

B-Line Systems, Inc.

(A support for AutoCAD* cable tray design)

User's Guide
* For AutoCAD Release 14 and AutoCAD 2000 for Windows
Credits Page
Copyright
The B-Line documentation and the software are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Under the copyright laws,
neither the documentation nor the software may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to
any electronic or machine readable from, in whole or part, without the prior written consent of B-Line Systems,
Inc.

Copyright ã 2000 B-Line Systems, Inc.

B-Line Systems, Inc.
509 West Monroe Street, P.O. Box 326
Highland, Illinois 62249-0326 USA
Phone (618) 654-2184 Fax (618) 654-1917

TrayCAD 4.0 was created for B-Line Systems, Inc. by:

Universal Technical Systems, Inc.
1220 Rock Street, Rockford, Illinois 61101 USA
Phone (815) 963-2220 Fax (815) 963-8884

All rights reserved. First edition printed in 1996 in the USA

Trademarks
Following is a list of Trademarks™ or Registered Trademarks® and the companies by which they are owned:

TrayCAD by B-Line Systems, Incorporated

AutoCAD by AutoDesk Incorporated
Windows, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT by Microsoft Corporation.

Limitation of Liability
B-Line Systems, Inc. does not warrant that the software program will function properly in every
hardware/software environment. The software may not work in combination with modified versions of the
operating system, with certain print-spooling or file facility programs or with certain printers supplied by
independent manufacturers.

Although B-Line has tested the software and reviewed the documentation, B-Line makes no warranty or
representation either expressed or implied, with respect to this software or documentation, including
their quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. As a result, this
software and documentation are licensed "as is" and you, the licensee, are assuming the entire risk as
to their quality and performance.

In no event will B-Line be held liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages
arising out of the use or inability to use the software or documentation, even if advised of the possibility
of such damages. In particular, B-Line is not responsible for any costs including but not limited to those
incurred as a result of lost profits or revenue, loss of use of the computer program, loss of data, the cost of
substitute programs, claims by third parties or for other similar costs.

TC113096
B-Line TrayCAD 4.0

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION TO TRAYCAD ............................................................................................... 1
About B-Line Systems, Inc............................................................................................................... 1
GETTING STARTED .................................................................................................................... 3
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................... 3
INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE .......................................................................................................... 3
TrayCAD 4.0 — System Overview ...................................................................................... 4
Centerline Interpreter........................................................................................................................ 4
TrayCAD Modeler.............................................................................................................................. 4
Database ............................................................................................................................................ 4
FEATURES OF TRAYCAD 4.0.................................................................................................... 5
CENTERLINE DRAWING .................................................................................................................. 5
EASE OF COMPONENT SELECTION.................................................................................................. 7
CHANGING CABLE TRAY PROPERTIES ........................................................................................... 7
BILL OF MATERIALS ...................................................................................................................... 7
FIRST SESSION-TUTORIAL ...................................................................................................... 8

COMMANDS AVAILABLE IN TRAYCAD ............................................................................. 23

GENERAL COMMANDS ................................................................................................................. 23
CENTERLINE DRAWING COMMANDS ............................................................................................ 24
TRAY GENERATION COMMANDS ................................................................................................. 24
VIEW COMMANDS ....................................................................................................................... 25
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TRAYCAD COMMANDS .................................................. 27
ABOUTTRAYCAD ................................................................................................................. 27
ACLINE ................................................................................................................................... 28
BOM .................................................................................................................................... 29
BUILDTRAYS ......................................................................................................................... 31
CHANGECOMPONENT ......................................................................................................... 33
CHANGELAYER ..................................................................................................................... 35
CLINE ...................................................................................................................................... 35
DELETECLINE ......................................................................................................................... 37
DONEEDITING ....................................................................................................................... 37
EXREDCLINE ......................................................................................................................... 38
GENERATELABELS .............................................................................................................. 39
LOADSTYLE ........................................................................................................................... 40
LOADTRAYCADMENU .......................................................................................................... 41
MODIFYCLINE......................................................................................................................... 41

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MODIFYFITTING ................................................................................................................... 42
MULTIPLECLINE ................................................................................................................... 44
PCLINE .................................................................................................................................... 45
PUTHANGER .......................................................................................................................... 45
REMOVELABELS ................................................................................................................... 46
REMOVEOVERLAP ................................................................................................................. 46
STANDARDANGLE ............................................................................................................... 47
SWITCHTOCLINE .................................................................................................................. 47
SETDEFAULTS ....................................................................................................................... 48
SAVESTYLE ........................................................................................................................... 50
TRAYCADASSIST .................................................................................................................. 51
TRAYCAD ................................................................................................................................. 51
TRAYCADHELP ..................................................................................................................... 52
TRAYSPECIFICATION .......................................................................................................... 52
TRAYPREVIEW........................................................................................................................ 53
UNLOADTRAYCADMENU..................................................................................................... 54
VIEWS........................................................................................................................................ 54
YCLINE .................................................................................................................................... 55
ERROR MESSAGES ................................................................................................................... 56
BEND ........................................................................................................................................... 56
CROSS.......................................................................................................................................... 56
HUB ............................................................................................................................................. 56
STRAIGHT REDUCER .................................................................................................................... 56
TEE .............................................................................................................................................. 56
USEFUL TIPS IN TRAYCAD..................................................................................................... 57

INDEX ........................................................................................................................................... 59

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Introduction to TrayCAD
Welcome to TrayCAD 4.0! This program is designed for use in conjunction with AutoCAD Release 14
or AutoCAD 2000 for Windows. It is a powerful design tool; yet it's simple to use. TrayCAD allows the
designer to select and draw a complete cable tray system, including plan views, elevation changes and
standard details in a fraction of the time spent on such tasks using conventional computer aided
drafting techniques or drafting board layouts. In addition to assisting with the drawing of cable tray,
TrayCAD has features that allow you to create a Bill of Materials, place details, and even create
specifications.

