Lineardraft is used in the rail industry as part of the rail electrification design process, allowing you to design overhead line electrification systems (OLE).
Lineardraft is made up of five key components.
The five key components that make up Lineardraft are:
All of these components are essential for getting started with Lineardraft.
This article gives you a brief overview of each component and how they work together. More information about the components is included in their respective standalone articles.
Lineardraft Desktop
Lineardraft Desktop is the home of all your Lineardraft components. It contains the Lineardraft Core and all the CAD plugins, design catalogues and project settings you have available (as defined by your license key), letting you manage installations and updates, as well as displaying the current installed version.
For more information, check out the What is Lineardraft Desktop article.
Lineardraft Core
Lineardraft Core is the component which contains all the tools and functionality designed to revolutionise your workflow.
Lineardraft Core is not functional by itself but is a vital component. You can’t build something without the proper tools and the Lineardraft Core contains those tools.
Lineardraft Plugins
As touched upon above, Lineardraft is not a standalone piece of software. It is instead designed to work within many of the major CAD platforms used in the rail industry today, so that designers and engineers can design and deliver projects using a workspace and format they're already familiar with.
To enable the Lineardraft Core to work within a CAD platform, you need a Lineardraft Plugin for the CAD software of your choice.
For more information, check out the What are Lineardraft Plugins article.
Design Catalogues
If Lineardraft Core contains the tools required to do the job, then the design catalogues contain the building blocks.
A design catalogue is a collection of OLE components modelled from a design range used in the rail industry today (you can see an example of a few ranges in the image below).
All Lineardraft design catalogues contain 3D models, smart equipment linkages - meaning the catalogue knows what components can be used together and what components can’t – and all items are enriched with BIM Asset Data, allowing you to design with confidence, effectively manage change, and reduce costs.
You need at least one design catalogue installed to start designing with Lineardraft, and it’s possible to use multiple design ranges at the same time.
For more information, check out the What are Design Catalogues article.
Project Settings
Before starting your design, it’s vital to have project settings specific to the project you’re working on.
Project settings define the default design parameters such as track gauge or default structure and wiring configuration, as well as stipulating which layer or level of the CAD file everything is placed on. They also stipulate the 2D configuration, which ensures your symbols and annotations are displayed on your layouts in accordance with your project’s requirements.
Project settings also define your report outputs, ensuring they are correct for your project regardless of the client, region, or country.
The Lineardraft team works with you to create bespoke settings for every project you work on.
For more information, check out the What are Project Settings article.
