

Personally I would apply a rigging cable set to the rigging layer and do the general power cabling supplying the rigging controllers on the regular power layer with the normal metric or company set to avoid having to make too many duplicate cable parts to support multiple sets.

 

19 hours ago, Stefan B. said:

Connectors are edited via an XML file(I read regarding another case that it is not recommended for users to edit the XML files for Vectorworks

In this case its not a problem as the xml is designed to be user edited. The key is to keep a back up and to use a dedicated XMl editor to ensure that the new entries are correctly formated.

 

 

19 hours ago, Stefan B. said:

I would suggest making(as you say is in progress) the cable module, as a whole, workgroup library friendly and in one single properties window. Why is there not just a tab under "Manage cable parts" for connectors?

good suggestion, I'll pass it along to the dev team

 

 

 

[JYT]

On 8/31/2023 at 6:40 PM, jcogdell said:

Cable sets are used for this, In you cable parts library use the cable parts manager to assign the parts to a set, by entering the new set name in the cable set column.

Where is this 'Cable Parts Library' and or 'Cable Parts Manager'? Which I'm guessing is different than 'Manage Cable Parts' which has very limited functionality. Or is there a way to Uncheck all 'Use' items in 'Manage Cable Parts' to then just select the few cables in my inventory?
 

Thank you,
J

Edited September 3, 2023 by Jean-Yves Tessier

[jcogdell]

On 9/3/2023 at 2:25 AM, JYT said:

Where is this 'Cable Parts Library'

The cable parts library files are stored in your apllication folder>Libraries>Defaults>Cable tools
and are standard editable VWX files.
 

On 9/3/2023 at 2:25 AM, JYT said:

Cable Parts Manager'?

This is the dialogue that the mange cable parts command opens

 

On 9/3/2023 at 2:25 AM, JYT said:

is there a way to Uncheck all 'Use' items in 'Manage Cable Parts' to then just select the few cables in my inventory?

Yes, The manager is not designed to be used in your active show files, rather to edit and manage the background library file.
If you untick the use column (or make any other edits/changes) for specific parts in one of the library files, save it, the changes will affect all future or active projects once you've updated your application settings (by opening a new empty file and hitting the update button in the cable part manager)
If the manger is used in your current show file then the changes will only affect that file.

 

The cable tools learning path on the Vectorworks university covers creating editing and managing cable part libraries in detail
 

[MaartenC]

What is the best approach to create a custom block as a power consumer with variable power wattage?

 

for example: Generic 16A power consumption. has a shucko connector as input but I want to fill in the power consumption depending on the device that is given to me. And prefferable an ID to make it unique so that it comes inside the list.

[Josh_M_Gill]

Any update on The Power Planning palette? I've anxiously been anticipating this feature for months and would love to know when I can start using it.

 

side note, has it been integrated into 2024? 

[Leonarddel]

Does anybody know why this would be defaulting to 110v 10 amps when it is a 208v 20 amp L6-20? It seems have have stumped tech support they have no reason why it is doing this. Is there a global setting for this because it only happens on my VW. 2024 Update 1.1

[Scott C. Parker]

On 10/11/2023 at 11:43 AM, Josh_M_Gill said:

Any update on The Power Planning palette?

There have been several bug fixes to the existing palette covering calculations. What updates are you looking for?
More improvements to power are being worked on for future releases.

[Stefan B.]

Hey,

 

In the recent updates, is there any news in regards to having the XML connector file in a "Workgroup Library"?