Today a client asked how to have a secondary gasket automatically inserted when a specific flange is placed. After experimentation, I found some joint settings that work. The overall process goes like this:

• Modify your catalog components to use a Gasket Standard
• Add the items to your spec
• Modify your simple flange joint connection to use a Gasket Standard
• Modify the compound auto-flange joint to use the Gasket Standard

Modifying the Catalog Components

By default, gaskets and flanges already have a gasket standard property. Set both of the gasket ports to use the same standard. The standard is any value you want (as long as you add it to all of the necessary ports).

Figure 1 – Gasket with Gasket Std set

Figure 2 – Flange with Gasket Std Set

Adding the items to the spec

Use the normal spec editing process to add these items to your spec. In this sample, I modified the long description to make it clear which to select.

Modify the simple flange joint connection

To view the joint settings, go to Project Setup > Plant 3D DWG Settings > Piping Connection Settings. Select the flanged connection and click modify.

In the modify joint dialog, select the gasket and then you will have a spec filter button available. This button is available in 2016 Ext 1 or later. If you do not have access to 2016 Ext 1, see the xml excerpt posted below to see what you need to do.

With the Gasket STD property selected, check the required box and then select end 2. You settings should look like this:

Click Ok, and then modify to save accept the changes.

Modify the Compound Auto-Flange joint

Modifying the simple joint means that we can connect a Type 1 flange to an existing Type 1 flange. However, we want to make the insertion more automated overall, so we need to modify the auto-flange joint.

Select the auto flange joint, and click modify.

In the edit dialog, click the browse connection component button.

In this dialog, check the Gasket STD property again, and choose the FL, LUG, WF end.

Final Result

The end result is that when we insert our alternate flange, the correct gasket gets inserted as well.  A video showing the settings in action is here:

http://autode.sk/1V4zSz5

For those who don’t have access to 2016 Ext 1, the modified Connectors config xml is available here:

You should be able to use this in 2014 and earlier.

The free version of the Navisworks Datalink plugin provides the ability to embed custom project data and hyperlinks into the Navisworks model. Initially this plugin was called Datalinks in the Autodesk app store.  Now it’s being released for free and we are adding new features that will tie into our FastTrack Plant product.

Here are the posts related to Datalinks and FastTrack Navisworks.

• Datalink for Navisworks 2015 update

One of the nice features of the report creator is being able to use expressions. In this post, I’ll show you how to force your descriptions to uppercase letters.

Open up the report you want to modify in the the report designer, navigate to the fields list, right-click and choose add Expression.

I created an expression called UpperFamily (1). Next, click the Expression property in the Data category and click browse (2).

I entered this function into the expression editor: Upper([Engineering Items_PartFamilyLongDesc])

The function Upper() forces whatever field you put within the parentheses to be capitalized.  After that, you can drag and drop the new calculated expression onto the cell or control where you want it displayed in your report.

Run your report to test your results.

Hi we’ve just released an update for our P3d Datalink plugin. The plugin is being renamed Fasttrack Navisworks and has had a couple features added.

Here’s the product page: http://www.pdoteam.com/store/fasttrack-navisworks/ where you can download a trial, purchase, or view help videos.

In summary for 1.26, you can pick a part in a model without having to publish all of the properties for the entire model. If the program doesn’t automatically find the right project path, open the embed data dialog, and pick the correct project.xml.

Also, some of the length units are now formatted for feet and inches better. Those are stored formatted in the database so the program has to convert it on the fly.

We fixed a bug where when more than one model was appended, the progress bar force the program to crash.

AND…added 2016, 2017 compatibility.

I have some more ideas I want to put together, but those will have to wait until the next update…until then, enjoy!

The Fasttrack Navisworks plugin is now available in the app store.  Formerly the Datalink plugin, we’ve added some new features and made it work for 2014-2017.

https://apps.autodesk.com/NAVIS/en/Detail/Index?id=1735878922346646719&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

Our posts on custom parts has been one of the most popular of all time. However, I feel like there are some things that could be a little clearer. In this post, I’ll pull from some of the content at AU, and add some more information on working with custom parts. Some of this post will be pulled from: http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/class-catalog/2013/plant-design-suite/pd1977

Here are some of the best practices for developing your custom part library:

1. Create a project at a shared location that will become your custom parts library project.
2. Planning your part
3. Create parts using a good work flow.
4. Understand how to deploy custom parts

Custom Part Project

The purposes of creating a custom part project is to provide a backup of created parts, organize existing parts, and share created parts to users. Custom parts need to be tested inside of a project environment, so a single project that holds all of the custom part files helps with testing and maintaining a library. Of course, the location and contents of the project is up to you, but here is one example of how it may be organized. In this example, the test models/blocks are stored by type and manufacturer.

