Sprinklers and Drip Emitters
Choose from three emitter types — spray, rotor, and drip point — and fine-tune coverage radius, arc, and direction for every head in your irrigation plan.
Sprinklers and Drip EmittersThe Sprinkler object places individual watering heads — pop-up sprays, rotors, gear drives, impact heads, drip emitters, and micro sprays — directly on your irrigation plan. Each head displays a coverage circle that scales with its spray radius and arc, so you can see gaps and overlaps at a glance. The Spray Coverage section in the Inspector sets the spray radius (0.5–15 m) and arc (15–360°). The chosen fixture style also determines how the head appears as a 3D object when you switch to the 3D editor.
Place sprinkler heads on the plan
Click on the canvas to place each sprinkler head. The heads snap to grid and to nearby pipes. For pop-up heads, place them at the perimeter of the zone first and work inward so coverage circles naturally overlap toward the center — this is the standard head-to-head spacing approach.
Set emitter type and coverage radius
With a sprinkler selected, use the Inspector to set 'radiusM' (coverage radius in meters, default 3 m). Spray heads typically cover 1.5–3 m; rotors typically cover 4–12 m; drip points are effectively point sources (radiusM close to 0). Coverage circles on the canvas update immediately as you change the radius.
Adjust arc and direction for partial-circle heads
For sprinklers placed in corners or along borders, set 'arcDeg' to less than 360 to create a partial-circle pattern (e.g., 90° for a corner, 180° for an edge). Set 'directionDeg' to rotate the arc so it faces into the planted area. Full-circle rotors can stay at the default 360°.
Choose a fixture style
In the Inspector, select the fixture style that matches the specified product: 'pop-up-spray' (standard pop-up spray head), 'pop-up-rotor' (pop-up rotor), 'gear-drive' (gear-driven rotor), 'impact' (impact rotor), 'drip-emitter' (inline drip emitter), or 'micro-spray' (micro-spray stake). The fixture style changes how the head renders in 2D plan view.
Configure burial settings
For pop-up heads, set burial mode to 'buried' and specify 'depthMm' to record the installation depth of the body in the soil (typically 75–100 mm). Surface-mount emitters such as drip stakes use burial mode 'onSurface'. Above-ground risers use 'above'. These settings feed into installation notes and BOQ exports.
Name the head and control coverage visibility
Give the head a meaningful label in the Name field in the General section — for example, 'Zone 2 - SW' — so it reads clearly on legend callouts and cost reports. Use the Show Coverage Area checkbox in the Spray Coverage section to toggle the coverage circle on or off for the selected head, reducing clutter on dense plans.
Review overlap and adjust spacing
Zoom out to review coverage across the entire zone. Aim for slight head-to-head overlap so no dry areas exist between adjacent circles. Reselect any head and drag its Spray Radius slider to fine-tune until the coverage pattern is uniform.
Use the arc preset buttons (90°, 180°, 270°, 360°) to set corner, edge, and full-circle patterns in one click — faster than dragging the Spray Arc slider to an exact value.
Keep drip emitters and spray heads on separate valve zones. Drip emitters operate at much lower flow and pressure than spray heads — combining them on one zone tends to over-water the drip area or under-water the spray area.
The fixture style you choose controls the 3D model and plan symbol; it does not drive hydraulic calculations. Record flow rates and operating pressure in zone notes or a schedule separately.
Key Parameters
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Label for this head, shown on plan callouts and in cost reports. |
| Fixture Style | Sets the 3D model and plan symbol. Options: Pop-up Spray, Pop-up Rotor, Gear Drive, Impact, Drip Emitter, Micro Spray. |
| Spray Radius | Radius of the coverage circle. Displayed in the project's unit system (metric or imperial). |
| Spray Arc | Angular width of the spray pattern. 360° = full circle; use partial arcs for corners and edges. |
| Show Coverage Area | Toggles the coverage circle overlay for the selected head. Useful for decluttering dense plans. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a head water only a corner of the garden?
Set Spray Arc to 90° using the preset button. A 90° arc covers one quarter of the head's throw radius. Orient the head toward the corner by rotating it on the canvas with the Select tool.
How do I place a drip emitter instead of a sprinkler?
Place a Sprinkler, then set its Fixture Style to Drip Emitter (or Micro Spray) and reduce the Spray Radius to a small value. The fixture style is how you designate point-source emitters within the Sprinkler object. For a full drip run, use the dedicated Dripline object.
The coverage circle has disappeared for one of my heads.
Select the head and check the Show Coverage Area checkbox in the Spray Coverage section — it may have been unchecked. The circle is toggled per head, so other heads are not affected.
Can I copy a configured head to avoid re-entering the same settings?
Yes. Select a configured head, copy it (Ctrl/Cmd+C), and paste (Ctrl/Cmd+V). The copy inherits its settings. Drag it to the new position and adjust as needed.
Does the spray radius display in feet when my project is set to imperial?
Yes. The Spray Radius label and range switch to feet when the project unit system is Imperial. The stored value is always in meters internally, so switching units does not change the head's coverage.