6.6.2013
Minor fixes.
3.6.2013
Current page can be switched without using the panel „Pages“. Keys PgUp and PgDn switch to the previous and to the next page.
24.5.2013
Pressing the space bar brings up a dialog box. Enter the search term into the text box (1). Symbols and folders containing the search term will appear in the list (2). Double click a symbol to insert it into the drawing. Double click a folder (yellow rectangle) to display its contents. The name of the selected folder will appear at the top of the window (3). The button (4) switches to the parent folder of the current folder.
Right-click to display a context menu that allows two actions:
Added support for the new DWG 2013 and DXF 2013 formats.
26.4.2013
16.4.2013
Symbols can be provided with a text description - attributes. The attributes can be created using link Attributes in the bottom part of the panel Properties (appears after you double-click on the symbol).
A dialog window will appear where you can specify the attribute name, its value and visibility in the drawing.
The attribute names can content only letters and numbers, cannot start with a number and are advised to start with a capital letter.
To avoid specify attributes for each symbol separately, the program allows you to predefine attributes for symbols according to the group they belong to. Group attributes can be specified using command menu File – Library Configuration. A dialog window will appear with symbols library. Choose a symbol group on the left side. Specify attributes on the right.
The attribute value can be left empty or filled with a value that will be used most. Every symbol that will be inserted in the drawing will get attributes of its group and all its parent groups. Attributes that will be added to the group “ProfiCAD Library" will be assigned to all symbols. Use menu command View - reread symbols to apply the changes in the symbols library.
Specification of components was equipped with a new button Columns that allows you to define which attributes will be a part of the bill of material.
The list (1) contents the predefined values. The text field (2) allows you to add attribute values into the bill of material. The columns names are case sensitive. The list (3) contains chosen columns that will appear in the bill of material.
Buttons (4) allow changing the column order. The button (5) allows to remove a column and buttons (6) change alignment of columns in the specification of components.
In the bottom part of the dialog window you can save the configuration under a name and use it later again.
How to save a configuration: Write a name into the field (7) and press an arrow on the right side from the field.
How to open a configuration: Choose the name of configuration from the list (8).
How to change a configuration: Choose the name of configuration from the list (8), make changes in the upper part of the dialog window and press an arrow on the right side from the field (7).
How to delete a configuration: Choose the name of configuration from the list (8) and press the button on the right side from it.
8.3.2013
Shapes of the wire endings are determined by the software automatically. Should you need to change them later, you can do so in the Properties panel.
28.2.2013
The Search panel allows searching for wires (conductors).
26.2.2013
22.2.2013
New Search panel allows you to search for symbols, texts and graphic objects (if they contain text).
Type in the search term in the search box (1). You can switch to the results area (2) using the arrow down key. The object that you select in the search results area will be highlighted in the drawing.
Search is performed in all pages and in all layers of the drawing. This differs from the Explorer panel, which displays only the objects from the current page and layer.
If you click on a group of symbols in the panel on the left hand side, the palette of symbols will be locked to that group.
This prevents accidental display of another group.
The group will unlock automatically in a few seconds.
The program now uses a new icon:
You can set the language in F12 - Others - Language. Do not forget to restart ProfiCAD.
If automatic updates are turned on (command F12 - Others - Check for updates), the program will update itself. There is no need to run installer.
22.1.2013
Cross references between the component parts are clickable. Clicking on the link navigates you to the linked page.
For better overview we advise you to set cross reference font to look like hyperlinks, i.e. blue colour and underlined. It can be done in Program settings, F12 - Document - Fonts.
Using the menu that appears after right-clicking on the symbol, you can add any symbol from the graphical panel Symbols to the panel Favourites.
1.1.2013
Draw an arc using the button and select type of the arrow in the Properties panel.
The direction of the arrow can be changed by clicking on the link flip arrow in the bottom part of the Properties panel.
Arrowheads can only be added to circular arcs, not to elliptical. You can draw a circular arc by holding the Ctrl key.
18.12.2012
New menu command File - Purge lets you remove unused objects (definitions of symbols and images) from the drawing and thus reduce the size of the drawing on the disc.
8.11.2012
The program allows dividing the symbols library into several sets for easier work. You can switch between the sets using a drop down menu above groups of symbols (see picture).
The new installations of the program have the library divided into three sets: "electronics", "electrical installations" and "others". You can divide your library in any other way as would suit you.
How to divide the library
You can also download the divided library from here with the benefit of having the latest symbols.
Following the export of a drawing (in graphic formats or DXF), a dialog box will appear with a list of the output files. For multiple page drawings, a file will be created for each page of the drawing. You can preview the file by double clicking on the output file.
When you click the Compress button, you can zip all the output files into one. The Open in Explorer button displays the output directory in Windows Explorer.
Two new system variables are available for the title blocks: {_file} for the file name of the drawing, and {_path} for the full path of the drawing.
If you are already using version 7, just enable the automatic updates (F12 - Others - Check for updates) and restart ProfiCAD. If you have an older version, download and install from this page.
3.10.2012
If drawing a line or a link you draw a diversion and want to cancel it, press the backspace key.
