Saving Report Formats

ccad2509 · ‎09-08-2014

So today's idea is how reports are used in a project and how the designer/engineer utilises them

First issue when you run a report from the schematic reports menu

You are unsure which set files ACADE is currently looking at you may be in the correct one or you simply might have a requirement to generate a report in a different format for example one for internal use and another format for issued docs to your client

So it would be beneficial on the schematic reports menu to display which set file ACADE is currently using as a template when selecting a report

to generate something like in the picture below

Second issue would be either the automatic report generator loading automatically your default saved Settings from a grouping file already saved inside your project

or a new menu which shows all the default set files being used and a method of selection for the project

this will be automatically load when you open the project and be saved when you close the project

And finally to tie this all together with a setting on the copy menu to copy all set files used by the project being copied so if your emailing to a colleague etc you have the all the set files so the end user can generate reports

something like in the picture below

yes i know you can do some of this with the automatic report generator but not all this method is more flexible and adds a set of user default settings automatically to a project

Icemanau · ‎09-08-2014

You forgot the most important part in my opinion...

A PREVIEW of what columns the report is going to show, maybe with some dummy data or data taken from some random components in the current dwg. Then you would know exactly what is going to be shown in the report. This would be handy if you have three or more report formats for different circumstances that are just labelled as report1, report2, report3 and so on.

Other than that, I agree with the changes you said.

Regards Brad

ccad2509 · ‎09-08-2014

yes a preview would be good the code is there something like whats siting in the laout tab in the terminal strip editor

vikas.vaishnav · ‎11-18-2014

Thanks for your valuable feedback. The User Experience (UX) team is currently looking into your suggestion.

UX Team

userlevel6 · ‎07-14-2016

Regarding the default location for .rgf and the .set files... I've heard these are considered system files, not project files. I see this as an issue.

As it sits, creating report format files is a huge bottleneck in the workflow I envision, if I have to modify those files through the program every time I want to produce reports for a project. Plus, if I have everything set for one project, switch over to another project and have to touch all those .SET files again, then want to switch back and run reports again for the previous project say due to engineering changes, then adjust all the files again… that’s just nuts. In our networked project storage standard, where each project has it's own master folder with all documents stored beneath that tree, we would like to be able to easily repeat the automatic report function. Our .set files are configured to output Excel files, in the locations where each project is stored, not some master central location.

For our environment at least, it makes way more sense to have those files all follow the project & be stored in the same location as the project file. Then as I switch from project to project and want report function to create Excel files in their respective project folders, I don’t have to be concerned that I’m overwriting anything. So the issue becomes: how to efficiently copy the .rgf and .set files and update the folder locations they reference PER PROJECT. Just like the copy project function allows for file renaming and data changing during the process of copying to a new project, so should those report files be available to copy and modify per project.

I'm on the verge of writing code for a post-process that will accomplish this & save me the tedium of dragging each file into a notepad and modifying the paths specified within.

ccad2509 · ‎07-14-2016

Well pretty much forgot all about that it’s been 2 years and no movement by Autodesk

It’s another one of those issues which Autodesk stubbornly refuse to do anything about because it’s not deemed important enough

well the result of not being able to configure your reports and storing them in the project so it could be copied was for the company involved

with this issue decided it was a deal breaker and dumped ACADE for Eplan which does it as standard only 5 licences but what the heck

Since then I’ve contracted to 3 other companies with the express task of removing Acade and installing Eplan

Now onto my 4th and largest company which has over 100 licences in offices worldwide and will be dumping Acade over the next year

So the lesson learnt Autodesk is if you ignore functionality which your competitors have as standard it will affect your ability to sell and retain customers

but what do I know I’m being paid at the moment to dump your products for competing ones

userlevel6 · ‎07-15-2016

Took me about an hour to put this together. Built for my particular enviornment, feel free to use & modify to your needs. This reads the .rgf file and the .set files it references, and writes them to the location where my project file is stored.

-JAMCAD

(defun COPYREPSET ()
(setq JOBYEAR (getstring "\nJob Year:")
DRIVELET (getstring "\nDrive Letter (letter only):")
FOLDERROOT (getstring "\nEnter either JOBS or ARCHIVE:")
JOBNUMBER (getstring "\nJob Number:")
JOBPHASE (getstring "\nJob Phase letter:")
)
(setq JOBLOCATION (strcat DRIVELET ":/" FOLDERROOT "/" JOBYEAR "/" JOBNUMBER "/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE " Equipment/ELEC"))
;foreach SETfile and rgf, copy from default job to project folder, modify contents of each file to point to project folder.
; (vl-file-copy "J:/CADBLOCKS/ACE/default.rgf" (strcat JOBLOCATION "/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_Reports.rgf"))
; (vl-file-copy "J:/CADBLOCKS/ACE/BOM.set" (strcat JOBLOCATION "/" "BOM.set"))

