Step Logic () has been working in the Russian market of information technology since 1992. During this period they have come a long way from a computer trading company, to a large-scale full service system integrator with a well-established infrastructure and over 150 specialists. At this moment, Step Logic is one of the leading companies in the system integration and telecommunication market.
These are networking connectivity services offered by the Step Logic Company:
Wide Area Networks (WAN)
Local Area Networks (LAN)
Structured Cable Networks (SCN)
Voice Communications
Distribution
Service
Structured Cable Network (SCN) forms the basis of a telecommunication system for all modern enterprises, organizations and offices. It is an integrated instrument for data transmission, which connects local data and phone networks, safety systems, observation and video control systems etc.
To create networks with the right topology, during the designing and installation phase of a SCN, great attention should be paid to the construction part of SCN designing (handling of buildings' floor plans).
There is no problem in further SCN designing, when SCN subcontractors receive floor plan drawings with all the necessary systems and elements (communications, ventilation, air conditioning, etc) in digital format. Digital plans can be easily processed.
The issues arise when SCN design and installations are being prepared for old buildings, or for projects which SCN subcontractors can only get paper or raster format floor plans.
Today several technologies are available to process such projects in SCN CAD applications (in this case AutoCAD).
The first option was scanning of paper floor plans and then using the obtained raster image as a substrate (picture 1) to draw SCN elements. This option can be used for smaller projects which do not require detailed SCN design and for low-quality initial drawings (blue-prints, old paper plans, etc.; picture 2).
The second option was redrawing and it was the preferred option to the first one but it is very time consuming and not advisable when fast project decisions needs to be made.
The third option occurred as specialists from the design department of Step Logic read an article about PlanTracer for AutoCAD. PlanTracer was reviewed in a specialized CAD magazine CADMaster (www.cadmaster.ru). Having read the review, the two products PlanTracer and WiseImage from Consistent Software have been implemented by Step Logic for use in their designing process.
After one day training (interface and basic operations) at the Consistent Software offices, it was possible to implement this dual technology with real-life projects. Both applications are easily installed and have clear user-friendly interface.
Testing of the Dual solution
1. WiseImage
WiseImage for AutoCAD has been used to remove speckles, to merge images that were scanned in parts and to eliminate various distortions such as warping or stretching. This is achieved by calibration of the scanned floor plans (picture 3). WiseImage provides the user with the ability to clean images from speckles and dirt - by the specialized speckle remover filter. There are number of raster selection methods, both with and without raster objects creation and several tracing modes. All enabled (recognized) raster objects can be further modified with standard AutoCAD commands or can be edited by noun/verb method (picture 5). Raster objects have grips, which can be processed in the same way as AutoCAD primitives (picture 6). Raster data can be modified, using various snapping modes, which can be set in the AutoCAD snap setup. Snap to vector and raster objects can be applied simultaneously.
Floor plan's fragments can be easily calibrated and merged after they have been cleaned. Calibration eliminates wave distortions after scanning as well as applying the floor plans desired scale factor. This can be a crucial issue for calculations of cable and trays lengths. The enhanced floor plan can be seen in picture 4. After a good-quality plan has been obtained, it can be saved as a DWG file as well as in various raster formats. Further more this plan can be used as a substrate or processed further by the second Consistent Software application - PlanTracer.
2. PlanTracer
PlanTracer is used to convert updated raster floor plans into intellectual vector models. This is very important when the SCN design requirements are high.
Initially, the enhanced floor plan should be scaled to companies' standards, shared SCN elements and Template Libraries. The quality of recognition in PlanTracer is highly dependent on Template Library. Templates can be easily created from AutoCAD primitives. Each object template (door, window, etc) can have one or several search patterns (picture 7). This means that some raster objects similar by definition, but different by graphic representation can be recognized as one object. Template Libraries can be easily modified and used for other floor plans by checking appropriate checkboxes for object templates and search patterns (picture 8).
After a Template Library has been prepared or updated, the conversion parameters should be set to obtain better results for various types of initial drawings. The convenient interface of the options dialog helps to set up all the parameters quickly and correctly. The settings can be saved and used for other projects as well.
After the drawing has been scaled, the template library is prepared (loaded) and the settings are tuned, the floor plan can then be converted by the push of a button. Only "jobbing" operations are required to receive final version of the floor plan model. For low-quality drawings, when some objects have not been recognized (picture 9), various PlanTracer drawing and editing tools can be used to improve the drawing. Objects such as doors, windows, furniture etc, can be easily added (inserted) by drag-n-drop from the template library. These operations are similar to technology used in Autodesk's Architectural Desktop.
PlanTracer objects can be edited using PlanTracer's own properties dialogs as well as with standard AutoCAD Properties.
The final result of three hours processing of the paper plan in both software packages can be seen in picture 10. Now it is ready for further SCN design.
3. Evaluation
Dual solution based on Consistent Software products (WiseImage and PlanTracer) helps to avoid routine redrawing of building floor plans
Floor plan model is ready for further intelligent SCN design
The solution helps to save time significantly
Estimation of processing time for a 1000 sq. meters building with several floors:
Processing of a raster image in WiseImage (minutes)
Further processing of the raster image in PlanTracer (minutes)
Total processing time in both application (minutes)
Manual processing and redrawing
Low quality drawing
High quality drawing
Low quality drawing
High quality drawing
Low quality drawing
High quality drawing
Processing of the first floor plan
60-90
15-25
80-100
60-80
140-190
75-105
360
Processing of further plans
60-90
15-25
50-70
30-50
110-160
45-75
240
High quality of original drawing by the use of Wide Format scanning devices (no merging required) can provide really impressive results
4. Conclusion
Step Logic has purchased both applications. WiseImage and PlanTracer are being used now on the construction stage of SCN designs.
Epilogue
The next step for Step Logic will be the implementation of AutoDesk's 3D Building System technology which will provide the capability of indoor communications modeling, an important part of SCN design. This solution can be extended by implementation of PlanTracer for ADT, Autodesk's Architectural Desktop add-on, a unique tool to migrate from raster directly to 3D.
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The first option was scanning of paper floor plans and then using the obtained raster image as a substrate (picture 1) to draw SCN elements. This option can be used for smaller projects which do not require detailed SCN design and for low-quality initial drawings (blue-prints, old paper plans, etc.; picture 2).
After one day training (interface and basic operations) at the Consistent Software offices, it was possible to implement this dual technology with real-life projects. Both applications are easily installed and have clear user-friendly interface.
