RainCAD/Land Illustrator 2008 New Features

AcceliCAD™ 2008 - RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ 2008 now includes a full working version of AcceliCAD™ 2008 from Autodsys, Inc. AcceliCAD 2008 is based on the IntelliCAD technology. The program saves its drawings in an AcceliCAD™ DWG format totally eliminating the need for file translations. The program will not open dc2, dw2, or dcd drawing files from previous stand alone programs based on DesignCAD.
Check for Updates - With a connection to the Internet, RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ can quickly check to make sure you are running the latest release of the software. If not, the latest release will automatically be downloaded to your computer and installed once you exit and restart the AcceliCAD™ program.
Menus and Toolbars - RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ runs inside of AcceliCAD™ instead of floating on top as a separate set of menus and icons. The RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ toolbars dock inside of AcceliCAD™. You can create multiple toolbars to organize your favorite commands.
Change Database – There may be times when you need custom settings such as symbol assignments or colors to meet the specifications of a particular customer. These settings may be different from the requirements of another customer. You can now make copies of your RainCAD database and rename the databases to associate the settings to a customer or a situation. You can switch between the databases using the new Change Database command. In addition, you can now link RainCAD to a central database located on another computer within your network.
Project Database File - In all previous versions of RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™, a project database file was associated with each drawing. This database stored water source information, sprinkler and control valve zone assignments, landscape area and volume calculations and more. If you deleted the database or renamed the drawing, you would loose the associated information. All of the project information is now stored inside of the drawing file. You no longer need a project database file for this important information.

