Another agency is asking for this. This makes quite a few agencies requiring it lately: Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD), the City of Irvine, The City of Laguna Beach, The City of San Diego, The City of Redondo Beach and now Clatrans. When writing this code also be sure to allow for the sue of multiple types (symbols) in one drawing/project to accommodate the hybrid controllers that service both 2-wire as well as conventional, as well as a separate type for a flow sensor.
With all of these agencies requiring it, I'm surprised that there is not more ranting for this topic.
The workaround that we've been using for about a year now is to create a polyline and adding it as a reference note, but then we have to generate another schedule, locate it on the plan somewhere even though it’s a separate format and then have to remember to update two separate schedules. It looks weird having a whole irrigation legend and then a small separate schedule for the irrigation control wires. If we were not using a specialty design software it would logically be part of the irrigation schedule.
With all of these agencies requiring it, I'm surprised that there is not more ranting for this topic.
The workaround that we've been using for about a year now is to create a polyline and adding it as a reference note, but then we have to generate another schedule, locate it on the plan somewhere even though it’s a separate format and then have to remember to update two separate schedules. It looks weird having a whole irrigation legend and then a small separate schedule for the irrigation control wires. If we were not using a specialty design software it would logically be part of the irrigation schedule.
Accepted Answer
Steve,
Great minds think alike. Attached is a rough mockup of what we are thinking of doing with the Irrigation Manager.
It's important to recognize, the staggering difficulty in prioritizing development projects. The Plant Schedule project was started two years ago, and then ran overdue and ended up getting bumped two years. We have plans for next year for a major overhaul of the Detail system, including a very high wishlist request, to be able to assign multiple details to an item. For the remaining months of this year, we are hoping to tackle a much-needed update of the runtime and watering schedules.
The only way to get something done quicker, is to pick something else to de-prioritize.
But this project is squarely on the schedule for next year, so fingers crossed, it should happen.
--J
Great minds think alike. Attached is a rough mockup of what we are thinking of doing with the Irrigation Manager.
It's important to recognize, the staggering difficulty in prioritizing development projects. The Plant Schedule project was started two years ago, and then ran overdue and ended up getting bumped two years. We have plans for next year for a major overhaul of the Detail system, including a very high wishlist request, to be able to assign multiple details to an item. For the remaining months of this year, we are hoping to tackle a much-needed update of the runtime and watering schedules.
The only way to get something done quicker, is to pick something else to de-prioritize.
But this project is squarely on the schedule for next year, so fingers crossed, it should happen.
--J
I agree with Steve that there should be allowances in the Irrigation Schedule for items that aren't graphically depicted on the plan. Irrigation control wire is one, wire connectors, valve boxes, swing joints, etc. Our standard schedule had all of these items but I'm not seeing an easy way to populate the schedule with these items. I'm sure that others will also run into more instances where an override for the legend would be beneficial.
I'd also like to see it so that we could add general notes at the end of a schedule. For example, at the bottom of the schedule general notes about bark mulch depth and or clearance requirements for trees from utilities and the requirement of rootbarriers would be beneficial.
I'd also like to see it so that we could add general notes at the end of a schedule. For example, at the bottom of the schedule general notes about bark mulch depth and or clearance requirements for trees from utilities and the requirement of rootbarriers would be beneficial.
Rob,
Thanks for your support. You're in San Diego so we're having to conform to many of the same agency requirements.
Check this tech tip out for general notes. I just saw this and haven't implemented it yet, but plan to soon. It looks like a real time saver once we get it set up.
https://www.landfx.com/videos/powertips/item/3545-power-tip-creating-general-notes-using-refnotes.html
Also, relative to the valve wires and boxes. do you really show the symbols on your plans, or do you just reference the detail from the legend? If its the later, then the best way that we've found to do that is to show the valve in on the plan. Then the valve detail has call-outs that reference the wire and valve box details. You may not be to this point yet, but you will.
Remember if you place an item in your legend, it will be counted. If you don't it wont. If your opinion of probable cost includes a cost for a valve assembly and this assembly includes a box, gravel, brick supports, all of the fittings, etc. and you also have a number of valve boxes you may be counting it twice. Yes, you can associate costs to all of your equipment so that an excel sheet including the costs can be generated with very little manipulation.
Don't forget that you can add your own symbols by making blocks. These will show up in your legend. For instance, we have custom symbols for 2-wire surge protectors, various decoders (1 valve, two valves, etc.). These show up on our plans and are in the legend. There's a good video for his too.
