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Electrical Symbols - Switches and Outlets too large

ELECTRICAL SYMBOLS SWITCHES

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#1 Todd Wacome

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Posted 30 May 2021 - 01:19 PM

Can anyone tell me why the switches and outlets are approx double the actual size in plan view?  This had made things very difficult and I assume it is an artifact from when plotters had no resolution.  I think every plotter, and SoftPlan's export to PDF, default to very fine resolution and I see no need for it and the trouble it creates.  Thankfully the new ability to replace symbol by just exploding the symbol, adjusting the size by about 50%, and one step adding the symbol overwriting the same symbol, replaces everything on the plan and takes care of it.  The link to the 3D symbol and that symbol size is preserved.

 

Am I missing something?  Having the symbol too big makes it hard to communicate to the electrician in tight situations.  For example, the standard triple switch is SoftPlan is 7.5 inches between the centers of the two outboard switches and in reality they are 3.625" apart.  Resizing that symbol so that the centers of the outboard $'s are 3.625" leave the width of the entire symbol width about 6.5" which is about the same as the actual width of a three gang switch plate so this seems like a no brainer and worth the while of changing the symbols, about a dozen that I use alot and maybe three dozen if I change all switches and outlets that are drawn too wide.

 

Anybody's thought before I set out to do that?



#2 Fred Russell

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Posted 30 May 2021 - 02:37 PM

If i'm reading this right?       Your wanting to change the size of the switch Emblem, outlets etc.?

 

Most electricians I believe know how to read and place the outlets and switches accordingly. Most electricians know to use a 3 switch box when there are 3 switches

and position usually based on the 2 x 4s, etc.

I think the emblem is sized by Softplan to be easy to read on plans.   Special things and situations you would add a note about.

 

Maybe i didn't read the post right?


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#3 Keith Almond

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Posted 30 May 2021 - 07:10 PM

I'm with Fred. The symbols don't need to be actual size, just readable.

 

The electrician isn't going to put them where you show them on plan anyway, just somewhere close (if you're lucky) on the nearest stud.


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#4 Fred Russell

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Posted 01 June 2021 - 08:05 AM

But if it is important to make the emblems smaller, you take one (emblem-switch) and adjust it with ADjust or "edit-adjust size" and then take that one and use "select item to draw", and put the smaller one all over the place.






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