Hi,

I have just downloaded and start to use Stardraw 7 instead of Stardraw AV 2007.

I have directly seen a lot of improvements, but also some things that I miss (or can't find, probably the later...)

1) In Stardraw AV 2007 there is several Cable and connections reports , that list all the cables/connections You have created in a block drawing, where/how do I get this in the new version ?

2) In the old version, the Edit Attributes was used to set any attribute in the drawing, the new cable labels is an improvement in many ways, but how do You set other attributes if you have a large drawing with several houndred cables ?

3) There is a help button (?) in the new version, but nothing seems to happen ?

4) In the product description there is followin text: "Linkage: make changes in one drawing or view and changes automatically apply to other drawings and views." What does this mean ?

My basic problem is that in larger installations, I create one huge drawing, containing all products and cables (typically needs to be printed on a A0 or larger to be possible to read), then I need to

divide the drawing into several smaller ones, to be able to print in A3 or A4 size. Is it possible to get several different "views" out from one drawing. Because when I divide the larger drawing in version AV 2007, there is no connection between them, and a change in the system must be updated on several drawings, to get it correct.

With kind regards

Mats

Hi Mats,

I hope I can provide answers to all your questions:

1) In Stardraw AV 2007 there is several Cable and connections reports , that list all the cables/connections You have created in a block drawing, where/how do I get this in the new version ?

In the Block Schematic drawing select File | Export and choose Cable Schedule (*.xls) from the Save As Type dropdown. This exports all cable data to a spreadsheet so you can create any kind of report that you want.

2) In the old version, the Edit Attributes was used to set any attribute in the drawing, the new cable labels is an improvement in many ways, but how do You set other attributes if you have a large drawing with several houndred cables ?

The Cable Label tool is designed to be the quickest and easiest way to set labels, which are often sequentially numbered, but if you want to set other attribute values 9which typically are not sequential) you should use the Properties Grid. Using the Properties Grid you can set the same attribute value(s) across a multiple selection in a single action.

3) There is a help button (?) in the new version, but nothing seems to happen ?

Noted. We will investigate, and currently you should refer to the Movies at http://www.stardraw.com/products/stardrawdesign7/movies.asp

4) In the product description there is followin text: "Linkage: make changes in one drawing or view and changes automatically apply to other drawings and views." What does this mean ?

Each drawing is a view onto the Project database, and the Project database contains Products and their attributes. If, for example, you have a Block Schematic drawing and a Rack Layout drawing, if you add a rack-mountable product in the Block Schematic drawing, a symbol for that product will appear in the Symbols Palette at the bottom of of the Rack Layout drawing. Similarly, if you set an attribute value in the Rack drawing, that same value will appear in the same product in the Block Schematic, and the Products Grid, and everywhere else that product appears. So, 'linkage' means that regardless of where you define some data, that data is available everywhere. This is a huge advantage over AV2007 which only produced unrelated, unlinked drawing files.

My basic problem is that in larger installations, I create one huge drawing

Exactly - this was what you had to do in AV2007. In SD7 you can have as many drawings in your project as you want, and all the data is 'connected'. More accurately, each drawing is a view onto the Project database, and any changes you make are applied to that database, so a single change is represented everywhere. Big improvement.

I hope this is helpful.

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com

I tried to Export my first Cable Schedule from my Block Schematic and this is the error I got repeatedly and no success in exporting the schedule even after closing and opening the application several times:

The following details will be sent to Stardraw.com Ltd:

