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LoopCAD 2012

LoopCAD provides several spreadsheet data views to supplement the CAD views.

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LoopCAD Features

The following chart outlines the features included in each edition of LoopCAD 2012. For easy comparison, the features of the previous version of LoopCAD (1.7 Rev. 1) are also shown.

Select a Category: General
Floorplan Drawing
Circuit (Loop) Drawing
Heat Loss Calculations
Hydronic Calculations
Snowmelt Design
Manufacturer (OEM) Add-ons
General LoopCAD 2012
Professional 		LoopCAD 2012
Standard 		LoopCAD 1.7
1 Create professional radiant heating circuit layout drawings faster and easier √ √ √
2 Perform room-by-room heat loss calculations as you draw √
3 Perform detailed hydronic calculations √ √
4 Easy to learn with no previous CAD experience required √ √ √
5 Stand-alone program with no requirement for AutoCAD* √ √ √
6 Quickly create new floor plan drawings or import existing AutoCAD drawings √ √ √
7 3D Views automatically generated as you draw in 2D √ √
8 Support for slab, thin slab and in-joist radiant heating designs √ √ √
9 Project Wizard helps set up your project √ √ √
10 Make design changes in seconds - tube spacing, number of loops, pattern type and rotation √ √ √
11 Support for US (Imperial) units and SI (Metric) units √ √ √
12 Print drawings or export to AutoCAD (DWG), DXF or PDF** files √ √ √
13 Radiant Design reports (summary and detailed options) √ √
14 Heat Loss reports (summary and detailed options) √
15 Print reports or export to PDF files √ √ √
16 Video Tutorial gets you up and running fast √ √ √
17 Online Help file and PDF User’s Guide √ √ √
18 Internet updates with active subscription √ √ √
19 Free technical with active subscription √ √ √
20 Free 30-day Trial Version lets you try LoopCAD at no obligation √ √ √
Floorplan Drawing LoopCAD 2012
Professional 		LoopCAD 2012
Standard 		LoopCAD 1.7
1 Multiple floorplan drawings accessible via Excel-style tabs √ √
2 Enhanced wall tools include Curve Wall and Wall Bump-Out √ √
3 Easy drawing of rooms with predefined room shapes √ √ √
4 Easy Editing of room shapes √ √ √
5 Room objects that can affect circuit patterns, like stairs and cabinets √ √ √
6 3D view automatically generated, great for 3D reviews and presentations √ √
7 Smart dimension labels automatically show key dimensions and allow in-place editing √ √
8 Snap to outline of existing floorplan drawing ensures proper vertical alignment √ √
9 Multi-selection of objects for fast setting of common properties √ √
10 Improved snap functionality √ √
11 Improved dimensioning tools √ √
12 Enhanced text objects and labels, including leader arrows √ √
13 Importing of PDF and Scanned Drawing files for use as a drawing template √ √
14 Importing of AutoCAD files for use as a drawing template √ √ √
15 Edit positioning of imported drawings √ √ √
16 Custom definition of joist properties √ √ √
Circuit (Loop) Drawing LoopCAD 2012
Professional 		LoopCAD 2012
Standard 		LoopCAD 1.7
1 Automatic circuit generation, even in complex room shapes √ √ √
2 Residential and commercial circuit layouts √ √ √
3 Many circuit pattern options including single and double serpentines, double serpentine with fill region, perimeter heating, wide-radius serpentine (in-joist) √ √ √
4 Enhanced circuit generation for single serpentine patterns √ √
5 Circuit lengths calculated and updated automatically √ √ √
6 Option for circuits to go around or under obstructions (cabinets, islands,…) √ √ √
7 North American and SI/Metric tubing sizes √ √
8 Multiple tube spacings supported within the same room √ √ √
9 Easily edit the automatic circuits to further refine your design √ √ √
10 Fast freehand drawing for fully custom circuits in any room or groups of rooms √ √ √
11 Quickly draw triple serpentine and counter-flow patterns in freehand mode √ √ √