Power Tip: Customizing Irrigation Equipment Symbols
https://www.landfx.com/videos/powertips/item/3479-power-tip-customizing-irrigation-equipment-symbols.html
Let me know if I can help you further. I monitor the community page at least once a week.
There's so many ways to be more efficient. LandFX will help you do that. A world of possibilities will slowly be revealed as you delve deeper into the realm that is LandFX.
Seaweed
AKA Steve Cook, Stantec
Thanks for your support. You're in San Diego so we're having to conform to many of the same agency requirements.
Check this tech tip out for general notes. I just saw this and haven't implemented it yet, but plan to soon. It looks like a real time saver once we get it set up.
https://www.landfx.com/videos/powertips/item/3545-power-tip-creating-general-notes-using-refnotes.html
Also, relative to the valve wires and boxes. do you really show the symbols on your plans, or do you just reference the detail from the legend? If its the later, then the best way that we've found to do that is to show the valve in on the plan. Then the valve detail has call-outs that reference the wire and valve box details. You may not be to this point yet, but you will.
Remember if you place an item in your legend, it will be counted. If you don't it wont. If your opinion of probable cost includes a cost for a valve assembly and this assembly includes a box, gravel, brick supports, all of the fittings, etc. and you also have a number of valve boxes you may be counting it twice. Yes, you can associate costs to all of your equipment so that an excel sheet including the costs can be generated with very little manipulation.
Don't forget that you can add your own symbols by making blocks. These will show up in your legend. For instance, we have custom symbols for 2-wire surge protectors, various decoders (1 valve, two valves, etc.). These show up on our plans and are in the legend. There's a good video for his too.
Power Tip: Customizing Irrigation Equipment Symbols
https://www.landfx.com/videos/powertips/item/3479-power-tip-customizing-irrigation-equipment-symbols.html
Let me know if I can help you further. I monitor the community page at least once a week.
There's so many ways to be more efficient. LandFX will help you do that. A world of possibilities will slowly be revealed as you delve deeper into the realm that is LandFX.
Seaweed
AKA Steve Cook, Stantec
I've wished for this since 2017. We've been creating a single refnote to address this while we've been waiting. Why should we have to add a separate schedule just to pick up the irrigation control wires/com wires? This is irrigation specific. I haven't used the lighting portion of land FX, but does it force the user to add the lighting wire as a refnote? If not, why should the irrigation designers have to? I'll bet that a wizard could add it without blinding too many toads for their eyes to use in a spell to get this done. It's been over six years that we requested this. Please don't make us wait until irrigation design is totally revamped like you did for planting? (It's very nice thank you.) I hope not. I've attached a suggestion for your consideration. This would place the various line types (control wires, com lines, sensor lines, etc.) and their descriptions in the schedule in the logical place. It's also a logical place for the user to add them if I do say so myself.
I look forward to your response. Maybe it's user error (as it often is) and it's already there.
Steve Cook
AKA Seaweed
I look forward to your response. Maybe it's user error (as it often is) and it's already there.
Steve Cook
AKA Seaweed
Some options for wire could be:
12 gauge, 14 gauge, 2-wire (instead of PVC sch 40, PVC cl315, etc.).
As soon as you release it, others may have irrigation relative types to suggestions.
12 gauge, 14 gauge, 2-wire (instead of PVC sch 40, PVC cl315, etc.).
As soon as you release it, others may have irrigation relative types to suggestions.
Accepted Answer
Steve,
Great minds think alike. Attached is a rough mockup of what we are thinking of doing with the Irrigation Manager.
It's important to recognize, the staggering difficulty in prioritizing development projects. The Plant Schedule project was started two years ago, and then ran overdue and ended up getting bumped two years. We have plans for next year for a major overhaul of the Detail system, including a very high wishlist request, to be able to assign multiple details to an item. For the remaining months of this year, we are hoping to tackle a much-needed update of the runtime and watering schedules.
The only way to get something done quicker, is to pick something else to de-prioritize.
But this project is squarely on the schedule for next year, so fingers crossed, it should happen.
--J
Great minds think alike. Attached is a rough mockup of what we are thinking of doing with the Irrigation Manager.
It's important to recognize, the staggering difficulty in prioritizing development projects. The Plant Schedule project was started two years ago, and then ran overdue and ended up getting bumped two years. We have plans for next year for a major overhaul of the Detail system, including a very high wishlist request, to be able to assign multiple details to an item. For the remaining months of this year, we are hoping to tackle a much-needed update of the runtime and watering schedules.
The only way to get something done quicker, is to pick something else to de-prioritize.
But this project is squarely on the schedule for next year, so fingers crossed, it should happen.
