Design Master HVAC 4.5.10

Released January 17, 2006

When copying diffusers, it is possible to create a diffuser that is incorrectly linked to a duct in the database. A number of diffuser connection errors that have been reported to us can be traced back to this specific bug. This patch fixes this bug and should result in fewer diffuser connection problems.

Design Master HVAC 4.5.7

• Equipment and lighting loads are listed with more significant digits in the load calculation output.
• Latent and sensible loads are flipped in load calculation output.
• The sizing criteria is saved when vertical ducts are inserted.
• Room supply air CFM requirements are calculated based upon the room cooling temperature and not the building cooling temperature.
• The Resize button in the Query Duct command correctly sizes the width.
• Rectangular branches coming off of round trunks draw correctly in 3D.

Design Master HVAC 4.5.6

Major Changes

Faster Double-Line Redraw!

This is by far the most significant change from which everyone will benefit. The practice job that we use for demos now draws 5 times faster than it used to. You should see similar speed improvements in your other drawings.

More Precise Building Load Calculations

Building load calculations now calculate the load for each hour and give you the peak of that (rather than using only 8:00 AM, noon, and 4:00 PM).

You can also calculate the load for multiple months, if you want to check for non-July peaks. To do this, go to DM Building->Project Info. In the bottom right, you now have the option to set high dry bulb and web bulb temperatures for each month. If you select a new city, all of these numbers for each month will be inserted.

Doing calculations for 24 hours each day times 12 months can take longer than before, so it is recommended that you unselect any months for which you do not want to calculate the load. Months without a temperature will be skipped during the calculations.

Better Load Calculation Printing

The load calculation output has been improved to be easier to read and use less paper. The output uses HTML for its format, which means that your web browser can be used for a print preview.

We have posted a sample of the new load calculation output that you can view online.

Improved Vertical Ducts

Vertical duct fittings have been greatly improved.

All your existing fittings should draft correctly. However, going forward, vertical ducts should for the be treated like horizontal ducts. Rather than using the Vertical fitting, use the other fittings to insert the actual fittings that would be used.

The Vertical fitting has been replaced with the Shaded Vertical fitting. This should be inserted only when you want your vertical duct to be shaded. If you don't want it shaded, use another fitting (an end cap, or the new Reset to Automatic Fitting command). For ducts that coming from the AHU to the current drawing, you will need to insert an extra vertical duct so that you have one duct to put the shaded vertical fitting on and the other duct to put the elbow or branch fitting on.

New Fittings

There are two new fitting buttons. The first is called Reset to Automatic Fitting. This command removes the fitting you have inserted at a duct intersection and replaces it with an automatically selected fitting.

The second is the Offset fitting, displayed in the picture to the right. Rather than using elbows at the two intersections, you insert the Offset fitting at the first one, circled in red. Design Master HVAC will then draw a straight connection between the two connected ducts.

New Duct Macros

Three new duct macros were added to assist you in drafting your centerlines. They can all be found under the DM HVAC->Duct Macros menu or on the Duct Macros toolbar.

• Reverse One Duct allows you to select one duct that will have its head and tail ends reversed.
• Reverse Duct Branch allows you to select a duct branch to reverse. The command will then reverse the duct that you select, and all ducts that point to the selected duct. It walks the duct tree back to the current source and makes the selected duct the source instead.
• Force Duct Connection will force two ducts to connect to each other, guaranteeing that the airflow will be carried between them when calculating CFM totals.

Minor Changes

• The Bottom Connection command on the diffuser toolbar is improved. When connected this way, the diffuser will have a vertical piece drawn coming out of the middle of it, regardless of where you move it. With the new vertical fitting double-line, it will put a transition in the proper place in the ductwork above the diffuser without requiring you to insert any extra breaks.
• The Offset Vertical Duct command is improved in the same way as the Bottom Connection command.
• Ducts connected to a sidewall diffuser are now first sized to match the neck size of the diffuser. If the neck size is set to 0, the duct is then sized to match the face size of the diffuser.
• Roof types are properly displayed in the Edit Room (HVAC Criteria) command. Previously, the roof type used in calculations was always correct based upon what was selected, but the roof type that displayed was sometimes not correct. This mismatch was most noticeable when the roof type was set to use the roof info from the floor that the room was on.
• Transitions between lined and unlined duct sections now draw correctly in 2D.
• Copy Wall now copies the wall height.
• Notes on diffuser schedules can now be properly removed.
• The fire damper fitting no longer crashes.
• Coordinate Drawing and Database checks diffuser CFM ranges. If the CFM of the diffuser is out of range, the callout is changed to one that has an appropriate range. If no alternative callout can be found, the diffuser is not changed.
• When changing the CFM total of multiple diffusers, callouts that are changed in the database are changed in the drawing as well.
• Sections can be renamed. Existing sections will have to be erased manually and reinserted when they are updated.

Design Master HVAC 4.5.5

• Flat oval ducts now draw correctly when vertical.
• Tees do not draw extra lining.
• The fitting on a vertical duct that comes from a drawing to drawing duct is now inserted properly.
• Diffuser callout leaders are drawn at a high elevation, so they are not obscured by ductwork when the HIDE command is run.
• "Coordinate Diffusers and Light Fixtures" inserts the light fixtures at the correct angle now.

Design Master HVAC 4.5.4

• Added "Help" option to all of the Design Master pulldowns.  There are four commands here. 
• • "Help->About" displays a window listing with general Design Master information displayed.  It includes our contact information.  It also shows you what version of Design Master you have loaded.
  • The two "Remote Support" commands allow Bob and David to directly view your computer screen over the Internet.  This will help us provide quicker training and support.
  • The last command will open up your default web browser and point you to the Design Master support page.
• Random crashing while stretch duct centerlines has been fixed.
• Diffuser throw arrows are drawn on the correct layer instead of layer 0.

Design Master HVAC 4.5.3

• More information about the drawing are given in the save as warning boxes. The old and the new drawing name and directory are listed, to give you a better idea of what has changed.
• "Update Room Outlines" no longer draws extra exterior walls when rooms have similar names.
• "Export Building Information" glass and door areas are now calculated correctly.
• The rectangular 4-duct automatic fitting can now be changed.
• "Coordinate Drawing and Database" no longer arbitrarily modifies the values of ducts inserted during the current drawing session.
• The "Load Calculation Dialogue" now displays two times. The first is the peak for the room load, the second is the peak for the system load. When selecting a room or a zone, Design Master will set these times to the peak automatically. However, you can now use them to select other times and see the load associated with it.
• "Coordinate Drawing and Database" does not lose diffuser and duct connection when inserting erased ducts.

Design Master HVAC 4.5.1

• Rename Drawing command added under "Drawing Utilities" on the HVAC and electrical pulldown.
• Copy Drawing command added under "Drawing Utilities" on the HVAC and electrical pulldown. All devices on the current drawing are copied to the new drawing. Circuited devices are left circuited, so some circuit loads might have increased.
• Start New Job now works if you are missing a master database.
• Duct centerlines no longer display as thin lines in AutoCAD 2004.
• Flex duct now draws correctly in metric drawings.
• Diffuser callouts with numbers greater than 99 do not have extra numbers inserted in them.
• Balancing dampers are inserted automatically again.
• SHGC values of user-defined glass types in the Glass Master Schedule are no longer continually modified.
• Copied walls no longer rotate themselves 180 degrees