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Help With Audio System “Documentation” / Diagram Etc


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Hi Guys, I need some help on this one. I know many of you have skill sets and knowledge in areas about which I can only dream. I’m not looking for anyone to do any work for me, I just need some direction because I’m stuck. 
 

I have a standard audio system description here - https://audiophile.style/system

 

However, I think it’s an incredibly lacking way to describe / document / diagram an audio system. If you know about this stuff you can read it and pretty much understand it. However, when I added the Atmos system I realized that even learned people will struggle to understand how the pieces fit, just by looking at the system list. 
 

I think it’s high time for a change. I’d like to use something better to document or diagram the systems. In my mind I have this VR / AR walkthrough where people can see details down to following a cable to a port, but that’s likely a bit far off. 
 

Question: Does anyone have any ideas for documenting / diagraming / whatever my/our audio systems? A good app for this? Methodology? Video? I’m stuck. 
 

Thanks in advance!

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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29 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi Guys, I need some help on this one. I know many of you have skill sets and knowledge in areas about which I can only dream. I’m not looking for anyone to do any work for me, I just need some direction because I’m stuck. 
 

I have a standard audio system description here - https://audiophile.style/system

 

However, I think it’s an incredibly lacking way to describe / document / diagram an audio system. If you know about this stuff you can read it and pretty much understand it. However, when I added the Atmos system I realized that even learned people will struggle to understand how the pieces fit, just by looking at the system list. 
 

I think it’s high time for a change. I’d like to use something better to document or diagram the systems. In my mind I have this VR / AR walkthrough where people can see details down to following a cable to a port, but that’s likely a bit far off. 
 

Question: Does anyone have any ideas for documenting / diagraming / whatever my/our audio systems? A good app for this? Methodology? Video? I’m stuck. 
 

Thanks in advance!

My normal goto for system level diagrams is MS Visio but when it comes to the Audio world, its likely too much to ask for manufacturers to offer Visio templates. That would be ideal but its not realistic to expect you would find something like that.

 

For home use I found a half respectable alternative which I use with Ubuntu called Libre Office (Open Source). Specifically I use the "Draw" application.

 

In combination with this program and Google Searching for quality images or taking my pictures of the equipment I use I ended up basically taking screen shots of the equipment picture and "Pasting" it into the the Draw program. From there you can draw connection lines between equipment to represent the actual physical connectivity.

 

If you can't find what you want you can also create a basic component with Draw as well.

 

Just one easy option, I know there are many others depending on how detailed you want to get. There is also Google SketchUp (I think its a different name these days, and its not Free). With that, the skies the limit but so is the investment in time to learn it.

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1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I think it’s high time for a change. I’d like to use something better to document or diagram the systems. In my mind I have this VR / AR walkthrough where people can see details down to following a cable to a port, but that’s likely a bit far off. 

 

 

Actually that's here, right now. If you are not concerned about people being able to observe what's in the room to a photographic standard, you can employ a photogrammetry tool. That is, you take a large number of photos, with your smartphone, of all the relevant stuff, from as many angles as possible; feed them to a software app, and it does all the hard stuff - the more photos you take, to the best resolution, the more accurate will be the 3D model of it. You can then upload it to something like the Sketchfab site, to make it easily accessible.

 

A starting point, https://www.aniwaa.com/buyers-guide/3d-scanners/best-3d-scanning-apps-smartphones/

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13 minutes ago, fas42 said:

 

Actually that's here, right now. If you are not concerned about people being able to observe what's in the room to a photographic standard, you can employ a photogrammetry tool. That is, you take a large number of photos, with your smartphone, of all the relevant stuff, from as many angles as possible; feed them to a software app, and it does all the hard stuff - the more photos you take, to the best resolution, the more accurate will be the 3D model of it. You can then upload it to something like the Sketchfab site, to make it easily accessible.

 

A starting point, https://www.aniwaa.com/buyers-guide/3d-scanners/best-3d-scanning-apps-smartphones/

Wow Frank, I found this one because of your suggestion. It looks really cool. 
 

https://canvas.io

 

 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Persist. The quality of what you get is almost totally dependent on how well you photograph the space, or object. Taking numerous photos only tiny distances apart will give poor results; best outcomes are if you take shots of what's important from every possible angle you can think of.

 

Like many things in life, there is an Art to this :) ... there are huge numbers of discussions on photogrammetry, 3D scanning forums complaining about poor results - and the answers are always, acquire more, and better images. The software has to get as many clues as possible as to what it's looking at - an experienced user will take 1/10 of the number of shots as a novice, and get results 10 times better than his.

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For work, MS Visio as it is user friendly , but find the built in symbols only marginally adequate for electrical diagrams.

 

To compensate for the symbols, a 3rd party Paul Herbert has enough symbols to cover electrical items from chips to speakers and seamlessly catalogs with existing symbol library for easy use.

AS Profile Equipment List        Say NO to MQA

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10 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

So far, just disappointment with this style. Perhaps I'll just create a video style document. 