Note that there are two different locations being monitored, under 3d drawings which is where the drawings that contain the blocks used with PLANTPARTCONVERT, and Related Files which is where the “plain” AutoCAD block is. You should keep a copy of the block before PLANTPARTCONVERT is run on it so that you have a backup of the geometry.

Planning your Part

Before creating a custom part, you should examine the existing Plant 3d shapes to see if a similar shape already exists for your part.

Open a catalog, and click create new Component.

Click Advanced Shape options and browse the classes and available shapes.

The Piping component type (Elbow above) will determine the category the item is displayed under once added to a spec.

If you can find an existing shape, you will save time using it as custom blocks have to be created for each size, and moved around when sharing library content.

If you can’t find a suitable shape, you need to browse the existing catalog content to locate a similar part for isometric content purposes. For example, if you are making a 4 port valve, you should look for a 4-way valve in a catalog. The purpose here is to identify the port order so that the selection of ports in your custom part matches the expected order for isometric symbols.

Custom Part Workflow

Creating custom parts can be tricky as at time you may need to fixed port locations, or remodel content. To help minimize issues, here are the steps recommended for creating a new custom part.

If you are using a Custom parts project, you would first create a model drawing in the project manager. This model will eventually contain all of the sizes for the particular valve, instrument, or fitting that you are creating. In your project drawing, perform the following steps.

1. Model the objects a 3d solids, and then set the color of all of the objects to ByBlock. By setting the color to ByBlock, your custom objects can have its color controlled by the project settings for colors.
2. Align your model so that it’s flow direction lies in the positive x-axis, and that its height is along positive z. The proper alignment before creating the block controls the insertion orientation as a piping component.
3. Set the UCS to world. Having a custom UCS set current will change the insertion orientation as a piping component.
4. WBLOCK with the current objects being turned into a block. This provides a block reference in the current model to use PLANTPARTCONVERT on later, while create a backup.
5. If you are using a Custom Parts project (see above), add the backup files to the related files section so you can open it from the project manager.
6. Based on the previously selected similar part, use the PLANTPARTCONVERT command to pick ports in the order necessary to match the isometric port order.
7. Test your custom part by using the custom parts palette (PLANTCUSTOMPARTS).
   1. This button can be used to launch the PLANTPARTCONVERT command
   2. If you used PLANTPARTCONVERT on a block in the current file, you can choose that block from the model for insertion
   3. Enter port information. With default project settings, flanged components should have pressure class and facing filled out.
   4. Insert the part into a pipe line to test insertion and connection behavior.
8. Create an isometric with your part in line to make sure it matches your expected behavior.

Custom Part Deployment

After testing your custom part, you have a choice to add it to a catalog/spec or have users re-use your custom part from the Custom Parts project. If you choose the latter, they can open the custom parts palette, and use the Import Block from DWG and select your source project model to pick the necessary part. Importing the block requires no further deployment steps.

Adding your custom part to a catalog or spec requires a few further steps. In a catalog of your choosing (please don’t use the stock catalogs), start a new component and choose block-based part. Choose the part information, and select the number of ports. Notice that the port selection may also be done by typing in the number of ports, if you need a higher number of ports than is in the list.

Add your catalog information like normal parts. The final step is to pick your custom block. This selection will be the saved Plant 3d model file that contains the block that your ran PLANTPARTCONVERT on. Not the file that we stored under Related Files.

After adding it, save your catalog and add your part to the spec and test it in a model again.

Sometimes, people end up moving their content folder after creating custom parts. The key to sharing custom parts is to locate the CatalogSupportFolders directory in your Content folder. When a part is added to a catalog, the block and thumbnail images get copied to a directory (named from the catalog) inside of the CatalogSupportFolders directory. As long as the CatalogSupportFolders directoy gets moved/copied wherever your shared content folder location is, Plant 3d will be able to find your custom parts.

PD1977

Every now and then we have to take a project to an earlier version, like from 2017 to 2016. For most of the version the next steps work, but you will be attempting this at your own risk.