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/default.rgf" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_Reports.rgf") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst JOBLOCATION "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC" currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/BOM.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_ACE_BOM.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/BOM/ACE_BOM.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/BOM_LOC.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM_LOC.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_BOM_LOC.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/BOM/BOM_LOC.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/CABLECON.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/CABLECON.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TAGS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_CABLECON.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/TAGS/CABLECON.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/CBL.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/CBL.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TAGS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_CBL.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/TAGS/CBL.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/COMP.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/COMP.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TAGS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_ACE_MURR.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/TAGS/ACE_MURR.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/NOCAT.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/NOCAT.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_NOCAT.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/BOM/NOCAT.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/PBOM_LOC.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/PBOM_LOC.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_PBOM_LOC.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/BOM/PBOM_LOC.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/PINRPT.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/PINRPT.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/DOCS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_PINRPT.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/DOCS/PINRPT.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/PJCON.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/PJCON.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/DOCS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_PJCON.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/DOCS/PJCON.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/PLC.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/PLC.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/DOCS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_PLC.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/DOCS/PLC.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/PLCCON.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/PLCCON.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/DOCS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_PLCCON.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/DOCS/PLCCON.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/PLCUSED.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/PLCUSED.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/DOCS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_PLCUSED.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/DOCS/PLCUSED.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/PUR_BOM.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/PUR_BOM.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_PUR_BOM.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/BOM/PUR_BOM.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/BOMPNL.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOMPNL.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/BOM/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_4IMPORT_PNL.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/BOM/4IMPORT_PNL.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/QPINRPT.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/QPINRPT.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/DOCS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_QPINRPT.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/DOCS/QPINRPT.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/TERM.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TERM.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TAGS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_TERM.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/TAGS/TERM.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/TERMPLAN.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TERMPLAN.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TAGS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_TERMPLAN.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/TAGS/TERMPLAN.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/WIRECON.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/WIRECON.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TAGS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_WIRECON.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/TAGS/WIRECON.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/WIREFRM2.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/WIREFRM2.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/DOCS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_WIREFRM2.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/DOCS/WIREFRM2.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

(setq tempopen (open "j:/cadblocks/ace/WIRELABEL.set" "r"))
(setq OUTFILE (open (strcat JOBLOCATION "/WIRELABEL.set") "a"))
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
(while (not (eq nil CURRLINE))
(setq newline (vl-string-subst (strcat JOBLOCATION "/TAGS/" JOBNUMBER JOBPHASE "_WIRELABEL.xls") (strcat "<drive:>/Jobs/<year>/<number>/<number><phase> EQUIPMENT/ELEC/TAGS/WIRELABEL.xls") currline))
(write-line newline OUTFILE)
(setq currline (read-line tempopen))
)
(close tempopen) (setq tempopen nil)
(close OUTFILE) (setq OUTFILE nil)

; (vl-string-subst newstring oldstring str)

); end COPYREPSET

ccad2509 · ‎07-19-2016

userlevel6

I appreciate what you’ve achieved here and salute you programming skills but this demonstrates one of the fundamental issues with ACADE

When you have to rely on the goodwill of other users to create code for features that are standard in other Ecad packages it doesn’t bode well for the future of that package

Back in 1990 Eplan released version 4.1 it had the exact ability which your are trying to achieve so those darn pesky Germans are currently 26 years ahead in implementing a feature which if you go try other Ecad package is a standard feature

The main feature of the 2016 release of Acade being the location view tab was implemented in Eplan p8 when that was released back in 2006 which puts Acade 10 years behind in that feature

And here is the one that really hurts ACADE with its slow piecemeal approach to integrating with inventor the sad thing is back in 2010 Eplan was integrated with inventor and is still doing things that Autodesk can’t do with their own ACADE to inventor link

When your opposition can integrate with you premier 3d package better than you can then something is very wrong !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

userlevel6 · ‎07-19-2016

Yep, ADESK has some problems, I won't even go down that road to argue with you. I've found myself adapting to changes over the years, usually for the better, sometimes not so much. I'm of a mind that ACAD has become far more complex than necessary, because they do listen and adapt to the hundreds of thousands of users that don't like or understand the way this or that works, and ADESK adds an "improvement."

What has kept me a fan through over 25 years though, is the open structure. Virtually every time I'm unhappy with the way something works, I can still find a way to get it to do what I want as opposed to what the program was initially designed to do. I have found ACAD to have unparalleled extensibility and customizability not found in any other package.

I will admit I've not used EPLAN. I've been disappointed too many times before by programs that say they do something and are very customizable to do what my customer wants to see, only to find out they are locking down and protecting things that I need or even just want to see done differently.

