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Reappearing loads on a circuit

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Message 1 of 4
Bryce_M
652 Views, 3 Replies

Reappearing loads on a circuit

I am using AutoCAD MEP 2011, and am having an issue with ghost loads appearing in our panel schedules.

 

Here's the details: We have several large motors on one of our plans, and at some point during the project we found that the loads had all doubled. The circuit report indicated that there were twice as many devices on the circuit than there should be. We originally attempted to delete the circuits in question, re-add them, then recircuit the devices to them. Initially this seemed to have fixed it, however, the next day the loads were again reporting being twice what they should be.

 

I am thinking that there is a duplicate sheet somewhere that the load database is looking at, but I've opened every .dwg file in the project folder and cannot find any other sheet that the load might be on.

 

Is there any way to check what files a circuit is looking at? Does anyone have any ideas as to what else might be happening here? We've tried all we can think of.

3 REPLIES 3
Message 2 of 4
Keith.Brown
in reply to: Bryce_M

Try the bldsyspurge command after deleting the items.  It should completely delete them from your project.

Message 3 of 4

In each of your electrical files, in the Electrical Settings, you set the path to the EPD file.  It gives you an option to do Full Path (default) or Relative Path.  ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS choose Relative path.

 

What happens most often, is that a project is archived or backed up.  When all electrical files are set to full path, that path does not change when duplicated (Archived).  So now you have twice as many files (circuits & loads) pathed to a single EPD file thru the full original path. 

 

If you set each electrical file to use Relative Path, then when the project is archived, the duplicate files finds the EPD relative to the archive, not the original EPD file.

 

There was one other way this is caused.  I have been seeing this issue more frequent in support and I'm hoping to save those who read this some trouble.  IT departments have been installing DFS software on the office servers.  DFS (Document File Service), creates mapped drives and duplicates files across multiple offices for synchronization.  Autodesk does NOT support DFS services.  Thay only means our software was not designed for them and they are untested.  There are many brands/platforms out there.  Untested means we do not know what all the possible issues you may encounter will be.  We see these issues here in support and do our best to help.  In the end, the solution is to add any CAD dwg folders to an exemption list or remove the DFS service.  From what we have encountered, some DFS platforms will trick the software into "seeing" two file paths.  The mapped path and the original UNC domain path.  This is unexpected behavior and the software treats it as two different files, instead of one file with two ways to express the file path. So it sees double-loads, despite there being one electrical set of files.

 

When you launch an electrical file that has double-loads, do you get that message: that says some files were not found, do you want to purge the electrical circuit data from the EPD?  That message, also shows the files and their paths that it wants to remove circuit info for.  When you have a DFS and it's duplicating  the file paths (and loads), you can look at the path in that dialog.  You will see a mapped path and a full UNC domain path, both leading to the same file.  It's a symptom of the DFS service and a good thing to look for if you suspect the IT department has one installed.  WARNING:  If you move the files, you break all paths.  You would then have to open each drawing, select each device and point it back to the circuit and panel.  Otherwise it shows no load.  If you move a whole database of electrical files, that can be costly.  It's better to leave the electrical files in-place, and remove the DFS, or exempt those folders from the DFS service, but leave them where they are to not break their file paths. 

 

Hope this helps,

Joshua

 

 


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Joshua Benoist, PE
Senior Premium Services Specialist
Global Services
Autodesk, Inc.

Message 4 of 4
Bryce_M
in reply to: Joshua.Benoist


@Joshua.Benoist wrote:

 

There was one other way this is caused.  I have been seeing this issue more frequent in support and I'm hoping to save those who read this some trouble.  IT departments have been installing DFS software on the office servers.  DFS (Document File Service), creates mapped drives and duplicates files across multiple offices for synchronization.  Autodesk does NOT support DFS services.  Thay only means our software was not designed for them and they are untested.  There are many brands/platforms out there.  Untested means we do not know what all the possible issues you may encounter will be.  We see these issues here in support and do our best to help.  In the end, the solution is to add any CAD dwg folders to an exemption list or remove the DFS service.  From what we have encountered, some DFS platforms will trick the software into "seeing" two file paths.  The mapped path and the original UNC domain path.  This is unexpected behavior and the software treats it as two different files, instead of one file with two ways to express the file path. So it sees double-loads, despite there being one electrical set of files.

 

When you launch an electrical file that has double-loads, do you get that message: that says some files were not found, do you want to purge the electrical circuit data from the EPD?  That message, also shows the files and their paths that it wants to remove circuit info for.  When you have a DFS and it's duplicating  the file paths (and loads), you can look at the path in that dialog.  You will see a mapped path and a full UNC domain path, both leading to the same file.  It's a symptom of the DFS service and a good thing to look for if you suspect the IT department has one installed.  WARNING:  If you move the files, you break all paths.  You would then have to open each drawing, select each device and point it back to the circuit and panel.  Otherwise it shows no load.  If you move a whole database of electrical files, that can be costly.  It's better to leave the electrical files in-place, and remove the DFS, or exempt those folders from the DFS service, but leave them where they are to not break their file paths. 

 

Hope this helps,

Joshua

 



Very interesting. We have always been sure to use the Relative path option since we've heard the stories of the issues fixed paths can cause, but knowing that our syncing software could be causing issues is something to keep in mind. In the end, Keith.Brown's solution worked for us, but it sounds like the syncing or backup software probably was the root cause of it.

 

 

Thank you both for your input,

 

Bryce

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