Hanover, 09 October 2012
Dear ELCAD Users,
the present Readme File contains update information on ELCAD / AUCOPLAN version 7.8.0
1. Installation ELCAD / AUCOPLAN 7.8.0
2. Network Performance Optimization
3. Note on the parallel operation of ELCAD and EB during the adoption of existing data
4. Felics license server with 64-bit operating systems
5. Fixed Bugs and Extensions of Version 7.8.0
1. Installation of ELCAD / AUCOPLAN 7.8.0
1.1 Definition of the installation directory
The entry of the installation directory should start with a drive letter. You should avoid server notations such as \\pcwinnt01\cae for the path definition.
1.2 Multiple Use of the Setup Procedure
You can carry out the ELCAD / AUCOPLAN 7 setup several times and thus install different languages and products in parallel on one and the same computer. Under System Settings / Software you will find an entry for each installation, and there the installation folder is displayed under Details, so that you can remove the installations selectively.
2. Network Performance Optimization
In practice, there are considerable differences in performance depending on the locally used hardware.
Depending on your infrastructure and the way you operate ELCAD / AUCOPLAN, the results are quite different.
One reason for the performance loss is that with the Microsoft standard data access routines the size of the read and written data packages is by default set to 4 KB.
This results in "extra" data traffic in the network especially for actions where actually a small data amount is read or written.
Especially in heavily strained networks, this can negatively influence the overall performance.
In order for you to be able to locally optimize the performance yourself, the size of the packets can now be set via INI switches.
You can find the settings in the section [FileBufferSize].
[FileBufferSize]
UseDefault=0
Read=512
Write=256
The entry "UseDefault=0" deactivates the Microsoft default values of 4 KB for the data access. By means of the entries "Read" and "Write", you can specify other package sizes.
Values between 256 and 16384 are possible here. With the values 512 (Read) and 256 (Write), distinct improvements in performance have been attained in intensive test series with slow network environments.
Furthermore, you can individually adapt these values for your network within the range of the minimum and maximum values. Please contact your system administrator in this case.
3. Note on the Parallel Operation of ELCAD and EB During the Adoption of Existing Data
If you have started EB and several instances of ELCAD are running simultaneously in your system, an error may occur in the adoption of existing data.
Please make sure that during the adoption of existing data ELCAD is started only once on your PC.
4. Felics License Server with 64-bit Operating Systems
You can install and operate the Felics license server on 64-Bit operating systems. To do this, use the Felics version 3.6.1 used by the ELCAD installation medium. The utility also operates on 64-Bit computers.
Please note, however, that license management with the Felics tools (Rembrand/Wramon) requires a 32-Bit PC because the tools cannot be started under 64-Bit operating systems.
Therefore use any PC with a 32-Bit operating system to install the Felics tools. Thereby it becomes possible to manage the license on the 64-Bit Felics server.
When installing the utility under a 64-Bit operating system, note the following:
1. Depending on the setting, firewalls must be temporarily deactivated during the installation period to carry out the installation.
2. You must assign the administrator write access in the target folder for the installation: "Programs (x86)\Aucotec\elcad\felics".
3. Once you have carried out changes in the settings, you must manually restart the Felics utility from the Windows utility configuration. Unfortunately a restart from the Felics utility configuration does not work.
5. Fixed Bugs and Extensions of Version 7.8.0
Note:
In addition to the documentation "New Features in 7.8.0" you will here find the descriptions of new functions that were not dealt with in the online help and the manuals. Eliminated errors and other improvements are also documented here.
At the beginning of some of the events listed, an identification number (ID) is mentioned under which the corresponding event is kept in our database. Please refer to the above ID if you have any advices or remarks on the events listed herein.
Drawing Editing
EL-110315-005
When you select the function "Edit symbol" via the right mouse button, then the symbol tree is opened during the subsequent automatic switchover to the symbol design, and the symbol is marked.
EL-111014-002
When editing with transfer in drawing editing, the code number range 5030-5035 is now also supported.
EL-111004-002
When the graphic cursor was called very quickly via a graphic operation following a sheet change, then under certain conditions the focus of the program was switched from the graphic to the command line.
Subsequently the graphic cursor could no longer be operated with the cursor keys.
EL-120203-001
When the last core symbol of a cable was deleted in the graphic using the graphic commands L and LF, and thus no core of the cable was represented (assigned) any more, then up to now the cable was automatically deleted after a cautionary query.
With version 7.8, the new option "Remove cable automatically when the last assigned core is deleted" has been implemented in the project settings under General / Cable for this automatic deletion. If you activate this option, then the deletion is always carried out without previous safety query when the last core is deleted.
EL-120305-001
When editing free text, it could happen that colours assigned to the texts were lost and had to be reassigned.
EL-111011-002
Under certain circumstances an item designation made invisible (code 4) became visible again once edited in the equipment tree.
EL-120709-001
Empty data from terminals in standard strips no longer overwrite filled data in the circuit diagram during evaluation.
EL-120726-001
When symbols from the component tree were placed, it could happen that the part information of the symbol was lost. This error occurred when the reference point of the newly placed symbol and that of an existing one were coincident.
