Design Assistant News

What's New in Design Assistant 12.20

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Version 12.20

Key Date:  October 1, 2024

Release Date: October 1, 2024

Windows Support: Windows 11 64bit, 10 64bit

           

!!File Formats Have Changed!!

Previous files can be opened seamlessly. Files opened and saved in 12.20 can be saved back to previous versions.

You can change "Save As Type" when saving to a previous version.

 

Current 12.10 Drafting Assistant required for Import/Export

Current 12.10 files required for API Users

         

12.20 New Features/Enhancements:

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>Set Text/Background Colors for entire Row.

When setting the Text or Background color for a Cable, on the Series/Colors tab, in the Cables Specs, you will now be prompted:

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Fill Row?

Copy text color to entire row?

Copy background color to entire row?

 

>Support for unnamed Project File

When opening Networks without a named Project File, a Lock File was not being removed when the Design Assistant was closed.

The Project File behavior has been updated to always remove Lock File when the Design Assistant is closed.

 

12.20 Maintenance notes:

> No changes

 

 

 

What's New in Design Assistant 12.10

    

Version 12.10

Key Date:  September 1, 2024

Release Date:    September 15, 2024

Windows Support: Windows 11 64bit, 10 64bit

!!File Formats Have Changed!!

Previous files can be opened seamlessly. Files opened and saved in 12.00 can be saved back to previous versions.

You can change "Save As Type" when saving to a previous version.

 

Current 12.10 Drafting Assistant required for Import/Export

Current 12.10 files required for API Users

 

 

12.10 New Features/Enhancements:

 

> Our online User Manual can now be accessed from the   Help Menu. Contents and Index.

 

> There is now an option on the Powering tab in the   Parameters file to turn on/off the preloading of attached networks.

 

Previously, when entering powering in a network with PCDs, it would open all attached files and test them individually for Ghost and Bogus connections.

 

If the user feels their PCD connections are all good and the networks are all available, then they can turn off the preloading.

 

> Command Line Switch to Ignore the Status.sts File  The purpose of this switch is to resolve issues users have when accessing the Network Design Assistant via a remote connection, and no status file is being created.

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It will only be used in unique situations. This should resolve issues with getting multiple Untitled networks when entering powering in PCD networks.

 

The Status File stores information about the last Project.dap, and Network you had opened when you last closed the Design Assistant. It is located in your user AppData directory. 

 

Ex: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Lode Data\Design Assistant\12.1

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To add the Switch to Ignore the Status File:

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-Right Click the Design Assistant Icon on your desktop, and Select Properties.

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-On the Shortcut Tab, in the Target, you will see the Path and Dapc64.exe in quotations. This is what starts the Design Assistant. You can add a Command Line Switch, at the end, outside of the quotations.

 

After the end quote, add a Space, then the switch.  Ex: "C:\Program Files\Lode Data Corporation\Design Assistant\12.1\Dapc64.exe" /i

 

The /i tells the program to ignore the Status File.

 

12.10 Maintenance notes:

 

> You can now alter the value in the TSG column in Design Mode.

 

> Adding a Power Supply to any row will no longer carry over to a New Spec file.

 

> Parameters files containing par in the file name are now opening properly from the Project File.

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12.11 Maintenance notes:

 

> Out of Spec Flagging and Test errors corrected for additional Frequencies.

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Design Assistant V12.0

Version 12.00

Key Date: August 1, 2024

Release Date: August 1, 2024

 

     Windows Support: Windows 11 64bit, 10 64bit

==========================================================

            !!File Formats Have Changed!!

Previous files can be opened seamlessly. Files opened and saved in 12.00 can be saved back to previous versions.

You can change "Save As Type" when saving to a previous version.

Current 12.00 Drafting Assistant required for Import/Export

Current 12.00 files required for API Users

 

12.00 New Features/Enhancements:

 

> Windows 11 Supported

 

> Boosters Support Added to Actives Specs   Boosters|Booster Powering

  Unlike standard Actives, Boosters have a valid "Range" for Forward and Return levels. They do not have Pads/EQs.

  If placed outside of the Range they are flagged.

  Boosters have Gain for Forward and Return.

  Booster IDs are hard coded B1 B2 thru B24.

  Boosters are placed in the Amp column.

 

> Multi-Net Network/Specs Report

  Select from Reports Menu

  Name the report

  Select the Networks to run the report on

  An Excel file is created listing each Network:

  Network|Parameter|Active|Tap|Coupler|Pricing|Performance

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

        12.00 Maintenance notes:

 

> Esc Restore now accepts 1(Yes) 2(No).

 

> Copy/Paste Rows on UG Housing Specs retains changes   upon Save.

 

> Changing Projects File at Program Start no longer leaves   a lock file on the last Network loaded.

