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
• Databases
–
–
–
–
–
Types
Projects
Specs
Schema
Compact and Repair (Access)
|2
Overview
• Right-Click Options
• Trouble Shooting
– Debug Mode
– Trouble shooting Isogen
– AutoCAD commands
|3
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
|4
Project Connectivity Tool (Cont.)
|5
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
|6
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
|7
2D to 3D Consistency Reporter
|8
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)
|9
2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)
• Piping Components
• Equipment/Nozzles
• Consistency Status
• Drawing Previews
| 10
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.
| 11
2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)
In this example, the component is in both the 2d and 3d
drawings. It’s status will display as ‘Status: OK’ when
hovering over the green check. Also, notice how there
is information in the 3D Value column now.
| 12
2D to 3D Consistency Reporter (Cont.)
• Generating a Report is done by going to Reports pull
down menu
• The Reports are stored in the project’s
ConsistencyReports.mdb file located under the Projdata
folder in the Project Root
• The two default reports are ‘ConsLog Results’ and
‘MapLog Results’
| 13
Configuration Editor
| 14
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
| 15
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
| 16
Configuration Editor (Cont.)
Configuration Editor
Project Administrator
• Can Copy Configurations
• Can Create Projects using
settings from a Configuration
• Can Create New Configurations
• Doesn’t contain Tools pull down
menu or Integrity Checker
• Can Create New Projects
• Contains tools to help maintain
and create database driven
projects
| 17
Configuration Editor (Cont.)
Configuration
Project
• Does not use a Database
• Database Driven – either
Access, Oracle, or SQL
• 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
• All documents share database
information
• Must have access to the
project’s database and location
to use
| 18
Relationship Manager
• Document Tools such as ‘Add Document to Project’,
Import/Export, Backup, and Repair
• Project tools such as Clean Registry and Tag Cleanup
| 19
Relationship Manager (Cont.)
Add Document
Import
• Adds a specific document(s) to
the project
• Brings in a copy of a document
or group of documents from
either a packaged file (zip) or
from a project
• Adds tag/relationship
information from the document
into the project
• Useful in adding documents that
are part of a configuration into 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
| 20
Relationship Manager
Repair and Backup
• Repair is available by right clicking on a document
under the document’s 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
| 21
Databases
• Types
• Projects
• Schema
• Specs
• Compact and Repair (Access)
| 22
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
| 23
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
| 24
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
| 25
Spec Databases
• Typically Access type, but can be pushed to SQL or
Oracle
• With Access, the project points to the spec’s 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
| 26
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
| 27
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)
| 28
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
| 29
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.
| 30
Right-Click Options (Cont.)
• Zoom to Selection
• Zoom to Line
Allows for quick zooming to components, either by the
selection or line number.
| 31
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
| 32
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.)
| 33
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
| 34
Trouble Shooting
• Debug Mode
• Trouble shooting Isogen
• AutoCAD commands
• Removing hidden objects
| 35
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
| 36
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
| 37
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
| 38
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 doesn’t place the BOM on the iso
| 39
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 model’s references
| 40
Removing Hidden Objects
• Old technique to remove objects that can’t 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 can’t 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
| 41
Conclusion
• Any Questions?
| 42