The Update on February 8th has dramatically changed the ways that I can position the cable labels within a drawing (I can no longer place the labels away from the cables!), as well as removed the option for near, far or center positioning. This upgrade has left me at a stand still on some of my drawings and completely impeded my ability to label cables the way I please. I do not understand the purpose of this upgrade at all. It has not added any new feature, instead it has only restricted existing ones.
I really need the ability to place labels where I freely will them to be.

-Eris Fellmeth

Fellmeth@controLED.de

Eris,

You can still position the labels anywhere you want. This functionality has not changed at all.

What did change was the automatic alignment of the labels.

For example, if a cable is drawn from left to right, the alignment of the start label is left aligned and the end label is right aligned.

If a cable is drawn from right to left, the alignment of the start label is right aligned and the end label is left aligned.

This was a real problem before because the labels were aligned so that the start label was ALWAYS left aligned and the end label was ALWAYS right aligned and you had to edit the properties of these label alignments for every cable drawn this way.

Of course, if a cable has a "C" shape - where it connected an Input to an Input or an Output to an Output then you would ALWAYS have to change one of the alignment properties.

Now, with automatic alignment, Stardraw will correctly align the label depending upon the direction of the first and last segments of the cable.

Are you saying that you want the alignment of the labels to be different? Could you explain why this is needed?

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

Hello David,

I believe that I have found a glitch. I cannot position the label past the end of the cable that it pertains to; when the cable is perfectly horizontal at either end.

For example: In the PDF I attached
If I am to create a simple straight line cable (from Left to Right) with a label at the start and at the end (labels illustrated in black; location of where I would like the lables to be are illustrated in red text) as in the PDF.
I cannot position the Black label on the right where the Red text on the right is, nor can I position the Black label on the left where the Red text on the left is. However if I can accomplish moving the Black label on the right to where the red label on the left is.

thanks,

-Eris Fellmeth

Fellmeth@controLED.de

Eris,

Thanks for reporting this.

We are working on a fix for positioning the start and end labels beyond the horizontal extents of the cable.

As discussed on the phone, you don't have a requirement to manually set the alignments of each of the cable labels.

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

Eris,

I'm pleased to say that we have now published an update to Stardraw Design 7 that fixes the glitch that you reported regarding positioning cable labels beyond the end of horizontal cables.

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

Hi David,

I've tested out the new update, and I'm currently finishing up a drawing with the new features.
I must say that I am very impressed that you guys had managed to fix the glitch and release the update; within 24 hours!

However I really underestimated the importance of label alignment... My work load is now so much more, since I must by hand grab and center all the labels using the snap-settings (or disabling the snap settings). At first I thought that copying my cables then appending changes would work just fine; but still, when many labels contain a different amount of charters (Letters &/or numbers) centering them to (for example) vertical cables, is very time consuming.
Where as before I would only need to select center.

As well, it seems now that label positioning depends on the direction that the cable is drawn.
The start Labels always align Left and the end Labels are always align right. Therefore cables drawn from Left to Right will have Labels on the inside and cables drawn for Right to Left will have labels on the outside.



-Eris Fellmeth

Fellmeth@controLED.de

Eris,

We've made some further tweaks to the automatic cable label alignment that should fix the issues you have reported.

Please test and let us know if you find any other problems.

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

Hi David,

I'm a big fan of the new changes regarding labels defaulting to the inner part of the cable. It's so much better than before.
Still my work load it much more with out the ability to align to center, left or right

Check out my screen shot.

-Eris Fellmeth

Fellmeth@controLED.de

Eris,

So, is this only a problem because you have vertical connections?

The Stardraw Data Specification of Symbols for the Block Schematic Environment have no vertical connections. Inputs are on the left and Outputs are on the right.

Is the only change you want to do is if the segment is vertical, then the associated label should be centered?

David Snipp
Stardraw.com Ltd

Hi David,
Thank you for your patience with my some-what unorthodox usages.

Yes, vertical connections are something that we often use, especially with 24 & 48 Port switches (which we use allot!)

Also a great reason for why we use StarDraw, is to convey wire-run diagrams to companies hundreds of miles away. To do this the drawings must be easy to read and very pictorial.
Using CAD Dwg home layouts we recreate wire runs, cable labels, TV locations, spkr locations so on and so forth.

Please take a look at the following attached screen shots to see what I mean (these Cable run diagrams are very important to us; in fact we won't even commence a Schematic drawing until the architect approves the locations and the electricians or who ever is pulling the cables also approves).

thanks,

-Eris Fellmeth

Fellmeth@controLED.de