AutoPLANT Piping - Tips and Tricks

Peter Alspaugh and Richard DeLong with Bentley Systems Inc.

Overview
Projects Tools
Project Connectivity Tool 2D to 3D Consistency Reporter Configuration Editor Relationship Manager Types Projects Specs Schema Compact and Repair (Access)
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Databases

Overview
Right-Click Options Trouble Shooting
Debug Mode Trouble shooting Isogen AutoCAD commands

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Project Connectivity Tool

Checks disconnects between drawings Allows to Check for disconnects without opening drawings Checks multiple drawings at once

Generates reports on which components have disconnects

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Project Connectivity Tool (Cont.)

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Project Connectivity Tool (Cont.)

Right click on the row and select Get report details to view the report The report appears like a table listing all the columns requested in the Preferences

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Project Connectivity Tool (Cont.)

DOC_ID and COMP_ID will help determine what document contains the disconnected component and what component is disconnected The PORT_ID tells which port is missing a connection Press the [x] button to close the report

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2D to 3D Consistency Reporter

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2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)

Compares 2d data with 3d data Creates reports that show any inconsistencies in data Checks across the entire project Same tool that can be run inside the drawing in the 2d Browse Allows viewing of components in the drawings (2d and 3d)

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2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)

Piping Components Equipment/Nozzles Consistency Status

Drawing Previews

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2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)

In this example, notice that the tag is in the 2d drawing but not in the 3d drawing. Hovering over component with the red 3, the message Status: Missing in 3D will appear telling us that it is not in the 3d drawing.

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2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)

In this example, the component is in both the 2d and 3d drawings. Its status will display as Status: OK when hovering over the green check. Also, notice how there is information in the 3D Value column now.

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2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)

Generating a Report is done by going to Reports pull down menu The Reports are stored in the projects ConsistencyReports.mdb file located under the Projdata folder in the Project Root

The two default reports are ConsLog Results and MapLog Results

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Configuration Editor

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Configuration Editor (Cont.)

Similar to Project Administrator Allows the creation of Configurations used with Drawing Access Mode (aka Briefcase Mode) Includes the following areas for editing System, Relationships, Model, Piping, Isometrics, Equipment, Isogen, and Reports

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Configuration Editor (Cont.)

What is Briefcase Mode?
Briefcase Mode is like passing a single document over to a reviewer rather then the entire cabinet.

Why would any one need to use it?

It can be used in model reviews were only one, or even a few, models are needed but access to the project is limited or not available.

How does Configuration Editor relate to Briefcase Mode?

This is the tool that allows users to configure and customize the way Configurations work, similar to how Project Administrator allows the customization of Projects
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Configuration Editor (Cont.)

Configuration Editor
Can Copy Configurations Can Create New Configurations Doesnt contain Tools pull down menu or Integrity Checker

Project Administrator
Can Create Projects using settings from a Configuration

Can Create New Projects

Contains tools to help maintain and create database driven projects

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Configuration Editor (Cont.)

Configuration
Does not use a Database Multiple documents can be part of the same Configuration, but do not share data Can be used so long as a copy of the configuration is located on the computer

Project
Database Driven either Access, Oracle, or SQL

All documents share database information

Must have access to the projects database and location to use

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Relationship Manager
Document Tools such as Add Document to Project, Import/Export, Backup, and Repair Project tools such as Clean Registry and Tag Cleanup

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Relationship Manager (Cont.)

Add Document
Adds a specific document(s) to the project

Import
Brings in a copy of a document or group of documents from either a packaged file (zip) or from a project Can bring over all tags from the source, including those not in the imported document(s) Can Bring over specs and Configuration files

Adds tag/relationship information from the document into the project

Useful in adding documents that are part of a configuration into a project

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Relationship Manager
Repair and Backup Repair is available by right clicking on a document under the documents node It fixes relationships and other database issues that can be found in a document Backup copies the document into a Backup folder under the project root

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Databases
Types Projects Schema Specs

Compact and Repair (Access)

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Database Types
Access
Places the database information into an access file (mdb) Commonly used for all database files for Projects Limited number of users when used as the Project database (max. 5) Cheapest of the database types

SQL and Oracle

Can both be used for the Project, Specs, and Schema Both handle a large number of users, then Access

