Power Planning Devices and Patching

[Erik Koehler]

When working with the power planning features in vectorworks 2023 I noticed that devices don't populate in the Power Planning Palette unless they're connected to a power source. Is this intentional or am I missing something? This makes patching difficult since you can't patch from the palette or from the "Power Patch Selected Objects" command, and only from the OIP. Additionally, patching for the OIP doesn't seem consistent, with you have to select the correct patch on both devices before they read as connected, but even then they're really not patched.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Erik Koehler

[jcogdell]

On 5/5/2023 at 5:52 PM, Erik Koehler said:

When working with the power planning features in vectorworks 2023 I noticed that devices don't populate in the Power Planning Palette unless they're connected to a power source. Is this intentional or am I missing something?

This is currently the way the feature was implemented.

 

On 5/5/2023 at 5:52 PM, Erik Koehler said:

This makes patching difficult since you can't patch from the palette or from the "Power Patch Selected Objects" command, and only from the OIP

Lights and any other power planning enabled device should also automatically be patched when a cable is used to connect them as well (as long as the cable is ultimately connected to a power source). 
I know that improving this workflow and process is being discussed internally but I have no idea on when this will be addressed at this point.

 

On 5/5/2023 at 5:52 PM, Erik Koehler said:

Additionally, patching for the OIP doesn't seem consistent, with you have to select the correct patch on both devices before they read as connected, but even then they're really not patched.

This should not be happening, can you DM me an example file?

[aheininen]

On 5/5/2023 at 6:52 PM, Erik Koehler said:

Additionally, patching for the OIP doesn't seem consistent, with you have to select the correct patch on both devices before they read as connected, but even then they're really not patched.

I'm seeing this also. Not all the time but sometimes. 

 

Here is different issue. OIP is showing on Power Information Power In: pop-up BR1output 4 on line, selection x is how ever BR2.Output5 which is correct. This wrong information on pop-up line is visible in every Distribur Object. This is highly confusing behavior. Power planning window updates correctly. Restarting file does not correct pop-up behavior.

 

Does Lighting device Power Information: Connector has any function in power planning? Does Cable tool check and maybe give error if cable with wrong connector is connected to Lighting Device? Or is connector info just informative to user? Which connector is supposed to mark in here? Connector on end of cable or "panel" connector on device? Or what ever suits user? Now most Lights in library have NEMA5-15 which I assume means cable connector.

 

Choosing connector in record could also be more intuitive. Now in case of Powercon 20A I have to know that connector is named "NAC3FCA and NAC3FCB  types" in Light Info Record to show in OIP connector as Powercon 20A. Same with NEMA 5-15 what translates to Edison. Same information two different names in two places.  Also you have to know to check names from computer filesystem under Vectorworks installation folder Vectorworks 2023\Libraries\Defaults\Cable Tools CableConnectors.xml file and to figure out that record uses UniversalName and OIP uses LocalizedName attribute. Here could be some window to see and modify and add connectors to list. And all this should be workgroup folder compatible. At least lets use same name on both locations. When you look Lighting device in Resource Manager you see different info than in OIP.

 

I also attached my test file here.

2088098937_Cabletest.vwx

[aheininen]

@jcogdell any input regarding Lighting device Power Information?