By rbjr - 9/17/2023 3:20:48 AM
Hey!
Testing out the trial version of Stardraw to see if it will work for a project. On the surface it looks great!
Couple things while testing. If I build a rack and add gear, I can't see the rear panel details like the training videos show. Also, if I save, then close Stardraw and reopen the file, the gear is in the inventory but I have to build racks again. Are these bugs or trial version limitations?
Thanks!
Rich
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By Rob Robinson - 9/17/2023 5:29:32 AM
Hi Rich,
Thanks for using the Demo.
It would be helpful if you could email your project file to techsupport@stardraw.com so we can understand exactly what you're seeing. Please include a description of the exact steps you take to reproduce the effects you describe. Thanks.
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 12:57:06 PM
I figured it out, newb move. I thought I was opening the previous drawing when I clicked on rack drawing from the home screen. I was creating new drawings each time, ha ha.
Still curious about the drawing level of detail. The items are not true to the real product, everything is pretty generic. I really liked the detail the YouTube videos showed, helps when sharing designs and presenting.
I'll send the file to the email now. Thanks!
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 1:24:20 PM
Sorry, another question.
How long before the new Blackmagic Videohub 80x80 12G router is added?
Thanks
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 1:41:55 PM
More questions, ha ha.
I've added and deleted items as I test and learn. Now my list of equipment has big gaps in ID's. Is there a way to bulk renumber the items so that there's no gaps?
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By Rob Robinson - 9/17/2023 2:37:09 PM
Hi Rich,
I'm glad you figured out the problem.
To answer your last 2 questions:
Products are added based on user requests. If a product does not yet exist in the library it's usually because no one has requested it yet. If (when  ) you become a registered user you can request products to be added to the library. We can't estimate turnaround times before receiving the particular request but on average new products are added within 2 working days of approval of the request.
ID is a system-generated value and you can't re-generate these values within a project. However, if you copy your drawing and paste into a new, empty Project then the products will be assigned new IDs sequentially, starting at 1. That said, I'm not sure how you would want to use ID - generally you might set your own identification Attribute which is not based on the chronological order in which products are added to a project, as ID is, but in a fashion that makes sense within the context of the project itself e.g. Spec or Schedule Reference, or [Type]-[Number] etc.
Your question about rear view detail has been passed to the Symbols Dept and you'll receive a response by email in due course.
I hope this is helpful.
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 2:38:17 PM
Sorry but figuring stuff out, ha ha.
Anyway to bulk patch things? Aka, router outputs 1-20 to switcher inputs 1-20?
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By Rob Robinson - 9/17/2023 2:49:00 PM
+xSorry but figuring stuff out, ha ha. Anyway to bulk patch things? Aka, router outputs 1-20 to switcher inputs 1-20?
Hi Rich,
No - connections are drawn individually. If you don't see it in one of the movies at https://www.stardraw.com/sd7/movies then it's unlikely to be functionality that's supported.
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 2:58:43 PM
+xHi Rich, I'm glad you figured out the problem. To answer your last 2 questions: Products are added based on user requests. If a product does not yet exist in the library it's usually because no one has requested it yet. If (when ) you become a registered user you can request products to be added to the library. We can't estimate turnaround times before receiving the particular request but on average new products are added within 2 working days of approval of the request. ID is a system-generated value and you can't re-generate these values within a project. However, if you copy your drawing and paste into a new, empty Project then the products will be assigned new IDs sequentially, starting at 1. That said, I'm not sure how you would want to use ID - generally you might set your own identification Attribute which is not based on the chronological order in which products are added to a project, as ID is, but in a fashion that makes sense within the context of the project itself e.g. Spec or Schedule Reference, or [Type]-[Number] etc. Your question about rear view detail has been passed to the Symbols Dept and you'll receive a response by email in due course. I hope this is helpful.
Very helpful thank you
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 3:01:11 PM
+x+xSorry but figuring stuff out, ha ha. Anyway to bulk patch things? Aka, router outputs 1-20 to switcher inputs 1-20? Hi Rich, No - connections are drawn individually. If you don't see it in one of the movies at https://www.stardraw.com/sd7/movies then it's unlikely to be functionality that's supported.
Thank you, about to revisit the videos. Trying to get lines to stick to 90 degree angles. I have one device connected where the lines stay in in 90's, but then added another where they're not 90's but straight point to point. can't seem to change that.
Also, when likes are in 90's, can they be set to not overlap automatically? Right now if I move it, the lines all turn at 90 degrees at the same spot and overlap
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By Rob Robinson - 9/17/2023 3:16:53 PM
Hi Rich,
If you draw a Cable thus; click (on Start connection point) and click (on End connection point), then it is represented as a straight line. A single, straight line cannot arbitrarily add segments to itself if you later move the symbols to which it's connected.
