Strand System Builder TM. User Newsletters

Transcription

1 Strand System Builder TM User Newsletters Reprints From February 2008 thru June Jun-2008 Tips & Tricks Page 1 of 7 Pages

2 Tip #1 - We Can Price Your System Builder Design If.. Strand Lighting has an Excel based system that we can use to quickly generate a price on any project generated with Strand System Builder. This file can easily import your System Builder data. However, a number of users are ing a PDF file to the Strand factory and requesting pricing on their system. Sending us a PDF file requires us to re-enter the bill of materials, which significantly slows down our response time. Please send us either: -The native Strand System Builder data file (.SSB), and we will export it to Excel. -An Excel file (.XLS) exported from your Bill of Materials. To Create an Excel file with your Bill of Materials: 1.) In SSB, go to the DRAWINGS/SPEC page, and press the BOM/SCHEDULES/SPEC button. Under the WHAT TO VIEW radio buttons, select PROJECT BILL OF MATERIALS, then press the GO button. The project bill of materials is now been copied to the Windows clipboard. 2.) In Excel, select cell A9 in the template file. Under the EDIT pull down menu, select PASTE SPECIAL, then select TEXT in the paste special dialog box. Your project bill of materials is now in Excel. Save the template file under your projects name and it to your Strand Lighting contact for a "quick quote". 06-Jun-2008 Tips & Tricks Page 2 of 7 Pages

3 Tip #2 - Complete Project Information Is Your Friend The project information that you enter on the project page of Strand System Builder is used to populate the title blocks of any printed output. The more complete the information that you enter on this page, the better your presentation documentation will look. Tip #3 - Distribution Wizard Outlet Spacing While the SSB Distribution Wizard will allow you to pre-define connector strip outlet spacing of between 6 and 48 inches, we would recommend leaving the spacing set to 6 inches when designing heavily customized connector strips. When the spacing is set to 6 inches, most users find it far easier to layout custom cyc pipes and other complex electrics as a natural "graph paper" covers the length of the connector strip on 6 inch centers, and you may drag and drop connectors into groups unto any centers. Don't forget - you can also insert additional 6" blanks in between connectors, by clicking the "insert blank" link above the connector strip, and then clicking a connector or blank space. Tip #4 - "Learn More" At the bottom of the SSB page, there is a "Learn More" link that will call up a list of presentation quality PDF files covering a wide variety of technical topics and Strand Lighting products. Presentations include DMX512, Wireless Ethernet, AIC Ratings, UL1008, Ethernet, and a wide range of information "outside the data sheet" on Strand Lighting products. Suggestions for further topics are always welcome - please your local Strand representative if you have a topic you would like to see added in a future release. If you would like to load any of these PDF files directly into Adobe Reader they may be found in your SSB directory at: C:\Program Files\Strand Lighting\StrandSystemBuilder\SSB Data\Product Information 06-Jun-2008 Tips & Tricks Page 3 of 7 Pages

4 Tip #5 - Adobe Reader Full Screen Mode (Ctrl L) This is not an SSB trick, but it is very helpful when working with SSB PDF files. Adobe Reader software (a free download from the Adobe web site) has a Full Screen display mode that allows you to present any.pdf file as a slide show. In Full Screen mode PDF pages fill the entire screen and the menu bar, toolbars, and window controls are hidden. Arrow keys can be used for navigational commands. Ctrl L will also return the display back to normal. This is a simple way to present any PDF document (like the ones that come with SSB!) as a Microsoft PowerPoint (c) presentation. Tip #6 - Separating Architectural Controls & Dimming While you can combine houselight/egress circuits with performance stage circuits in a single dimmer rack, it is important to remember that the NFPA (NEC) National Electrical Code (Article C) requires that this can only occur when the dimmer rack is feed with a main circuit breaker (or disconnect) equal to the nameplate rating of the entire dimmer rack. If you are de-rating the main service into a dimmer rack you need to move any houselight/egress lighting circuits into a separate dimmer rack or dimmer panel that does have a full rated service. One of the more frequent questions from last month was how to accomplish this task in Strand System Builder. Putting the systems in separate "rooms" can easily configure a system in a code compliant manner. Build up ROOM 1 with all of your houselight/egress loads, and add the appropriate architectural controls. Use the Control Location Specifier to locate these architectural controls throughout the facility in the Lobby, Control Booth, Stage Left and so forth. This dimmer rack can be feed with a fully rated service. Build up ROOM 2 with all of your performance loads, and configure it with console controls. This dimmer rack can be feed with a de-rated service. Instant code compliance! Additional Background: The reason the National Electric Code allows you to derate (if no houselight/egress lighting) in the first place is that you might have (96) 2400W C21 dimmers (with 230,400W of capacity), but only (48) 575W SL fixtures (27,600W of connected load) in your facility inventory. 06-Jun-2008 Tips & Tricks Page 4 of 7 Pages

