Creating equipment items automatically
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Command |
Workspace: Path |
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Create Equipment |
Design Suite: Entertainment > ConnectCAD Layout Spotlight: Spotlight > ConnectCAD Layout ConnectCAD: ConnectCAD > Layout |
The Create Equipment command automatically creates an equipment item for each of the unique devices in the designated layer or layers, placing it on the active layer. The devices must have a Device Name. If an equipment item already exists for the device, it is not duplicated.
Equipment items are not created from virtual devices created with the Device Builder tool.
If a schematic device has the same name as a Spotlight lighting device or distributor, no equipment item is created for that device.
Before creating equipment items, you can assign each device to a layout room (see Creating a layout room) and/or an equipment rack (see Creating layouts) by specifying the device Location parameters (Room, Rack, and Rack U) on the Object Info palette (see Device parameters). You can also assign each device to a space object (see Creating spaces with the Space tool) by specifying the space object's Name from the Data tab of the Object Info palette as the device's Room value (by default, the space object's Name from the Data tab matches the Space Number parameter from the Shape tab). When you create equipment items from the devices, the items are placed in the designated locations.
You can also assign locations to devices created from a worksheet (see Creating devices from a worksheet). If the worksheet already contains location data, when the equipment items are created, they are placed in the designated locations.
To automatically create equipment items and, if desired, place them in their assigned locations:
Optionally, assign each device to a location (layout room, equipment rack, and/or space; see Device parameters).
Navigate to the layer where the equipment items will be created.
Select the command.
The Create Equipment dialog box opens.
Click to show/hide the parameters.Click to show/hide the parameters.
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Parameter |
Description |
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Layer list |
Select the layers with devices to create as equipment items. A check mark in the Use column indicates that the layer will be included. |
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Selected devices only |
Only creates equipment items from selected devices on the indicated layers |
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Select All Layers/Deselect All Layers |
Either select all of the layers, or deselect all of the layers |
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Get 3D symbols for equipment (slower) |
Downloads the 3D equipment item symbol that corresponds to the device, if the symbol exists. If a 3D equipment symbol does not exist, a default shape is automatically selected. |
Equipment items are created for each unique device and placed in the specified locations on the current layer. Keep the following points in mind about equipment placement.
When equipment items are created, the Location parameters in the device's Object Info palette become read only. If the equipment items or devices are moved, the Location parameters are automatically updated.
If only a room has been specified, the equipment items are placed around the edge of the layout room. If the room is too small for all the equipment items, the items will overlap each other.
If a rack has been specified and a rack U position has been selected, the equipment items are placed in the assigned positions. If other equipment items already occupy the same position, the new equipment items are placed one rack unit below the rack.
If a rack has been specified but a rack U has not been selected, the equipment items are stacked below the rack. Starting at one rack unit below the rack, each new equipment item is placed one rack unit below the previous one.
If no location parameters have been specified, the equipment items are placed around the outer drawing area. Rack-mounting equipment is stacked vertically on the left of the drawing, and non-rack-mount equipment is placed in a horizontal array along the top of the drawing.
If needed, move the equipment items into the layout rooms, equipment racks, and/or spaces, or into the model layer to connect them to a drop point/cable route network; see Placing equipment.
If a specified room, rack, rack U position, or space does not exist, when you select the Create Equipment command, the Missing Locations dialog box opens and displays the devices that have not become equipment items and the missing locations (in red).
Do one of the following:
Click Create Anyway to create equipment items and place them in the drawing area. You can move the items into layout rooms, racks, and/or spaces.
Click OK to ignore the missing locations. Equipment items are not created for the devices.