About B-Line Systems, Inc.

B-Line Systems, inc. is a leading manufacturer of support systems and electrical enclosures for the
mechanical, electrical and telecommunications industries. Our products are used in industrial,
commercial, utility and OEM installations. B-Line products are produced in eight modern plants
consisting of over 1,200,000 square feet. These facilities are located in Highland, Illinois; Troy Illinois;
Norcross Georgia; Reno, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Modesto, California; Sherman, Texas; and
Aurora, Colorado. If you would like more information regarding B-Line strut, cable tray, pipe hangers,
spring steel fasteners, cable runway, relay racks, electrical enclosures, or electronic cabinets, please
contact our customer service department.

B-Line Systems, Inc.

P.O. Box 326
Highland, IL 62249-0326
800-851-7415
B-Line TrayCAD 4.0

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 User’s Guide

Getting Started
System Requirements
TrayCAD 4.0 is designed to run on any computer with a full and operational version of AutoCAD
Release 14 or 2000. TrayCAD will not function with AutoCAD LT. TrayCAD iswill run in the Windows
95, Windows 98, and Windows NT environments. TrayCAD performs best with at least 16MB of RAM.
You should also refer to your AutoCAD documentation with regard to the minimum requirements
necessary for the operation of AutoCAD.

Installing the Software

TrayCAD 4.0 comes with an installation program that will create the necessary file directories on your
hard drive and copy the files to your computer. The installation of TrayCAD itself will take
approximately 15MB of disk space at its maximum. The amount of space may be less depending upon
whether or not you already have some of the common operating system files that TrayCAD requires.
To start the installation, insert the included CD into your compact disk drive and choose run from the
Windows start menu. Run the SETUP.EXE program. The program will prompt you for information
regarding the installation of the software on your machine. You can choose the default selections or
change the selections to suit your needs. During installation, you will be asked which version of
AutoCAD you want to use with TrayCAD. You may choose to install TrayCAD for use with AutoCAD
14, AutoCAD 2000, or both versions.

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TrayCAD 4.0 — System Overview

TrayCAD 4.0 runs as an overlay in your AutoCAD environment (ACAD). To use TrayCAD when
AutoCAD is open, type traycad at the prompt line in your ACAD session.

After the TrayCAD menus and toolbar appear, you can begin laying out a cable tray design by placing
centerlines that indicate the location of the cable tray in your drawing. Type centerline to enter the
centerline mode. After drawing the centerlines, you can start the cable tray building process by issuing
the buildtrays command.

TrayCAD 4.0 will automatically determine the components required for your layout. While TrayCAD
automates the process, it also gives you the flexibility to change a component or alter its properties to
better suit your design needs. TrayCAD will mark any problem spots in the design during the cable tray
building process and give some description of what the problem is. After the cable tray is built, a Bill of
Materials can be generated and displayed on the screen, and printed or saved as a report.

TrayCAD is organized into three components:

Centerline Interpreter
The Centerline Interpreter helps you draw the complete cable tray structure with the help of centerlines.
It detects the various centerline segments and attaches properties like tray width and material to the
centerline.

TrayCAD Modeler
The TrayCAD Modeler forms the heart of the system, choosing the required components and detecting
errors during modeling. The modeler determines the B-Line cable tray components needed for the
project and directs AutoCAD in the creation of the components on your drawing.

Database
The database stores the complete B-Line catalog information related to each component.

Figure 1: System Overview

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Features of TrayCAD 4.0

Centerline Drawing
The centerline drawing is the backbone of TrayCAD 4.0. It is used to identify the location of the cable
tray in your drawing. The centerline lies in the same plane as the bottom of the cable tray and is
located at the midpoint of the width.

In addition to denoting the position of the cable tray, the centerline line stores to various cable tray
properties, which are used for building the complete cable tray structure. The following figure shows the
centerline for a straight run and a horizontal bend. Note that when drawing sweeping bends, it is not
necessary to draw a radiused curve:

Figure 2: Tray Components and Underlying Centerlines

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Figure 3: A Complete Cable Tray Structure Model through Centerline Drawing

The complete cable tray structure is accomplished using the centerline in the 3D drawing area. You
use the centerline to:

1. Draw the skeletal diagram of the proposed tray structure. You may choose not to indicate the type
or technical specification for any component. TrayCAD will use default values.
2. Determine how you want the cable tray connected. Any errors for invalid connectivity will be
detected by the system at a later stage.

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Ease of Component Selection

All the related data to build the cable tray components is classified into two main sections: User
Entered data and Auto-Generated data.

User Entered Data: While TrayCAD can be run using default values, you can alter the standard
values according to your requirements through a dialog box.

Auto-Generated Data: TrayCAD computes the details of all the components of the cable tray system.
The components are determined according to the data you supplied. You
have the flexibility to alter the properties associated with the structure. Errors
in the structure or property data, if any, are detected and reported.

