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Request: Term & Connector Panel - Multiple Connections, Naming & Additional Wall Plates


ryanww

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Few requests surrounding Term panels:

 

#1 - Multi-connect:

I have a couple drawings where I'm doing ~800 patch panel ports from a MDF to a bunch of IDF's using Data Term Panels. I've had to hand-wire every port manually. It would be sooooooo appreciated if we had the ability to use Multi-connect with Data Term Panels. Its a major bummer that it doesn't work, even on the same sheet.

 

#2 - Naming:

When adding location info, wiring numbers, port type and connector, its a freaking disaster. See screen shot. It would be great to space this out more or at least have the ability to better organize term panels. One suggestion is more of a header with location info which would remove a good portion of the mess. Also, maybe the option to custom letter/number within the term panel wizard opposed to the dropdown. Customization has to be done on each jack if it doesn't fit in the formatting. Some times people use letters in there. 

 

#3 - Better type support:

I commonly use what I call "Media Cable". Its a bundle of wire with multiple things. One of them is 3x cat6, 1x coax. I've been trying to lay these more into patch panels. On the MDF side, I'll put individual term panels for video and data, but on the room side, these commonly land within one term panel (aka keystone wall plate). Would be awesome to have maybe something that could be more of a mix n' match term panel, something like a common types group - ie 4x keystone plate where we can populate connectors.  Or would this be better suited using connector panels? This seems more centered around just rack or custom neutrik style connectors. Probably 98% of my projects use keystones and this is very universally used (even for rack patch panels) so maybe there is a viable reason to have a keystone connector/panel tool?

 

Screen Shot 2020-09-19 at 10.18.48 AM.png

Screen Shot 2020-09-19 at 10.24.54 AM.png

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi guys,

 

In 2021 we got this. It's called Connect Selected and it's in the ConnectCAD > Drawing sub-menu. Connects up outputs to input left-to-right in the selection set.

 

Another thing you might not be aware of is the double-click "connect next" function of the Connect Tool. If you create the first circuit and leave it selected and then just double-click with the Connect tool on the next source socket, Connect will go looking for the next destination under the previous one and create the next circuit. Give it a try on a simple situation to see how it works. This exists in 2020. Saves you a lot of time.

 

Conrad

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Ryan,

 

What grid spacing are you using? Looks like 1/8 inch perhaps?  I've checked out here using our imperial template (1/4 inch grid) and it looks fine. So I would suggest allowing a bit more space. You can print or pdf the drawing at any size by using viewports on sheet layers, so you don't have to scrunch things up on design layers.

 

We all have times when we get frustrated and for sure everyone working in the entertainment sector is feeling a lot of pressure right now. Venting your frustration here may relieve your feelings. But please remember that we are human too. I and my team here at Vectorworks put in a lot of hard work to constantly improve ConnectCAD. Right now it's 22:40 on a Sunday night and I am spending my time replying to you. It is to say the least de-motivating to have our efforts characterized as a  "freaking disaster" and a "mess".

 

As you know very well we are always open to constructive discussion and we do go the extra mile to help every time. I must ask you kindly to avoid these sort of epithets, and please let's stick to the business of getting problems resolved.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Conrad

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Hey Conrad - Apologies but I didn't mean it in a negative way toward you/team just more that its completely unintelligible since everything is just piled in and its a blob of text. No frustrations here, just would love it if there is something that could be adjusted or the team can be improved on. The wording was poor judgment on my part, but certainly not a negative intention towards VW. I'm very appreciative on how helpful you all are and that you are always looking to improve things.

 

Regarding the grid spacing - is this where its shown (attached)? Can't remember off the top of my head. 

Screen Shot 2020-09-20 at 1.29.51 PM.png

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  • 1 year later...
On 9/20/2020 at 3:45 PM, Conrad Preen said:

Thanks 🙂 Yes, that's where the grid spacing is set. And looks like you're at 1/8 inch. I would give it a try on a new drawing at 1/4 inch. Text goes in point sizes so not every combination of grid spacing and text size looks good.

 

Best

 

Conrad

 

I too am at 1/4 inch spacing, and connector panel symbols result in a blob of text just as shown above. I also tried editing the system symbol to fix this, but I noticed both IN and OUT connector types both reference the layout of system symbol "cp_IN". Any help is greatly appreciated. What I wanted ideally is for IN text to be left justified off of the right side of the symbol and OUT text to be right justified off of the left side of the symbol. However, they both seem to reference the same "cp_IN" symbol and then just programmatically flip the arrow and color within the ConnectCad code.

 

Thanks in advance,

Alex

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
On 6/18/2022 at 1:52 AM, alexmootv said:

 

I too am at 1/4 inch spacing, and connector panel symbols result in a blob of text just as shown above. I also tried editing the system symbol to fix this, but I noticed both IN and OUT connector types both reference the layout of system symbol "cp_IN". Any help is greatly appreciated. What I wanted ideally is for IN text to be left justified off of the right side of the symbol and OUT text to be right justified off of the left side of the symbol. However, they both seem to reference the same "cp_IN" symbol and then just programmatically flip the arrow and color within the ConnectCad code.

 

Thanks in advance,

Alex

Can you send me the file so that I can check it?

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