 

Design Assistant 11.10

Release Date: February 5, 2024

!!File Formats Have Changed!! Previous files can be opened seamlessly. Files opened and saved in 11.10 can be saved back to previous versions. You can change "Save As Type" when saving to a previous version.

11.10 New Features/Enhancements:

Ghost PCD Resolved. You may receive this notice when opening a network. In this case, there was a PCD   connection that did not contain valid data. Most Ghost PCD's can be resolved automatically. Save will update the network with the resolved PCD. You can also check and resolve the connections with the following new functions.

•  Multi-Net PCD List (Reports Pull Down Menu).  

   The report is sent to an Excel file. The default directory is the Report File Folder, set in your Project Settings.

   Add from the Available Files to the Selected Files.

   Click OK

   During the report creation you may receive notices about Bogus connections, and suggestions to run PCD Cleanup.

   The report shows all the PCD connections set in the selected networks. There is no indication of errors.

   Run PCD Cleanup to see any errors.

• > PCD Cleanup (Misc Pull Down Menu)

When opening a network, you may receive a notice that a Bogus connection was found. Before attempting any powering functions, you will want to clean up the PCD connections. Multi-Net PCD  List can be used to view all connections. Good or bad.

The PCD Connection List will show all connections stored in the current network. Possible invalid connections will be shown in red text.

These red connections may not show up on the PCD List report, if they do not contain actual connection info. It is possible that valid connections could be displayed in red so verify which connections should be deleted before deletion.

You can double click the bad connection to delete it. Close the dialog by clicking the X in upper right corner when finished. Save changes to complete the network update.

•  Power Supplies in Parameters Specs increased to 25

• Power Steps in Actives Specs increased to 9

• Part Number increased to 24 characters for most spec   files. (Pads/EQs, or NIUs excluded)

  

        11.10 Maintenance notes:

 

• Cable Colors no longer change to Black Text on Black

  Background during Spec Edits or Global Change Cable.

 

• All Columns, including cplr[branch], are accessible in

  Active Entry mode.

 

 

Design Assistant 11.00 Drop Count Types

The ability to assign the type of drop to each tap port has been instituted in version 11.00 of The Lode Data Design Assistant. This new feature was created to meet customer requirements for using Tap Ports to designate Drop Types as an alternative to the MDU Window. With this comes a way to designate count types and drops without using the MDU window. The new count option is independent of the existing MDU Window. The two do not interact.

For a full review and usage of the new Drop Count Types feature please see our documentation article: Tap Port Drop Types

 

Design Assistant 11.03 Release Notes

Version 11.03

Key Date: May 1, 2023

Release Date: October 11, 2023

• Windows 10 (x64)

• Compatible with Drafting Assistant 11.00+

• 0 Home for list window off screen behavior changed. Every time the Design Assistant is started the dialog will open in the default position. If the dialog is moved it will reopen in that position as long as the DA is running. Close it down and restart and it will revert to the default.

• Ghost PCDs resolved – In previous versions, PCD connection info was not always fully removed when PCDs were removed. This resulted in Ghost PCDs causing crashes when powering. 11.03 looks for and removes the Ghost PCDs automatically when entering the Powering mode. Resolve Branches also looks for and removes Ghost PCDs

 

Design Assistant 11.00 Release Notes

Version 11.00

Key Date: May 1, 2023

Release Date: May 24, 2023

• Windows 10 (x64)

• Compatible with Drafting Assistant 11.00+

Previous files can be opened seamlessly. Files opened and saved in 11.00 can be saved back to previous versions.

• Tap Port Drop Types

  • RES: residential

  • COM: commercial

  • MDU: multiple dwelling unit

The ability to assign the type of drop to each tap port has been instituted in version 11.00 of The Lode Data Design Assistant. This new feature was created to meet customer requirements for using Tap Ports to designate `Drop Types` as an alternative to the MDU Window. With this comes a way to designate count types and drops without using the MDU window. The new count option is independent of the existing MDU Window. The two do not interact.

3 new columns have been added to the design mode. The `drop count type` columns can be found to the far right of the Design Assistant design mode screen.  For detailed information, click here Tap Port Drop Types.

·  PCD Folder added to the Project Settings Dialog

This folder is the start of the search path for attached networks (PCD connections). This can be the same as the Network folder but it doesn’t have to be the same. The PCD folder is fixed, meaning that the program doesn’t ever change it. The only way it should change is by manually editing it in the Project Settings dialog.

• Edit Tap Plugins has been updated.

There were certain situations where random characters were shown instead of the available plugins from the set spec.

• When using the Design Assistant with a Viewer only dongle, spec files cannot be saved.

Feature Documentation

More detailed information on these new features can be found in our documentation.