Released October 24, 2022.
The following is a list of new and updated features in Design Master Electrical 8.7.
Several features have been added or expanded for point-by-point photometrics.
Vertical Calculations: Photometric calculation areas can now display vertical illuminance values along the edges of the area. Area calculation schedules can display separate ratios for vertical calculations.
Calculation lines can also include vertical values. Line calculation schedules will include vertical calculations when enabled.
Create Areas Using Existing Polylines: When drawing a new calculation area or line, you can now specify an existing polyline on the drawing, which the software will trace.
Multiple Heads on Light Fixtures: Using the new Number of Heads field in the light fixture schedule, you can specify the head configuration for a fixture. This feature lets you accurately represent your multiple-headed light fixtures without inserting multiple blocks on the drawing.
New pole-mounted light fixture blocks have been added to the default customization for use with this new setting.
Metric Units: Photometric calculations can now be displayed in foot-candles or lux. The base unit can now be based upon meters, centimeters, or millimeters, in addition to feet or inches.
New Grid Settings: When querying calculation areas, you can now use the Set Grid Origin and Set Grid Angle buttons to better control where illuminance values appear in your calculation areas.
Recalculate After Query: A Recalculate Illuminance Levels checkbox has been added to the query calculation area or line dialog box. When this box is checked, the queried calculation area or line will automatically recalculate when you press the OK button.
Smarter Calculations for Enclosed Areas: When calculating an area with a ceiling and walls, the calculation will ignore light fixtures outside the boundary. This change should lead to shorter calculation times for indoor photometrics analysis.
Automatic Updates: If the one-line diagram is on the currently active drawing, most changes to the distribution will automatically be reflected on the one-line.
Create and Insert Devices: Buttons in the Create Equipment and distribution equipment commands allow you to place newly created devices on the one-line diagram without running a separate command. Distribution equipment dialog boxes also now include an Insert on Plan View button.
Connect Distribution Equipment on One-Line Diagram: This new command allows you to connect devices using one-line diagram entities. Users may find this new workflow more intuitive than using the existing Connect Distribution Equipment in Database command.
“Edit Multiple” Command Improvement: The Edit Multiple commands now work on one-line diagram entities.
Voltage Drop for Fixed Loads: Branch circuit voltage drop can now be calculated for circuits that have loads and a circuit length defined in the Set Circuit Information dialog box of the Circuiting command.
Clear Circuit Description and Loads: The Clear Loads button now erases any changes to the Circuit Description fields as well and has been renamed to reflect the added functionality.
Device Elevation Labels: The new Insert Device Elevation Label command allows for easy notation of the elevation of devices on your drawing, which will update if the elevation changes. New settings in the Options command can be used to customize the appearance of the labels.
Custom Transformer KVA: A “Custom” option has been added to the KVA list in the Transformers command.
Set Default Standards Database: You can now set a default standards database in the Manage Standards Database command. When starting new projects, the specified standards will be selected by default (but can still be changed).
Delete Multiple Recurring Panel Instances: You can now select multiple instances in the Delete Recurring Panel Instance from Database command.