TrayCAD 4.0 allows you to work with a wide variety of B-Line products. The selection of a cable tray
system is done through a standard dialog. In addition to providing you with the available products by
B-Line series number the dialog can assist you in the selection of a B-Line series cable tray through the
use of the one of the following methods.

NEMA Loading: Select a B-Line series based on a NEMA classification and load depth.

Custom Loading: Select a B-Line series based upon a required tray load, load depth, and support
span.

Changing Cable Tray Properties

Each cable tray component is associated with different properties such as width, length, material type,
bottom type, bend radius (for fittings), and height. When a new project is started, all the components
are associated with certain default values. The default values can be altered through the
"configuration" menu option.

Once the centerline drafting is over and you decide to build tray, the components are determined with
the help of these standard values.

Bill Of Materials
A Bill of Materials (BOM) can be generated after TrayCAD has created a drawing based on your
centerline. The BOM lists the quantity any part numbers of tray components that form the complete tray
system. The parts list can be printed or saved as a text file which you can later edit. For more
information, refer to the BOM command.

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First session-Tutorial
Starting TrayCAD 4.0
1. Start AutoCAD (See Getting Started).
2. Type ‘TrayCAD’ at AutoCAD command prompt to invoke TrayCAD functionality. The TrayCAD
menu and the TrayCAD toolbar will be loaded into AutoCAD.

TrayCAD Toolbar
TrayCAD Menu

Figure 4: TrayCAD Toolbar and Menu

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Setting Defaults
1. Invoke the ‘SetDefaults’ command.

2. In the TrayCAD Setting Dialog box, specify the physical requirements of the cable tray system.
TrayCAD 4.0 allows you to select the B-Line tray series by NEMA load class or by entering the
required load capacity of the tray system in pounds per linear foot. The required load capacity of
the system is determined by the total weight per foot of the cables to be installed in the cable tray.
Bend radius for fittings is determined by the minumum bend radius of the cables to be installed.

Figure 5: SetDefaults Dialog

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Drawing the Centerline

1. Drawing a centerline in TrayCAD is no more difficult than drawing a standard AutoCAD line. Since
TrayCAD operates in three dimensions, it may be necessary to familiarize yourself with basic 3D
drawing techniques (See AutoCAD documentation).

2. TrayCAD builds cable tray using inches, so it is important to draw the centerline in inches. For
example, in order to draw a 10 ft. long section of tray, it is necessary to make that centerline 120
units long (10 ft. = 120 inches). Also, since the AutoCAD screen defaults to a small view area, it is
usually necessary to zoom out before beginning. Zoom out so that the width of the view-port is
approximately 1,000 units wide.

3. Begin by invoking the ‘centerline’ command.

4. TrayCAD now asks for the beginning point of the centerline. Pick a point in the left section of the
screen. Now TrayCAD asks for a second point. Draw the line 240 units (20 ft.) long in the positive
x direction. Using relative coordinates, the line is completed by typing at the command line
‘@240,0’.

Figure 6a: Sample Centerline Drawing

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5. Now, make a 90 degree bend and draw the centerline 240 units in the positive y direction by
entering ‘@0,240’.

Figure 6b: Sample Centerline Drawing

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6. Enter ‘@480,0’ to draw a section 40 ft. long in the positive x direction.

Figure 6c: Sample Centerline Drawing

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7. Finish the centerline by drawing 40 feet in the negative y direction, 20 feet in the negative x
direction, and then 40 feet in the positive y direction. Then hit enter to finish drawing.

Figure 6d: Sample Centerline Drawing

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Building the Cable Tray

1. After drawing your centerlines, issue the ‘BuildTrays’ command to build the tray structure.

Figure 7: Phase I execution

2. While building the cable tray, you are given the option to modify the properties of the fitting
components.

Figure 8: Build Confirmation Dialog Box

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3. After selecting the Alter option, choose the fitting you wish to modify using the modify fitting
command.

Figure 9: Component Properties confirmation box

Tee with modified properties:

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Figure 10: Modified Component (Tee)

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4. Changing a component is also possible.

Figure 11: Convert Component confirmation box

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Tee is converted to cross:

Figure 12: Changed Component (Cross)

5. When you have finished modifying the fittings, issue ‘DoneEditing’ to build the complete tray
structure with the components modified.

Figure 13: Phase II execution

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6. Finished cable tray layout:

Figure 14: Final Tray Structure

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Drawing Elevation Changes

1. TrayCAD 4.0 utilizes AutoCAD’s 3D capabilities. Elevation changes are made by drawing
centerlines in the z-plane. By enabling 3 dimensional drawing, TrayCAD allows cable tray to be
drawn in any orientation. Further, drawing the system in 3d allows details to be created from any
viewpoint when the layout is complete.

2. Drawing in 3 dimensions can be made simpler by switching the current view to Isometric. Select
SW Isometric from the AutoCAD 3D Views menu. Now you are looking at the layout from an angle
which will allow you to view elevation changes as well as horizontal runs.

Figure 15: Switching Drawing Views

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The following commands will draw in a 10 ft. drop:

A. Issue the Centerline command.

B. TrayCAD now asks for the beginning point of the centerline. Pick the end-point of a line. Now
TrayCAD asks for a second point. Draw the line 120 units (10 ft.) long in the positive z
direction. Using relative coordinates, the line is completed by typing at the command line
‘@0,0,120’.