5 So in this case, you might wire the C21 dimmer rack with a 100A main breaker, instead of an 800A main breaker. What the houselight/egress lighting exception covers is the "oops" factor of someone bringing in additional rental lighting fixtures for a production which overloads the service during a performance, tripping the main circuit breaker. If the system has been engineered correctly per the NEC then the houselight/egress lighting remains unaffected as it is in a separate dedicated dimmer rack with a fully rated service. Tip #7 - The Strand PC Desktop Background We included a copy of our new PC Desktop Background in SSB V2.1. If you would like to use this background: 1.) Left click your Windows desktop. 2.) Select PROPERTIES. 3.) Click the DESKTOP tab. 4.) Press the BROWSE button. 5.) Browse to: C:\Program Files\Strand Lighting\StrandSystemBuilder\SSB Data\Photos 6.) Select the file named Strand_PC_Desktop_Background.jpg. This should be the very last file in the list. 7.) Press the OPEN button. 8.) Press the APPLY button. 9.) Press the OK button. 10.) Enjoy your new Strand Lighting desktop. 06-Jun-2008 Tips & Tricks Page 5 of 7 Pages

6 Tip #8 - How do I add a printer to my Palette console? We are going to add printer choices to the console wizard in an upcoming release of SSB, but you can manually add a printer in V2.1. On the ACCESSORIZE page, click the ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS SELECTION button. Under the COMPUTERS product family, you may select an Ink Jet or Laser Jet printer, as well as a printer cable, and printer paper. Remember that you cannot directly connect a printer to a Palette console - you will also need to add a Light Palette/Palette Off-Line Editor PC or Laptop from the list as well. Tip #9 - Where are my Outlook VN locking covers? This was a very popular question this month. Outlook VN locking covers can be found on the ACCESSORIZE page under ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS SELECTION. They are at the bottom of the product list in the OUTLOOK VN product family. Tip #10 - Do you Mikogo? Recently, we have been making use of Mikogo an easy-to-use web based ( screen-sharing tool. It has been extremely handy for Strand System Builder training, Vision.net system configuration presentations, and other online Internet presentations for up to 10 people simultaneously. It also allows you to change presenters, offers 256-AES encryption and even has a Skype add-in. Here's the great part - it's free. Give it a whirl. 06-Jun-2008 Tips & Tricks Page 6 of 7 Pages

7 Tip #11 - A21 Advance Mark 10 Dimmer Module Selection We have had a number of users contact us wondering why when they select Advance Mark 10 as the load type in the LOAD SUMMERY tab, SSB sometimes chooses an IGBT dimmer module for the bill of materials. It's usually one of two things (with our apologies to Dr. Seuss): Thing 1: For 120V systems it's all about the total channel load on the LOAD SUMMARY tab. - If you don't enter any load information in the QTY or LUM WATTS column SSB stays defaulted to 1920W per channel. Or perhaps you do enter load information, but it's greater than 1800W (ADJ WATTS) per channel. And there's the rub. 1800W is the maximum rating of our dual A21 Advance Mark V dimmer module (the quad version of that module is rated at 1500W). - Since the Advance Mark 10 load type is greater than 1800W SSB then "up sizes the BOM" to a higher wattage dimmer (that will work) - our IGBT product offering, which work with Advance Mark 10 up to 2000W. (Above 2000W, SSB "pop's an auditor" telling you it doesn't have a Mark 10 in that capacity). Now the IGBT dimmer module is a valid choice - and it dims Advance Mark 10 ever so nicely. But if you're more comfortable seeing the words "Mark 10 " in your bill of materials, reconfigure your loads so that you have less than 1800W per circuit on your FLUOR 2-WIRE MK10: HELIOS, QUICKTRONIC, POWERSENSE load types. SSB will then pull the Mark 10 part number. For 277V systems, this is not an issue, as we don't have a 277V IGBT dimmer module. Both of the 277V Dual Mark 10 modules (Dual & Quad) are rated for 3000W. Thing 2: You've optimized it that way. In certain configurations you may need to unclick the USE IGBT DIMMER MODULES WHEN AVAILABLE check box on the OPTIMIZE page, and click the OVERRIDE TO SCR check box. This is a nice look behind the scenes on how hard SSB works to make sure it delivers a 100% working system for you. If it can't do it one way, it will often find another. 06-Jun-2008 Tips & Tricks Page 7 of 7 Pages