This article is a tutorial demonstrating how to use the "Wirepath" feature to estimate the length of the speaker cables required for a Home Theater setup.
The placement of the speakers in this tutorial is approximated. As a best practice, always refer to the Setup Guide that came with the products to position the speakers for the best audio experience.
We will assume the following for this tutorial:
The opportunity involves setting up a Television and a Home Theater system with an A/V Receiver, seven speakers, and a subwoofer.
The floor-to-ceiling height in the work site is 9 feet.
The distance between the wall where the television is placed, and the wall on which the surround speakers will be placed is 20.5 feet.
The A/V Receiver is placed directly below the television, 2 feet above the floor.
The center speaker requires minimal wiring as it is close to the A/V Receiver. So, it does not require a wire path.
Here are the steps to create the wire paths and add the associated speaker cable requirements to the quote.
#1 Add floor plan
Go to the Visual tab of the opportunity. If you have multiple plan views, select the relevant plan view.
Click the Upload icon in the toolbar at the bottom and add the floor plan.
This tutorial assumes that the quote already has a floor plan with televisions and speakers added.
#2 Go to Wirepath
In the View Selector in the top-right corner, click Wirepath.
#3 Set scale
In this tutorial, we will set a scale to 3 feet using the width of a door on the floor plan. You can use any other well-known dimension in the floor plan to set the scale.
Click the Set Scale icon on the toolbar and place the scale reference on the door. Resize the scale, set the scale to 3 feet, and click "Save."
#4 Add wire paths
We will add three wire paths for each type of speaker placed on the left. Because the speakers are placed symmetrically, we will set two runs for every wire path to estimate the cabling for the right speakers automatically.
Click the Add Wirepath icon on the toolbar to add the wire paths.
a – Front speakers and center speaker
This is for the speaker cable required to connect the front and center speakers to the A/V Receiver.
Add a wire path between the A/V receiver and the front speaker, depending on how far the speaker should be placed. In this tutorial, we place the speaker 7 feet away from the receiver.
Add a rise depending on how high the front speakers should be placed above the receiver. In this example, we add a rise of 2 feet. To add the rise, click the Wire path, click Show Details, and add it in the Details modal.
Set Red color for the wire path.
Add an Extra 2 feet for the center speaker.
Add the speaker cable in the Items area and change the runs to 2 to accommodate the speaker cable for the right front speaker. This will leave you with 4 feet of cable for the center speaker.
b – Ceiling speakers
This is for the speaker cable to connect the ceiling speakers to the AV receiver.
Add a wire path for the cable run on the ceiling. In this example, we place the ceiling speaker 7 feet to the left and 10.5 feet in front of the television, so the wire path is 17.5 feet on the ceiling.
Add a rise for the cable from the receiver to the ceiling. In this tutorial, with the ceiling 9 feet high and the receiver 2 feet above the floor, we add a rise of 7 feet.
Set the Green color for the wire path.
Add the speaker cable in the Items area and change the runs to 2 to accommodate the speaker cable for the right ceiling speaker.
c – Surround speakers
This is for the speaker cable to connect the surround speakers to the AV receiver.
Add a wire path for the cable run(s) on the ceiling. In this tutorial, we place the surround speaker 7 feet to the left and 20.5 feet in front of the television on the opposite wall. So, the wire path is 27.5 feet on the ceiling.
Add a rise of 7 feet for the cable from the A/V receiver to the ceiling.
Add a fall for how far below the ceiling you want to place the surround speakers. In this example, we add a fall of 3 feet.
Set the Blue color for the wire path.
Add the speaker cable in the Items area and change the runs to 2 to accommodate the speaker cable for the right surround speaker.
#5 See the speaker cables in the Items view
In the Items view in the quote, the speaker cables relevant to the wire paths are shown as separate line items.
#6 Add conduit, cable tray, or raceway for cables
Now, we will add a raceway for the cables from the Items view. The wire paths total 146 feet: 22 feet for the front speakers, 49 feet for the ceiling speakers, and 75 feet for the surround speakers.
Search for the item and add it from the Items view.
Raceway items can also be factored in along with the relevant wire path. When you add the speaker cable, you add it to the wire path's side panel.