Current Limitations

Currently, creating overhead conductors between two "Overhead Nodes" (e.g., utility poles) results in a straight-line conduit. In reality, these lines always exhibit a natural sag due to gravity and tension forces.

To model sag today, the user must:

• Open the Profile Model,

• Manually draw an arc to simulate the sag,

• Assign it as an Active Profile.

However, this process causes the conduit to lose its smart object status within Drainage and Utilities – it becomes a simple graphic line without any analytical or design intelligence. This breaks integration with profiles, clash detection, reports, and quantity tools.

Proposed Enhancements

1. Automatic Conductor Sag Generation
   Introduce a feature that allows automatic sag calculation and display based on:

   • Span length, wire type, environmental conditions, or predefined curve parameters,

   • Optionally: a simplified "Draw Sag" mode that quickly generates a parabolic or catenary curve between poles.

2. Vertical Connection Region Based on Node Top
   Allow users to define a "Vertical Connection Region" (e.g., the top of a pole at the insulator level).

   • Conduits should snap to this vertical region automatically,

   • This eliminates the need for trial-and-error Z offsets or manually inputting elevation values,

   • It can be based on a property such as the "Top of Element Representation" within the node or cell definition.

3. Overhead Node & Conduit Libraries
   Enable users to create reusable, predefined assemblies combining nodes (poles, structures) with overhead conduits.

   • For example, a medium-voltage pole with three sagged wires and correct vertical offsets,

   • This would save time and ensure standardization across large infrastructure projects.

4. Improved Documentation and Overhead Workflows
   Currently, there is limited documentation for overhead utility modeling in D&U. Users must rely on experimentation and workarounds.

   • Please consider providing official guides, sample workspaces, or tutorial videos dedicated to overhead electric and telecom design.

Use Cases

• Medium/low/high-voltage overhead lines along roads and railways,

• Telecom cables mounted on poles or above-ground structures,