A project database file will be created to store the material takeoff information. This will prevent you from having to calculate a material list each time you want to view one. If you rename the drawing file, simply recalculate the material list in the Material/Takeoff command.
Layer Names – Layer names now follow a naming convention similar to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) standards.
Drawing Units - If the Drawing Units in AcceliCAD™ are set to Architectural or Engineering, in most cases the Drawing Units in the RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ Options/Info menu should be set to Inches. If the AcceliCAD™ Drawing Units are set to Decimal, the RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ Drawing Units should usually be set to Feet. As a quick reference, the current units of measurement are now displayed in the Title Bar of each RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ dialog box as (ft), (in), (mm), (cm), or (m).
Irrigation Preferences – You can now order the equipment in the databases based on the order they are entered or in alphabetical order using the Item Order Type command. A symbol scale factor now exists for Sprinklers, Meters, Backflow Devices, Valves, Controllers, Quick Couplers, Isolation Valves and Accessories giving added flexibility to symbol scaling. You can now set the offset, leader type, and leader color for wire/cable labels. The new Text Styles command allows you to set the font, text height and text color for Zone Assignment labels, Pipe Size labels, Hydraulics nodes and Water Source information.
Manual Pipe Placement - You can now turn pipe size labels on or off by entering Y or N in the AutoCAD command line when drawing pipe manually.
Pipe Size Labels - Pipe size labels for lateral line and mainline are now separated by layer, font style and size. You can adjust the font style, height, or color and apply the changes by clicking on the Apply button in the Irrigation Preferences dialog box.
Pipe Label Leader Type – A leader can now be attached from a pipe size label to a piece of pipe during the automatic or manual pipe sizing process. The leader further indicates which label is associated to a piece of pipe. The leader can be set to a Line with no arrow, a Spline with no arrow, or nothing. You can set separate colors for the lateral line and mainline leaders.
Automatic Pipe Placement - You can automatically pipe all of the lateral zones on the design by clicking on the All Zones check box.
Modify Pipe - You can quickly Modify all of the lateral zones on the design by clicking on the All Zones check box.
Pipe Hop - The Pipe Hop command has been moved from the Modify Pipe tab in Pipe Placement and made into an individual command. You can now have an icon in the RainCAD™ / Land Illustrator™ toolbar for the command. The radius for the pipe hop is set in the AutoCAD command line when drawing the pipe hop.
Sleeving - You can now preset the width for all sleeve symbols and set the alignment of the sleeving symbol from the Alignment drop down menu to either Right, Center, or Left.
Automatic Pipe Sizing (Mainline) – Will now calculate mainline loss with multiple water sources feeding a single piping network and with multiple loops that are independent of one another.
Automatic Pipe Sizing (Lateral Line) – You can quickly size all of the lateral zones on the design by clicking on the All Zones check box.
Zone Assignment Labels – Zone Assignment Labels for sprinkler symbols, control valves, and controller symbols are now assigned to different layers. This allows the user to leave control valve zone assignment numbers on while turning sprinkler zone assignment numbers off, or vice versa. You can adjust the font style, height, or color and apply the changes by clicking on the Apply button.
Distribution Analysis (Distribution) – Now calculates the Distribution Uniformity (DU), the Christiansen's Uniformity Coefficient (CU), and the Scheduling Coefficient (SC). The command also calculates the area of each zone and the precipitation rate. You can place all of the information on the design screen in a table format.
Hydraulic Calculations – Will now calculate mainline pressure loss with multiple water sources feeding a single piping network and with multiple loops that are independent of one another.
Total Volume - The new Total Volume command calculates and displays the total volume of water within the lateral line pipe on each sprinkler zone and within the total mainline pipe on the design screen. The command may be used to determine the potential amount of water loss that may occur from low head drainage or from mainline repair when no isolation valves exist at control valves or key locations within the system.
Wire/Cable Placement - You can now turn wire size labels on or off by entering Y or N in the AutoCAD command line when manually drawing wire.
Wire/Cable Labels - There are now labels to indicate the size of wire and cable on the drawing. You can adjust the font style, height, or color and apply the changes by clicking on the Apply button.
Wire/Cable Layers - Wire drawn with the Irrigation Wire/Cable command will now be placed on the L-WIRE-IRRI layer while wire drawn with the Lighting Wire/Cable command will be placed on the L-WIRE-LITE layer. This allows you to turn off one set of wire while leaving the other set visible.
Valve Notations - If a valve notation symbol already exists on the design screen, the command will now update the size of the symbol and the text. You can now create your own valve notation symbols.
Material/Estimate - The Material/Estimate command allows you to insert your company logo on the reports. On the new Report Style tab, you can also adjust the font style, the header and background colors, and the text colors.
Fittings Junction Viewer – The new viewer will display the location of each junction, a diagram of the junction, and a list of each fitting found. Junctions and fittings are differentiated with icons for clarity.
Sprinkler Palette Assignments – The Sprinkler Palette Assignments have been combined with the Sprinklers database.
Fill Materials Database - Fill materials can now be assigned a hatching pattern or gradient fill to represent them on the design screen.
Area/Volume Calcs - You can now select a boundary line on the drawing to calculate an area. This can be beneficial when more than one fill material is required for an area. For example, brick pavers and the required base materials, or top soil and sod.
Plant Care Data - After calculating a Material/Estimate report, click on the View Plant Care button to view a print out of species data for each plant found on the design.
Plant Size - When adding a new plant size to the database, you can now add the size to the current selected plant, to all plants within the current category, or to all plants in the entire database.
Plant Abbreviation - To limit the description for a plant when placing quantity labels, you can now enter an abbreviation or code for the plant material.
Plant Image - You can now assign an image to the selected plant material in the Plants Database and place the image on the design screen in the Plant Placement command. The image will appear on the Plant Care Data sheet.
Plant Symbol and Marker/Interior - With the combination of Symbols and Marker/Interiors, you can create a large number of symbols from just a few different drawings. For example, suppose you had two Symbols consisting of a circle and a square. You have two Markers or Interiors consisting of a cross and a horizontal line. You now have six different symbol combinations - a plain circle, a circle with a cross inside, a circle with a horizontal line inside, a square, a square with a cross inside, and a square with a horizontal line inside. With the capability to also add solid fills, hatched fills, or gradients, you can easily see where you can have a large number of possible symbol combinations from just a few basic drawings.
Plant Symbol Sketch Factor - Adding a Sketch Factor to a symbol may give it a more hand drawn appearance. The sketch factor randomly adds lines to the symbol at slightly different angles. To use the symbol as originally drawn without a sketch factor, select None from the drop down menu. To add a sketch factor to a symbol, select Low, Medium or High from the drop down menu.
Stagger % or Distance - When automatically placing plant symbols along a polyline or within a boundary line, you can "stagger" the symbols so that they do not appear in exact locations giving the design a more random appearance. The stagger may be set as a percentage of the plants radius setting or as a distance of measurement.
Outline Combine Mode - When automatically placing plant symbols along a polyline or within a boundary line, there may be times when plant symbols overlap each other. Many designers like the symbols to be trimmed at their intersections. The Outline Combine Mode command will trim plant symbols at their intersection locations creating one continuous plant symbol and keep or delete interior marker symbols. Each individual plant will still be counted in the Material/Estimate report and the Quantity Label.
Plant Palette Assignments - A plant palette is a combination of plant material that would be grouped together in a particular landscape design situation. An artist has millions of colors to choose from when he begins a painting, but he only makes use of a few colors that he places on his palette. A plant palette is similar to an artists color palette. With thousands of plants to choose from the in the database, it may be beneficial to combine the plant material into smaller more manageable groups. For example, you may create a palette of plant material to be used in commercial designs. You may also create separate palettes for residential, tropical, desert settings and more.
Berm/Depression Creator - The Berm/Depression Creator can be used to create the illusion of a rise or fall in the landscaped area. The tool can be used to create berms in landscaped areas or possibly sand traps on a golf course design. The tool hatches the interior of a closed polyline or object such as a circle, ellipse or square.
Quantity Label

Calculate by boundary line (original method)
Calculate by selection. Allows the user to select the plant material with the mouse.
Calculate automatically by a distance factor. Uses a factor of the plant's radius to determine how close plants have to be in relation to one another to be considered linked for quantity totals.
Calculate automatically by an absolute distance. Uses a user defined distance to determine how close plants have to be in relation to one another to be considered linked for quantity totals.

Miscellaneous Symbols - The list of categories and file names are read straight from the directory and file structure as created in Windows Explorer. This allows the use of sub-folders to create sub-categories.
Installation Details - The list of categories and file names are read straight from the directory and file structure as created in Windows Explorer. This allows the use of sub-folders to create sub-categories of equipment details.
Line Styles Database - Line styles can now be assigned to a category such as Irrigation, Landscape, Lighting, Drainage or General. The line style will appear within the category group when placing a legend on the screen.
Legend - The Legend command has an option to allow the Plant Abbreviations to appear in the landscape category. The Common and Botanical names are now separated into different columns. Plants are now grouped together by category.
Distribution Data - The Distribution Data command will allow you to enter the precipitation rate information at known intervals to create a distribution chart. The distribution chart will display the distribution chart of the original sprinkler, the distribution of a like sprinkler throwing toward the original, and the distribution of the combination of both sprinklers together. You may adjust the spacing of the sprinklers by a maximum of 25% of the radius of throw.