However, if you use click+drag to draw a Cable, even a 'straight' one, then internally it has 3 segments - 2 horizontal and one vertical (with no length) - so if you later move a connected symbol then the vertical segment comes into play and stretches as necessary, keeping the start and end segments horizontal. See the movie "Cable Tool", #04 at https://www.stardraw.com/sd7/movies
Regarding overlapping Cables; this is by design and Cables will not automatically change themselves to avoid overlapping. We feel it is better for the user to decide how their drawing should look rather than have an algorithm attempt to do it automatically as things WILL go wrong (e.g. if there isn't enough room to automatically space such Cables). Also, in many cases it is valid for Cables to overlap e.g. you're paralleling a connection or representing a multicore.
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 4:36:23 PM
+x+xSorry but figuring stuff out, ha ha. Anyway to bulk patch things? Aka, router outputs 1-20 to switcher inputs 1-20? Hi Rich, No - connections are drawn individually. If you don't see it in one of the movies at https://www.stardraw.com/sd7/movies then it's unlikely to be functionality that's supported.
Figured out what I was doing. Clicking on an output, then clicking on the input of the next device to draw a cable just does straight line point to point. Clicking and dragging off of the output to the next input will create the lines I want. For some reason I had to reboot Stardraw to fix it, all good now
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 4:37:22 PM
+xHi Rich, If you draw a Cable thus; click (on Start connection point) and click (on End connection point), then it is represented as a straight line. A single, straight line cannot arbitrarily add segments to itself if you later move the symbols to which it's connected. However, if you use click+drag to draw a Cable, even a 'straight' one, then internally it has 3 segments - 2 horizontal and one vertical (with no length) - so if you later move a connected symbol then the vertical segment comes into play and stretches as necessary, keeping the start and end segments horizontal. See the movie "Cable Tool", #04 at https://www.stardraw.com/sd7/moviesRegarding overlapping Cables; this is by design and Cables will not automatically change themselves to avoid overlapping. We feel it is better for the user to decide how their drawing should look rather than have an algorithm attempt to do it automatically as things WILL go wrong (e.g. if there isn't enough room to automatically space such Cables). Also, in many cases it is valid for Cables to overlap e.g. you're paralleling a connection or representing a multicore.
Just saw this, ha ha. Got it! I did have to reboot the app to get it working but it's fine now
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By rbjr - 9/17/2023 7:46:30 PM
Before starting with a huge project, I just played with a small made up project. I'd love some feedback. Started to label cables, tried to make as many straight lines as practical. Tried to not overlap cables.
Are there any other best practices to look for as things scale larger? Getting ready to draw a video control room with switchers, cameras, routers, displays, etc. The control room connects to other rooms around the campus.
Do I make one huge drawing or one drawing per room, what's the best practices to start with?
Thanks in advance!
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By Rob Robinson - 9/18/2023 7:17:54 AM
Hi Rich,
Your schematic looks fine and adheres to good drawing practice; there are no problems or changes that I would suggest - nice work.
Regarding your upcoming project, well, the answer is 'it depends'. You might want to do a room per drawing or have the whole thing in one; Stardraw Design 7.3 allows you to structure things in a way that works for you, so, whatever's best for you is best.
The only tip I can offer, without knowing specific details, is that if you are going to print to hardcopy, Block Schematic drawings are designed to be legible when printed close to a minimum of 1:1 (or 100%) so don't create a huge drawing and expect it to be legible if you print it out on too small a page size.
As a guideline you can check the size of a drawing when it's complete - just use the Dimension tool on the long axis of the drawing and this will give an idea of the page size to use (don't print at less than 80% of the drawing's size) - or you can start with a Title Block of the desired page size and fit the drawing within it (but this means that you'll be constrained to printing at 100%). Of course, this is all moot if your output is digital - you can just zoom in.
You might find it helpful to attend a webinar (in which you can ask questions) - registration is at https://www.stardraw.com/company/eventsandtraining
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By rbjr - 9/18/2023 1:41:39 PM
+xHi Rich, Your schematic looks fine and adheres to good drawing practice; there are no problems or changes that I would suggest - nice work. Regarding your upcoming project, well, the answer is 'it depends'. You might want to do a room per drawing or have the whole thing in one; Stardraw Design 7.3 allows you to structure things in a way that works for you, so, whatever's best for you is best. The only tip I can offer, without knowing specific details, is that if you are going to print to hardcopy, Block Schematic drawings are designed to be legible when printed close to a minimum of 1:1 (or 100%) so don't create a huge drawing and expect it to be legible if you print it out on too small a page size. As a guideline you can check the size of a drawing when it's complete - just use the Dimension tool on the long axis of the drawing and this will give an idea of the page size to use (don't print at less than 80% of the drawing's size) - or you can start with a Title Block of the desired page size and fit the drawing within it (but this means that you'll be constrained to printing at 100%). Of course, this is all moot if your output is digital - you can just zoom in. You might find it helpful to attend a webinar (in which you can ask questions) - registration is at https://www.stardraw.com/company/eventsandtraining
Thanks for the feedback!
