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2012 Program Improvements

At Power Line Systems we continually improve our software. Below we list some of the more significant enhancements made during the year 2012. Click here for improvements made in 2011 or here for the most recent enhancements.

• PLS-CADD
• PLS-POLE
• TOWER

PLS-CADD^™

• Version 12.30 released
• Now support Windows 8
• Now allow most recurring error messages to be redirected to a report.
• Drafting/Attachments/Attachment Manager now supports a "Plan view vertical plane" image attachment mode for locating GPS camera images in the plan coordinate system. Program will automatically extract image coordinates and azimuth angle from GPS camera (including iPhone) EXIF data when present.
• New Drafting/Structure & Section Labeling dialog that replaces and greatly expands upon capability formerly in View/Display options/Profile View Structure & Section Labels.
• Custom symbols can now be drawn at Structure Center, Pole Bases, Tower Leg Bases and Guy Anchor locations.
• Completely overhauled Lines/Reports/Construction Staking Report to include graphical staking diagrams and material and to provide control over reference hubs.
• Structure weight spans are now adjusted to account for insulator counter weights.
• Structure interaction diagrams and wind and weight span strength definitions can now have limit on percent of maximum wind span, percent of maximum weight span and minimum weight span from a single side.
• Criteria/Structure Loads/Wind Direction now has a "MAX: Global wind direction producing maximum structure usage for M4 structures and maximum base moment for M1/M2/M3 structures."
• New "Include chained insulators in L2 and L3 models" option under Criteria/SAPS Finite Element Sag-Tension allows modeling of insulators supported by other insulators.
• Added surveyed temperature for each span feature so that wire temperature can vary throughout a tension section.
• Sections/Thermal Calculations now supports IEEE Standard 738-2012 which can result in core strand temperature hotter than outer strands.
• FE sag-tension refined for improved convergence and faster length calculations.
• Added support for "REE Spain RD 223/2008" wire wind height adjust method.
• Version 12.10 released
• Added 'NESC 2012' options for wind adjustment with height, wire gust response factor and structure wind load models defined in Criteria/Weather and Criteria/Structure Loads.
• Added Quick Search Toolbar which can be used to search the menus, help, technical notes and videos. Also acts as a calculator (try typing "=10*sin(45)").
• Added support for display of GPS camera and iPhone pictures in the 3d view. To use this simply attach your pictures using the new "Plan view vertical plane" image attachment mode in Drafting/Attachments/Attachment Manager. Image locations and azimuths are automatically extracted from image EXIF data.
• Added Sections/Concentrated Loads Automatic Placement feature for reporting on wires exceeding a specified height above ground or automatically placing marker balls on them. Options are provided to control spacing, staggering between different wires, alternating between different colors...

PLS-POLE^™

• Version 12.30 released
• Now support Windows 8
• Modified creation of finite element models for PLS-CADD to enable new PLS-CADD chained insulator feature.
• Added another solution strategy to the nonlinear finite element engine which is automatically used when have a particularly sensitive model.
• Added a Graphical Add/Move/Delete toolbar that enables graphical creation and manipulation of a model.
• Version 12.10 released
• Added NESC 2012 option to the Wind/Ice Model column in Loads/Vector Loads and Loads/Wire Loads.
• Added Quick Search Toolbar which can be used to search the menus, help, technical notes and videos. Also acts as a calculator (try typing "=10*sin(45)").
• Can now import pole models from ikeAnnotate PLS by ikeGPS. You can watch the video introduction to ikeGPS and ikeAnnotate PLS now.
• General/Attachments/Attachment Manager now works with images in JPEG and TIFF formats.
• Image attachments may now have an azimuth angle specified. When an azimuth is specified, images will not be visible if you are looking at them from behind.

TOWER^™

• Version 12.30 released
• Now support Windows 8
• Modified creation of finite element models for PLS-CADD to enable new PLS-CADD chained insulator feature.
• Added another solution strategy to the nonlinear finite element engine which is automatically used when have a particularly sensitive model.
• Sped up navigation of very large output tables and fixed problem scrolling when have more than 32767 rows of data.
• Improved color coding in Geometry/Members/Table Edit
• Version 12.10 released
• Added NESC 2012 option to the Wind/Ice Model column in Loads/Vector Loads and Loads/Wire Loads.
• Added Quick Search Toolbar which can be used to search the menus, help, technical notes and videos. Also acts as a calculator (try typing "=10*sin(45)").
• General/Attachments/Attachment Manager now works with images in JPEG and TIFF formats.
• Image attachments may now have an azimuth angle specified. When an azimuth is specified, images will not be visible if you are looking at them from behind.