DesignCAD Edition General Features

Drafting Tool
Most of the basic drafting commands may be found in DesignCAD, however, with the Drafting Tool, you can easily enter a known distance and simply click on an arrow for the direction in which you want to move. This tool allows you to draw lines, change line styles, move to a new location without drawing a line and more. Drafting cannot get any easier than this!

Line Styles
The Line Styles command sets the line type and characteristics for all the entities created after the command is selected. You can change the default settings for the line styles in the Line Styles Database command. The software presets five line styles to make it easier for you to create a drawing. The five preset line styles are Building, Property, Driveway, Walkway and Bedlines. There are an additional ninety-five custom line styles available for use as well.

Text Zoom
The Text Zoom command will allow you to adjust the size of the text on the drawing screen. You can select specific pieces or text to size or all of the text on the drawing screen. The command does not make a new copy of the text; it simply resizes the existing text.

For example, suppose the pipe size labels on the RainCAD™ drawing are too small and are not legible on the irrigation plan. Simply select the layer on which the pipe size labels are drawn and resize the labels using the Text Zoom command.

Auto Symbol Layout
Allows you to automatically duplicate existing symbols at an even distance along an existing line or curve, or along a temporary line. When using this command to duplicate symbols, you may select one or more symbols at a time. This command is helpful in duplicating stepping-stones or other Miscellaneous Symbols.

The No rotation option will leave all copies of the symbol at the same rotation angle along the line or curve. The Rotate along line option will rotate the copies of the symbol at the same angle as the line or curve. The Random rotation option will randomly rotate the copies of the symbol along the line or curve.

Boundary Line
The Boundary Line command creates a limit or border for automatic sprinkler placement in RainCAD™ and automatic plant placement in Land Illustrator™. Boundary lines may be given restrictions to prevent sprinklers or spray from entering an area.

Symbol Label
The Symbol Label command allows you to place the description of the selected equipment or plant material on the design screen.

Auto Symbol Label
The Auto Symbol Label command allows you to automatically place the description of the equipment or plant material on the design screen for selected symbols or for all of the symbols on the entire drawing.

Miscellaneous Symbols
The Miscellaneous command allows you to create a list of symbols and place the miscellaneous symbols such as people, furniture, vehicles, stepping stones and more on the drawing screen. Use these symbols to dress up a drawing and make it more meaningful or attractive to the end customer or prospect. The program currently has 118 miscellaneous symbols. You may edit any of these symbols or create your own.

Legends
The software will automatically create a symbol legend for the design. You may place the legend on the drawing screen or open a new drawing and place the legend on a separate page. You may edit any of the text in the legend, add more information or delete unnecessary items.

Show Grid
When placing a legend on the design screen, you can have the legend placed in a grid to make it easier to read.

Material/Estimate
The Material/Estimate command will calculate a complete bill of materials for all equipment or plant material on the design including the length of pipe and control wire. The command will include supplies for any Tied Assembly assigned to a piece of equipment or plant material. You may select which categories will appear in the report such as quantity, description, list price, labor rate, wholesale cost and more. You can sort the categories in any order you desire. You can preview the report, send it to the printer or export the report in one of many different formats including Microsoft Word, Excel, Lotus 123, HTML, XML, ASCII text and more.

Fittings Calculation
The Material/Estimate command will allow for calculating fittings on a design such as the 45°, 90°, and tee fittings. You can have the program do nothing, calculate fittings based on a percentage of pipe costs, or calculate individual fittings from the drawing itself.

List Fill Material by Area
For landscape design purposes, the Material/Estimate can list a total volume of fill materials or list the materials by area.

Project Information
The Project Information command will allow you to assign specific information to a design such as the customer's name and address, percent of profit, percent of overhead for labor and materials, miscellaneous fees/permits and more. You may include the customer's name and address at the top of the material takeoff or estimate/proposal based on the Options setting on the Settings tab.

Angle and Distance
The Angle and Distance command is a DesignCAD command used to calculate the angle and distance between two points and display the information in a dialog box.

Area
The Area command is a DesignCAD command used to quickly calculate an area of the design screen.

Properties
The features available in the Properties dialog box will depend on which symbol is selected. This feature will allow you to change all of the characteristics of a sprinkler symbol. You can change a control valve from one size to another and calculate the flow through the valve. If a plant symbol is selected, you can change the plant characteristics or replace all of the plants on the drawing of this type to plants of another category and size.

Options
The Options command will allow you to set icons appearing on the Toolbar as well as modify the text for labels displayed on the Material/Estimate report and symbol Legends.

Toolbar
The Toolbar Options command will allow you to select the quick access icons and adjust the order in which they appear on the toolbar. The toolbar is located just below the menu selections in RainCAD™. The icons are shortcuts to the commands available in the program. You can adjust these icons to display shortcuts to your favorite or most often used commands.

Material/Esitmate & Legend Labels
You can change the labels as they appear on the material takeoff or symbol legends. This is extremely useful to users who might need to output the information in a foreign language.

Line Styles
The Line Styles Database command allows you to change the characteristics for the five preset line styles and ninety-five custom line styles available in the software. The characteristics give each line style a different look so that the drawing is more aesthetically appealing and easier to read. To include a custom line style in the material takeoff or legend, click on Show in Material/Estimate and Legend until a checkmark appears in the box. You may create line styles to represent metal edging, concrete mow curbs, landscape timbers, fencing and more.

Global Adjustments
The Global Adjustments command allows you to quickly adjust each entry in any of the databases. This will prevent you from having to edit certain characteristics of the data one at a time. You can make global adjustments based on the Supplier Code and/or the Equipment Code assigned to each entry in the databases.

For example, suppose you purchase all of your equipment from XYZ Distributors. Your business increases from previous years and XYZ Distributors gives you a higher discount off your purchases. Using the Global Adjustments command, you can change the Discount Rate for every piece of equipment with the assignment of XYZ Distributors as the Supplier Code.

Here is another example; an equipment code of "1" is assigned to each of the Hunter spray nozzles in the Sprinkler Databases. Suppose Hunter makes a price adjustment to the nozzles. You could make the change to the List Price of any equipment assigned to equipment code "1" using the Global Adjustments command.

Suppliers
The Suppliers Database command will allow you to create a database supplier names. Suppliers are the distribution outlets from which equipment or goods are purchased. You can assign a supplier to each piece of equipment in the databases to assist in pricing and discount adjustments. Making use of the Global Adjustments command will allow you to change information on each piece of equipment based on supplier assignment.

Company Information
The Company Information command allows you to enter or edit information about your company. You may print this information at the top of material takeoff or estimate/proposal at your option.

Contents and Index
The Contents and Index command displays an index of all help screens and allows you to view the screen of your choice. You can quickly access context sensitive help at anytime by pressing the F1 key on the keyboard.

Tutorial
The Tutorial Lessons are in the RainCAD™ Installation Guide and Tutorial manual. Not all of the lessons in the manual have an accompanying practice screen. For example, Lesson One – Becoming Familiar with the Software is covered entirely in the manual. Each lesson will take approximately thirty minutes up to two hours to complete. To get the most out of the software, we highly recommend that you complete each lesson in the tutorial.