By galaxyguide - 1/10/2012 12:42:40 PM
I would like to make sub-layers within the audio layer. I want to assign a different color to each sub layer: 1. line level 2. mic level 3. speaker level
I have 16 mic level lines to pull to the audia flex.
What is the procedure of making a layer, changing its line width, color and then selecting to use that layer?
I have changed color over in the properties box, but I don't want to have to do that for each individual line. I am used to AV2007 and autocad, and neither of these are informing me on how to use layers in .s07
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By Rob Robinson - 1/11/2012 7:41:26 AM
Hi Linda,
Layers in SD7 are substantially similar to AV2007 in that it is a flat structure (no sub-layers) and we do not assign line color etc by layer.
You can use the document's Properties Grid to define default properties for lines, e.g. color, width etc, and this is a document-level setting so if you wish, for example, to define Audio cables as solid blue you can do that in the Line Style section, then put in your Audio cables, then if Video cables are dashed red, set those defaults and put in your Video cables.
I hope this is helpful.
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By Cyril@Dynamix - 1/11/2012 11:01:01 AM
I have tried to set default colors for the layers, but it does not save. Every time I go back and forth between layers, the Line color stays same as the color selected for the last layer used. Any suggestions?
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By Rob Robinson - 1/11/2012 11:17:04 AM
Hi Cyril,
Correct. See my previous post, "we do not assign line color etc by layer.
You can use the document's Properties Grid to define default properties for lines, e.g. color, width etc, and this is a document-level setting".
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By Cyril@Dynamix - 1/11/2012 11:36:54 AM
Yes, I understand that it is document level. When I go back and forth between different layers in the SAME document, it does not retain the line color that I had set for that layer. Am I missing something when I set the color for each layer?
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By David Snipp - 1/11/2012 2:33:15 PM
Cyril,
As Rob has indicated, default settings, such as color are a per document setting, not a per layer setting.
In Stardraw Design 7 (and in Stardraw AV 2007) you do not set a color for a layer but instead set a default color for the document.
I think the question to ask is - what problem are you trying to solve? Why, exactly, do you want to set a default color per layer? Is it just for cables? or is it for any entity, such as circle, rectangle etc?
Perhaps there is a better solution for the problem you are trying to solve?
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By Cyril@Dynamix - 1/11/2012 3:22:05 PM
I want to show different cable types in different colors to be easily identifiable in drawings. For example Audio in green, HDMI in cyan; etc. You already have Audio, Video; etc layers for all of which the default line (cable) color is black. How can I change this so that I can set the color of the cables in a layer to a color of my choice and then NOT have SD7 change the color back to black when I come back to the same layer? An example:
In my project I created a new layer called HDMI and set the Line color as Cyan.
I drew some HDMI Cables in this layer.
I then went into Audio layer, set the Line color as Green.
I drew some Audio cables.
I then selected Video Layer & set the Line color as Blue.
I drew some Video cables.
I then went back to HDMI layer to draw some more cables. I expect the Line color to remain Cyan that I have set before. Instead it indicates Blue color which is the Line color I set for Video Layer and was the last layer I went to before going to the HDMI layer.
We had the same issue in AV 2007 and thought it may have been fixed in SD7. What is the point in having layers if the line styles can oly be set for the document, and we cannot draw cables consistently in the same colors we have standardised for our projects? This is highly inefficient (with the potential of making mistakes), if we have to go and change the Line color every time we switch layers to draw cables!
Could we not get a Layer Properties Manager in SD7, like in AutoCAD where we can chose the line style for each layer? One step further would be to be able to repeatedly use these layers for every new project.
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By David Snipp - 1/11/2012 3:53:27 PM
Cyril,
With regards to Layers, Stardraw Design 7 works exactly like Stardraw AV 2007.
Personally, I don't like Color by Layer. It is very arbitrary and extremely limiting. Why just Line Color ? Why not Fill Color ? (The answer is that AutoCAD wasn't very good at fills when Color by Layer was invented). Why not Font? (Again, because there weren't many Fonts around when AutoCAD first came out).
We are investigating much better and quicker ways to assign Cable Attributes, such as their Color. In fact, should the color of the line representing the cable be the same color as the physical cable? As you may be aware, we have a much better cable labeling tool in Stardraw Design 7. Our goal is to extend this even further to add some awesome cable functionality, but first we need to understand what you are trying to achieve rather than how AutoCAD did it 20 years ago.
If you want to denote a cable as being a video cable, then I'm sure there is a much better way to do this than setting a default color on a layer.
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By zuk123 - 1/14/2012 2:00:26 PM
Hi David, what do you think WOULD be a better way to do it than a default color for the layer?
If the layers are for each type of signal, and that is how they are organized currently with audio, video, control, etc, then why WOULDN'T you use color to denote the different types? This is how almost every drawing I've ever seen does it. In fact, it's how ROB does it in the demo videos. the 1st or second thing he does is select the lines and change the color.
This is a very common organizing method for a visual tool like a drawing.
z
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By Howard Quinton - 1/15/2012 5:22:10 PM
zuk123, I have been advocating this for years with toolbar buttons to quickly select which layer one is drawing in. I use colors because line types other than solid plot true, non solid lines do not. Hopefully this will be addressed in Design 7. We expect to have contracts where B & W line types are only allowed.
The ability to drop in the symbols and then switch to the system layer type such as audio, video, power, control, et cetera is important. In large complex drawing this allows one to use the same symbols, viewing and plotting only the system layer type, as a much smaller drawing when compared to showing all system types at once. Having to change the color and line type in the properties dialog when switching between layers while creating and revising is very inefficent to the point of being time consuming.
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By zuk123 - 1/16/2012 7:36:01 PM
Hi Howard, I agree with you. I've been working with companies that do a different drawing for each system (audio. video. control, etc) which is very inefficient as you end up cutting and pasting, and redrawing all the common elements.
I've also worked with people who do just as you describe, one large drawing with everything on different layers, just display and print the layers you want. SD7 seems to be aimed at this type of method, except that working with layers is so cumbersome.
I haven't developed any good method yet, as I'm a brand new SD7 user, but I'm trying a combination. I've been working on each system in it's own drawing in the project, and when I'm happy with it, I combine it into the one "real" drawing.
There is some repetition, but it helps me figure out a good clean layout, without having to redraw connector lines all the time. Unless I missed it, once the cable line is drawn, you can't add any more segments. This limits how much you can rearrange gear and have the 'rubberbanding' work.
I think a good looking, graphically clean drawing is vital for easily conveying the information. I'm finding it a little difficult to get the 'look' I want with SD7. Square corners, RED lines for the gear, no choices for how lines cross, only one arrow type, etc.
And the title block...based on the threads here about changing it, I'm not the only one who thinks it's not great. It's astonishing how much of the page the title block takes up! I know it's editable, and I know it's just an example, but I'd think in a mature product there might be a few more choices than ONE.
Well, back to work...
zuk
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By Rob Robinson - 1/17/2012 6:22:34 AM
zuk123 (1/16/2012)
Unless I missed it, once the cable line is drawn, you can't add any more segments. This limits how much you can rearrange gear and have the 'rubberbanding' work.
Just rightclick on a cable and choose Add Node if you need to add segments. Similarly there is Delete Node command in the Quickmenu.
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By zuk123 - 1/17/2012 11:44:44 AM
Thanks Rob, that helps enormously.
z
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