9.

4 Improving Legibility of the Isometric

ISODRAFT tries to balance the amount of information shown on a drawing sheet and its
legibility. If the default is not satisfactory, you can improve the legibility by increasing the
character size on the drawing area, and by altering the picture scale.
• The character size for the annotating text on the isometric drawing can be specified
using the CHARSIZE command. Note that the character size for the material list is
specified using the MATERIALLIST command.
• The scale of the isometric area can be changed by using the PICTURESCALE
command. Note that this does not scale the whole isometric, but just affects the size of
the symbols and annotation relative to the length of pipe shown. The material list is not
affected.
9.4.1 Message Layout
You can control how arrowed messages on the isometric are positioned on the isometric
using the MESSAGEACCURACY command.
The MESSAGEACCURACY RADIAL option determines the accuracy level of the radial
search, based on the number of radial directions searched away from the arrowhead, the
number of additional directions for kinked lines, and the length of increments of leader lines.
The levels are as follows:
Once all messages have been positioned, the MESSAGEACCURACY ITERATIONS option
repositions any messages with crossing leader lines, and all messages with leader lines
passing through the text block. You can set a maximum number of iterations, and the
process is repeated until one of the following conditions is satisfied:
• No leader lines cross and no messages need to be moved.
• The number of leader lines crossing and messages moving is the same as the previous
iteration.
• The maximum number of iterations set by the option is reached.
You should start with accuracy level 1. Higher accuracy levels are achieved at the expense
of performance. Increasing the number of iterations is not as expensive as higher accuracy
levels, as often an equilibrium is reached before the maximum number of iterations. Thus it
is recommended that the effect of increasing iterations be examined before increasing the
accuracy level.

9.6 Dimensioning
ISODRAFT can output several types of dimensions with different amounts of detail. The
main types of dimensioning are:
• String dimensions (the default).
• Composite dimensions.
• Overall dimensions.
• Support dimensions.
The different types are illustrated in Figure 9:2.: Support, string and overall dimensions.
String dimensions are measured between the following points:
• The start or end of a branch
• Changes of direction (bends, elbows etc.)
• Component connection points (flanges, welds, screwed and compression joints etc.,
excluding gaskets)
Composite dimensioning ignores dimensions which the fabricator has no control over,
particularly the sizes of individual components. Components which are directly connected to
each other are therefore dimensioned as though they constitute a single composite item.
Overall dimensions indicate the lengths of the following sections of a pipeline:
• From the start of a branch to the first change of direction
• From each change of direction to the next
• From the last change of direction to the end of a Branch
• From the start of a falling section skew-box to the end of the falling section skew-box.
• Between Branch connections.
You can specify:
• Whether or not overall dimensions cross Branch connections
• Dimensioning to Valve centrelines
You can specify that overall dimensioning is to critical components. This can be used
when the exact lengths of all components are not known at the time of design, for example,
if the purchase of fittings has been delegated to a local fabricator. Critical dimensions are
between points on assemblies of connected components. The points are chosen according
to the first rule satisfied from the following list:
• Branch connection, such as Tee or OLET, but excluding tappings on PCOMs and
Flanges.
• Change of direction, such as Elbow or Bend.
• Face of Flange or flanged component.
• Centreline of Instrument.
• Centreline of Valve.
• Origin of first component in assembly.
Single components in tube will be dimensioned to their origin; for example, Valves to their
centreline.
Critical dimensions can be shown with or without component dimensions.