I have used OmniCad 3 or 4 years ago but I hated it, way too kludgy and hard to use, especially when you try to change a layout. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 10:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Design software
Being able to do nothing about stacked text and nodes in HydraCAD is completely false. You can move text and nodes at will. There are a few tricks to doing it properly but nothing difficult at all. The key is to make sure all your calcs are complete for the entire job before you start moving the text and nodes around. If you don't, what you previously moved will be put back into it's original position once the calcs export the data back to the drawings. Also in order to stocklist in HydraCAD typically not every line and main needs to be tagged. If you are listing a tree system for example with grooved fittings and welded outlets for the mains and threaded branch lines you could list this system with only one pipe tag. In my opinion the drawings produced by AutoSprink looked terrible. Different text sizes all over the drawings. When pipes crossed I could never tell which one was on top without looking at elevation tags. AutoSprinks calc sheets in my opinion were not very good either. I always had a heck of a time trying to read them. But I must admit that all the drawings I've seen and reviewed were done by the same contractor so it could just be their inability to use the program correctly. As said before it's all what your used to. I haven't heard anyone mention FireAcad or OmniCADD. Is anyone still using them? Matt |---------+----------------------------------------> | | <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | | | Sent by: | | | [EMAIL PROTECTED]| | | prinkler.org | | | 02/15/2007 09:14 AM | | | Please respond to | | | sprinklerforum | |---------+----------------------------------------> >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------| | | | | | To| | <[email protected]> | | cc| | | | Subject| | RE: Design software | | | | | | | | | | | | | >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------| Our fitters hated the Hydracad produced drawings simply because the design houses that produced them would not take time to make sure their drawings were legible. They hated the nodes on the dwgs because they created unnecessary clutter but the design houses we used said they couldn't do anything about the stacked text or nodes. Needless to say we never used them again. I always felt if design was the main product of your company, shouldn't the designer want it to be the best looking product out there? Apparently it's more about turning a fast buck than producing anything usable. One place had so many disclaimer notes it was just ridiculous. Basically they didn't coordinate with any other discipline, didn't guarantee elevations or routings would work and just put the whole effort upon the installers. Their drawings were good for a permit submittal and then for absorbing oil under the truck, not much else. We did have one guy who used straight Autocad and Hass, none of our guys ever complained about his designs, it was obvious that he took some pride in what went out on the street with his name on it. It all comes down to what you want people to say about the design you produce. Yeah, ask the fitters, but be ready to get an earful, they usually aren't shy about giving their opinions. Here's an idea. If you're a design house, how about sending out a questionnaire with each design and ask the installers some pointed questions about the ease of following your design, accuracy, legibility, etc. Might get some interesting feedback good, bad or otherwise. Craig L. Prahl, CET Fire Protection Group Mechanical Department CH2MHILL Lockwood Greene 1500 International Drive PO Box 491, Spartanburg, SC 29304-0491 Direct - 864.599.4102 Fax - 864.599.8439 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.lg.com _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. 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