Figure 16: Drawing an elevation change

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Issue the ‘BuildTrays’ command to build the tray structure.

3. Finished layout with elevation change:

Figure 17: Completed layout showing an elevation change

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Commands Available In TrayCAD

TrayCAD has many commands designed to assist you in building your cable tray system.

General Commands

Startup
TRAYCAD TC Load TrayCAD program
Setup
STANDARDANGLE SA Toggle Standard Angle setting on or off.
SETDEFAULTS SD Open centerline Drafting defaults dialog
Assistance
ABOUTTRAYCAD AT Open the B-Line TrayCAD About Box
dialog
TRAYCADASSIST TA Open the Assist Dialog Box
TRAYCADHELP TH Access TrayCAD Help File
Styles
LOADSTYLE LS Load predefined cable tray style
SAVESTYLE SS Save current cable tray style
Menu (AutoCAD R13 Only)
LOADTRAYCADMENU LM Load the TrayCAD menu and toolbar
UNLOADTRAYCADMENU UM Unload the TrayCAD menu and toolbar
Catalog Labels
GENERATELABELS GL Attach catalog ID's to the cable tray
components
REMOVELABELS RL Remove catalog ID's from cable tray
components
Utilities
BOM BOM Generate Bill Of Material
PUTHANGER PH Place hangers on cable tray drawing
CHANGELAYER CH Bring lines from other ACAD layers to
centerline layer
TRAYSPECIFICATION TS Access the TrayCAD Specification
Generator
TRAYPREVIEW TP View and insert TrayCAD detail drawings

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Centerline Drawing Commands

Construction
CLINE: CL Draw one or more centerlines
PCLINE: PC Draw a centerline perpendicular to an existing
centerline
ACLINE: AC Draw a centerline at an angle from an endpoint of an
existing centerline
YCLINE: YC Draw a centerline at an angle from any point of
centerline
Operations
DELETECLINE: DC Delete one or more centerlines
EXREDCLINE: ER Trim or extend a centerlines
MULTIPLECLINE: MU Create multiple layers of centerlines at different
elevations.
Properties
MODIFYCLINE: MC Alter properties of a centerline

Tray Generation Commands

Building Tray
BUILDTRAYS: BT Create tray based on existing centerlines
DONEEDITING: DE Continue tray building
REMOVEOVERLAP: RO Search for and remove overlapping
centerlines
Properties
CHANGECOMPONENT: CC Change a component to another type of
component
MODIFYFITTING: MF Alter the properties of a component
Remove Build
SWITCHTOCLINE: SC Return to centerline drawing mode.

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View Commands
LEFTVIEW: VLF View drawing from left
RIGHTVIEW: VRT View drawing from right
FRONTVIEW: VFT View drawing from front
BACKVIEW: VBR View drawing from back
TOPVIEW: VTP View drawing from top
BOTTOMVIEW: VBT View drawing from bottom
NEVIEW: VNE View drawing from Northeast corner
NWVIEW: VNW View drawing from Northwest corner
SEVIEW: VSE View drawing from Southeast corner
SWVIEW: VSW View drawing from Southwest corner

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Detailed Description of TrayCAD Commands

This section provides a detailed explanation of the commands available in B-Line TrayCAD 4.0. The
commands are presented in alphabetical order. The command’s alias (a two letter shortcut for the
command), picture from the toolbar icon, and command description are provided for each command.
NOTE: Toolbar icons are available only in AutoCAD Release 13.

ABOUTTRAYCAD
Default Alias: AT
Purpose: Accesses the About Box for B-Line TrayCAD.
Description: Displays the B-Line About dialog. The About dialog provides the TrayCAD version
number of TrayCAD.

Figure 18: B-Line TrayCAD About Box

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ACLINE
Default Alias: AC
Purpose: Construct centerline at an angle beginning at an endpoint of an existing centerline.
See Also: CLINE, PCLINE, YCLINE
Description: This command draws a centerline at a valid angle with respect to an existing
centerline. After issuing this command, you are prompted to select an endpoint from
which you want to start the new centerline. Respond by clicking on a centerline in the
drawing at a point closest to the endpoint from which you wish to extend the new line.
Next, specify the proposed end point for the new centerline. If the new centerline does
not form a valid angle with the existing one, TrayCAD automatically generates
centerlines that meet the standard angle requirements. Select the line you wish to
keep by clicking on it. If the new centerline forms an acute angle with the existing line,
the angle between the lines is automatically transformed into a 90 angle. The valid
angles are ( 180° ) where is 0 , 30 , 45 , 60 and 90 . This command is not
affected by the "Standard Angle" setting.
Illustration: The following figure depicts the drafting of centerlines with the ACLINE command. In
this situation, the endpoint selected by the user did not create a valid angle with the
reference centerline (A). TrayCAD generated two lines that create valid angles (lines
B and C). The user can now select line B or C. Once the selection is done, the next
centerline is drawn from the free end of the constructed line.

