Default wire length on Finish cables - D-Tools Forum

dtechy1 · 12-17-2007, 08:33 PM

How come my finish cables (HDMI, A/V, Component, etc) have my default wire lengths of my Rough in cables. My cheapy $7.00 3" A/V cable comes up as $420.00. I used to be able to go into the Specifications tab and change the wire length back to 1 but now I can't even change it. The block is protected some how.

Help please...!

**Kevin Mikelonis** · 12-17-2007, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by dtechy1

How come my finish cables (HDMI, A/V, Component, etc) have my default wire lengths of my Rough in cables. My cheapy $7.00 3" A/V cable comes up as $420.00. I used to be able to go into the Specifications tab and change the wire length back to 1 but now I can't even change it. The block is protected some how.

Help please...!

Hey Mate!

Seems there are numerous bugs or oversights, or new discoveries on things removed that have new homes SI5 Vs SI4 in this one issue you are having.

You can fix this issue in the project datamatrix if you have the wire length column displayed...just type in '1' over the current length.

To stop this from occuring in the project as you add more finsh wires, go to D-TOOLS SETUP and Select the Finish Phase.

You will most likely see that the box 'Show head end dialog for wire' is checked, this is causing D-Tools to think your finish wires are bulk wire and need a length as if you are running it to the head-end.

You will then need to 'reset' the phase default in the finish phase for the project by going to D-TOOLS>OPTIONS and select the Finsh Phase and the 'Reset default'

Seems like the checkbox for 'Show head-end dialog should' would be visible in the phase of the project itself, but I cannot see it...OVERSIGHT? D-TOOLS? Ignore labor is there, why is the Head-end dialog option missing?

I have lost the ability to follow the bugs from release to release as they are unpredictable and numerous, but I am certain this same thing happened to a project I was working on after upgrading from SI5.SP3 to SI5.1, or maybe before.

BUG ALERT - FIXED WITH SI5.1? NOT SURE - TOO BUG WEARY TO KEEP TESTING EVERY LITTLE THING.

Using a database that I know did not have 'Head end dialog' checked in the finish phase, I had a project using the default wire length for finsh phase wire items.

It somehow changed on its own most likely after an upgrade or patch, we saw the same behavior you are having now.

I am assuming this just started happening to you, as I have seen you numerous posts previously and believe you to be an active SI5 user, and therefore would have run across this before.

I believe phases had some sort of ID issue once they arrive in a project, that was part of an issue we had not being able to adjust wire length in packages, as i recall from Naresh.

Forgive me for all the details and assumptions, I am just trying to be as helpful in one reply.

Best-

dtechy1 · 12-17-2007, 11:47 PM

Hi Kevin

Thanks for the great reply. I had actually noticed it even before the 5.1 upgrade but was able to fix it right from the project. Just highlighted the particular cable in the project; right clicked and selected edit then adjusted the wire length to "1". I can still do that and see that the wire length is at "60'" but it won't allow me to change it .

I will try your solutions above and let you know if it works.

Thanks again,

dtechy1 · 12-18-2007, 03:43 AM

Yes the Wire Head End was checked so I unchecked it and reset it. For the most part it worked except for a couple stubborn HDMI cables. Sooo I changed them temporarly to Trim and replaced them in the project, which worked, then I changed them back to Finish and replaced them in the project again, which also worked.

I have to start a new project so I will keep monitoring.

Thanks for your help again, much appreciated!

**Kevin Mikelonis** · 12-18-2007, 02:44 PM

Good News!

Strange how this happened, as it should not have.

Got any ideas umm dev team?

RandyB · 01-17-2008, 01:17 AM

There were a couple of things going on here that may have caused this:

1) The initial sample database shipped with the SI5.0 CD had the "Show Head-End Dialog for wires in this phase" checked for the Finish phase, so Finish phase wires acted like bulk wires. Correcting this per Kevin's instructions solves this problem. New users will not experience this as this issue was fixed long ago.

2) SI4 databases have a field for phases called "Wire Action" which is not used in SI5. When Wire Action = "Head-End", wires in this phase are considered bulk and all prices/costs/hours are multiplied by length.

Prior to 5.1, there was a bug in SI5 that caused phases with Wire Action=(blank) or "No Action" to act like bulk wires. When this was fixed, the behavior for these phases changed. Only copied SI4 databases are affected since only SI4 databases have these Wire Action values.

In both cases, the solution is to edit the phase in Setup, and select/deselect the checkbox accordingly. This will update the Wire Action and ensure correct functionality going forward.

This issue should be resolved in 5.1 and no further changes are scheduled.

Best regards,

Randy Bownds
Program Manager
D-Tools, Inc.

**Kevin Mikelonis** · 01-17-2008, 06:40 PM

Randy-

Thanks for the follow-through on this.

I could not see any consistency to when this occurred and when it did not.

As a CP working with many databases and D-Tools users, we handle databases that come from many forms and versions of SI4 and SI5.

You have cleared up why we could not follow this and saw it many different ways.