Use this tab to define settings that affect the length calculation. As well, you define the limits for the display of the fill capacity of wire ducts.

Overview of the main dialog elements:

Distance tolerance for adjoining wire ducts:

The distance tolerance for adjoining wire ducts defines the gaps between wire ducts that can be skipped in the definition of the routing path network. The default value is 5 mm.

Extra length wiring cut-outs:

The extra length for wiring cut-outs is taken into account in calculating the length of a connection. With each feed-through of a connection through a wiring cut-out, such a length will be added. The default value is 2 mm.

Minimum bending radius included in length calculation:

If this check box is active, the "Minimum bending radius" part property defined for wires, cables, and connections will be taken into account when calculating the length of routing connections. For each 90° bend on the routing track, a length reduction is calculated and deducted from the overall length determined.

If no minimum bending radius has been entered for the part of the connection, it will not be taken into account in determining the length.

Fill capacity:

The fill capacity of wire ducts is indicated by a color identifier. In this context, three states are differentiated:

• Red: The channel / routing path is considered full.
• Yellow: The fill capacity is below the fill capacity limit, but above the alert limit.
• Green: The fill capacity is below the alert limit.

In the fields Fill capacity limit and Warning at, you define the limits; the entry is made in percent.

By default, the fill capacity limit is at 80%, and the alert limit at 70%.

Diagonal connection form from connection cross-section:

This setting is valid only for electrical engineering routing connections that are routed in a routing path network.

The form of a routing connection is always orthogonal from the connection point of a device to a routing path network. This means that the connection is at first routed orthogonally into the level in which the wire duct is mounted to then turn into the actual wire duct. If no minimum bending radius is defined on the part of the connection, the routing connections will be generated without length correction for perpendicular bending.

Connections with large cross-sections or diameters can, however, not be easily routed in this way and orthogonally into a wire duct because then the bending radii to be considered can mostly not be adhered to any more, the space requirements for this kind of routing are not given, and the complexity for mechanical bending is high. This is why routing connections with large cross-sections can be based on another, non-orthogonal, form.

Using this setting, you can specify the connection cross-section from which a routing connection should no longer enter the routing path network in an orthogonal, but diagonal manner. This prevents bending positions, and it is possible to route also connections with larger cross-sections without taking into account bending radii.

Connection length in case connection point pattern not available:

This setting specifies the method with which the length of a routing connection is calculated if the parts involved do not have an assigned connection point pattern or if no local connection point pattern is defined for the part placements involved.

• By connection point position (automatic): This calculation method is based, depending on the connection point designation (even, odd or alphanumeric), on a fixed defined connection point direction and a fixed defined geometric position of the connection point. To the connection length calculated, a safety is added.
  
  Advantage: Even without a connection point pattern, a sufficiently dimensioned routing connection can be calculated quickly and reliably.
  
  Disadvantage: This calculation can produce wires that are too long and that must be shortened manually or placed in the wire duct in the form of a loop during manufacturing.
• By maximum routing track: With this calculation method, the defaults for the connection point direction and geometric position from the By connection point position (automatic) calculation method are applied to connection points with odd and even or alphanumeric connection point designations. In addition, several routing tracks are calculated and compared to each other that result from the alternative consideration of the connection point directions "Up" and "Down" of the source and target of the connection. The greatest value calculated in this comparison is used as the length of the routing connection and entered at the routing connection.
  
  Advantage: Even without a connection point pattern, it is possible to calculate a routing connection that is better suited to the planning conditions. Over-lengths and, thus, required manual post-processing are reduced significantly or largely avoided.
  
  Disadvantage: Due to the extended calculation, it takes more time to route connections.

Routing path type in routing range:

A connection can be routed either diagonally or orthogonally within a routing range (from the point of entry into the routing range to the point of exit from the routing range).

• Diagonal routing: This is a default setting. The connection is laid diagonally along the shortest route between the entry point and the exit point.
• Orthogonal routing: The connection is laid at right angles between the entry point and the exit point. The resultant routing connection is longer than the diagonal one, but allows you to carry out a clearly structured mounting.

Popup menu:

The popup menu provides - depending on the field type (e.g. date, integer, multilingual) - the following menu items that are, depending on the situation, available for influencing the table or editing the values in the fields. You can find an overview of these popup menu items in the section Popup menu items.

See also

Predefining Connection Properties

Tab Global extra length