12 Automatically generates wide-radius serpentine pattern for in-joist designs √ √ √
13 Flow direction setting √ √ √
14 Tubing above/below subfloor option √ √
15 Tools to subdivide larger rooms (like warehouses) into multiple circuit areas √ √
16 Easy manifold placement √ √ √
17 Draw multiple leaders from room to manifold in a single operation √ √ √
18 Auto-connect of nearby circuits to a manifold √ √ √
Heat Loss Calculations LoopCAD 2012
Professional 		LoopCAD 2012
Standard 		LoopCAD 1.7
1 Integrated heat loss calculations performed as you draw √
2 Choice of residential heat loss calculation methods, including ASHRAE and CSA-F280 √
3 Custom editing of climate data √
4 Ability to specify rooms heated by radiant, baseboard, forced air or other heat √
5 Selection of primary heating and secondary (supplemental) heating on a room-by-room basis √
6 Automatic calculation of required supplemental heat based on radiant circuit design √
7 R-value lists for all major structural components √
8 Input of custom R-values √
9 Support for cold partitions with editing of cold side temperatures √
10 Optional manual input of heat loads on a room basis √ √
11 Project Wizard guides you through the setup of construction defaults for your project √
12 Graphical views of calculated unit heat load data via color shading of rooms √
13 Spreadsheet style view of data provides easy review and analysis √
14 Heat loss summary and detailed report options √
Hydronic Calculations LoopCAD 2012
Professional 		LoopCAD 2012
Standard 		LoopCAD 1.7
1 Hydronics calculations based on heat load data calculated by LoopCAD √
2 Hydronics calculations based on heat load data input manually by user √ √
3 Calculates required surface temperature √ √
4 Calculates radiant panel temperature √
5 Calculates supply water temperatures √ √
6 Easy adjustment of supplied water temperature using slider tool √ √
7 Fluid flow rate calculations √ √
8 Head loss calculations √ √
9 Variable or fixed temperature drop setting √ √
10 Unheated area objects can be drawn on floorplan √ √
11 Automatic detection of areas left unheated √ √
12 Calculations for circuits spanning multiple rooms with different unit heat loads √ √
13 Radiant panel types can be assigned for the entire floorplan or room-by-room √ √
14 3D models of radiant panel structures √ √
15 Zones can be assigned in drawing view or data view √ √
16 Graphical views of calculated data via color shading of rooms, including surface temperatures, water temperatures, circuit temperatures and zoning √ √
17 Spreadsheet style view of data provides easy review and analysis √ √
18 Radiant Panel Schedule report with 3D images included √ √
Snowmelt Design LoopCAD 2012
Professional 		LoopCAD 2012
Standard 		LoopCAD 1.7
1 Calculation of snowmelt loads using ASHRAE methods (selected US cities only) √
2 Manual input option for snowmelt loads √ √
3 Calculates supply water temperatures √ √
4 Automatic circuit generation √ √
5 Freehand drawing tools for manual circuits same as in radiant heating √ √
6 Support for concrete, asphalt and paver installations √ √
7 Flow rate and head loss calculations √ √
8 Separate snowmelt design reports √ √
Manufacturer (OEM) Add-ons LoopCAD 2012
Professional 		LoopCAD 2012
Standard 		LoopCAD 1.7
1 Easily install Add-on’s from participating OEM’s √ √
2 OEM database of components with pictures and specifications √ √
3 Product pricing (if supplied by OEM) √ √
4 Integration of OEM components into the design process, like tubing types, manifolds, controls, etc. √ √
5 Integration of OEM design parameters into the design process, including panel output and supply water temperatures √ √
6 Calculation of OEM-specific materials lists √ √
7 Quotation features and reports √ √
8 OEM-specific design reports √ √

* AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc.
** Acrobat and PDF are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

© 2013 Avenir Software Inc.