Figure 19: Constructing Centerlines with ACLINE Command

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BOM
Default Alias: BOM
Purpose: Generates Bill of Materials
See Also: BUILDTRAYS, DONEEDITING
Description: This command generates the Bill of Materials for the TrayCAD drawing. It is intended
to be used after the complete cable tray structure has been built (BUILDTRAY
command). The Bill of Materials is displayed on the screen for your review. You can
specify your preference for stainless steel hardware, then print the generated Bill of
Materials, or export its contents to a text file (through the Save As button). You can
also set the printer through this dialog box.
Illustration: The following figure depicts the Bill of Materials generated for an Aluminum Cable Tray
System.

Figure 20: Bill of Materials Dialog

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SAMPLE.BOM
1> 4A-24-HT12 Aluminum Horizontal Tee W24 H4 R12 5
2> 4A-24-90HB12 Aluminum 90 Horizontal Bend W24 H4 R12 3
3> 4A-24-HX12 Aluminum Cross W24 H4 R12 1
4> 4A-24-90VI12 Aluminum 90 Vertical Inner Bend W24 H4 1
R12
5> 4A-24-VTU12 Aluminum Vertical Tee W24 H4 R12 4
6> 4A-24-90VO12 Aluminum 90 Vertical Outer Bend W24 H4 R12 3
7> 24AVT-24-144 Aluminum Tray L 144 W 24 H 4 38

Figure 21: Text File Generated through the "Save As" Button

Figure 22: Sample Printer Output

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BUILDTRAYS
Default Alias: BT
Purpose: Starts Building Tray Structure
See Also: DONEEDITING
Description: Building the cable tray structure is divided into two phases. In order to get the
complete cable tray structure, you must run through both phases. The BUILDTRAYS
command starts Phase I. The following processes are performed in Phase I:

♦ Centerlines identified
♦ Intersection points identified and converted into centerline segments
♦ Line segments analyzed to identify the component fittings
♦ Properties of the component fitting identified (If component is not available in that
material type, the nearest match is accommodated.)
♦ Components fit

Any detected errors will appear in a red box.

For “Cent-R-Rail” systems, all the fittings are shown in a green box. The only valid
conversion allowed is from component to universal hub and back.

The following dialog will appear upon completion of Phase I calculations.

Figure 23: Build Confirmation Dialog Box

If you select the Continue option, Phase II calculations will begin automatically. If you
choose the Alter option, you will be returned to the drawing to make modifications.
When you wish to continue with the Phase II, issue the DONEEDITING command to
start the Phase II calculations. Phase II will then calculate and place the straight tray
segments, complete the drawing and label the parts with catalog part numbers.
Illustration: The following figures depict Phase I processing to identify the component.

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B-Line TrayCAD 4.0

Figure 24: Centerline Drawing (Segments numbered for this illustration only)

Figure 25: Phase I Execution

Figure 26: Build Confirmation Dialog Box

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Figure 27: Resulting Output of Phase I Compilation

(Fittings displayed by choosing Alter option)

CHANGECOMPONENT
Default Alias: CC
Purpose: Converts Component's Basic Type
See Also: BUILDTRAYS, MODIFYFITTING
Description: This command is designed to accommodate the need to plan for future cable tray
expansion. It is used after the BUILDTRAYS command has been issued and Phase I
calculations are complete. It let’s you can change the type of the TrayCAD fitting
being used in the drawing. (Note: These conversions are not allowed for "Cent-R-Rail"
cable tray systems.) You can specify the following types of TrayCAD component
changes.

• 90°Horizontal Bend To Horizontal Tee or Cross

• 90° Horizontal Tee To Horizontal Cross
• 90°Vertical Bend To Vertical Tee
• 90°Vertical Inside Bend To Vertical Outside Bend or vice versa

Illustration: The following dialog box appears when a CHANGECOMPONENT command is given.

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Figure 28: Change Component Dialog Box

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CHANGELAYER
Default Alias: CH
Purpose: Accumulates Lines from Different Layers.
See Also: CLINE, PCLINE, ACLINE, YCLINE
Description: This command is used to move lines from selected drawing layers to TrayCAD’s
CLINELAYER. TrayCAD will only refer to the CLINELAYER when the BUILDTRAY
command is issued. This command is useful when working with TrayCAD on
drawings created outside the TrayCAD environment. At the end of the operation, the
command displays the total number of lines transferred to the CLINELAYER.
Illustration: The following dialog box appears when a CHANGELAYER command is given.

Figure 29: Change Layer Dialog Box

The "Select Layers" list box contains all the layers (other than TrayCAD layers)
currently in the system. You can select one or more layers for the transferring
operation.

The "Start" button begins the accumulation of all the lines from the selected layers to
the "centerline Layer." The Start button remains disabled until at least one layer is
chosen from the dialog box. To cancel the operation, press the "Close" button.

CLINE
Default Alias: CL
Purpose: Construct centerlines.
See Also: PCLINE, ACLINE, YCLINE
Description: This command lets you draw a centerline in TrayCAD’s layer CLINELAYER. It works
similarly to the "LINE" command of AutoCAD. Apart from the normal features of
AutoCAD "LINE" command, CLINE provides these additional features:

• Allowing the centerline to be drawn at valid angle (depends upon Standard Angle
setting)
• Attaching special properties like width, length, material etc. to the centerline. These
properties can be set using the SETDEFAULTS OR MODIFYCLINE commands.