 

Why not video the room and then grab all the individual frames and present those as photos you took ?

60fps should do, but you can go way beyond these days.

Lush^3-e      Lush^2      Blaxius^2.5      Ethernet^3     HDMI^2     XLR^2

XXHighEnd (developer)

Phasure NOS1 24/768 Async USB DAC (manufacturer)

Phasure Mach III Audio PC with Linear PSU (manufacturer)

Orelino & Orelo MKII Speakers (designer/supplier)

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11 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

So far, just disappointment with this style. Perhaps I'll just create a video style document. 

 

 

 

Sorry it hasn't worked out better ... something to note, everywhere you see obvious distortion, and complete loss of detail, that's because you need to take more images in those areas, closer and from more angles. If the software has insufficient data, then it has to make guesses; which you probably won't like ... sound vaguely familiar, :)?

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1 hour ago, Rt66indierock said:

Chris, how about asking XTEN-AV for a short-term subscription to their software? It is software used to document complex AV systems. Especially nice is the automatic cabling labeling & styling features.

The company’s buzzword marketing is a bit over the top for me. Artificial intelligence and machine learning. I see evidence of neither. It’s a big database and uses if/then logic. 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Chris,

 

I would start with 360 photography and create a virtual tour using one of half a dozen systems out there.  You can do call-outs, etc.

 

Here is an example of 360 images of the first two stages of my bathroom remodel.    

 

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP5Bu8eKGMbhIymdBNi3bOsI1PzI8ueP9Twui3sKkN8iskln7E1p06DBiCe9tApuQ?key=cWhUV202Nlowcy1COHNkOUkxeDZUTGlHRzBaOHp3

 

Note in Google Photos click the little arrow that is points in a circle in the upper right to change the view.

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One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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I would say that if you're trying to document something that is a bit complex, then any tool that makes it "gee whiz!" to follow the paths within the object being documented, for an interested party, is currently going to have a solid learning curve - we're not at a stage yet where we can throw something that is convoluted at a piece of software, or mechanism, which will magically sort it all out, without solid effort by the person trying to do the job.

 

So, find an example of something that was documented in an appealing way, where you know what the tool was that was used, and decide to put the effort into learning to use that tool ... would be how I would do it, :).

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On 9/17/2022 at 3:10 PM, bobfa said:

Chris,

 

I would start with 360 photography and create a virtual tour using one of half a dozen systems out there.  You can do call-outs, etc.

 

Here is an example of 360 images of the first two stages of my bathroom remodel.    

 

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP5Bu8eKGMbhIymdBNi3bOsI1PzI8ueP9Twui3sKkN8iskln7E1p06DBiCe9tApuQ?key=cWhUV202Nlowcy1COHNkOUkxeDZUTGlHRzBaOHp3

 

Note in Google Photos click the little arrow that is points in a circle in the upper right to change the view.

What have you used to do this?

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Chris if you are using an Android phone or iPhone, you should be able to do Panorama view which will allow you to take like this....

 

 

Pardon the junk, working on getting rid of things, like extra stereo equipment, etc.

 

20220920_105524[1].jpg

Current:  Daphile on an AMD A10-9500 with 16 GB RAM

DAC - TEAC UD-501 DAC 

Pre-amp - Rotel RC-1590

Amplification - Benchmark AHB2 amplifier

Speakers - Revel M126Be with 2 REL 7/ti subwoofers

Cables - Tara Labs RSC Reference and Blue Jean Cable Balanced Interconnects

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1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

OK, more results using Scaniverse. Interesting. 

 

 

 

Umm, wow.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

OK, more results using Scaniverse. Interesting. 

 

 

I see this a lot on real estate sites.
 

Do you know anyone in graphic arts?  I bet some college students or professors could put together a killer VR presentation. Everything you touch gives product information, even your carpeting if you want. 

Computer setup - Roon/Qobuz - PS Audio P5 Regenerator - HIFI Rose 250A Streamer - Emotiva XPA-2 Harbeth P3ESR XD - Rel  R-528 Sub

Comfy Chair - Schitt Jotunheim - Meze Audio Empyrean w/Mitch Barnett's Accurate Sound FilterSet

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2 minutes ago, ShawnC said:

I see this a lot on real estate sites.
 

Do you know anyone in graphic arts?  I bet some college students or professors could put together a killer VR presentation. Everything you touch gives product information, even your carpeting if you want. 

That's exactly what I want to do, but haven't found a way to make it happen. 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Just now, The Computer Audiophile said:

That's exactly what I want to do, but haven't found a way to make it happen. 

With your clout, just go up to SCSU and tell ‘em you have a project for a senior’s final exam or no donation this year😉

Computer setup - Roon/Qobuz - PS Audio P5 Regenerator - HIFI Rose 250A Streamer - Emotiva XPA-2 Harbeth P3ESR XD - Rel  R-528 Sub

Comfy Chair - Schitt Jotunheim - Meze Audio Empyrean w/Mitch Barnett's Accurate Sound FilterSet

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