Settings Reference
Complete reference for the BRANCHOPTIONS settings dialog. These settings control how Branch detects panels, solves strings, and creates drawing elements.
Opening Settings
BRANCHOPTIONSOpens the Branch settings dialog. Settings are saved per-drawing.
You can also access settings from the Branch ribbon tab in AutoCAD.
Installation Type
The most important setting—determines how Branch detects and processes panels.
Ground (Portrait)
For ground-mounted arrays with portrait-oriented panels (height > width). Uses a fast solving algorithm optimized for regular layouts.
Roof (Landscape)
For rooftop systems with landscape-oriented panels (width > height). Uses a sophisticated algorithm for irregular shapes.
Set this first
Always set the installation type before running PANELGROUPCREATE. Changing it later requires recreating panel groups.
Panel Detection Settings
These settings control how Branch identifies and groups panels in your drawing.
| Setting | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Panel Layer | Filter text to identify which layer contains panels | Enter part of the layer name (e.g., "PANEL") |
| Max Panel Gap | Maximum distance between panels to include them in the same group | Increase if groups are too fragmented; decrease if groups span multiple arrays |
| Alignment Tolerance | Allowable misalignment between panels in the same row | Increase for terrain-following layouts with slight row offsets |
| Extract from Rack Blocks | Whether to find individual panels inside block definitions | Enable if panels are grouped into racking blocks |
String Settings
Control how strings are created and displayed.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| String Length | Number of panels per string | 12 |
| String Layer | AutoCAD layer for string polylines | STRINGS |
| String Width | Line width for string polylines | Varies |
| Tag Height | Text height for circuit designation labels | Varies |
| Tag Color | Color for unassigned string tags | ByLayer |
| Use Inverter Color | Use inverter block color for assigned string tags | Yes |
Inverter Settings
Configure inverter placement and MPPT assignments.
| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Number of MPPTs | MPPT inputs on your inverter model | 3, 4 |
| Strings per MPPT | How many strings connect to each MPPT input | 2, 3 |
| Inverter Block | AutoCAD block name for inverter placement | INVERTER |
| Inverter Block Size | Scale factor for the inverter block | 1.0 |
Combiner Box Settings
For ground mount systems that use combiner boxes before the inverter.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Use Combiner Boxes | Enable combiner box mode (ADDINVERTER places combiners instead) |
| Connections per Combiner | How many strings each combiner box accepts |
| Combiner Box Block | AutoCAD block to use for combiner box placement |
Panel Group Appearance
Control how panel groups are displayed in the drawing.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Panel Group Layer | AutoCAD layer for panel group outlines and labels |
| Label Height | Text height for the +/- header labels |
| Outline Width | Line width for panel group boundary polylines |
| Hide Outlines | Hide panel group outlines to reduce visual clutter |
Hide outlines for complex drawings
If your drawing becomes hard to read with all the panel group outlines visible, enable "Hide outlines". The groups still exist and work normally—they just aren't displayed.
Homerun Settings
Configure how homerun cables are created.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Homerun Layer | AutoCAD layer for homerun cable polylines |