Makai Releases Version 6.0 of MakaiPlan

Makai has released version 6.0 of MakaiPlan, the industry standard GIS cable route engineering software.

MakaiPlan is a tool to create and edit submarine cable routes, define cables and in-line bodies, define and adjust slack, instantly create Route Positioning Lists (RPLs) and Straight Line Diagrams (SLDs), and estimate system costs. Multiple planners and designers work interactively on cable installations with easy access to and exchange of project data.

“This MakaiPlan release represents a big leap forward in the modernization of performance and features, especially for power cables,” said Duke Hartman, VP of Business Development at Makai. “Our users tell us that the main advantages of MakaiPlan are the automation and streamlined workflow that save time and effort when planning a route. The tool is used by cable engineers, owners, and surveyors, and has a sophisticated feature set that has the benefit of continuous user feedback over the last 15 years.”

Some features in the new v6.0 release include:

– New .NET version means faster speeds and full compatibility with Windows 7 & 8,
– Web Map Services (WMS) feature allows users to access GIS map layers from global databases for cable route planning,
– Arc-circles in the RPL for power cables. Unlike telecom cables, power cables have high bending stiffness and turns on the seabed follow arc-circles instead of sharp turns. MakaiPlan automatically rounds the turns and properly accounts for the cable distance,
– Automation of cable crossings and buffer zones. Buffer zones are the corridors within which the cable must be installed. MakaiPlan generates buffer zones around cables and bodies, and clearly identifies any crossings or obstructions within this zone,
– User-defined fields in the RPL. In addition to the fields in a standard RPL, the user can easily incorporate additional properties of interest along the route (e.g., burial depth, cable properties, geotechnical data such as soil type, etc.),
– Save geo-referenced notes to explain planning decisions for engineers in later phases of the project (i.e., simulation or execution of the cable lay).

Makai provides a tool for each of the three primary phases of a cable project: Route Planning and Engineering (MakaiPlan), Installation Planning and Simulation (MakaiPlan Pro) and Real-time At-sea Cable Installation Control (MakaiLay). Information flows seamlessly from one product to the next, and cable projects that were planned using MakaiPlan can be directly opened with

Makai’s other products, preserving the information richness of the plan (GIS layers, geo-referenced notes, etc.). Compared with
having to import excel files of RPLs and SLDs from a third party planning tool, MakaiPlan provides a smooth and hassle-free transition into the simulation or installation phases of development.

Press Release, July 15, 2014