Lineardraft Design Catalogues, often simply referred to as 'catalogues', are one of the 5 key components of Lineardraft.
If there's a design range you'd like to use in Lineardraft for which we currently don't have a catalogue, you can request the creation of a new catalogue. Find out how here.
If the request is approved, this is how a Lineardraft catalogue is made.
To ensure the new catalogue meets your requirements, the creation process is a collaborative one. Our technical team will work with you from the initial investigation, through to the Final Production Release.
Regardless of whether the design range to be implemented is standalone (includes all components required for all stages of design, with no reliance on other design ranges), or is a smaller range of items that works in tandem with a larger design range (for example, how UKMS SiCat and UKMS CLever work with UKMS), the process for creating the catalogue is the same.
We have adopted a phased approach so there are clear expectations and goals at each phase. Please note, we have not put timescales on these phases, as they will vary from catalogue to catalogue.
Once the request for a new catalogue has been evaluated and passed over to our technical team, they will conduct a thorough investigation, looking over the proposed contents of the catalogue, and identifying any arrangements or engineering capability unique to the items and/or design range.
This is so our team can establish not just the essential contents of the catalogue, but consider how it should be implemented and used within Lineardraft, so the software remains intuitive to the users of the catalogue, and allows them to use the items as the design range intends.
Even though you may be able to provide all of the drawings for the proposed catalogue items, our engineers will look to gain access to the design range directly where applicable, so they can do a thorough first-hand investigation.
Upon completion of our engineering team's investigations, they will share their findings with you, discuss the proposed contents of the catalogue and any identified unique arrangements or engineering capability, and understand the requirements of the project(s) you'll be using the catalogue on. This will likely take place over a number of meetings.
At this point, any essential development work to improve engineering capability in Lineardraft, in order to facilitate an intuitive implementation of the catalogue, will also be discussed.
From these collaborative discussions, the full scope of the work required to create and implement the catalogue will be established. Any proposed development work will need to be presented by our engineering team internally, so we can ensure any changes we make do not affect existing functionality or catalogues.
With the catalogue contents and scope established, the new catalogue enters production.
The work established in Phase 2 is split into work packages and produced over two phases. The first is the Initial Production Phase, which focuses on creating enough items to allow users to work on early stage or outline designs. The time taken and number of work packages required will be dependent on the size and complexity of the catalogue.
This phase will typically include the creation of masts, foundations, and gantries. Depending on the amount and complexity of the items, this phase may also include backties, ornaments, catenary and auxiliary systems, and in span equipment.
During this time the catalogue will be added to Catalogue Explorer, although no items will be visible yet, and the catalogue status, which is viewable via Catalogue Explorer, will be 'Initial Production'.
Once the work is complete, there will be an Initial Production Release, so users can get started on their designs, whilst work on the next production phase commences. After this release you will be able to view and interrogate the items in Catalogue Explorer.
Please note: Depending on the catalogue size and scope set out in Phase 2, there may be more interim releases during the Initial Production Phase, but there will always be at least one, at the end of the phase.
After the Initial Production Release, the Final Production Phase begins, with the work once again split into work packages. This phase includes the creation of all the items required to be able to produce a detailed design with the catalogue. As with the previous phase, the time taken and number of work packages required will be dependent on the size and complexity of the catalogue.
This phase will typically include the creation of brackets, SPS, drop tubes, and both catenary and auxiliary wire supports. Depending on their complexity, backties, ornaments, catenary and auxiliary systems, and in span equipment may also be produced during this phase.
During this time the catalogue status will be updated to 'Final Production'.
Once the work is done, there will be a Final Production Release containing all the items identified in the Phase 2 scope, and the production phase will be complete.
Any required development work will also be produced during this phase, with the aim of releasing the software updates at the same time as the Final Production Release. The final release will also include any items that were dependant on the release of the updated functionality.
Please note: Depending on the catalogue size and scope set out in Phase 2, there may be more interim releases during the Final Production Phase, but there will always be at least one, at the end of the phase.
After the Final Production Release, the catalogue status is updated to 'Active'. Any further catalogue updates, such as adding new items or updating items and/or item linkages, are handled via our Catalogues Roadmap. Changes can be requested by submitting a 'Suggest a Catalogue Change' ticket. Learn about how active catalogues are managed and updated here.
Please note: The time it takes to produce a design catalogue will vary depending on the size and complexity of the design range, the amount and complexity of any required development work, and the workload of our technical team.