First be aware of when major project formats were changed. The really big one was between 2013-2014 when line groups were changed on P&IDs. For the rest of the project versions 2017 and 2014, you should be ok switching the project version.

Do not try to do this process to avoid project migration however.  When you are migrating up, the migration routine adds necessary properties to support new features. When we migrate down, the software ignores the additional properties so they are irrelevant.

The project version number is stored in 6 different xml files.

• Project.xml
• PnIdPart.xml
• PipingPart.xml
• OrthoPart.xml
• IsoPart.xml
• MiscPart.xml

If you are using a different project standard (not PIP), you may have slightly altered xml names, but they’ll be close.

In short, you need to locate the project version variable and change it to the version that you need.

Here are the version numbers for the last few releases:

Yes, that’s not a typo. Even though it seems like 2017 would be 10, somehow it’s 91.

Report creator templates are generally project independent. However in 2016, the report engine was upgraded and new functions are available. If you use some of the newer functions, your reports will not be backwards compatible.

A client recently inquired about best practices on vendor supplied piping. The goal was to remove vendor supplied piping from the BOM and give those items a specific layer in isometric drawings.  To accomplish this there should be a property that can be adjusted in the 3D model.

The first step to meeting this need is to create the property used to identify the supplier.  To do this we need to jump into project setup and navigate to Plant 3D DWG Settings, Plant 3D Class Definitions, and select Piping and Equipment.  Under properties hit the Add button and create a property that you can fill out to clarify what vendor is responsible for this component.  This property should probably be a selection list or string.  If you decide to create a selection list make sure the default value is set to blank.

Once the property is created we can now select items and set the values we need.  The property I created is called Supplier.

Right now if I run my iso it should come out something like this:

We want the valve and the elbow to be changed to a custom layer, but we also need to keep an eye on our BOM.  Right now my BOM is still going to include the two items I adjusted.  I’ll also see that the vendor supplied items are not separated into their own line.

Once we have a property to use when sorting our items we will need to make sure Plant 3D is using that property.
To make sure Plant 3D can use the custom property we will need to modify the iso.atr file in the iso style’s folder.
Under BOM-ATTRIBUTES we will need to add the new property with the prefix “EngineeringItems.”
In my case the property I made was called Supplier, so I added the line “EngineeringItems.Supplier”

From here we have two goals:
Use this property to remove items from our BOM and use this property to determine what layer the item should be put on (when the value is set).

The fastest part is removing items with a set value (or specific values) from the BOM
To do this we need to modify the IsoConfig.xml.  I have been using a program called FOXE to modify .xml files.  For more details on FOXE check out the article Dave has. http://www.pdoteam.com/2012/08/editing-xml-files/

When you expand Data using the tree view there is something called Aggregated Lists

Each list is for a different type of table:
Materials is the basic BOM
The Shop and Field Materials are the Fabrication and Erection tables
Pipes I believe is cut pieces list
Welds for weld list, etc.

In my case I’m working with a basic BOM, so I’ll need to modify the filters used for my Materials list.
The original filter used for the Materials list is called ItemCodeNotNull

I may have been able to modify the filter, but I chose to copy it and make a new one.

The new filter I created was called SuperCoolBOM

Here is the original filter:
<Filter Name=”ItemCodeNotNull” Value=”NOT [ITEM-CODE] IS NULL” />
And here is my adjusted filter:
<Filter Name=”SuperCoolBOM” Value=”NOT [ITEM-CODE] IS NULL AND Supplier IS NULL” />
The adjusted filter will only show items that do not have any value set for the Supplier property.

If you do not keep the Supplier property blank by default, you might use a set value when there is not a vendor supplying the item.  If that is the case using IS NULL wouldn’t help, because there would always be a value set for your property.  Instead of using IS NULL, we could use a filter with a value of
“NOT [ITEM-CODE] IS NULL AND Supplier = ‘none’”
This would reject blank values from showing up in the BOM, but allow items set to “none” to show up.
If you wan to include null values too just add it with an OR argument like the example below
“NOT [ITEM-CODE] IS NULL AND (Supplier IS NULL OR Supplier = ‘none’)”
Make sure you use the parenthesis, because these will have a big effect on how the filter operates.

With those adjustments we are now finished removing vendor supplied parts from our BOM
Before:

After:

As you can see the ball valve is removed from the list completely and one of the Elbows is unaccounted for, because these two items were set to the Supplier Aaron.

