Released March 14, 2016.
The following is a list of new and updated features in Design Master Electrical 8.4. The requests from our public wish list are highlighted.
The one-line diagrams have been given a thorough upgrade in this release. These changes cover a number of requests on the wish list (request 1, request 2, request 3, request 4) as well as a whole host of improvements that were not specifically requested.
If you currently use our one-line diagrams, you are in for a treat. We smoothed out all the areas that used to cause complaints. Everything related to one-line diagrams will work just a little better now.
If you do not currently use our one-line diagrams, now is the time to give them a try. The feature has been upgraded from "pretty good" to "ridiculously awesome." They even come with a whole set of video tutorials that walk you through how to use them (nearly 2 hours worth of video in all). Learn how to use the one-line diagrams on this page.
We renamed One-Line Devices to Distribution Equipment in the user interface (menus, dialog boxes, and command line prompts). We feel that this is a better term and will be more understandable to new users. For existing users, we want you to be aware of the name change so you know where to look for commands you currently use. No functionality was changed with the new name, only the labels in the user interface.
We added commands to edit multiple pieces of distribution equipment such as panels and transformers. This feature finished the improvements to the edit multiple commands we started in the last release.
We added a Next and Previous button to the Set Fixed Loads dialog box in the Circuiting command. You can use these buttons to quickly move between circuits on a panel.
Added an option to display the conduit size at the end of the feeder callout. Previously it was limited to being displayed at the beginning of the callout. To change this option, use the DM Electrical->Customization->Options->Edit Project List command and change the Circuits, Load Types, and Wire Sizes->Conduit location option to End of wire callout. (Requested on the wish list.)
Recurring panel instances can have custom feeder sizes. You can use this custom feeder size to upsize the feeder to specific instances to handle voltage drop without upsizing the feeders to all recurring panels of that type.
We added a new Print Distribution Equipment Schedule command. This command prints a version of the schedule intended for mounting in the actual panel or switchboard. There are a number of options for the specific information to include in the schedule that is printed. (Requested on the wish list.)
Added support for BricsCAD V16. Dropped support for BricsCAD V15.
Dropped support for AutoCAD 2004, 2005, and 2006. Download the installer for AutoCAD 2004, 2005, and 2006 here.
