Panel Commands
Commands for creating and managing panel groups. These are typically the first commands you run after opening a drawing with solar panels.
Before creating panel groups
Run BRANCHOPTIONS first to configure your installation type (Ground/Roof), panel detection settings, and string length.
PANELGROUPCREATE
PANELGROUPCREATEAutomatically detect and organize panels into groups based on geometric proximity and alignment.
How to use
- Type
PANELGROUPCREATEin the command line - Select the layer containing your panel geometry (or use the configured panel layer)
- Confirm the installation type if prompted
- Branch analyzes the drawing and creates panel groups
What it creates
- • Panel group outlines — Polylines showing group boundaries
- • Header labels — +/- indicators showing how many panels to add/remove for even strings
- • Group blocks — Anonymous blocks containing panel matrix data
Settings that affect grouping
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Max Panel Gap | Larger values create bigger groups; smaller values create more groups |
| Alignment Tolerance | How much row misalignment is allowed before creating separate groups |
| Installation Type | Ground (portrait) vs Roof (landscape) affects detection algorithm |
| Extract from Blocks | Whether to find panels inside racking block definitions |
Running again deletes existing groups
If you run PANELGROUPCREATE again, it will delete all existing panel groups and create new ones. Any strings you've solved will also be deleted.
ADDPANELS
ADDPANELSTransfer panels from one group to another to balance panel counts for even strings.
How to use
- Type
ADDPANELSin the command line - Choose Auto to scan the entire drawing and fill all incomplete groups at once, or press Enter to select a specific group
- If selecting manually: pick the target panel group (the group receiving panels)
- Select the panels to transfer from adjacent groups
- Press Enter to confirm
What happens
- • The selected panels are logically moved to the target group
- • The panel group header labels update to reflect new counts
- • Source group labels also update
Jumper cables
When you run SOLVE after adding panels, you'll be prompted to indicate where the jumper cable connects the transferred panels to their new group. This is required because the panels are physically in a different sub-array.
REMOVEPANEL
REMOVEPANELRemove panels from a panel group entirely.
How to use
- Type
REMOVEPANELin the command line - Select the panels to remove
- Press Enter to confirm
When to use
- • Excluding placeholder panels from the electrical design
- • Removing panels that will be deleted from the physical layout
- • Correcting panels that were incorrectly grouped
Removed panels are excluded from stringing
Panels removed with this command won't be included in string solving. They remain in the drawing but are no longer part of any panel group.
Tips
Use header labels as a guide
The +/- numbers on panel group headers tell you exactly how many panels to add or remove to get even string lengths. Use ADDPANELS to transfer panels between groups to zero out these numbers.
Adjust Max Panel Gap if groups are wrong
If Branch is creating too many small groups, increase Max Panel Gap. If groups are too large (spanning multiple arrays), decrease it. Then run PANELGROUPCREATE again.
Hide outlines for cleaner drawings
If panel group outlines make your drawing hard to read, enable "Hide outlines" in BRANCHOPTIONS. The groups still exist but aren't visually displayed.