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New for 2008

We are excited to offer new products for 2008!

WireCAD Version 5.1

We are gearing up to release version 5.1. This minor build release will have several major improvements over v5.0. Here is a short list:

DWG 2007
Multi-line text entity
PDF Export
And for those of you who have been asking to be able to customize the functional blocks that are generated by WireCAD Equipment Library, we now support custom templates. This allows you to use any dwg as a template for your functional block.

DWG Diff

This is a stand alone software that allow you to compare the differences and commonality of your DWG drawings.

Software Customization

WireCAD Custom Development services are available to our customers that use WireCAD products. Use our experience and resources in order to add custom functionality to your WireCAD installation.

Design and Documentation

Need help getting started or just don't have the time. WE CAN HELP! WireCAD is glad to over design and Documentation services.

Check it Out!

Patch Verx

WireCAD Forum

InfoComm 2008

TRAINING

Date: June 16-17, 2008

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Cost: $749.00 before May 31, $950.00 after the 31st.

Contact Tara for more information.

ph: 1-866-273-5298 x302

email: tarab@wirecad.com

VISIT OUR BOOTH# C1544

Come by the booth to say Hi and bring a friend. Check out what is new and what is to come with the next version of WireCAD.

DALLAS TRAINING

If you are in or near the Dallas, TX area and are interested in training contact Tara today for more information.

ph:1-866-273-5298 x 302

email: tarab@wirecad.com

WireCAD Tip & Tricks

Keyboard Shorts...

Drive WireCAD with one finger on the [Esc] key. This will cancel current functions and redraw the screen.

Helpful Hints...

To turn off the Pinouts dialog during cable number assignment set Project>Settings {Project Specific} [Use Pinouts] to False.

What Happened!

Our heads are still spinning from all the excitement of NAB. Thank you to all for making this year a success. From your nice comments and recommendations there was never a dull moment at the booth.

The NAB training had a good turnout as well. We know that it is a lot of information to retain in just a couple of days so give us a call if you need help.

If you would like to see some pictures form the show go to http://www.wirecad.com/50/pictures.htm

Story Corner

by Bryson Jones

So... when Tara asked me to write a piece on Wirecad, I felt a little strange seeing as how I'm not a "cranky old video engineer" like a lot of the guys I look up to in this business. I came out of the dreaded IT department, moved into supporting Avid Media Composers and fiber SANs and then got suckered into wiring some edit bays for my clients because I knew some hippies that could solder. (Hippies make really good wire guys).

My path involved a lot of badly done systems, I'll admit it. They were done inexpensively and the clients always got a working system. But I learned on the job. And most of the time when I didn't wire something as well as it should have been it was because I didn't bid it right, (never high enough) or didn't allow enough time to do the job correctly, which is basically the same thing in the end.

Documentation was always spotty, and estimating a job was time consuming and never more than a good guess. In the end it all became unmanageable and I decided that the "wire biz" wasn't for me. I took on small jobs; (never more than 2 racks and a couple of bays) passed on all the big stuff to the "real guys" and worked on computers and fiber where I knew where I stood.

Now if you read that last paragraph you will notice that almost all of those issues are based on the lack of information. How to create it, track it and turn it into a working system. I knew how a system was supposed to go together, it just never seemed to go that way. I had seen CAD packages but I didn't need drawings, I needed a plan, a management tool.

When I found Wirecad , I was immediately amazed.

In my opinion, this product is not about drawing, it's about planning and documenting. The drawings are nice to have and impress clients. But databases get the job done.Wirecad protects me from mistakes ("do you really want to connect the SDI cable to the AES port?") tracks parts counts, ("you need 237 XLR connectors to pull this one off and they're $2.47 each") and let's me tailor the runsheets and drawings to the specific person reading them. I give runsheets to installers, sorted 3 ways , plus labels generated FROM WHAT I DREW, automatically, and snapshots for the hard to figure stuff. Before, I was doing all that moving from drawing to spreadsheet to label printer. Now, my computer does it. If I draw it correctly, I'm pretty much done.

Story Corner Continued...

I started in using Wirecad and I found that clients were thrilled with the docs provided, the build-out went more smoothly, (my crew loved the runsheets) and management and tracking estimates and the final costs were so much easier. (I knew how many connectors were needed, down to the pin!)

That first Wirecad-assisted job led to others and I found that, as I could clearly track and concept jobs, the difference between and small job and a large one became the manpower we could throw at it. My bandwidth was no longer wasted covering my butt. I'm no longer intimidated by large scale integrations and now regularly take on complete facility projects here in Los Angeles. I have a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking and reliable integrators in town. Large scale just means a larger budget, not more hair pulled out. My personal motto for Wirecad is: "It's not not the drawings, it's the data." You could do everything that Wirecad does manually and in a separate program for 7 times the price... but why would you want to?

Thank you folks for helping me move my career to the next level. I may grow old. I may get cranky. But at least it won't be because of wiring documentation.

Bryson Jones

HiDef Cowboy

bryson@hidefcowboy.com

Have stories to share email Tara at tarab@wirecad.com.

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