EL-111011-001
After execution of the command "Delete window", connection endings could persist under certain conditions.
EL-111213-001
When a macro was placed on a sheet and the number of connectors for symbols was increased retroactively, then there were error messages when the sheet was opened.
EL-110921-001
When navigating from list editing, it could happen that a different tab was active.
EL-111014-001
When transmitting I/O information, the window information of the source symbols is now also taken into account.
EL-110112-001
When copying sheet contents with e.g. the command MF, then it could happen that the program did not recognize that the source and target sheets were identical if the wording of the path and the project was not perfectly identical (e.g. different uppercase/lowercase letters). With the option -netz switched on, copying was then impossible.
EL-100616-001
Opening a working area prevented the repetition of all commands previously entered in the command line.
EL-050818-7976
The list symbol for the cover may now display all code numbers from the form of the listed sheets, e.g. code 1...3 or the last revision designator (code 12778).
Moreover it is possible to display on the cover the parameters for the filter (code 2412 for the code number and code 2413 for the content of the filter).
EL-120328-002
When a batch specifying revision actions was defined and when this batch was then exported into an instruction file, then some revision actions could possibly be assigned erroneous action descriptions when this instruction file was subsequently imported into another batch.
EL-120620-001
The menu items MOVE SYMBOL, ASSIGN LAYERS and ASSIGN COLOURS could not be deactivated with menue.cfg.
EL-120628-001
With the commands INTERN, EXTERN und NORMAL there were up to now problems when connectors were placed on a small grid value (e.g. round terminals).
The program now finds the position of the connectors closest to the cursor and also indicates this with a marking. In addition, all internal and external connectors are marked and the snap grid is temporarily reduced in size when starting the commands INTERN, EXTERN and NORMAL.
Project Editing
EL-091026-003, EL-050929-8158, EL-050518-7629
If a user has opened a working project and then wants to rename, delete, insert or copy macros in another project, then now the user must also log in in this project if the project has a user management.
EL-111027-001
If the search path was assigned $propath or $propath/$project or $pro in the IMAGE dialog and the Find button was then pressed, then up to now the $pro variables were resolved. From version 7.8 this does not happen any more.
If the IMAGE dialog is called again, then the search path is again configured with the original $pro variables.
EL-120412-001
The conversion of projects under EXTRAS / SERVICES could list projects that were not selectable in the protocol even though the signalled non-selectable projects in fact were only folders that did not completely meet the project folder syntax.
List Editing
EL-111021-001
In the protocol definitions, output protocols could be stored repeatedly under the same protocol designator. Thus it could happen that an unambiguous import of the protocols was not possible.
Symbol Design
EL-120206-002
When reading in ASCII into symbol libraries, the specifications entered last remain as defaults when the selection dialog is opened again.
EL-120622-001
When inserting lines into symbol design dialogs, it could happen that with code number 1002 English keywords were erroneously translated into German, and that with code numbers 1004 and 1015 the dialog numbers were not incremented.
Import, Export and Interfaces
EL-120112-002
When outputting drawings with images, there may be error messages in case of DXF/DWG export (error 7 returned by …) or even a program crash if a certain registry switch has an unsuitable entry. The respective registry switch is: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/.bmp.
The entry Paint.Picture for this switch is mandatory.
Because ELCAD cannot influence the registry entries of your system at this point, the program checks this registry entry before the DXF/DWG output. If ELCAD finds an incorrect entry in your registry, then a corresponding note is displayed.
This note contains the current wrong entry in your registry and the required correct entry. You are asked to correct the registry entry. If the drawings to be output do not contain images (e.g. company logos), then you can ignore or permanently disable this message. If this message has been switched off, you can reactivate it in the user settings under Output/Graphic Export/DXF Format.
EL-111005-001
When outputting drawings in the DXF/DWG format, the suppression of the # character with code 2162 was incorrect. The control in symbols (except forms) via code 2162 did not function, and # characters in translate texts could not be suppressed.
EL-120104-001
When outputting in the compact PDF format, there could be an error message because the share entries of the project-related translate file persisted in network operation.
EL-111221-002
If a Windows font with a width of 50%-200% is used in ELCAD, then these width settings are now also adopted for the DXF and the DWG output.
Archiving
EL-120201-001
If during archiving the formats are also archived, then from version 7.8 on these archived formats are preferentially used for further project editing. If standard texts are also archived, likewise these standard texts are also used for further project editing.
EL-111004-001
If a project was archived a second time with device master data and if the option "Overwrite Existing Master Data" was activated, then it could happen that the project-related device master database did not have any entries after archiving.
Options / Settings
EL-111116-003
Certain Windows fonts (e.g. Arial Narrow) could no more be selected in the options.
EL-120208-001
When newly creating project header data in the project settings, then the designation was erroneously initialized with a "0" instead of the expected blank entry.
EL-120530-001
If no project was selected and a master data project without mass storage was configured in the user settings, there could be an error message.
Translate Editing
EL-110415-001
If the option "Show Only Translate References" was switched on under Extras/Translate settings and if then a text was changed in translate editing, then an error message was erroneously displayed.