Placing Drip Lines
Drip lines deliver water precisely at plant root zones through inline emitters spaced evenly along a flexible tube. Use them in vegetable beds, shrub borders, and planters where low-volume, targeted watering is needed.
Drip LineThe Dripline is a dedicated path object for low-flow drip irrigation. You draw it as a multi-point run through planting beds, then record its emitter spacing, flow per emitter, zone, and installation method in the Inspector. The Dripline lives in the Water tab under Distribution, alongside the Pipe object.
Draw the drip line path
Click to place the starting point of the drip line, then click to add waypoints as the line runs through the planting area. Route the line along rows in a vegetable bed, parallel to a shrub border edge, or in loops around a planter. Double-click or press Enter to finish the path. The drip line renders as a dotted line on the 2D plan.
Set emitter spacing
Select the drawn drip line to open the Inspector. Set the emitter spacing in millimeters. Common spacings are 150 mm for densely planted vegetable rows, 300 mm for shrub borders, and 450 mm for widely spaced large shrubs. The plan rendering updates to show emitter marker positions along the line at the chosen spacing.
Set flow rate per emitter
In the Inspector, set the flow rate per emitter in liters per hour (L/hr). Typical inline emitters are rated at 1.0 L/hr, 1.6 L/hr, or 2.0 L/hr. The total line flow rate is calculated automatically from the emitter spacing, line length, and per-emitter rate, and displayed in the Inspector. Use this value to size the supply pipe and verify valve capacity.
Configure burial depth
In the Burial Settings section of the Inspector, set the burial mode. Surface-laid drip lines use the On Surface mode. Buried drip lines — used under mulch or shallow soil — use the Buried mode with a typical depth of 50 mm to 100 mm. The line renders as a dashed dotted line when set to Buried.
Connect to the supply pipe
Draw a lateral supply pipe from the zone valve to the start of the drip line. Ensure a pressure regulator and filter are placed on the supply line upstream of the drip line connection — drip emitters require lower operating pressure than spray heads and are sensitive to debris blockage. The drip line endpoint snaps to the supply pipe or a pipe junction when drawn near it.
Choose an installation method
Set Installation to Surface, Buried, or Mulch Covered to record how the tubing is laid. This communicates the install detail to the contractor without needing a separate note.
Reshape or reposition the run
Use the Select tool to drag the dripline to a new position, or select it and drag its node handles to reshape the path. The Inspector updates to reflect the selected run.
Keep drip runs on a dedicated valve zone, separate from any spray-head zones. Drip systems operate at lower flow rates and longer run times than spray heads — combining them on one zone tends to under-water the spray zone or over-water the drip zone.
The Water tab is a schematic planning tool. It does not simulate real-world pressure drop, flow rate, or emitter performance. Use the plan to communicate layout intent; hydraulic calculations should be done with a dedicated tool or a qualified designer.
Place driplines on a dedicated layer (for example, 'Drip') so you can toggle their visibility independently from spray heads. This keeps complex plans readable when presenting to clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a dedicated dripline object, or do I use a pipe?
There is a dedicated Dripline object in the Water tab under Distribution. It is a path object with its own Inspector fields for emitter spacing, flow per emitter, zone, and installation method — distinct from the Pipe object.
Can I set emitter spacing and flow on the dripline?
Yes. Select the dripline and open the Dripline section in the Inspector. Set Emitter Spacing (m) and Flow/Emitter (L/h) directly on the object.
How do I record whether the tubing is buried?
Use the Installation field in the Dripline section. Choose Surface, Buried, or Mulch Covered to document how the run is laid.
How do I see the total run length?
Select the dripline; its length is shown in the Inspector. Total lengths across all objects are summed in the Cost view for takeoff purposes.
How do I assign a dripline to a zone?
Enter the zone identifier in the Zone field of the Dripline section. This cross-references the run with the valve that supplies it.