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Illustration: The following figure depicts a structure being drawn through CLINE command:

Figure 30: CLINE Command

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DELETECLINE
Default Alias: DC
Purpose: Deletes centerlines.
See Also: CLINE, PCLINE, ACLINE, YCLINE, EXREDCLINE
Description: Deletes an existing centerline. Doing so also deletes all the properties associated with
it. Some centerlines which were originally drawn as one segment may become split
into two or more segments during Phase I calculations in order to place tray fittings into
the drawing. The segmented centerlines have to be deleted individually or “rubber-
banded” during the selection process.

DONEEDITING
Default Alias: DE
Purpose: Continues with Building Trays
See Also: BUILDTRAYS
Description: Building the cable tray structure is divided into two phases. These phases are
performed by two separate commands. BUILDTRAYS initiates Phase I. To alter any
components after completion of Phase I, invoke the MODIFYFITTINGS command and
change to the desired fitting. Then invoke DONEDITING to begin the Phase II
calculations. Any detected errors will appear in a red box.
Illustration: The following figure continues the illustration shown in BUILDTRAYS, showing the tray
structure after removing the faulty tray.

Figure 31: Cable Structure for a Standard Cable Tray System.

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Figure 32: Cable Structure for a "Cent-R-Rail" System.

EXREDCLINE
Default Alias: ER
Purpose: Trims Or Extends centerlines
Description: This command will extend or reduce an existing centerline. When a centerline is
selected, the end point farthest from the click is considered as a fixed point. You
cannot reduce the centerline beyond this fixed point. The extension/reduction takes
place only in one axis; that is, in the axis of the selected centerline. Points lying
outside this axis will be flagged as an error. This operation can be performed in 3
different ways

Specifying the Coordinates

Specify the coordinates of extension/reduction point.
Specifying the Distance
Specify the total distance of extension or reduction. The change will be in the
axis of the existing line only.
Specifying the Proposed Point (Through the Mouse)
Stretch the line (through the rubber banding technique) to the required point.

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GENERATELABELS
Default Alias: GL
Purpose: Attaches Catalog ID's to the Components
See Also: REMOVELABELS
Description: This command is applicable only after the complete cable tray structure has been built.
It generates the "B-Line Catalog Identification" standard labels for the cable tray
structure.
Illustration: The following figure illustrates the cable tray structure with the Catalog ID’s attached to
it.

Figure 33: Cable Tray Structure Labeling for Aluminum Cable Tray

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LOADSTYLE
Default Alias: LS
Purpose: Loads Pre-Defined Styles
See Also: SAVESTYLE
Description: Styles are cable tray structure configurations. With this command, you can load a pre-
set style and also make specific style libraries.
Illustration: The following dialog box helps you to select the pre-saved styles.

Figure 34: Style Dialog Box

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LOADTRAYCADMENU
Default Alias: LM
Purpose: Loads TrayCAD specific menu and toolbar.
See Also: UNLOADTRAYCADMENU
Description: This command will add the TrayCAD specific menu and toolbar to current menu. It
will not remove the current active menu. This process is done automatically for you
when you invoke the TrayCAD. Note : This feature is available only in AutoCAD
R13

MODIFYCLINE
Default Alias: MC
Purpose: Alters centerline Properties
Description: This command lets you modify the centerline properties through a dialog box. The
dialog will appear with the current values of the component. You may then modify
these property values. One or more centerlines can be selected to alter properties.

The dialog box used for MODIFYCLINE and SETDEFAULTS is the same, the only
difference being; in MODIFYCLINE, you only modify the properties of the selected
centerlines, whereas values selected during SETDEFAULTS take effect when you
draw new centerlines.

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MODIFYFITTING
Default Alias: MF
Purpose: Alters Component Properties
See Also: CHANGECOMPONENT
Description: With this command, you can modify the properties of a fitting.
Illustration: The following dialog box appears with the MODIFYFITTING command:

Figure 35: Cable Tray Property Change

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Figure 36: Cent-R-Rail Property Change

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MULTIPLECLINE
Default Alias: MU
Purpose: Multiplies Centerlines Vertically
See Also: CLINE, PCLINE, ACLINE, YCLINE
Description: This command allows you to create multiple levels of cable trays through centerlines.
You can select a complete assembly to create multiple levels of the same structure.
Caution must be taken while creating multiple levels because, while in the processes
of creation, one vertical centerline may get overlapped with another if the distance
between the levels is very small. Rest assured this problem will be detected during the
build phase; it is better to realize the situation and take the appropriate actions during
the drawing phase.
Illustration: The following diagram shows multiple centerlines created through the
MULTIPLECLINE command.

Figure 37: Five Levels of Centerlines

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PCLINE
Default Alias: PC
Purpose: Constructs Perpendicular Centerlines
See Also: CLINE, ACLINE, YCLINE
Description: This command draws a centerline at a perpendicular angle with respect to another
centerline. This is particularly useful if you want to place a "T" component in the
centerline drawing. You are asked for a point from which you want to start the
perpendicular centerline and to specify the reference centerline with which the angle
has to be perpendicular.
Illustration: This figure creates perpendicular centerlines with and without line intersection.

Figure 38: Constructing Perpendicular Centerlines

PUTHANGER
Default Alias: PH
Purpose: Specifies Hanger Location
Description: Allows you to put a symbol at the locations where the hangers are going to be placed.
This is just a representational tool. Hangers have to be placed on centerlines. The
properties of a hanger are linked to that of the underlying centerline. The creation of a
hanger assigns the centerline properties implicitly to the hanger and the deletion or
modification of a centerline operates accordingly on its hanger.

