Command
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ATOPTIONS |
Open the Options Editor dialog |
Ribbon: FireCAD > Edit > Options
Prerequisites
- A FireCAD project must be open
Overview
The Options Editor configures project-level settings that control how FireCAD displays labels, generates reports, handles circuits, and manages drawing elements. Changes made in the Options Editor apply to the current project.
Type ATOPTIONS in the AutoCAD command line to open the dialog.
Options Editor Tabs
The Options Editor contains seven tabs:
Text and Attributes
Controls text sizing and display for CAD elements.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Device Attribute Text Height | Height of text for device attributes in drawings | — |
| Scale Device Attribute With Block | When checked, attribute text scales proportionally with the block | — |
| Apply Dimscale To Device Blocks | Apply the drawing's dimension scale factor to device blocks | — |
| Wirepath Label Text Height | Height of wirepath label text | — |
| Report Text Height | Text height used in generated report tables | — |
| Riser Text Height | Text height used in riser diagrams | — |
| Riser Block Scale | Scale factor for riser diagram blocks | — |
| Hide Wirepath Labels On Short Segments | Minimum segment length (in drawing units) before a wirepath label is displayed. Segments shorter than this value will not show labels | — |
| Show Segment ID In Wirepath Labels Instead Of Wirefill | Replace wire fill information with segment IDs in wirepath labels | Off |
| Mask Device Label Text | Apply a background mask behind device label text for readability | — |
| Show Circuit Quantity In Wirepath Labels | Include the number of circuits in wirepath labels | — |
| Generate Line Types For Wirefill Instead Of Labels | Use AutoCAD line types to represent wire fill instead of text labels | — |
| Line Type Text Spacing | Spacing between text elements when using line type wire fill | — |
| Mask Wirepath Label Text | Apply a background mask behind wirepath label text | — |
| Default Delimiter | Character used to separate label components (e.g., -, /) |
— |
Tools
Configuration for specific FireCAD tools.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| ATPoly Fillet Radius | Default fillet radius used by the ATPOLY polyline drawing command |
Block Replacement Options:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Alignment Mode | How replacement blocks align to the original block position |
| Rotation Mode | How replacement blocks handle rotation relative to the original |
| Scale | Scale factor for replacement blocks. Set to 0 to use the existing block's scale |
Layers
Controls which AutoCAD layers FireCAD uses for different element types.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Riser Layer | Layer name for riser diagram objects |
| Report Layer | Layer name for report table objects |
| Wirepath Layer | Layer name for wirepath geometry |
| Wirepath Label Layer | Layer name for wirepath labels (disabled when "Apply Segment Layers" is checked) |
| Apply Segment Layers To Wirepath Labels | When checked, wirepath labels inherit the layer of their parent segment instead of using a dedicated label layer |
| Use True Colors for Device Layers | Use full RGB colors instead of AutoCAD indexed colors for device layers |
Circuits
Settings that affect circuit behavior, display, and wirepath calculations.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional Wire Length Factor % | Percentage added to calculated wire lengths to account for service loops, slack, and routing overhead |
| Add Wire Label To Circuit Devices Without Complete Wirepaths | Generate wire labels for devices even if their wirepath is not fully routed |
| Show Connection Status Icons In Model Space | Display icons on devices showing their circuit connection status |
| Connection Status Icon Size | Size of connection status icons (only available when icons are enabled) |
| Show Wirepath Status Icons In Model Space | Display icons showing wirepath routing status |
| Wirepath Status Icon Size | Size of wirepath status icons (only available when icons are enabled) |
| Wirepath Intersection Tolerance | Distance tolerance for detecting intersections between wirepaths |
| Add Virtual Wirepath Between Intersecting Devices | Automatically create a virtual wirepath connection between devices that intersect |
| Device Highlight Padding | Extra space around devices when highlighting them |
| Device Coverage Transparency | Transparency level (0–255) for device coverage display overlays |
Reports
Controls report generation and formatting.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Report Column Width Factor | Multiplier for column widths in generated report tables |
| Battery Calc Standby (hours) | Standby duration for battery calculations (per NFPA 72, typically 24 hours) |
| Battery Calc Alarm (minutes) | Alarm duration for battery calculations (per NFPA 72, typically 5 minutes) |
| Derating Factor | Battery derating multiplier applied to capacity calculations (typically 1.2) |
| Panel Summary Calculation Method | Choose between Point-to-Point or Lump Sum methods for panel summary reports |
| Only Show Circuit Totals on Battery Calculation | Collapse individual device rows and show only circuit-level totals |
| Don't Include Unused Circuits | Omit circuits with no connected devices from reports |
| Add Reports and Risers to Current Drawing | Place generated reports in the active drawing instead of a new drawing |
| Include Existing Devices in Legend | Include devices marked as "existing" in device legend reports |
| Include Existing Devices in BOM | Include devices marked as "existing" in Bill of Materials reports |
| Generate Legacy Reports | Use the older SQL-based report generation method instead of the optimized cache-based method |
| Length Precision | Number of decimal places for length values |
| Current Precision | Number of decimal places for current (amperage) values |
| Voltage Precision | Number of decimal places for voltage values |
| Watts Precision | Number of decimal places for wattage values |
Drawing
Drawing-level configuration.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Drawing Units | The unit system for the current drawing (inches, feet, millimeters, etc.) |
Project
Project-wide settings.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Project File Backup Quantity | Number of backup copies to maintain for the project file (0–255). Set to 0 to disable backups |
| Embed Project Backup In Drawings | Automatically embed a compressed project backup inside each drawing file on save. Enables recovery via ATRESTORE_FROM_DRAWING if the project file is lost. See Embedded Drawing Backup & Recovery
|
Saving and Loading Settings
The Options Editor includes buttons for managing settings profiles:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Apply | Save changes to the current project and update the drawing |
| Cancel | Discard changes and close the dialog |
| Load Settings | Import settings from a previously saved .xml file |
| Save Settings As | Export current settings to an .xml file for reuse across projects |
| Reset Settings | Reset all settings to factory defaults |
What Happens When You Apply
When you click Apply, FireCAD:
- Saves the new settings to the project database
- Updates device labels in the active drawing (if label-related settings changed)
- Updates wirepath labels in the active drawing (if wirepath-related settings changed)
- Refreshes the cache with the new option values
A progress dialog shows the update status. You can cancel the label update if needed.
Tips
- Save your settings before making experimental changes. Use Save Settings As to create a backup, then Load Settings to restore if needed.
- Label settings (text heights, masking, delimiters) take effect after Apply updates the drawing. For large drawings, this may take a moment.
- Battery calculation parameters (standby hours, alarm minutes, derating factor) directly affect battery calculation reports and Design Assistant validation. Ensure these match your project's NFPA 72 requirements.
- Report precision settings affect how values are displayed in generated reports. Higher precision may be needed for dB loss calculations but unnecessary for general device schedules.
Related Articles
FireCAD is the industry-leading AutoCAD add-in for fire alarm system design — from circuit layout to wire routing to code-compliant reports.
Learn more and get started at getfirecad.com →
Inspect Point Integration — Fire alarm system device lists and bill of materials can be pushed directly from FireCAD into Inspect Point, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring every device is ready for inspection scheduling and ongoing asset management.
Learn more here →