With our first goal complete we are ready to move on to the next change.

Our next goal is to adjust the layer used for these special items.
The layers used are based on the theme, however instead of trying to create a new theme we can instead create a new Layer Scheme in each theme.

If you expand Theme, Symbols, Layer Schemes you will find several categories of items.  Each may have it’s own filter and layer, so we are going to make a new layer scheme to filter out specific Supplier values.

I created the Aaron Layer Scheme based off of the Fittings layer scheme.
This layer scheme needs to have a filter created for it as well as a layer.

Here is the Aaron Filter I am using:
<Filter Name=”Aaron” Value=”Supplier=’Aaron'” />

Next we need to exclude Supplier values from all of our other Layer Scheme filters.  You may want to create new filters in case the existing ones are used for other parts of the IsoConfig.xml.  We will also want to expand our other themes and check the filters used.  Some filters may require adjusting, and we will likely need to add in our new Layer Scheme to the other themes.

Here is the filter I used for Fittings:
<Filter Name=”NotAaronNotPipeElbowTeeOrCross” Value=”Supplier &lt;&gt; ‘Aaron’ AND (NOT (Type = ‘Pipe’ OR Type = ‘Pipe-Fixed’ OR Type = ‘Elbow’ OR TYPE = ‘Tee’ OR Type = ‘Cross’ OR Type = ‘Bend’))” />
The &lt;&gt; is like <> or NOT.

Alternatively you can use this filter if you decide to make several different suppliers.
<Filter Name=”NotAaronNotPipeElbowTeeOrCross” Value=”Supplier  IS NULL AND (NOT (Type = ‘Pipe’ OR Type = ‘Pipe-Fixed’ OR Type = ‘Elbow’ OR TYPE = ‘Tee’ OR Type = ‘Cross’ OR Type = ‘Bend’))” />

Once all the filters have been adjusted make sure the new layer has added to the title block.
With these changes made vendor supplied parts will now show up on their own specific layers.

Here is how our Iso would have generated before:

And here is how our Iso generates now:

With these two changes we can suppress items in the isometric BOM and set the layer used to stylize items using a custom property.

When setting up an isometric style there is almost always a property you need to pull so it can be used in an annotation. If it’s being inserted in the BOM or on the Title Block itself this isn’t a big deal, but if you are trying to modify an annotation or adjust filters in the IsoConfig.xml then we have a little extra work to do.

The reason this is easy when adding the property to the Title Block or BOM is because the property will automatically be mapped for you when adding the property.

Until you have a good grasp on the mapping process I recommend we take advantage of this to get that understanding.

So what I am recommending we do is make a dummy iso style.
Once you create the dummy iso style we need to go into Title Block setup.

From the Title Block Setup tab we need to use the Table Setup tool.

From here all we need to do is add the new property to the BOM in it’s own column.

Find the property of the generic type of items or the specific type of times and select the property you are interested in mapping.

Once the property has been mapped we need to make sure the new property is checked in the table setup.

Open window explorer and navigate to the dummy isometric style’s folder and open the iso.atr file in notepad.

As you can see the new property has been mapped.

From this point we can use this property to filter items or use in annotations for our isometric drawings.  Here are two example scenarios where you can use this to adjust annotations as well as filters using your newly mapped properties:

Instrument Bubbles on Isometrics in Plant 3D

Creating a layer theme for AutoCAD Isometrics

One long standing frustration is that you cannot dynamically change the length of a bent nozzle on Plant 3d equipment.

Today while reviewing this issue, I thought I’d try a technique that has helped us out in other situations: http://www.pdoteam.com/2014/12/dynamic-length-valves-in-autocad-plant-3d/

Unfortunately, there is no Component Designation property in the catalog editor view, even though it already is in the database.

I modified the nozzle catalog using SQLite Expert, and here’s the result:

Now you can have full dimensional control over your nozzle. Remember to use Ctrl+click to select only the nozzle, and you can change the dimensions in the properties palette.

Here a download link to get the catalog. All of the nozzles have been modified to allow you to change dimensions.

The default catalog location is: “C:\AutoCAD Plant 3D 2016 Content\CPak Common\NOZZLE Catalog.acat”

If you have moved your content library, just make sure it goes into your CPak Common folder.