I solve my own problems with AutoCAD all the time, and have far too many years invested in it to have any desire to abandon it. Just wanted to share.

ccad2509 · ‎07-19-2016

This is the main problem with ACADE

Its primary a mechanical package modified to do electrical design it’s full of unnecessary

Functionality which is of no use at best and at worst confusing for the newbie

With other Ecad software they are designed from the ground up for electrical engineers by electrical engineers and function how you would want them to be

Take a look at this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8MWrxZ1QU

This demo first appeared nearly two years ago and at the time I counted nearly 50 features that don’t exist in then ACADE 2015 in any shape or form

Now what I can see if they actually sorted out why ACADE doesn’t like dynamic blocks and sort out the paper space issue so you could have multiple pages in one file which reports correctly

That would solve a lot of problems and add some useful features into ACADE

And this is the important point here if you’ve been exposed to all the main players in the Ecad market you can see a commonality of functionality with the notable exception being ACADE

Now this is perfectly ok if you’re different and the best but by no metric I can use can you deem ACADE the best Ecad software out there as it constantly fails on multiple fronts

I gave up with the ideas station a long time ago simply because all those users were begging Autodesk for functionality that already exists in other packages as a standard and nothing was implement except some simple fixes

And that gets us back to your skill set to make ACADE run well and be a productive tool you need to be an expert in lisp or visual basic

It may be sacrilege to those ACADE purist and certain members that lurk this board but I don’t care about lisp and VB I just want a product that works which quite often it doesn’t

Hence my rather lucrative job at the moment ripping out failed ACADE installations and installing configuring and alternative Ecad solutions

Anyway all the best i do live in hope that they will get it right one day but i think i will be dead and buried by then !!!!!!!!!!

userlevel6 · ‎07-19-2016

ACAD was built as a general drafting package, with built-in programming languages for extensibility. It was designed by programmers for engineers of all disciplines that needed scaleable graphics. That is still it's core.

It is much less per seat than eplan, but you get more built-in features with eplan. The review I read said eplan has a steeper learning curve. I suspect it isn't much different for a newbie though.

ccad2509 · ‎07-20-2016

Userlevel6

This seems to be a stock defence for ACADE when you talk to people on your side of the Atlantic

Steep learning curve well I don’t know
what it appears is that people don’t want to give up their preconceived ideas on how a cad system should work its different and does not work like a DWG based system and that scares a lot of people
Expensive another argument I constantly see but when you talk about efficiency and cost savings there is a deafening silence from the AutoCAD camp

This is the current situation

I’m currently working on an ACADE 2016 project it’s a one line diagram of a major installation it consists of nearly 2200 cables being installed in an installation the project is 15 pages covering 5 production lines that covers the whole site

This has taken me 8 weeks = 2000 man hours to build from scratch and I have only completed 3 production lines so estimated hours to completion is approx 2800 hours

After a 1 hr tutorial in Eplan to a colleague here they produced a 1000 cable one line diagram with the same amount of data in 4 days = 32 hrs

So if we break it all down and say cost in a man hour @ $30 (I don’t know rates in the states it’s just a figure to use)

2800 x $30 = $8400 for ACADE 32 x $30 = $960 for Eplan

Now 8400/2200*1000=$3819 for 1000 cable one line diagram in ACADE

You have saved the company $3819-$960 = $2859 and reduced design time from 1272 hrs down to 32hrs

This makes your company faster at design and a cheaper option to people running ACADE

how many projects do you need to do before that expensive investment pays back real money? I don’t know as accounting calculations and tax laws are different and I don’t do either that’s what I pay my accountant for

That’s why in Europe you will find small companies using Eplan and the big multinationals that can handle these massive cost overruns running ACADE but its changing

But I can’t write code for it

This is a big one because 99% of all users don’t need to write code simply because it was designed by electrical engineers for electrical engineers it has all the features you want as by default and the 1% can write VBA or C++ for those obscure things you want to do

you want to link to a wire cutting machine Eplan has a module for that
you want to link to a CNC machine Eplan Has a module for that
you want to link to Autodesk Vault yes you’ve guessed it

You want to link to PTC wind chill again theirs a module

and that doesn’t include all the standard features that do not exist in ACADE

Now that’s not the worst of it Wscad and See electrical are doing the same thing so your now in a market where 3 of the 4 main players are producing a similar look and feel and feature rich products and then you have ACADE all on its own

And it gets worse here in Europe you can download a fully functional ECAD program from RS components its limited to 15 pages but guess what it’s much cheaper option than $2000 per annum for a rental licence for ACADE

Which brings in an interesting side issue a bank will not lend money to a company with rented software as it has no assets

But a bank will lend money to a company that owns it software outright I know this to be true as I did it last year

so to wrap up ACADE needs to seriously change its game to survive in this enviroment

my crystal ball tells me at the moment if you they dont chage than ACADE will eventually retrench back to the USA as it cant compete with these other products

yuvaraj_jaganathan · ‎05-03-2022

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