Figure 39: Hanger Location Icon

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REMOVELABELS
Default Alias: RL
Purpose: Removes Catalog ID's Attached to the Components
See Also: GENERATELABELS
Description: This command is applicable only after the complete cable tray structure has been built.
It removes the "B-Line Catalog Identification" labels for the cable tray structure created
through GENERATELABELS.

REMOVEOVERLAP
Default Alias: RO
Purpose: Removes Overlapping Centerlines
Description: This command, which removes overlapped "centerlines," is particularly useful in the
situation where two or more centerlines are drawn such that one centerline (or a
portion of a centerline) is drawn directly on top of another. It is important not to have
any overlapping lines when building the trays; otherwise, after building, TrayCAD will
either show an error box or generate an incorrect fitting at that location.

Use this command when you are not sure if any centerlines are overlapped. You need
to use it only once after your centerline layout is complete. Depending upon the
complexity of the centerline drawing, this process may take some time.
Illustration: The following figure illustrates some types of overlapping:

Figure 40: Examples of Overlapping Centerlines

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STANDARDANGLE
Default Alias: SA
Purpose: Toggles standard angle Setting
Description: This command toggles the availability of a standard angle for centerline drawings.
This option can also be set through the SETDEFAULTS dialog box. Having this option
“on” implies that you can connect one centerline with another only at an angle that
conforms to a standard B-Line fitting.

SWITCHTOCLINE
Default Alias: SC
Purpose: Go back to centerline drafting.
Description: This command lets you go from the cable tray model drawing back to the centerline
drawing. This can be performed from any stage of the processing. In order to get
back to the cable tray model drawing, you must re-issue the BUILDTRAYS command.

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SETDEFAULTS
Default Alias: SD
Purpose: Sets the centerline drafting defaults
See Also: MODIFYCLINE
Description: This command accesses the dialog box to set default properties of the centerlines.
The configuration dialog box will let you modify default values such as material, width,
and height. These defaults will be applicable to any centerlines drawn after the dialog
is closed.
Illustration: The following figures show the Set Defaults dialog box:

Figure 41: Set Defaults Dialog Box

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Figure 42: Drawing Properties

Clicking the “Option” button on “SetDefaults” dialog box opens the “Drawing Properties” box which
permits the user to check for non-standard angles, associate tolerance with centerlines and add
footnotes to the tray style. Tolerance is defined as the smallest distance between two end points of
almost intersecting lines. It’s default value is zero.

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SAVESTYLE
Default Alias: SS
Purpose: Save Current Style
See Also: LOADSTYLE
Description: This command saves the current settings from the SETDEFAULTS dialog box to a file.
You can use this command to create a library of configuration styles that can be used
during current and future drawing sessions.

Figure 43: Save Style Dialog

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TRAYCADASSIST
Default Alias: TA
Purpose: Accesses the Assist Dialog Box
Description: This command accesses the assist dialog box, which can be particularly helpful in the
AutoCAD Release 12 environment where the toolbar is not available. This command
mimics the toolbar available in AutoCAD Release 13.
Illustration: The following commands are available:

Figure 44: TrayCAD Assistance Command Links

TRAYCAD
Default Alias: TC
Purpose: Starts TrayCAD
Description: Give this command to access any command related to TrayCAD. Whenever you
begin a new drawing, AutoCAD initializes all the system variables; hence, to re-invoke
TrayCAD, use this command. If TrayCAD is already initialized, running this command
will give a warning message.

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TRAYCADHELP
Default Alias: TH
Purpose: Accesses TrayCAD help
Description: This command, available in AutoCAD Release 13 and above, accesses the TrayCAD
help system. If you have a release prior to Release 13, you may access the help
externally.

TRAYSPECIFICATION
Default Alias: TS
Purpose: Accesses the TrayCAD specification generator
Description: This command starts the TrayCAD specification program. This program assists you in
generating a specification document for your project.

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TRAYPREVIEW
Default Alias: TP
Purpose: Highlights the components and accessories
Description: This command assists you in placing TrayCAD details into your drawing. The
available detail drawings are organized in a menu and can be previewed. If you wish,
your detail can be placed into your current project drawing. You can specify the
location, size, and orientation of the drawing.

Figure 45: TrayPreview Interface

Figure 46: Selection Preview

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UNLOADTRAYCADMENU
Default Alias: UM
Purpose: Unloads TrayCAD specific menu and toolbar.
See Also: LOADTRAYCADMENU
Description: This command will remove (unload) the TrayCAD menu and toolbar from the current
menu. It will not remove the current active menu. Use this before saving the drawing
if you did not want to save TrayCAD menu and toolbar with your drawing. Note : This
feature is available only in AutoCAD R13

VIEWS

Purpose: View a drawing from another perspective.

Description: There are several view commands to allow you to rotate the drawing on the screen.