Obviously it comes down to what works, and all projects are a little different. Ideally I would be able to print readable sets, but this is an internal project, PDFs may be just fine as well.
Trying to run with best practices if I can. I did see the webinar, that date doesn't work for me unfortunately.
Would making one big system sheet, then highlighting areas in boxes to outline print areas, be a decent option when it's time to print? PDF attached for reference. Or, is there a way to duplicate a drawing, then break it up into smaller sheets?
BTW, print area is kinda messed up, it doesn't draw where I am clicking. Maybe it's one of those Windows scaling things? I'm on a 4K laptop, Win 11 Pro, running at 150% scale.
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By rbjr - 9/18/2023 1:53:08 PM
Also, for larger projects where there will be lots of wiring. Do you still try to spread out all the wires so they don't overlap, or let them overlap and rely on wire labelling instead?
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By rbjr - 9/18/2023 2:10:54 PM
Also, is there a way to include cable nodes when area selecting parts of the black schematic? I can see times when you don't want to do that, but when you have cables drawn around neatly, and you want to move a group of devices, it would be nice to include the cable nodes in that area as well.
Not a big deal for a couple items, but would be handy to move a group of cameras or playbacks around.
Thanks!
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By Rob Robinson - 9/18/2023 2:36:48 PM
Hi Rich,
Again, the best way to work is the one that makes sense for you; there are very few absolute rights (or absolute wrongs) and you'll come to develop your own process as your familiarity grows.
Regarding Print Area, yes, there's a known issue working with Windows scaling >100%; this will be fixed in a future update.
Yes, you can approach things as per your attachment - temporarily switch Windows scaling to 100% to set Print Area - or you can split the system up into different drawings, it's up to you. If the latter you might find see the Movie "Feathers" useful, #25 at https://www.stardraw.com/sd7/movies
Cable nodes can't be included as part of a multiple selection but it's easy to move Cable segments by dragging the center handle if you need to make adjustments later, if rubberbanding (when Cables redraw based on the movement of connected symbols) isn't giving you the results you want.
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By rbjr - 9/18/2023 3:51:25 PM
Thanks again! I’ll play with different options and see what seems best.
I’ll check out feathering now!
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By rbjr - 9/20/2023 5:45:14 PM
Feathering looks like the way to go, thanks!
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By Rob Robinson - 9/20/2023 5:48:40 PM
Hi Rich,
Great - I'm glad that's been useful.
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By rbjr - 9/27/2023 2:15:57 AM
Just purchased Stardraw! Gonna be fun getting into this project.
I did notice a couple minor errors with a product. Is there an email for updating existing products?
Basically the Blackmagic Fiber Converters are a little mixed up. The camera converter is drawn with ref in, when it only has ref out. The studio converter is not drawn with ref at all, it has ref in and ref out.
I feel confident enough to edit the symbol, but seems like something that should be fixed anyway.
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicfiberconverters/techspecs/W-URSA-31
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By Kevin Harrison - 9/27/2023 7:42:45 AM
Hi Rich,
Thank you for your purchase and for bringing this to our attention.
The block schematic symbols for the Black Magic Design Camera Fiber Converter and Studio Fiber Converter have now been updated. The new symbols will be available the next time you run SD7 and synchronization completes.
Please email symbols@stardraw.com with any symbol-related issues.
I hope this is helpful.
Thanks again
Kevin Harrison
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By rbjr - 9/27/2023 4:03:32 PM
+xHi Rich, Thank you for your purchase and for bringing this to our attention. The block schematic symbols for the Black Magic Design Camera Fiber Converter and Studio Fiber Converter have now been updated. The new symbols will be available the next time you run SD7 and synchronization completes. Please email symbols@stardraw.com with any symbol-related issues. I hope this is helpful. Thanks again Kevin Harrison
Amazing! Thank you!
Another question, can I install this on my desktop and laptop at the same time with one license? Or would I have to enable and disable the license and move it around?
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By Rob Robinson - 9/27/2023 4:40:25 PM
Hi Rich,
Under default settings your license is released back to the Cloud when you close Stardraw Design 7.3 so it can be instantly taken on a different machine; you just need to be sure not to leave Stardraw running.
FYI The setting is found in Tools | Personalization | Settings - "Release License on Close" should be checked and you won't need to change this to get the behavior you want.
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By rbjr - 9/27/2023 5:13:25 PM
+xHi Rich, Under default settings your license is released back to the Cloud when you close Stardraw Design 7.3 so it can be instantly taken on a different machine; you just need to be sure not to leave Stardraw running. FYI The setting is found in Tools | Personalization | Settings - "Release License on Close" should be checked and you won't need to change this to get the behavior you want.
Ha ha, just read that in the app home page. Thanks again!
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