you might be thinking of AVSnap, it's free:  http://www.avsnap.com/

Yup!

I haven't mastered it yet. They have a tool for importing .dwg files, but it doesn't work very well. Stamps method of tracing a PDF is much quicker. The guys the developed AVSnap are great and will quickly answer any questions.

I have seen other drawings that people are doing using Visio and Netzoom shapes, however you have to pay for both of those.

You have to determine what you want/need to present. If you just want drawings for a proposal and a little wow for the client, then AVSnap and images of products will work great.

If you want true technical diagrams so that any technician can connect a complex system, you might as well draw Block Diagrams yourself of each item.

IMO, it doesn't matter what product you pick, you are going to have to invest some time into learning it, mastering it, and creating your library of symbols. I just recently got Visio and will be playing with when I get some time. The Netzoom products seems very cool, but I haven't tried it first hand. I think you could even used the Netzoom/Visio combo (so that everything can easily be imported into dtools should the need arise) and still use AVSnap to actually provide the layout, templates and Blueprint style pages (which may be possible in Visio, I don't know).

When not knowing what size rack would be used at the head end - when running the prewire back to the central rack location, do you drop in the lines from the ceiling or have them come out from the wall into the rack ?

We did one prewire but knew what size rack they needed (42u) so it was coming from the ceiling straight into the rack. Im just thinking of when a smaller rack will be used and you run it from the ceiling, it would not look right on smaller racks..

We still bring them out of the ceiling and then run conduit down. Usually the rack is in a closet or somethine where it doesn't matter. Especially with the Snap Racks which can be stacked, because it may turn into a 42U down the road.

In general I have learned to ALWAYS bring my cabling out as high as possible for racks and cabinets, it just makes management easier. Unless its a stationary rack that you can walk around, then it doesn't really matter.

As for labels. We carry sheets of the self laminated labels and some fine point sharpe markers. If the project is big and planned out (paid to be) we will print everything off. Using the had written method with the same label's on all wires works pretty damn well.

It looks fine as long as the bundles are neat or you can use finger duct or large conduit to conceal the cables coming in.

I like to bring wires out of the ceiling not from the wall. I also take it one step further with a false ceiling above the racks. Cut in a large access panel and use this space to store the service loop and route your cables exactly where you want them once the rack shows up.

The diagram shows a rack that is framed into a wall but it will work either way.

thanks guys, good idea Mac

Sofa - you have any pics of that? Just curious to see what it looks like coming from ceiling into a small rack. I think i remember see a pic on IP of conduit only coming out about 3" from the ceiling then into the rack.

I'm sure I do, let me see what I can find. If not, i'll take some next time i go by one of those projects.