--J
Steve Cook
selected the reply #5369 as the answer for this post — 6 months ago
Jer,
First of all, thank you for the very nice compliment.
I noticed that you, and your associate, were viewing this post for a long time before responding. I figured that you were in the process of responding. Now I see why you waited and composed such a complete response.
Based on your response, I fully support your priorities and would not de-prioritize any of the items currently on your list to address this much needed tool. We will continue to use our work-around (using refnotes) while LandFX in the process of bettering this program.
Since you're considering where to put the wiring input in the application (based on your mock-up), my one user/one vote would be to have the wire/com/etc. show up either right before or right after the pipes. Not mixed in with the other items.
Also, @RobStreza mentioned that it would be nice to have a user input section that could appear at the end of the schedule (Yes. I said Schedule.). This is where we could place our disclaimer about quantities that goes something like this:
1. Quantities are noted for the convenience of the contractor and based on available record information and the schematic design. The Contractor shall verify all quantities prior to submitting a bid for the project.
2. Not all elements necessary for complete construction are included in the schedule. Contractor shall also review the details and specifications which include additional elements prior to submitting the bid.
Including this section for your users will make it so that every time the irrigation schedule is regenerated the note will always be located at the base of the schedule. If this option is not added, if items, or language, are added to the schedule, the unassociated notes will be located under the schedule text making both illegible. A similar issue happens if items or language is removed leaving a large gap between the schedule and the notes. This currently happens all too often with us. It usually gets caught, but sometimes the dreaded human error happens, and the plans are seen by those outside of our company. This is my argument for the allowance or a user input section to be located at the end of the schedule.
Keep up the good work!
Steve Cook
(AKA Seaweed)
First of all, thank you for the very nice compliment.
I noticed that you, and your associate, were viewing this post for a long time before responding. I figured that you were in the process of responding. Now I see why you waited and composed such a complete response.
Based on your response, I fully support your priorities and would not de-prioritize any of the items currently on your list to address this much needed tool. We will continue to use our work-around (using refnotes) while LandFX in the process of bettering this program.
Since you're considering where to put the wiring input in the application (based on your mock-up), my one user/one vote would be to have the wire/com/etc. show up either right before or right after the pipes. Not mixed in with the other items.
Also, @RobStreza mentioned that it would be nice to have a user input section that could appear at the end of the schedule (Yes. I said Schedule.
). This is where we could place our disclaimer about quantities that goes something like this: 1. Quantities are noted for the convenience of the contractor and based on available record information and the schematic design. The Contractor shall verify all quantities prior to submitting a bid for the project.
2. Not all elements necessary for complete construction are included in the schedule. Contractor shall also review the details and specifications which include additional elements prior to submitting the bid.
Including this section for your users will make it so that every time the irrigation schedule is regenerated the note will always be located at the base of the schedule. If this option is not added, if items, or language, are added to the schedule, the unassociated notes will be located under the schedule text making both illegible. A similar issue happens if items or language is removed leaving a large gap between the schedule and the notes. This currently happens all too often with us. It usually gets caught, but sometimes the dreaded human error happens, and the plans are seen by those outside of our company. This is my argument for the allowance or a user input section to be located at the end of the schedule.
Keep up the good work!
Steve Cook
(AKA Seaweed)
I’m not sure why you’re being so cruel to the contractor to imply that quantities are not insanely accurate because they were generated by Land F/X. That note reads like a cop-out.
But anyway it’s easy enough - there’s already a block placed at the end of the schedule: the valve callout. Simply edit this block as desired with whatever legalese you’d like.
—J
But anyway it’s easy enough - there’s already a block placed at the end of the schedule: the valve callout. Simply edit this block as desired with whatever legalese you’d like.
—J
1. I've been a supporter of tying multiple details to a single item for years. Mainly because doing so takes another opportunity for human error out of the equation. If (with us it's more like "when") details are moved around on a sheet, or moved to another sheet, the Callouts referring to the other details is not automatically updated. It's up to a human to remember to update the callout tags.
2. I can't wait for the irrigation module to be updated. One of the things that I really like about the revised planting module is that when a plant is added two things happen. One, a nice huge label shows up on the add plant window, and two, the plant shows up immediately in the plant manager. It really makes the irrigation manager and add irrigation element window clunky.
Keep this on track please.
2. I can't wait for the irrigation module to be updated. One of the things that I really like about the revised planting module is that when a plant is added two things happen. One, a nice huge label shows up on the add plant window, and two, the plant shows up immediately in the plant manager. It really makes the irrigation manager and add irrigation element window clunky.
Keep this on track please.
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