Prompt/message for multiple equipment items with the same name?

[livespace josha]

There are times where duplicating a device with the same name on the schematic layout is super helpful...and other times where it is done on accident. Most of the time, I fall into the "accident" category 🙁

 

When creating equipment for rack elevations and gear layout, can there be a prompt to indicate that multiple devices with the same name were detected? Similar to how it prompts you about virtual devices.

[Conrad Preen]

@livespace josha Use the Check Drawing command with Layout objects selected to highlight duplicate Equipment Items.

 

Best

 

Conrad

[livespace josha]

yep, that works. I'll add that into my workflow (caught a couple duplicates already!)

[CalebD]

On 7/21/2022 at 11:15 AM, Conrad Preen said:

@livespace josha Use the Check Drawing command with Layout objects selected to highlight duplicate Equipment Items.

 

Best

 

Conrad

There's a lot of functionality that IMO should be automatic - duplicate device names, spelling errors, etc.  Can a lot of this be pushed to automatic so we don't have to waste time with stopping, running check drawing, sort through the potential errors, fix, and then get back to drawing? 

 

[Conrad Preen]

With all respect @CalebD and as you say, that's a point of opinion. Sometimes as a designer you need to break the rules and if the software starts fighting you that is really bad news. Is it a waste of time to stop for a moment and check your work? Perhaps not. ConnectCAD has never been a policeman and never will be while I am involved.

 

That said we are always looking for ways to improve. But this kind of automatic always-on checking can impact performance so it needs to be approached with some caution. I'm not against it per se but worried that it might get in the way more than you think.

 

Best

 

Conrad

[CalebD]

Right now, since it's different than Word/Excel/Visio, AutoCAD, and various other programs - having to manually go back and check things that 'should have' (IMO) been handled as they happened - gets in the way significantly more than a small hit in performance.  I think it's safe to say the norm is auto check, at least spelling, while manual check is the exception.  Duplicate devices and spell check, for example, I can't see any benefit to being manual; it feels like the 1990's era text editing programs!  A functionality check for connections, signal types mismatch, etc - that I can see being manual and processing intensive. 

[Conrad Preen]

Ok thanks for your opinion.

[livespace josha]

IMO:

Spell check - always! I'm 50/50 on auto-correct because of all the crazy manufacturer/device names and terms we use.

Duplicate devices - I lean towards Conrad's point of view on this on letting the designer choose what is right and wrong. There are times where I want duplicated devices for clarity (i.e. a network switch that does triple-duty for audio/video/lighting), and times were I forgot to update a name when duplicating a device.

Prompts - this is a frustration point for me globally, not specifically CC, Spotlight or Fundamentals. If I try to do an illegal function (like rotate a hybrid symbol while not in top/plan view), the pop-up prompt should give me the option to correct it and not just shut me down. I have a forum post 1/2 drafted up, just need to organize my thoughts so I don't sound like a rambling maniac. 

[Conrad Preen]

My take away from all this:

We will investigate the possibility of having drawing checks running in the background. I think we also need a way to mark warning instances (as opposed to errors) as OK so they don't come up constantly. But that also might result in an incomplete check if things have changed. So it needs care.

 

You see I have spent a long time thinking about all this. Let me give you an example: a lot of systems are very modular so quite often processing chains are repeated. The natural way to design these is to draw one process, then duplicate it several times and renumber everything. At the point where you have just duplicated you have a drawing full of same-name sockets in same-name devices - major error! With background error checking your drawing will light up red. But it isn't a real problem because you know what you are doing. So automatic error checking just gets in your way. And that's the reason I have chosen to have a Check Drawing command over a background process.

 

By all means let's debate the pros and cons here in this forum.

 

Best

 

Conrad