You can copy the nozzles from the downloaded catalog if you have already modified your nozzle catalog.

One issue we sometimes have is that if someone doesn’t have a source catalog, you can’t modify the underlying spec information. For example, if you convert specs from other programs, you wouldn’t have a catalog behind the spec.

One way to get around this is to create a catalog from the spec. To do so, you’ll have to use the catalog builder. The catalog builder is available under the Tools > Launch Catalog Builder menu item in the spec editor.

In order to put the spec in a format the catalog builder can understand, go to File > Export to Catalog Builder while in a spec.

The catalog builder format is an Excel file with tabs for each part and parameter for creating the catalog item.

Because we are not going to do any modifications to the spec, you can select build catalog when the catalog builder launches, and browse to the exported spec.

The error checking listed doesn’t actually work right, so even if the components you create with Plant 3d are correct, you will still get errors.

Click the save as new button to create a new catalog.

The end result is that you have a single catalog based on the spec.

To make this more sustainable, you would export all of your specs to Catalog Builder format, and when you build a catalog, you will be prompted to merge duplicate items. After merging everything together, you can separate the main catalog (which could become quite large), into separate catalogs. We often see catalogs broken up by material (CS, SS) or component type (Fittings, Valves, Misc).

Many people may say it couldn’t be done, but we were able to find a way to itemize BOMs. Typically, this is only a concern for fabrication shops, but it can be really helpful for understanding more about how BOM’s work.

To get this to work, we’ll do the following:

• Create the DbID property
• Add the DbID to the iso output
• Modify the Aggregated Lists

Create the DbID Property

First for everything to be itemized, the iso needs a way to recognize unique components. The PnPID property is good for this, because it is unique across the project. However, the PnPID property isn’t available in our property list for isometric tables. To get it, we will first create the DbID calculated property.

Start PLANTDEFINECALCPROPERTIES.

1. Click the Piping tab.
2. Select Engineering Items
3. Enter DbID
4. Pick the String property type
5. Double-Click the PnPID property
6. Apply

Once complete, you should see that the DbId field in the data manager mirrors the PnPID field.

Add the DbID to the Iso output

Follow this post to add the dbid to the iso.atr: http://www.pdoteam.com/2016/08/easy-way-to-map-properties-for-use-in-iso-drawings/

Feel free to remove the DbID column from the BOM table so it doesn’t display visually.

Modify the Aggregated Lists

The final step is to modify the aggregated lists. These lists control how items are grouped and sorted on the iso. Out of the box, the Materials list looks like this:

We are going to modify each group (PIPE, FITTINGS, OLETS, etc.) so that each groups columns contains the new DbID property.

Once completed, your BOM will have everything itemized.

This past November, I had the opportunity to partner with Jason Drew answering questions at AU 2016. I wanted to take a minute to write up some of the class notes. The class is posted at AU Online here: http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/class-catalog/2016/autocad-plant-3d/pt15439#chapter=0 where you can see the video and download the handouts and ppt.

First we recapped some of the big learning topics from 2016 which included:

• Automatic Line List Report
• Fabrication BOM
• Dynamic Nozzles for Equipment
• Fast Track Plant

Then we covered isolating issues and parts of the program.

Last of all, my favorite, the questions!

Next year, I need to do a better job of who asks the question for follow up, but here are the questions as captured in the class:

1. How do I get the total bolt quantity instead of the number of bolt sets in Orthos?
2. How do I show insulation in my orthographic drawings?
3. How do you transition from SQLite to SQL Server/Vault?
4. How do I get iso dimension continuations to go to center of elbows and fittings and not the end?
5. How can I get my line group data into my P&ID (or Plant 3d)?
6. My BOM Annotations are moving in Orthos after saving and closing. (We think it may be from using multiple layouts).
7. Spool splitting isn’t correct when import CADMep PCFs.

That’s what we covered in class. We’ll be taking a look at these and posting follow up articles as we are able.

In order to customize the operators for valves on isometrics, you need to understand how the configuration for symbols is configured.

First, you can configure the valve skey either in the catalogs or from the model directly.

To see the relationship between valves and their operator skey, you have to open the IsoSkeyAcadBlockMap.xml in the project Isometrics folder. The valve skey and block name are listed together. To locate the assigned spindle key, scroll to the end of the file and find the section with ValveToSpindleSkeyMap. This map relates the valve skey to a specific Spindle skey. The ?? stand for the end types (ie FL, SC, SW). To find the block associated with a spindleskey, scroll up and find the Valve Operators symbols section.

