This Is the 2Nd Issue of the New IRRICAD News Column, Produced by AEI Software, the Makers

Issue No. 2

This is the 2nd Issue of the new IRRICAD News Column, produced by AEI Software, the makers of IRRICAD™

Welcome to IRRICAD news. This newsletter is produced every six months to inform you what is on the IRRICAD and FastQuote horizon, tips to make using IRRICAD™ programs even easier and giving ideas how to go about a particular job. If you have a short article or tip you would like to contribute or ideas of what you would like to see in forth coming newsletters please pass these on to your IRRICAD or FastQuote support team.

Hot Tips

IRRICAD 7.33 and FastQuote 3.33 have been released. The new version has many new features such as:

-the ability to import bitmap files – great for those aerial photographs! Just scan them, save a .bmp file and import (File|Import Bitmap)

-modified digitizing to allow selection of drawing and settings options from the right click menu and toggling Tablet mode on and off

-being able to use the AutoCAD color palette in IRRICAD for better translation of colors when importing and exporting files

-an option to create permanent pipe junctions when creating pipes, spraylines and tapes

-enter and design 'bent tapes' in IRRICAD. Used to draw tapes around contours.

-a Move Point tool has been added so you are now able to move the end points of lines, corners of polygons or points along a polyline

Upgrades are always available from our website. Upgrading may solve a particular problem you are having or may have the new feature you've been waiting for. We keep a 'Wishlist' here – if there is anything you would like to see in future versions of IRRICAD and FastQuote please let us know!

Miscellaneous Costs

Are you aware that you can still add Misc. costs in V7 and V3? If you click on a junction and select Change and then click on the Show Fittings button you can add Misc. items. E.g. if you want to add 5 valve boxes from the Misc. component group in the database you would select 5 valve boxes to be added. Or you could globally select all outlets for example and select 1 riser to be added to each. Be aware though, that if Fitting Selection is re-run, these changes will be deleted. Note that there is also a limit of 40 different fittings allowed at one point.

Naming and Numbering

If you delete a control valve and the numbering of the valves continues from the last one placed (even though this may be the one you deleted!) you can select Default Names from the right click menu before placing the valve and edit the numbering to what you require. If you have deleted a few valves you can reset where the numbering is to start from in Settings|Names.

Default Names is also handy if you which to use a name other than the default zone name e.g. Zone no. 1, etc. but do not wish to permanently change the default zone name. Select the control valve, but before you place it select Default Names from the right click menu and type in the new name e.g. Block ~~~. Now place your valves. All the zone names will be Block 1, Block 2 etc. until you choose another tool. You can do this for another series of control valves you are to place, however, first go to Settings|Names and set the numbering to start from 1 and then select the control valve, change the Default name and place the next set e.g. Orchard 1, Orchard 2. It's easy!

Plotting Part of your Plan

If you wish to plot only part of your plan, check the Keep Fills check box when creating the Plot Layout. This ensures that a fill is placed under the legend area and around the outside of the border so that parts of your plan are not plotted where it is not wanted. Remember to place fills in these areas when modifying or creating your own plot templates.

Designing Tapes under Flushing

Need to design a tape system under flushing conditions? Look up the section in the manual called Advancing (IRRICAD only). This section explains how to emulate tapes as spraylines. Spraylines allow a submain on both ends, but currently tapes do not.

Using Layers to Your Advantage

Default layers have been set up so objects of different types are automatically separated into different layers. This means that Zone pipes are automatically placed on a ZONE_PIPES layer, imported elevation data is placed on an ELEVATIONS layer, Water Supplies are placed on the MISC_HYDRAULIC layer, unless you specify otherwise.

In some circumstances you may wish to separate the items on one layer so that some items can be turned off while others are left on. When importing elevation layers from a DXF file, there may be two layers with the information, for example POS_Minor and POS_ Major. These layers can be selected to import at the same time (hold the Ctrl key down while selecting). All the elevation data will be placed on the ELEVATIONS layer. If you wish to have these two layers imported on to two different layers so one can be turned off while the other is left on, import the layers separately. If POS_Minor is imported first, go to Settings|Layers and create a new layer by clicking the New button. Give it name such as POS_Minor.

Select all the contours (Tools|Select|…) and by using Change Type click on a contour and select the new layer to move the contours to. In the Change / Match dialog uncheck Height in the Match column but have Layer checked in both the Match and Change columns. Now import the POS_Major layer. These contours can remain in the ELEVATIONS layer or you can move them if you wish.

You may have imported a layer that contains both contours and spot heights. It is not uncommon to want to turn the spot heights off while leaving the contours on. The spot heights can be moved to another layer. You may wish to create a new layer to move the spot heights to. In Settings|Layers click the New button and give the new layer a name.

To avoid selecting items you don’t want to move, use the Selection Filter. Select ELEVATIONS as the Layer and Spot Height as the Type.

Make sure all other fields are <ALL>. This means that items which are only on the ELEVATIONS layer and which are Spot Heights can be selected. Use Tools|Select|All and Change Type to select the new layer as the layer which all the spot heights will be moved. In the Change / Match dialog uncheck Match Height but have Layer and checked for both the Match and Change columns.

Change Mode

Double clicking on an object brings up the change dialog!

Rectangle dimensions can be changed in the Change dialog. Edit the width and height as required (DOS users will appreciate the return of this option).

Enabling Selection Only of Required Objects

Have you ever tried to select an outlet or valve and IRRICAD seems to always select the pipe instead? This is okay if you use Select Object before invoking the modifying tool you wish to use, but if you are in Change mode or Delete mode it is always nice to get the right item selected the first time!

If you have not discovered the Selection Filter yet let me tell you about it. You will find this tool in the Tools menu under Selection Filter.

You can specify a particular layer, a particular color, a particular line width or type, a particular type of object or a group of objects for the selection filter to select.

If you are trying to click on a control valve you could set the layer to CONTROL_VALVES and check the Filter check box. Now only control valves (or only items in the CONTROL_VALVES layer) can be selected. This is also great if you want to change all your valves to a different valve, just use Tools|Select|All and Tools|Change type to click on a valve – only the valves will be highlighted.

FAQ's and Upgrades on the Web

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions on our web site to solve minor problems and get help on how to troubleshoot certain messages. If the answer isn't found there, feel free to contact your IRRICAD Support team for specific help.

Visit our Upgrades page on our web site The latest versions are IRRICAD 7.33 and IRRICAD FastQuote 3.33, which are available for downloading from our web site.

Note the new upgrades are always available from the web site so that it easy for you to upgrade. Check this regularly to upgrade your current version.

New Manuals

New manuals have been produced to reflect the changes and new features in the programs. These manuals can be purchased from your IRRICAD dealer, or the PDF files downloaded from the website. New on-line Help files can be downloaded separately from the upgrade installation.

Newsletters

Forgotten what was in the last issue and you can't find it? These newsletters are also made available to download from our website.

Current Projects

What goes into the upgrades is heavily influenced by what you, as IRRICAD users, tell us you want. At the IAA Show in May the message was loud and clear that you wanted to be able to enter and design curved or bent tapes. If you want IRRICAD to do something for you that it doesn't currently do let us know.

Jo and the IRRICAD Team