I am having trouble figuring the bast way to draw a 48 channel snake panel, and have it look right from the front and rear view.

Hi Bo,

Can you be a bit more specific? What are you doing, what are you expecting, and how do they differ?  Perhaps you could attach an example?

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com

Basically I want a 13 space panel with 6 rows of 8 xlr connectors on the front and I want to be able to see the back of the connectors when I switch the view. I am having trouble finding a 13 space blank pannel in the online library. I am very new to this program, so Im sure there is a very easy fix.

Hi Bo,

Thanks for the information - this makes it very clear.

First tip - Using Search
If you can't find something you're looking for in the Library List, rightclick on any folder and select Search.  This allows you to specify the Manufacturer, Environment and any part of the text to search in the Model Number and Description fields.  Thus in the Panels environment you could search for "13U" or "13RU".

But, it turns out that while we have 12RU and 14RU blank panels, we don't currently have a 13RU panel in the library.

Second tip - Requesting Symbols
If our library is missing a symbol please request it using our online service.  Simply go to the Stardraw AV section on our website (http://www.stardraw.com/Products/StardrawAV) and click on the link to Request Symbols.  To make a request choose the Manufacturer, in this case Generic Hardware, and if the part you want is not listed, click on "Add a New Product Request" at the bottom of the page.  It is thanks to the requests that we receive that we prioritize the addition of new symbols to the Library List.

Third tip - Editing Existing Symbols
This is the recommended procedure for editing symbols to create a new symbol.

1. Drag the base symbol into your document, e.g. the 14RU Blank Panel under Panels | Generic Hardware | Panels | Blank
2. Drag the symbol from the document into the Library List under My Libraries.  Note: you can create your own folder structure under My Libraries by rightclicking and selecting New Folder.
3. Name the new user symbol.
4. Doubleclick on the new symbol to edit it.

What follows is specific to creating your own 13U panel from the existing 14U panel.

1. Open a new Rack Layout document.  This is an odd step to take since we will be using Panel Layout symbols, but since it is a rackmount panel this will help us further down the track.
2. Drag in the symbol Panels | Generic Hardware | Panels | Blank | 14RU Blank Panel
3. Drag the symbol into the Library List under My Symbols and give it a name e.g. 13RU Blank Panel
4. Doubleclick on the new symbol and select "Yes".  The symbol file will open for editing.  Note that the document has all the settings of the Rack Layout environment (grid spacing, snap to grid ON etc) since the new symbol was taken from a Rack Layout document.  This is helpful.
5. Select the outline and drag the bottom center handle up one grid point, moving the bottom of the outline.  Since the grid is 1U vertically you now have a 13U panel.
6. Drag a selection rectangle around the bottom two screw holes and press the Up arrow key on your keyboard.  Since Nudge Y (in Document Properties) is set at a length that is equal to 1RU your screw holes will move up by 1RU.
7. Go to the Rear View
8. Drag a selection rectangle around the bottom two screw holes and the line under the bottom of the panel outline (which represents the panel return) and press the Up arrow key on your keyboard.
9. For completeness, select Tools | View | Clearances and click on the dotted red line that represents the usable area of the panel to select it.
10. Turn on Snap to Object (F7)
11. Drag the bottom middle handle on the Clearances rectangle up until it locks to the top of the panel return.
12. Close the symbol file, saving changes.

To create the fully-loaded snake panel:

1. Open a new Panel Layout document
2. Drag your 13RU Blank Panel symbol from the Library List into the document.
3. To be absolutely certain that the panel is centered on the grid select it and click on the Align button (or select Arrange | Align).  Select Centre and Centre and click on OK.
4. Drag in a XLR connector e.g. Panels | Generic Hardware | Connectors | XLR | 3 Pin Female XLR 1
5. Select the XLR, Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) selecting Rectangular Array.
6. If you know the offsets you want to use for the connector array enter them into the X and Y Offset fields and in the Number in Array fields set X to 8 and Y to 6.  Click OK and you're finished.  If you don't know the offsets, try this:
1. Set Number in Array to X = 8, Y = 1.  Click OK and you'll get a single row of 8 XLRs.  Now we'll space them evenly.
2. Use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to position the first connector.  Repeat for the last connector.
3. Drag a selection rectangle around all 8 XLRs and select Arrange | Distribute | Horizontally.
4. Drag a selection rectangle around all 8 XLRs, Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) selecting Rectangular Array.
5. Set the Y offset (distance from the top of the first row to the top of the second row) and set Number in Array to X = 1, Y = 6.  Click OK.

Apologies for the length of this post, but I thought it best to cover all the steps exactly.  I hope it's helpful.

Can I suggest that you sit in one one of our free webinars?  These happen every other Wednesday and, being live, give you the opportunity to ask any question that you want and see exactly how things are done.  It's could be a very productive way to spend 45 minutes.  You can register at http://www.stardraw.com/company/events

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com

thanks for the help.