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Gauge Wizards

So far you have been reading about all the great tools that allow you to create gauges layer by layer.

With Gauge Wizards you will be able to create entire gauges with multiple layers by just setting some key parameters to define the scales and some design details of the gauge.

Gauge Wizards are currently only available for industries that follow clear patterns on their gauge designs, like industrial pressure and temperature gauges, but more may follow.

These are especially useful when creating dual scale gauges as the wizard will handle all the scale value conversions between the two scale units.

With the Industrial Gauge Wizards tool you will be able to create industry standard Temperature and Pressure gauges in a few minutes by just entering some key values.

The wizard settings are organized into four sections: Gauge Wizard, All Scales, and one or two per-scale sections depending on whether Dual Scale is enabled. The following options will be available for both the Temperature and Pressure wizards.

The wizards also honor the gauge’s size preset. When the active gauge has a Size preset set in its Gauge Settings, the wizard generates all its layers scaled to that real physical size. The radius settings remain editable even when a size preset is set, so you can still fine-tune your scales as usual.

Industrial gauge wizards shared options

SettingDescription
Inner RadiusSets the radius of the inner scale.
Dual ScaleEnables two measurement scales (e.g., °C/°F or Bar/PSI) on the same gauge for dual readings.
Main ScaleWhen Dual Scale is enabled, selects which scale (Inner or Outer) is the main scale. The main scale settings section will appear first, and the secondary scale section will follow with additional edge matching settings.
Arc AngleThe arc angle of the main scale, from start to end angles, by default symmetrical about the vertical axis.
Angle OffsetOffset added to Start Angle to allow for asymmetrical gauge scale arcs.
Start AngleRead-only start angle field, for reference only, as it is automatically calculated from Arc Angle and Angle Offset.
End AngleRead-only end angle field, for reference only, as it is automatically calculated from Arc Angle and Angle Offset.
Dual ArcIf enabled, on a dual scale, each scale will have their own solid edge arc, otherwise they will share the same.
Arc SpacingSets the distance between the inner and outer arcs to ensure clear separation and readability, when Dual Arc is enabled.

The settings in this section apply to both scales simultaneously.

Industrial gauge wizard all scales options

SettingDescription
FontAllows you to select the font that will be used for all the text elements of the gauge.
Font SizeSets the font size for all the text elements of the gauge.
Text SpacingSets the distance between the tickmarks and the scale numbers.
Major LengthSets the length of the major tickmarks.
Major WidthSets the width of the major tickmarks.
Minor LengthSets the length of the minor tickmarks.
Minor WidthSets the width of the minor tickmarks.
Caps LengthSets the relative length of the major tickmark head caps, where 1 is the whole length of the major tickmarks. Disabled when no scale has Tick Caps enabled.
Caps WidthSets the width of the major tickmark head caps. Disabled when no scale has Tick Caps enabled.
Zero WidthSets the width of the zero band marker over the zero major tickmark. Disabled when no scale has Zero Band enabled.
Arc Line WidthSets the width of the scale arc edge line.

Industrial gauge wizard scale options

When Dual Scale is enabled, two scale sections will be shown: the Main Scale section first, followed by the Secondary Scale section. The secondary scale may have some parameters disabled as those will be set by the conversion from the main scale values.

SettingDescription
Scale UnitSelects the measurement unit for this scale.
Scale StartSpecifies the first scale value.
Scale EndSpecifies the last scale value.
Major IntervalSpecifies the major interval value at which major tickmarks and scale values should be set.
Text SkipBy default, the numeric scale values match the positions of the major tickmarks, but this option allows us to skip some major tickmarks if these are not meant to match.
Mid TickEnables the mid tickmark between major tickmarks. The mid tick will be longer than the other minor tickmarks to standout.
Minor TicksSets the number of minor ticks between major tickmarks. When Mid Tick is off the available values are: 0, 4, 9. When Mid Tick is on the available values are: 1, 3, 9, 19.
Tick CapsIf enabled, the major tickmarks will have wide head caps to make them standout.
Zero BandEnables the zero band marker over the zero major tickmark. The field stays visible but disabled when a zero band does not apply to the scale values.
ColorSets the color to be used by all the layers that make up this scale.

The Secondary Scale section includes additional Start and End settings that define how to calculate the edge values of the secondary scale relative to the main scale. These settings will automatically calculate the secondary scale edge values by matching the main scale based on one of the following rules:

Double scale edge out

  • In - The secondary scale will be set to the value of the main scale’s edge value, converted to the secondary scale’s unit that is the closest multiple of the Major Interval, and lies within the arc angle range of the main scale arc.

Double scale edge in

  • Flush - The secondary scale will be set to the value of the main scale’s edge value converted to the secondary scale’s unit that is the closest full value.

Double scale edge flush

  • Out - The secondary scale will be set to the value of the main scale’s edge value, converted to the secondary scale’s unit that is the closest multiple of the Major Interval, and lies outside the arc angle range of the main scale arc.

Double scale edge out

Temperature gauge wizard options

On the Temperature Wizard you must select the temperature unit of the scales. When using two scales, the outer scale will default to the temperature unit not used on the inner scale.

Pressure gauge wizard options

On the Pressure Wizard you must select the pressure unit of the scales. When using two scales, the outer scale will default to a pressure unit that is commonly used as counterpart to the unit used on the inner scale.

The available pressure units are bar, x100kPa, psi, lb/in², Pa, kPa, MPa, mbar, mmHg, cmHg, inHg, kg/cm², inH₂O and mH₂O.

Pressure gauge wizard options

Once you are happy with your wizard gauge design, use the Add To Canvas button to add all the resulting layers to your canvas. There you will be able to fine-tune all the individual layers that make up the gauge.