Command Default Alias Description

BACKVIEW VBK Back View
BOTTOMVIEW VBT Bottom View
FRONTVIEW VFT Front View
LEFTVIEW VLF Left View
NEVIEW VNE Northeast View
NWVIEW VNW Northwest View
RIGHTVIEW VRT Right View
SEVIEW VSE Southeast View
SWVIEW VSW Southwest View
TOPVIEW VTP Top View

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YCLINE
Default Alias: YC
Purpose: Construct centerline at an Angle from any Point on a centerline.
Description: This command draws a centerline at a valid angle with respect to another centerline.
Select a point on or near to an existing centerline from which you want to start the new
centerline. TrayCAD will draw 2 lines with valid angles nearest to the selected
centerlines. You can select one of these which complies to your requirements. The
valid angles are ( 180° ) where is 0 , 30 , 45 , 60 and 90 .
Illustration: The following figure illustrates the usefulness of YCLINE commands:

Figure 47: Drawing Centerlines through YCLINE

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Error Messages
If a discrepancy is detected in the data during the process of building the cable tray, an error message
will appear. Some errors may be severe, in which case the final cable tray layout will be faulty. In any
case, you are notified with the cause of the error.

In TrayCAD, all errors are shown attached to a red box, placed at the location (centerline intersection
point) of the error. If errors exist, these errors will be prompted after Phase I and Phase II. The
following figure depicts an error condition:

Figure 48: Error Prompting in South West View

Most of the error messages are self-explanatory. Some of the most prominent error messages are
described below.

Bend
• Can't fit Bend
• Doesn't make a horizontal plane.
• Trays making invalid angle.

Cross
• Can't fit Cross
• Doesn't make a vertical plane.
• Trays making invalid angles.
• Vertical Cross not available.

Hub
• Can't fit Hub

Straight Reducer
• Can't fit Straight Reducer
• Straight Reducer not available.

Tee
• Can't fit Tee
• Doesn't make a horizontal plane.
• Properties not available.
• Trays making invalid angles.
• Unable to select Component.
• Vertical component not available.

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Useful Tips in TrayCAD

Topic: Centerlines get segmented once the tray construction is finished.
Tip: This happens only when an intersection is found between two centerlines. This is an
inherent function of the program and is necessary to detect the type of component
fitting at the intersection point. Segmentation does not alter the design of the
centerlines in any way.

For example, two centerlines touching each other at the end points will not be
segmented (eventually, the intersecting point will be fit with a Bend); one centerline
intersecting the second centerline somewhere along its axis will be segmented into
three centerlines (the point of intersection will eventually be fit with a Tee); two lines
intersecting each other completely will be converted into four segments (the point of
intersection will eventually be fit with a Cross); and so on.

Topic: Drawing centerlines having 3D coordinates.

Tip: This can be done in two ways:
Change the view and click on the points.
Enter the coordinates as x,y,z value.

Topic: Deleting styles.

Tip: Style files are stored with the extension .STY in your TrayCAD installation directory.
Styles, if not required, have to be physically deleted. This will automatically update the
list boxes during LOADSTYLE and SAVESTYLE invocation.

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Topic: Drawing Left/Right Hand Reducer.

Tip: These reducers are a special type of reducer; hence, they have to be handled in a
different way. The following figures depict how to draw a left/right hand reducer.

Figure 49: Left/Right Hand Reducer Centerline Layout

Note that the two parallel lines differ in their widths and also the distance between the lines is such that
were we to fit the straight trays as it is, the top ends would be meeting whereas the bottoms would be
out of phase. Hence even though there is no CL intersection , the above situation is deemed an
intersection with an appropriate LR Reducer fit.

Figure 50: LR Reducer Positioned

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Index
A
ABOUTTRAYCAD...........................23, 27
ACLINE.....................24, 28, 35, 37, 44, 45
B
BACKVIEW ......................................25, 54
BOM ........................................7, 23, 29, 30
BOTTOMVIEW ................................25, 54
BUILDTRAYS ..........24, 29, 31, 33, 37, 47
C
CHANGECOMPONENT ..........24, 33, 42
CHANGELAYER .............................23, 35
CLINE .................24, 28, 35, 36, 37, 44, 45
D
DELETECLINE ................................24, 37
DONEEDITING....................24, 29, 31, 37
E
EXREDCLINE............................24, 37, 38
F T
FRONTVIEW ...................................25, 54
G
GENERATELABELS ................23, 39, 46
L
LEFTVIEW .......................................25, 54
LOADSTYLE........................23, 40, 50, 57
LOADTRAYCADMENU............23, 41, 54
M Y
MODIFYCLINE ....................24, 35, 41, 48
MODIFYFITTING ......................24, 33, 42
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User’s Guide
MULTIPLECLINE ........................... 24, 44
N
NEVIEW........................................... 25, 54
NWVIEW ......................................... 25, 54
P
PCLINE .................... 24, 28, 35, 37, 44, 45
PUTHANGER ................................. 23, 45
R
REMOVELABELS .................... 23, 39, 46
REMOVEOVERLAP....................... 24, 46
RIGHTVIEW.................................... 25, 54
S
SAVESTYLE ....................... 23, 40, 50, 57
SETDEFAULTS ...... 23, 35, 41, 47, 48, 50
SEVIEW ........................................... 25, 54
STANDARDANGLE ....................... 23, 47
SWITCHTOCLINE ......................... 24, 47
SWVIEW ......................................... 25, 54
TOPVIEW ........................................ 25, 54
TRAYCAD ....................................... 23, 51
TRAYCADASSIST ......................... 23, 51
TRAYCADHELP ............................. 23, 52
TRAYPREVIEW ............................. 23, 53
TRAYSPECIFICATION ................. 23, 52
U
UNLOADTRAYCADMENU ..... 23, 41, 54
YCLINE .............. 24, 28, 35, 37, 44, 45, 55