0fba5872-5d42-4f34-8f28-7050f6678164
4de39d0c-2fb2-4cb2-b7fa-350e37bef876
1/11/2012 3:53:34 PM
Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3
4.0.30319.239 : .NET v2.0 (Service Pack 2)
2.81.1132.0
Exception details:
NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at StardrawDesign7.ViewerControl.<>c__DisplayClass12.<ExportCableSchedule>b__11(DrawObject drawObject)
at Stardraw.Drawing.Design.Viewer.VisitDrawObject(DrawObject drawObject, Action`1 visitHandler)
at Stardraw.Drawing.Design.Viewer.VisitDrawObjectTree(IEnumerable`1 objects, Action`1 visitHandler)
at Stardraw.Drawing.Design.Viewer.VisitDrawObject(DrawObject drawObject, Action`1 visitHandler)
at StardrawDesign7.ViewerControl.ExportCableSchedule(String filename)
at StardrawDesign7.ViewerControl.ExportFileHandler(UICommand command, Object[] args)
at Stardraw.Design.UICommand.Invoke(Object[] args)
at Stardraw.Design.CommandDictionary.Invoke(String commandName, Object[] args)
at StardrawDesign7.ViewerControl.ExecuteCommand(String name, Object[] param)
at StardrawDesign7.DocumentForm.ExecuteCommandInternal(String name, Object[] param)
at StardrawDesign7.DocumentForm.exportToolStripMenuItem_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEventInteractive(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEvent(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativewindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativewindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Nativewindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Cyril,

We received your Error Report, thank you.

Can you confirm that you are running the latest version of Stardraw Design 7? What is the Build Version that appears in the Help->About dialog?

Can you try creating a new project, adding a new Block Schematic drawing, drawing a cable and then choosing Export Cable Schedule?

Does this work? How about connecting the cable to 2 block schematic symbols?

If this does work, do you know what is different between the drawing that doesn't work and this one? How was the other drawing created?

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

Can you confirm that you are running the latest version of Stardraw Design 7? What is the Build Version that appears in the Help->About dialog?

Build 12/31/2011. There are no program updates currently available.


Can you try creating a new project, adding a new Block Schematic drawing, drawing a cable and then choosing Export Cable Schedule?

I tried this with another drawing created with SD7 with the same result. The error report has been sent to you.

Does this work? How about connecting the cable to 2 block schematic symbols?

Of course the cables are connected to symbols!

If this does work, do you know what is different between the drawing that doesn't work and this one? How was the other drawing created?
It does not work with two drawings created with SD7.

Cyril,

After speaking on the phone with you today, we determined that Stardraw Design 7 does indeed work when you create a new project, add a Block Schematic Drawing, draw a cable and then export a Cable Schedule. It also works when you add products to the drawing, connect them up and export a cable schedule.

Indeed, it turns out that the problem you are seeing was limited to 2 specific drawings which you kindly emailed to me.

Upon closer examination of these files, the problem seem to be related to a strange block schematic symbol that looks as though it had originated as a symbol, but was somehow just a group of entities that looked like a symbol but didn't relate to any product. As the cable schedule assumed that what it was connected to was a product, it failed when it found it wasn't connected to a product at all.

We've now published an update to Stardraw Design 7 that deals with this exceptional case. Of course, it can't show you in the cable schedule what product the cable is connected to as it is not connected to any product, but at least it successfully saves exports all other cables.

Please do let us know if you find any other problems.

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

David,

Thanks for your call last night & update and your e-mail this morning. The Cable Schedule Export works now. I found out what the problem was. I had overlaid descriptive text (for the install team) on a Custom Panel and grouped it to keep them together. It seems that when we group text with a product symbol, SD7 no longer recognizes it as a Product Symbol. It worked like a charm as soon as I removed the Grouping. I use text overlays all the time to make it easy for the Install team. Could SD7 be modified to recognise a Product Symbol even when it is grouped with Text?

Cyril Moraes

Cyril,

The problem with grouping is that you could group any type of entity together, including other products. You could even create a group of products that are made up of other groups of products.

What I recommend you do is use the unlock tool to modify the existing text in a symbol once it is on your drawing. This way, you are not destroying or affecting the logical structure of the symbol that is used to represent the product.

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

Hi!

The Cable Label tool is designed to be the quickest and easiest way to set labels, which are often sequentially numbered, but if you want to set other attribute values 9which typically are not sequential) you should use the Properties Grid. Using the Properties Grid you can set the same attribute value(s) across a multiple selection in a single action.

-So by using the Ctrl + Shift and mark the cables i need, i can then set the attributes for all the market cables with only typing in my values in the attributes fields once?

Best regards

Robert Nilsson

DAT AB

Hi Robert,

Yes, that's exactly right.

Note you can just use Shift to add to/remove from a multiple selection.

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com