After finding the spindle block name, open the Isometrics\IsoSymbolStyles.dwg and find the block name you want to use or modify.

We have had some users asking about how to have insulation show up graphically in the Orthographic Drawings.  It doesn’t appear that the functionality is present in the software right now.  (Other than manually drawing plain AutoCAD objects in paperspace.)

Let’s look at some of the options in the model and annotations that we can provide.

PLANTINSULATIONDISPLAY

This command allows us to visualize the insulation in our 3D Model.  If you switch to the 2d wireframe visual style and aren’t seeing the insulation, it will appear to have just increased the diameter of the pipe, but on the fittings it will add secondary lines.

PLANTINSULATIONMODE

This command deals with how our fittings are visually covered by insulation in the model.  Let’s take a valve for example and set the PLANTINSULATIONMODE to simplifiedPartial.  It will look like this in the Realistic visual style:

Notice that neither the valve or the flanges are covered by the insulation, but the pipe is.

Next, If PLANTINSULATIONMODE is set to simplifiedFull it will look like this:

Ortho Annotations

Instead of showing a dashed line or a block representing that insulation is present, we could use annotations that are provided out of the box.

After you have designated insulation to your pipes in your model and created an orthographic model.

Select the lines you want to annotate while being inside the viewport.  Right-click and select Ortho Annotate and the Insulation Callout style.

Then, place the annotation wear you would like it.

Don’t forget the command line has some options if you would like to rotate the text or use a leader.

We have an update to Fasttrack Plant available in the store: Fasttrack Plant

The following changes were made:

1/18/2017

• Fixed bug when cancelling the spec objects in P&ID
• Added Item Code property to project configuration
• Added SETPROJECTBYBLOCK to modify all project blocks to BYBLOCK color

One new workflow introduced in the 2017.1 update is that you now need to use the project manager to copying specs to a project. Changes to the spec folder using Windows Explorer are no longer recognized, but using the project manager will update the spec list and reload the current spec.

If you want to filter something out in a report using the Report Creator, you can use the Edit Query and set filters in there.  But that will only apply to that particular class that is selected, and you will have to repeat that process to anything else you would like to filter.

In this post, I will outline the steps to filter out something from an entire report.   We will specifically be looking at excluding existing items in the default 3D Parts report configuration.

Click on Edit next to the selected report configuration and a Edit report layout on the next screen:

In the report layout editor, make sure that the top root heading is selected (or click in the grey area of the report template so that just the root is selected)

With that selected, anything that we change in the Property grid will apply to the entire report.

In the Property grid below the Report Explorer, scroll down to the Data section.

Under Filter String, select the text box and click on the ellipses (…)

A new dialog box should open called the FilterString Editor.

Click on the small plus sign next to the red And text.

We need to set our filter now.

I’m going to change the blue area to what class we are filtering so I will choose Engineering Items_Status.

The green area will say whether it is contained in the report or not, so in this scenario I will mark this as not contained,

and finally what value we don’t want it to contain.  I will type in Existing.

Hit ok and Save the report.

Now you should no longer see existing components.

When you first get Fasttrack, you may be wondering how do I start using this tool effectively? This article will cover the basics of running the setup of Fasttrack in Plant 3D, some of the properties that are automatically added to help Fasttrack work, and some ideas for best practices.

When you first create a project you should get a notification in the bottom right corner of Plant 3D’s interface.

To start taking advantage of Fasttrack we’ll need to run the command mentioned in the notification, but we can also access this tool using the ribbon. Navigate to the FT Manage Tab. Under the FT Plant Setup Panel, the Setup Current Project button will run this command, so you don’t have to type out the FASTTRACKPLANTSETUP command.

Once this command is launched, all the properties that Fasttrack will require are automatically added. You will also be prompted if you want the nominal spec (P&ID and 3D Pipe Line Group properties) to be populated automatically. The value is based off the longest schematic line segment or pipe depending if it is a P&ID or 3D model.

If the values are not already completed in the Nominal Size and Spec then the Nominal Size will be filled out automatically (as well as the Nominal Spec if you said yes during setup) when you open a drawing. The values can also be completed automatically by using the Batch Update tool located in the FT Manage Tab, FT Plant Setup Panel.

