Speakers and Wire Auto-Connect? - D-Tools Forum

David_Haddad · 04-28-2009, 02:18 AM

My memory is fuzzy on this but I know that when I used to drag a speaker and/or speaker wire onto the schematic page they would auto-connect to one another if they were already connected on a floor plan page. Is that functionality gone now or is there a different way to do it?

**Kevin Mikelonis** · 04-28-2009, 03:17 AM

You remember correctly David.

In 5.5, drag an equipment or speaker onto a schematic page and you get the wire that is attached to it in plan view, but its not connected to the shape.

I am glad to have the wire, so I know it is the right wire, and do not have to cross reference the plan view, but it would be nice to have it already connected to the shape in the case that a user might drag multiple shapes onto a schematic page.

In 5.5, drag an equipment item onto the page with wires connected to it in another schematic page and you get all the wires connected to the item block on previous pages.

It is common practice among power users that engineering large projects to create a schematic page for each category of signal type, a Video Schematic, an Audio Schematic, a Control Schematic, a Power Schematic.

When I drag an equipment item onto a schematic page which is already on another schematic page, it is most often to show connections of different signal types using different wires.

So I end up deleting all the attached wires that come in and adding the wires for the appropriate signal types.

The wait time for the schematic block to appear on the page increases with each set of schematics pages completed because more wires are connected.

Ideal action for schematic pages to fit our use case:

Drag in an item already shown on plan view, include connected wire shown on plan view

Drag in an item shown on a schematic page, do not include

I am sure there will be some dissenters as there are variables in each case, but I like to see tools work for what I do 'most all the time'

And most all the time, I have to track and connect wires on plan views that are not already connected to their shape

And most all the time, I am waiting for schematic shapes to appear due to the number of connected wires on previous pages, only to delete them, and then select the apprpriate wires for that page.

David_Haddad · 04-29-2009, 10:46 PM

Thanks Kevin.

08-07-2009, 07:42 PM

It would also be nice if it could connect both ends of the speaker wire if both speakers are dropped in at once. working both ways for me, i do my schematics before the layouts in digital format. Cause I work on the layout on paper first.

Also is there a way to break the Cable ties on a global project basis?