Getting Started with Irrigation F/X

Note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions. You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)

• Intro/TOC
• Learning Resources
• Getting Started
• Preferences
• Project/Sheet Setup

• Irrigation F/X Tools
• Common Issues Seen In Tickets
• Demonstration/Questions

0:00 – 4:43: Intro/TOC

4:44 – 9:04: Learning Resources

Learn irrigation design and CAD basics first

• Training resources/classes from manufacturers like Hunter, Rain Bird, and others
• Irrigation Association

Land F/X 

• Online searchable documentation
• Webinars and Power Tips
• Check out the Land F/X Trainer

Important thoughts to consider (7:05)

Always think of your end goals.

• It's much easier to set things up and complete design tasks correctly the first time.

Ask your questions early and often.

• Make sure to reach out to your team to ask important questions that may affect your design.
• Check our website for information on a feature of the program you may have questions about - If you still have questions, reach out to us.

9:05 – 15:23: Getting Started

Typical Irrigation Design Workflow with Irrigation F/X (9:05)

1. Project/Sheet Setup
2. Water Source and Data
3. Determine Irrigation Type and Locations
4. Choose the Equipment
5. Place the Equipment
6. Consider Your Zones/Circuiting
7. Pipe the Equipment
8. Verify Your Design
9. Size the Pipe
10. Generate Schedules

Preferences (10:52)

Preferences are the set point that each of your designs will begin from.

Read through our Irrigation Preferences documentation to create a better understanding of what every setting does.

Does your office have multiple users?

Project/Sheet Setup (12:07)

Setting up a project:

• Use the Project List to create a new project
• Make sure to create a new project for every design
• Choose your Preference Set
• Offices can maintain multiple preference sets depending on what their needs are

Set the Scale and Units for your design

Sheet setup:

• Understand what size sheet(s) you will be required to use
• Every design may be different

• Determine the size you want your irrigation symbols
• Our Plot Scale tool will automatically adjust symbol size based on the scale you choose

• Review: Irrigation Sheet Setup and Plotting and Using PDFs to Start Your Designs

Sheet setup examples (14:21)

15:24 – 31:05: Irrigation F/X Tools

The F/X Irrigation ribbon (15:24)

The Irrigation Ribbon has all the tools needed to complete your design.

Everything in the ribbon has been laid out to represent the general workflow order of an irrigation design.

Get used to hovering your mouse over a tool and using the F1 key to access more information instantly.

Irrigation Manager (16:22)

This is where all of your irrigation equipment resides for each project.

Each project will have its own list of equipment that you add.

Equipment is organized into different categories such as: water source(s), sprinklers, valves, auxiliary equipment, and drip.

Make per-project adjustments to your pipe data as needed.

Pipe data (17:45)

Symbol selection (18:34)

Each equipment type has its own set of default symbols automatically in the program.

When adding a new type of irrigation equipment to your project, you will be prompted to choose a symbol or set of symbols.

All symbols are customizable, or you can even add your own full set of custom symbols after becoming more familiar with the program.

Schematic Areas (20:03)

Do you want to create a schematic irrigation plan and be able to generate flow totals/pressure requirements and mainline sizing estimates before placing all of your heads, drip areas, etc.?

If so, use our Schematic Irrigation tool.

Place hatch areas with performance data per irrigation type.

Placing heads (21:15)

Heads can be placed from the ribbon, or directly from the Irrigation Manager.

Press the K key when placing to view and become familiar with our time saving keyboard shortcuts.

Circuiting (22:32)

With this tool, draw a boundary around a group of heads or drip area(s) and instantly view flow values and other important zoning data.

Circuiting is not a necessary step, but it can surely help you determine how to group zones/valves during piping.

Piping (23:39)

Select either the Draw Mainline or Draw Lateral Line tools and start connecting the dots.

Use our keyboard shortcuts to assist you with drawing pipe quickly and efficiently.

Use the Highlight Station tool to confirm the items you have piped are in fact connected and check zone flow.

Valve callouts (25:18)

Callout your valves with the Valve Callout tool.

With this tool you can designate a controller/valve number, and have valve size and zone flow automatically inserted for you.

Once familiar with the program it's also good to know that valve callouts are customizable and can even include other data attributes beyond the defaults.

Verify tools (26:09)

One of the most important steps in your workflow.

Always use Verify Laterals and Verify Mainline before pipe sizing.

These tools will help make sure your design is error free.

If there are issues with your design, it will also help you find those errors quickly, as well as automatically resolve some for you.

Pipe sizing (27:20)

Pipe sizing is completed automatically with the press of a button.

All our pipe sizing calculations are based on the Hazen-Williams Equation.

You as the irrigation designer have control over the sizing settings, but it is important to know what they are and how they are going to affect pipe sizing.

Review: Lateral Sizing, Mainline Sizing, and Understanding Irrigation Calculations

Schedules (28:59)

31:06 – 36:30: Common Issues Seen In Tickets

Poorly drawn drip area boundary lines (31:11)

Changing symbol scale

Improperly moving or copying piped equipment (32:52)

Forgetting to change pipe classes with the keyboard commands while piping with multiple classes (34:35)

Drip Emitter Area drawings having improper setup (35:24)

36:31 – end: Demonstration/Questions

fxREF tool (36:31)

Land F/X Trainer (38:18)

Sheet setup demonstration (39:04)

Setting up a project and choosing a Preference Set (40:32)

Setting the Pipe Data (41:22)

Adding heads to a project (43:00)

Placing heads (44:19)

Copy along Polyline tool (44:55)

Adding and placing valves (46:10)

Piping (46:55)

Head Autosnap (47:11)

Verify and Highlight Station tools (47:38)

Uniformity tool (50:49)

Valve Schedules (51:41)

Spot Elevation (52:38)

Sizing the mainline and Critical Analysis (53:31)

Updating to the latest ribbon (why and how) (54:54)

Discussion on using splines in a CAD drawing (56:01)