Tab F12 - Fonts allows you to set your own font for cross-references. There is also a new option to set the color of the text for all types of labels in the drawings.
Some symbols can be color filled. This concerns symbols, which have closed areas, like circles, ellipses, rectangles, polygons, sections and slices of a circle.
The fill color is set in the Properties panel or (if you want to color fill more symbols) using the command Object - fill color. The areas that have been colored in the editor of symbols, keep their original color.
When filling a symbol with color, it may happen that some lines disappear, because they are covered by the colored area. In that case, open the symbol (right click on the mouse in the panel of symbols) and change the order of objects in the Explorer panel. Put the closed areas at the top of the list, so that they do not cover other objects.
Some symbols have been modified to allow you to fill them with color. You may download them here.
5.9.2012
The format of the cross references can be adjusted by entering a formula in F12 - Symbols. The formula can contain these variables:
examples:
22.8.2012
Use command File - Print Drawings to print multiple drawings at once. Use the "Setup" button to select a different printer.
If you select a PDF converter as a printer, you can use this function for bulk export to the PDF format.
29.7.2012
The new panel "Documents" allows you to preview documents without opening them.
It works similarly to the Symbols panel- , just hover the mouse over a directory name. The panel shows documents from a directory (path) which is listed in the F12 - paths tab. The panel does not show documents that are located directly on the specified path. You need to create subgroups (directories) for each group of documents.
For example, if the path to the documents is "D:\drawings\", you need to create several subdirectories, e. g. "D:\drawings\Project1\", "D:\drawings\Project2\" etc. and place your drawings into them.
A document can be opened by clicking on the thumbnail of the document. A right-click menu appears with the item "to create a similar document." If you often create similar documents, you can create a document as a template and then create documents as a copy of the template.
Labels of symbols are now placed to the left of the symbols. If you prefer the old location to the right of the symbols, you can set this option in F12 - Symbols.
Previously, each symbols had two labels assigned: type and value. Since version 7 the labels are called reference and type:
The term reference stands for "reference designation" according to the norm EN 61082-1, Article 5.20
The figure shows the new bill of material
When you check the "Group" checkbox, the number of pieces of each item is displayed.
The new panel "Pages" allows you to create multipage documents. The icon of the panel represents a drawing in a spiral binding.
Each page has a short name (recommended length is 4 characters) that appears in the panel "Pages" and cross references. If a title block is enabled, it is displayed on all pages.
Where to enter data for the title block:
In the title block you can use three new system variables generated automatically by the program.
For example, the title block could contain the field "Sheet: {_po}/{_pc}" which appears in the drawing such as "Sheet: 3/10".
A new title block standard7.ptb containing the Sheet: {_po}/{_pc} field was created for this version.
The previous version of the program tried to utilize the printable area of printers to the maximum. Only very thin margins remained around the drawing. The new version allows you to set the preferred page margins. The page margins can be set in F12 - Document - Size. The recommended value is 10 mm.
In order to fit the drawings created in previous versions into an area decreased by the page margins, the drawing is automatically scaled down. In such cases the option F12 - Document - Size - "include page margins in the drawing area" is not checked.
Suitable for drawings created in previous versions (before version 7).
During drawing the drawing area is still the same - even if you change the width of the margins.
During printing, the drawing is scaled down in order to gain space for margins.
Suitable for drawings created in version 7.
The margins are subtracted from the drawing area. That means that when you change the width of the margins, the drawing area will change.
During printing, no scale down of the drawing will occur.
If two wires have the same name, they are considered to be connected (they have the same potential). The name of a wire can be entered in the "Properties" panel. If a wire ends in the air and there is another wire with the same name on another page, the reference to the other wire is automatically displayed.
A component is an electrical device that consists of one or more symbols.
For example, a relay coil and contacts. The main symbol is the relay coil; the individual contacts are subordinate symbols.
For example the main symbol of a component is labeled (reference) K5. The subordinate symbols would be labeled parent reference + dot + number, for example K5.1, K5.2 etc.
In other words, all symbols of a component have the same reference left of the dot.
The subordinate symbols are normally not shown in the bill of material. If you want them to be shown, check the "Show subordinate symbols" on the bill of material dialog window.
If you follow this method of labeling, a reference table appears beside each symbol that is part of a component.
The figure shows the relay on page 1,
and its contacts on page 2
Cross references are displayed in the format reference/page.zone, in accordance with the norm EN 61082-1, article 5.8
The generation of the cross references is disabled by default. You can enable it in F12 - System - Symbols - Create cross references of symbols and Create cross references of wires.
When you move a symbol in the drawing, you can use the File - Refresh cross references command to update the zone of the symbols.
This symbol (pulse-code modulation) can be used only with values 3 and 7. The problem can be solved as follows:
Open the symbol in the editor of symbols. Replace the values 3 and 7 by parameters - for example x and y in curly braces { }. You will get a parameterized symbol.
In the drawing select the symbol, open the Properties panel (by double clicking the symbol), click the "Parameters" link and enter the values for the x and y parameters.
If you already have ProfiCAD, you can download the installer for upgrade. You can install over the existing version 6. This is a paid upgrade.
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