
Cable Tray Assistant Plugin
Win64, EnglishGeneral Usage Instructions
This plugin adds a ribbon with interactive buttons, giving you easy access to its full functionality.
It is important to note that this plugin is not a standalone tool; it serves as an assistant to our previously published Parametric Cable Tray Plugin and Parametric Cable Tray Supports Plugin.
To use Tray Assistant, you will need to have both or at least the Parametric Cable Tray Plugin installed on your system.
Commands
Ribbon/Toolbar Icon | Command | Command Description |
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TrayRouteMS |
This command is Toggle Switch. You will get the alert message of its activation/deactivation as well. So, when you have it enabled, simply drag the pipe into the model space and when you finish the command, the pipe is turned to corresponding tray automatically. This feature allows you to extend tray right-out-of the + icon on the components |
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TrayStretchMS |
If you like to resize an already placed straight tray section, this tool will allow it for you. Simply click on the command and select the desired straight section and then provide the new length either by typing or dragging |
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PipeToTrayMS |
If your model has some left-over pipes (from tray specification) which were not converted to Tray on their own, you can simply click this button, and all the pipes will be turned to corresponding trays. |
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TrayAutoRenameMS |
This command is also Toggle Switch. When it is activated, any component placed in the model space will get an automatic update of its Name i.e. Long Family Description. The choices of naming are controlled by the Rename Setting command. |
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TrayManualRenameMS |
This command function is the same as that of Auto Renaming. The difference is that with this command you can choose which component should get the name update. |
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RenameSettingsMS |
This command shows an interactive window where you can choose which parameters you want included in the component’s naming. You can also view the live preview of the choices you make. Once you are satisfied with the naming convention, you can save the settings, which are stored permanently (unless you manually change them) and will be available on the future launch of the Autodesk® AutoCAD®. You can choose the naming convention for Tray components as well as Supports components |
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FuseConnectionsMS |
This command surveys the model space to see if any of the joining components are missing proper connections. If it finds such two components, then they are fused together. This is important for the continuity of the isometric drawings. |
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ExportToExcelMS |
This command can export the Bill of Material (BOM) to an external and properly formatted Excel file. You will be presented with a dialog box where you can choose the component types that you want included in your exported file. The export gives you the option to export every component of the selected category or simply select them manually from the model space. Also, the export will not include the component either on the hidden layers or themselves are hidden through isolation. It will only export visible components. |
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InfoMS |
This command is basically to display information about this plugin, customer support channels and direct link to full help document. |
Installation/Uninstallation
The MSI installer extracts and copies the necessary files to the appropriate locations on your machine. Similarly, uninstallation is carried out using the standard Windows uninstallation method via Programs & Features.
Additional Information
Known Issues
Contact
Author/Company Information
Support Information
For any queries or feedback, feel free to reach out to us via email mirzasolutionz@gmail.com or leave a comment at any time.
Version History
Version Number | Version Description |
---|---|
1.1.0 |
- All components were included in tray commands (where the command requires selection of multiple or all components), and the command operation is applied to all of them, whether the component is hidden or even on the locked or invisible layer. This has now been updated. Only visible and editable components (i.e., unlocked) are included in the operations of every tray command. This feature gives more robust control to the user. - Fuse Connection command was successfully fusing the components, but the fused connectors were placed on the active layer, which was causing issues in the generation of Isometric drawings. The issue has now been fixed. The fused connectors remain in the layer where their components reside. - Export features encountered an error when the collection of exportable components included PIPE in this list. The issue is now fixed. Now, even if the PIPE or other PIPING Components (other than the tray, of course) are selected, then the export command will export only tray components and skip the rest. This has allowed users more control and flexibility. The user can simply Select All (Ctrl + A) and export. - The uninstaller was removing the Settings File from the system, which was not an issue if the user decided to uninstall the program. However, when a new version is released and the user intends to upgrade, the new version installer first uninstalls the previous version and consequently deletes the Setting File, which is an undesirable behavior. The installer is now updated. Now, when the user uninstalls or updates to a newer version, the installer shall prompt for consent to retain or remove the Settings File. This upgrade has given users the authority to choose whether to retain or delete the Setting File. - As we constantly provide our users with new features in our plugins, compatibility with older versions was felt necessary, especially since Cable Tray Assistant works on Cable Tray and Support plugins. To achieve this, a compatibility listener has been added to the plugin commands. The minimum version threshold is currently set to v1.6.1 for Cable Tray and v1.0.1 for the Support plugin. If the user has not yet upgraded to newer versions of the respective plugins and has installed the upgraded version of Cable Tray Assistant, this upgrade would work within the boundaries of the older versions of those plugins. However, if the user has already upgraded these plugins beyond their minimum threshold, the Cable Tray Assistant would work with the re-defined boundaries and upgrades of these plugins. |
1.0.0 |
- All components were included in tray commands (where the command requires selection of multiple or all components), and the command operation is applied to all of them, whether the component is hidden or even on the locked or invisible layer. This has now been updated. Only visible and editable components (i.e., unlocked) are included in the operations of every tray command. This feature gives more robust control to the user. - Fuse Connection command was successfully fusing the components, but the fused connectors were placed on the active layer, which was causing issues in the generation of Isometric drawings. The issue has now been fixed. The fused connectors remain in the layer where their components reside. - Export features encountered an error when the collection of exportable components included PIPE in this list. The issue is now fixed. Now, even if the PIPE or other PIPING Components (other than the tray, of course) are selected, then the export command will export only tray components and skip the rest. This has allowed users more control and flexibility. The user can simply Select All (Ctrl + A) and export. - The uninstaller was removing the Settings File from the system, which was not an issue if the user decided to uninstall the program. However, when a new version is released and the user intends to upgrade, the new version installer first uninstalls the previous version and consequently deletes the Setting File, which is an undesirable behavior. The installer is now updated. Now, when the user uninstalls or updates to a newer version, the installer shall prompt for consent to retain or remove the Settings File. This upgrade has given users the authority to choose whether to retain or delete the Setting File. - As we constantly provide our users with new features in our plugins, compatibility with older versions was felt necessary, especially since Cable Tray Assistant works on Cable Tray and Support plugins. To achieve this, a compatibility listener has been added to the plugin commands. The minimum version threshold is currently set to v1.6.1 for Cable Tray and v1.0.1 for the Support plugin. If the user has not yet upgraded to newer versions of the respective plugins and has installed the upgraded version of Cable Tray Assistant, this upgrade would work within the boundaries of the older versions of those plugins. However, if the user has already upgraded these plugins beyond their minimum threshold, the Cable Tray Assistant would work with the re-defined boundaries and upgrades of these plugins. |