Some of the properties that are added into the project are:
LineTag_Trimmed, To_Trimmed, and From_Trimmed
These values are used to remove the suffix from a line number tag where ending values were left blank resulting in question mark values. This will cut off the hyphens and question marks, but if you are using any specific abbreviations, those will not be trimmed.

Here are a few examples:
If the tag is “1234-PP-1” the value will stay the same, but…
“1234-?-?” will return “1234”, and…
“1234-INS?-?” will return “1234-INS”

In the 3D model you will find that all Pipe Run Components have a property called LineTag_Trimmed that performs the same function as the LineTag_Trimmed property used in the P&ID.

Valves in your P&ID will be populated with properties like:
PartFamilyId, PartFamilyLongDesc, and PartSizeLongDesc.
These values are to help check to confirm that the parts inserted into your P&ID match the parts used in your spec designed for the 3D model.

Due to limitations of how the P&ID Line List operates, the part that is placed may not be the exact one described by the PartFamilyLongDescription. That being said, we should still consider mapping a property like this from the P&ID to the 3D models, but we have to be careful.

When mapping a property, the P&ID Line list will try and fill out the values for your 3D parts. This means that instead of inserting the valve that uses the correct Family Long Description as identified in the P&ID, that the P&ID Line List could insert the default gate valve based on part use priority in the spec and override that description regardless of its end type or dimensions. Clearly this would be problematic.

What we want to do is make sure that all the values set based on the spec that should never be changed are set to read only, preventing the P&ID Line List from altering them, otherwise the validation process will not be able to catch the difference.

In this example I’m going to lock down the Family Long Description, so that if I wanted to modify the Size Long Description, I’ll be able to do so without being flagged for validation issues between my P&ID and 3D model. I could also accomplish the same goal by using the PartFamilyId, however, this property displays a code that isn’t as user friendly. As a user, I would have an easier time recognizing the issue when the values being compared are words instead of something like “70a86934-9d2b-4c5e-add1-7aa8a35c6689.”

In Project Setup expand Plant 3D DWG Settings, Plant 3D Class Definitions, and select Piping and Equipment. From here, we are going to set the Part Family Long Desc property to Read Only by checking the property. This will prevent users from manually adjusting the value set here from the default value set in the spec. This will also prevent it from being changed when inserting components using the P&ID Line List. If you decide to use any other property, note that the property will need to also be Visible in Object View, so be sure to check that option, too.

Our next step is to map the property from the P&ID for validation purposes. After you apply the changes you just made, select P&ID Object Mapping under the Plant 3D Drawing Settings branch. From here expand Engineering Items, Inline Assets, Hand Valves, and select the first valve you want to map.

Note that this change should be done to each of the components to which we want this property to be mapped.

Once you have selected the component you want to map for validation, scroll down the list until you find the P&ID property. Then use the drop down next to it to find the property that correlates with the component in your 3D models. If you don’t see the property on the list make sure that property has been set to be visible in Object View, and don’t forget to hit the apply button if you have to check that option! Finally, with the property mapped, check the Validate option on the right.

Once this is set, if the P&ID Line List uses the wrong valve from your spec, we have a way to catch the issue using validation. After running the validation for my ball valve, I can see that the flanged end type seems to have made it into the 3D model instead.

With this information, your end users should be able to see the problem and use the substitute grip to swap for the correct part.

When you assign tag information to a P&ID object you are also prompted for an annotation style, but custom annotations may not always get included in the list.

In this example the annotation I’ve created is called Trimmed Line Tag, and the contents of the block are shown below:

As you can see above the annotation references the Size and Spec of the schematic line segment. Sadly this annotation will not make the list.

Specifically what will allow an annotation style to appear on that list is the inclusion of the Tag property.

The property doesn’t have to be by itself, but as long as it is included in the annotation style, it will become available in the drop-down. For example the annotation format below would also allow my annotation style to make the list.

Now if you don’t want the full tag to show up in the annotation there is a really easy way around this.  Each line in your annotation is actually an attribute definition, meaning that any of the adjustments you could make with a normal attribute should be available for these attribute definitions.  Knowing this, all we need to do is make this unwanted attribute definition invisible and now the property will be there, but nobody will be able to tell by looking at it your annotation.

Once this adjustment is made we should be able to grab our annotation from the list.

As you can see below the attribute for the full tag doesn’t show up, because it has been set to invisible.