There should be a logical and consistent progression to the order system drawings are presented. There are multiple interrelated hierarchies at work here. The first order of presentation is governed by (1) the logical importance to overall understanding of signal flow, (2) complexity, and (3) size. Following this model, first in line should be the system(s) with a video router (if there is one). Next, add systems containing switchers in descending order of importance. And so on.
The following bullet topics are the generally accepted presentation order for a synoptic set. This example addresses traditional broadcast facilities. Include other hierarchies on a case-by-case basis as project needs dictate.
Following the primary system synoptics are synoptics for the smaller system-wide support subsystems. These drawings include:
Fabrication drawings are grouped together at the end of the drawing set so they are easily located.
The difference between "rooms" and "systems" can be confusing. The following guideline should help clarify the difference. Show equipment tied together functionally on the same page or associated pages, although physical room location for individual devices is disparate.
When laying out video and audio synoptics, it is helpful to think of a room as a system; not as a physical space. Think of EDIT 1, for example, as a system - not as four walls. Don’t orphan equipment simply because it is physically located in the space of a different room (e.g., The Switcher Control Panel is in physical room Edit 1 but the switcher electronics are in the Machine Room.) Placing joiners on every I/O of a device just to draw it in the room where it is physically located makes system understanding and troubleshooting unnecessarily difficult. Consider the wirelister's, installer's, and maintenance technician's perspectives. A good goal is to document the design so consulting one drawing will fix the system. A secondary goal is to minimize the number of synoptics needed to track a signal. Always maximize connectivity on your synoptics and minimize the use of joiners.
To begin, fill in the "Drawing/Sheet Title" column of the Drawing List as well as visualization and current information allows before beginning the assignment of any drawing numbers.
Next comes the assignment of individual drawing numbers. The Drawing List has a column for the four digit project number (assigned by Finance) and the four digit drawing number (to be assigned by Engineering). Together, these numbers become the eight digit drawing numbers. The range of drawing numbers available to Engineering is 0000 to 9999. This gives ample range to set aside number groups for room, architectural, and electronic functional segregation. When assigning synoptic drawing numbers, always use all four digits (e.g., 0001, 0101, 0911, 9876, etc.).
In the early stages of a project, it is next to impossible to predict every drawing that will be needed. Give the drawing set space to expand without needing to renumber. Look at the breadth of the entire project. Spread the drawing numbers over the entire 0000 to 9999 range. Divide the system up into logical divisions (as described in Section 3.2) and assign those divisions appropriately sized major number blocks (eg., blocks of 100 or 1000). As you delve deeper into the drawing subsets of each primary system or functional area, spread those drawing numbers out over their available range. Take predicted expansion into consideration and also reserve blocks of numbers for areas that are planned for future installation (eg., an additional edit suite).
Here is one example of how to assign drawing numbers.. After assigning drawing titles, start by assigning number ranges to functional areas and primary systems. The facility we’re documenting has the following primary systems: Central Shared Equipment, Video Production Control, Audio Production Control, Edit Bays, and Studio Systems. If we segregated synoptic drawings by functional area, we could assign drawing numbers in groups as follows:
Let’s take just the Central Shared Equipment and further segregate by electronic function. In the following example, blocks of one hundred are used to segregate functions into smaller number ranges.
Now assign drawing numbers to individual sheets. Every drawing sheet should be given a unique eight digit drawing number.
You can realize an additional benefit by carrying your number sequencing logic to all subgroups within a project. If you consistently organize synoptics and patch elevations in the same order, the pattern becomes predictable and navigation of the drawing set is greatly simplified.