Using FireCAD™ for Fire Alarm Design: Step 3

Anthony Conte
Latest posts by Anthony Conte (see all)

There are three steps to using FireCAD for fire alarm design and security system drawings. Here, we will recap the three-step process and explore step three. The three steps are as follows:

  1. Place the system device symbols on the floor plan background.
  2. Connect the system devices to their appropriate circuits.
  3. Make the reports.

In step two, you assigned all your system devices their appropriate circuit and drew a wire path for each connection. At this point, your system layout has been completed. In step three, it’s time to make the reports.

Generating Reports and Riser Diagram

To generate a report and riser diagram, start by generating the device legend and placing it where you want it to be in modelspace. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Locate the Reports tab on the horizontal menu bar at the top of your layout.
  • Click the arrow on the dropdown menu under Reports, and select Device Legend.
  • Find the ATREPORT_LEGEND prompt that will appear at the bottom of the layout. Choose an option from the prompt. Your two options are SELECTION and ALL.
  • Trigger the creation of your device legend by choosing the ALL option.

Adding Additional Components

Additional reports that can be generated include:

  • A cable and wire legend
  • Point to point voltage drop calculations
  • An addressable device schedule
  • The battery calculation report

To continue through the process, click the crossbar icon at the bottom right of your layout.

Generating the System Riser Diagram

You are now ready to generate the system riser diagram in FireCAD. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Locate the Riser tab at the horizontal menu bar at the top of your layout.
  • Click the arrow on the dropdown menu under Riser, and select Create Riser Diagram. This triggers the appearance of the Riser Options box.
  • Select your settings for the riser from the options in the Riser Options box.
  • Click Create Riser when finished.
  • Wait as the wirepaths and riser drawing are loaded.

*We recommend placing all reports in an area aligned with a paper space viewport.

At this point, the most time consuming tasks are finished. Before publishing your finished drawing, we recommend checking all values. Once you are satisfied, use the Publish command to generate a PDF of your finished FireCAD drawing.

To see these steps in action, view this FireCAD demo.

Have Questions on FireCAD? Contact Cadgen Software

This is an overview of step three in the FireCAD fire alarm design process. To discuss using the FireCAD tool for fire alarm design or security system drawings, call Cadgen Software today. We look forward to hearing from you.

About Cadgen Software

Cadgen makes using AutoCAD easier and faster with user-friendly FireCAD fire alarm design software. Our FireCAD product has saved countless contractors time on project completion, and it can do the same for you. Contact our sales department at (855) 223-4361 Ext. 1. Our knowledgeable team will be glad to answer your questions.

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