Overview
The Project Circuits Palette is a dockable panel in AutoCAD that provides live circuit management, real-time calculations, and quick access to circuit operations. It persists across AutoCAD sessions and updates dynamically as you work.
How to Access
The palette opens automatically as part of the FireCAD interface, or can be toggled from the FireCAD ribbon.
Layout
The palette is organized into collapsible sections, arranged vertically:
Circuit Selection
A searchable dropdown at the top of the palette lets you select the active circuit. Type to filter circuits by name, voltage, or connection types.
Action Buttons
Two rows of buttons for common circuit operations:
Primary Actions
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Connect | Connect devices to the selected circuit |
| Disconnect | Remove devices from the circuit |
| Insert | Insert a device into the circuit sequence |
| Branch | Create a branch circuit |
Secondary Actions
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Relocate Branch | Move a branch point to a different device |
| Remove Branch | Eliminate a branch configuration |
Additional Commands (Expandable)
An expandable section with less frequently used operations:
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Refresh Data | Reload circuit and device data from the database |
| Select Circuit Path | Manually select circuit geometry in the drawing |
| Update Wirepath Labels | Recalculate and sync wirepath labels |
| Resequence Circuit | Re-order device sequence on the circuit |
| Draw Circuit Path | Auto-draw the circuit's wirepath geometry |
| Lock All Addresses | Lock all circuit addresses |
| Unlock All Addresses | Unlock all circuit addresses |
| Manage Addresses | Open the Locked Address Editor |
| Add Circuit Pair | Create a paired circuit configuration |
| Remove Circuit Pair | Delete a circuit pair |
| Project Circuits Editor... | Open the full Project Circuits Editor |
Toggle Switches
Performance toggles that enable or disable live calculations:
| Toggle | Description |
|---|---|
| PTP Preview | Enable/disable point-to-point voltage calculations |
| Lump Sum Preview | Enable/disable lump sum calculations |
| Label Update | Enable/disable automatic device and wirepath label regeneration |
Disabling these toggles improves performance on large projects (500+ devices).
Connected Device List
A grid showing all devices on the selected circuit:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Order | Sequence number on the circuit |
| Label | Device address label |
| Part No | Device part number |
| Location | Device location string |
| Calc Length From Previous | Calculated wire length from the previous device |
| Override Length | Manual length override |
| Use Override Length | Checkbox to enable the override |
Right-click a device for context menu options:
- Zoom To... — Pan and zoom to the device in the drawing
- Select... — Select the device in AutoCAD
- Disconnect — Remove the device from the circuit
Usage Summary
Displays circuit limit usage in two views:
Graph View
Horizontal bar graphs showing capacity usage for each limit type. Colors indicate status:
- Green — Within limits
- Yellow — Exceeds warning threshold
- Red — Exceeds limit
Table View
Detailed grid showing:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Limit Type | Connection type (SLC, NAC, etc.) |
| Start/End Voltage | Voltage range |
| Limit/Capacity | Maximum allowed value |
| Total Used | Current usage |
| Threshold % | Warning threshold percentage |
| Total Used % | Current usage as percentage of limit |
Point-to-Point Calculations (Expandable)
When PTP Preview is enabled, shows per-device voltage calculations:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Order | Device sequence number |
| Resistance From Previous | Wire resistance in ohms |
| Total Remaining Current | Remaining current in amps |
| Voltage At Device | Calculated voltage at the device |
Decibel Loss (Expandable)
Shows per-device power loss calculations:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Order | Device sequence number |
| Resistance From Previous | Wire resistance in ohms |
| Total Remaining Watts | Remaining power in watts |
| Power At Device | Calculated power at the device |
Tips
- The palette loads data asynchronously to keep AutoCAD responsive
- Circuit usage graphs provide at-a-glance status — red means immediate attention needed
- Disable calculation toggles when working on large projects for better performance
- The palette automatically refreshes when circuit data changes in other windows
- Locked circuits disable most action buttons to prevent accidental modifications
Related Commands
-
Project Circuits Editor —
ATPROJECT_CIRCUITS_EDITOR -
Connecting Devices —
ATCONNECT -
Disconnecting Devices —
ATDISCONNECT
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