To get the update, use the 'FireCAD Update Utility' link on the desktop, or the 'Check For Updates' command from within the program in the drop-down menu under 'File' on the FireCAD Tools ribbon.
Alternatively you can download the direct update links below. Please make sure you download the correct update for your installed FireCAD version.
FireCAD Addin For AutoCAD (2018-2024)
https://www.cadgen.com/downloads/Cadgen_FireCAD_Addin_en_x64.exe
FireCAD 2018 Standalone
https://www.cadgen.com/downloads/firecad-2018-exe-install.exe
FireCAD 2019 Standalone
https://www.cadgen.com/downloads/firecad-2019-exe-install.exe
FireCAD 2021 Standalone
https://www.cadgen.com/downloads/firecad-2021-exe-install.exe
FireCAD 2023 Standalone
https://www.cadgen.com/downloads/firecad-2023-exe-install.exe
Installation Instructions
Please download the update for the appropriately licensed version(s) of your software.
Close any running instances of AutoCAD, FireCAD, and the Cadgen Database Utility.
Run the installer and follow the prompts to install the updates.
Note: A new required prerequesite (SQL Server Express LocalDB 2019) was added to all versions. If you have a dialog with this prerequisite checked, then your machine requires this update to run FireCAD. Click 'Next' and it will automatically install.
Known Issues
- FireCAD ribbon menu may disappear after the update in the standalone OEM version.
- Solution
- Type 'MENU' at the command line
- In the dialog that opens up, select 'cgfcad23.cuix', 'cgfcad21.cuix', 'cgfcad19.cuix', or cgfcad18.cuix depending on your standalone version, and click open.
- Solution
New Features
- AutoCAD 2024 Compatibility - The FireCAD Add-in For AutoCAD will now load into AutoCAD 2024 and special toolset versions.
- 'Sort By Circuit' option added to the riser. This will keep circuit in order by panel and circuit name if possible. On dual circuit devices the longest circuit is prioritized.
- 'Set Vertical Constraints' (atset_vertical_constraints) command added to the Riser ribbon panel. This will allow you to select devices on the drawing and add them to a named group to force them to align vertically on the riser. For example, selecting riser junction boxes on each level can be selected and added to a group called 'Riser1'. The riser generator will attempt to keep them vertically aligned.
- 'Set Entity Properties on Insert' option has been added to the device palette. This will prompt you for entity properties that can be set as devices are placed on the drawing from the device palette. There are preset properties like 'Location', 'Floor', 'Building', 'Application', 'Note' as well as the ability to add custom named properties to the list and set property visibilty.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed the folder browser in the 'Create Project Wizard' dialog to show all machine locations with a new updated selection window. On some machines, recent Windows updates only allowed projects to be created on the desktop.
- Fixed riser and report error when using '15/75' candela settings
- Fixed incorrect candela labels in battery calculations when the devices have the same current for all settings.
- Fixed the 'Set Device Settings' dialog to include the abililty to set all device input circuit options, including internal card circuit settings. For example, a multi-function cabinet with mutliple control modules will now allow individual selections for each module riser circuit input (NAC, AUDIO, etc...). In addition, the current settings on selected devices will be preset when opening the dialog, unless there are multiple devices with different settings in the selection. Sorting has been fixed to display each circuit option.
- Changes to device circuits and current settings in the project database editor now take effect immediatley on existing devices. Previously devices would need to be replaced for the new circuit settings to show up properly
- Fixed the 'Reroute Polylines' command. Previously it was not rerouting selected polylines.
- Fixed the 'RESUSE' keyword option on the 'Draw Circuit' commands. This will prevent existing circuit segments from being re-routed and only adds missing circuit segments.
- Fixed issue with the 'Replace Selection With Device' command moving the inner block text on the replacement devices.
- Fixed the project circuit list drop-down from staying open on the circuit palette. It will now close automatcially if the palette tab is changed or the mouse is clicked elsewhere in the palette.
Command Enhancements
- 'Replace Selection With Device' has been updated to keep existing circuit connections. If the new devices have compatible circuit types the connections will preserved as well as settings like Candela and Watts.
- 'Set Entity Properties' command has been updated with a new dialog to set properties on a selection of devices.
- Added new keywords to the 'Draw Circuit' commands so that the duration of the layout can be adjusted. Prevously, large projects would take too long to calculate a new layout. The new default max setting is 10 seconds.
- Riser wrapping has been adjusted to force wrapping at a certain number of devices, and also support wrapping lines with more than one segment between devices.
- A searchable cable list has been added to the 'Project Circuit Editor' dialog. Cables are displayed in alphbetical order, and search terms can be entered to the drop-down list to filter when searching for a cable. In addition, the same search/filter capabilities was added the to circuit type drop-down as well.
- All references to 'Node' have been changed to 'Card' as this was intended to be used as a name for a component in an assembly, not a specific card address.
- All references to 'Panel Name' have been changed to 'Device Name'. This is a prefix used to prefix all output circuits from the device, which can be panels, modules, or other types of devices.
- Updated the 'Device Palette' with a cleaner device layout and an option to combine search terms with the '+' sign. For example, setting the filter to 'strobe +horn' will only show devices with both of these terms (only strobe/horn combo devices).