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Project Databases
Type is picked during the creation of a Project For Access, the project database is a file called Projdata.mdb For SQL and Oracle, the project database is stored on a server and is linked to by a file called Projdata.adp

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Schema Databases
Built as an Access database during project creation For Access, the project database is a file called Projdata.mdb For SQL and Oracle, the project database is stored on a server and is linked to by a file called Projdata.adp Used for some configurations in Project Administator such as TAG Types

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Spec Databases
Typically Access type, but can be pushed to SQL or Oracle With Access, the project points to the specs files location called the Master Spec Folder SQL and Oracle are External Database that specs can be push into Changed under the System>Main node in a Project

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Compact and Repair

An access databases can grow large and unstable. To help with this, Access has a tool called Compact and Repair.
In 2007 Access, this is found under the Windows button under Manage In 2003 Access and older versions, it is located under the Tools>Database Utilities

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Right-Click Options
In Model Space
Drawing Preferences Component Preferences Spec Browser Zoom to Selection Highlight Selection Highlight Mode On Highlight Mode Off Spec Name MENU (only visible with Spec Browser opened)

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Right-Click Options (Cont.)

On a Component
Same as in Model Space, but includes the following Delete Component Edit Component Zoom to Line Highlight Line Export Line to Isogen

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Right-Click Options (Cont.)

Drawing Preferences Component Preferences Spec Browser Each one of these launches the respective tool in AutoPLANT. This allows users to check settings quickly and use the features faster without having to go to the pull down menu.

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Right-Click Options (Cont.)

Zoom to Selection Zoom to Line Allows for quick zooming to components, either by the selection or line number.

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Right-Click Options (Cont.)

Highlight Mode
Off/On Selection
Highlights current selected Components

Line
Highlights all components on the same line as the component that was right clicked on

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Right-Click Options (Cont.)

Export Line to Isogen Loads the Import/Export module and begins the process of generating an Iso of the Line that the current hovered over component is apart of. (One thing to note is that when the Import/Export module is loaded, some of the right click options in model space are removed.)

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Right-Click Options (Cont.)

Spec Name - MENU
Only Visible when Spec Browser is opened Spec Name is actually the name of the spec that is selected in the Component Preferences (Ex. CS150 MENU) Allows users to quickly select a component from a spec record and place it Settings for the component are determined by what is in Component preferences

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Trouble Shooting
Debug Mode Trouble shooting Isogen AutoCAD commands Removing hidden objects

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Debug Mode
AutoPLANT Setting Can be set in Component Preferences Loads up the Bentley Script Editor Shows what file is being used for the current operation

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Debug Mode (Cont.)

To set it in Component Preferences, right click in the Data area and select Add Component Preference

In the Component Preference Editor, select the DEBUG_MODE under the Result Field section

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Debug Mode (Cont.)

After add Debug Mode to the Component Preferences, just use the pull down to turn it ON/OFF

When the AutoPLANT Script Editor is up, pressing the Start button to run the whole script, or the step feature to go in stages
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Trouble Shooting Isogen

Three places that report errors in Isogen
Export Progress Dialog
Displays information during the process of the model, which can include location of outputted iso drawing, specifics on errors or points to the Message file for more information

Message File
Gives details on the processed iso file, includes if the process was a success and details on any errors that may have happened

Iso Drawing File

Two typical errors are displayed here, FAIL models, which usually points to something wrong with the component, and PASS error, which usually means a disconnection in the model and doesnt place the BOM on the iso

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AutoCAD commands
Purge
Purges unused data from the drawing

Audit
Checks the xdata of the drawing for any damage

Scale List Edit (SCALELISTEDIT)

Removes redundant scales that can be added by attaching references

Recover/Recover all
Runs the Audit/Purge and a number of other fixes on model, it can also include the models references

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Removing Hidden Objects

Old technique to remove objects that cant be seen in model space Steps to do this are:
Turn on/unfreeze/unlock all layers Zoom to see the entire model Enter the Erase command by typing e or hitting the icon When it asks to Select objects, type all and hit enter ONCE
This will select all objects in the model, including those that you cant see

Now remove all the visible objects from the selection by either typing r and hit enter, or by holding Shift, and making a selection box over all the objects Make a note of the number of objects left, and hit enter
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Conclusion
Any Questions?

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