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REBIS
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WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA 94596 USA
PHONE (925) 933-2525

FAX (925) 933-1920
WEB WWW.REBIS.COM
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Rebis documentation is copyrighted material. Reproduction of this material in any manner, in
whole or in part, is strictly forbidden by Rebis. ALL rights reserved.
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Rebis reserves the right to update, revise, and make changes to this product at the discretion of
Rebis without any obligation on the part of Rebis. This information herein is subject to change
without notice.
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Although Rebis’ programs have been tested and appear to produce satisfactory results, no warranty
is expressed or implied, by the authors or by Rebis, as to the accuracy or functioning of the
program, and no responsibility is assumed in connection therewith. All information presented is for
review, interpretation, approval, and application by authorized personnel.
DB145=1B;C
AutoPLANT®, PRO-SERIES®, OMNI-SERIES®, and PlantLIFE®, are registered trademarks of
Rebis Inc.
AutoCAD® is a registered trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by AutoDESK, Inc.
Crystal Reports® is a registered trademark of Seagate Software Inc.
ISOGEN® is a registered trademark of Alias Limited.
Windows®, MS-DOS®, Excel®, FoxPro®, Microsoft®, and all other names and trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
QA - AP020001
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO AUTOPLANT PIPING

WHAT IS PIPING?.......................................................................................................1-2
INSTALLATION AND AUTHORIZATION ...................................................................1-2
HELP AND DOCUMENTATION ..................................................................................1-3
HTML HELP AND PDF TUTORIAL FILES ......................................................1-3
HELP/DOCUMENT UPDATES........................................................................1-5
PIPING HELP ORGANIZATION......................................................................1-6
PRINTING HELP/TUTORIAL FILES ...............................................................1-6
FEATURES..................................................................................................................1-7
NEW/MODIFIED FEATURES..........................................................................1-8
GENERAL .................................................................................................1-8
MISCELLANEOUS ATTACHMENTS ........................................................1-9
PIPING TOOLS MENU .............................................................................1-9
COMPONENTS.........................................................................................1-9
PRODUCTIVITY............................................................................................1-12
TRUE 3D DESIGN.........................................................................................1-12
COMPONENT DISPLAY AND REPRESENTATIONS...................................1-13
INTELLIGENT SELECTION ..........................................................................1-14
DATABASE CUSTOMIZATION.....................................................................1-15
SPECIFICATION-DRIVEN ............................................................................1-15
FLEXIBLE PLACEMENT CAPABILITIES ......................................................1-16
BILL OF MATERIALS AND REPORT MODULES.........................................1-17
CENTERLINE ROUTERS .............................................................................1-18
PROGRAM ARCHITECTURE - CUSTOMIZATION ......................................1-19
ABOUT THIS TUTORIAL ..........................................................................................1-20
COMPONENT PLACEMENT BASICS ..........................................................1-21
MODEL CONSTRUCTION ............................................................................1-21
PRE-START CHECKLIST .............................................................................1-21
INSTALL PIPING PROGRAM FILES ......................................................1-21
CREATE A WORKING TUTORIAL DIRECTORY ...................................1-21
SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATIONS ..........................................................................1-22
TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING .................................................................1-24
TYPES OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT .............................................................1-24
DOCUMENTATION CONVENTIONS ........................................................................1-25
PROCEDURE CONVENTIONS.....................................................................1-25
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CHAPTER 2: PROJECT SETUP

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 2-2
CONFIGURATION CUSTOMIZATION - CONFIGURATION EDITOR ........... 2-2
COMPONENT CUSTOMIZATION - CLASS EDITOR..................................... 2-3
CONFIGURATION FILES............................................................................... 2-3
CREATING A CUSTOM CONFIGURATION............................................................... 2-4
MODIFYING A CUSTOM CONFIGURATION............................................................. 2-6
MODIFYING SYSTEM CONFIGURATION VARIABLES ................................ 2-6
MODIFYING MODELLING CONFIGURATION VARIABLES.......................... 2-8
MODIFYING PIPING CONFIGURATION VARIABLES................................. 2-10
FINISHING YOUR SESSION........................................................................ 2-11
MODIFYING COMPONENTS.................................................................................... 2-11
CHAPTER REVIEW .................................................................................................. 2-12
WHAT’S NEXT.............................................................................................. 2-12
CHAPTER 3: GETTING STARTED

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 3-2
STARTING PIPING ..................................................................................................... 3-2
MODEL SETUP .............................................................................................. 3-3
A TOUR OF THE INTERFACE ................................................................................... 3-4
DRAWING PREFERENCES ....................................................................................... 3-6
DRAWING MODE/REPRESENTATIONS....................................................... 3-7
COMPONENT PREFERENCES................................................................... 3-11
CHAPTER REVIEW .................................................................................................. 3-12
WHAT’S NEXT.............................................................................................. 3-12
CHAPTER 4: COMPONENT PLACEMENT BASICS

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 4-2
BASIC PLACEMENT PROCEDURE .......................................................................... 4-2
COMPONENT SELECTION........................................................................................ 4-3
PIPING MENU ................................................................................................ 4-4
MAIN PIPING TOOLBAR................................................................................ 4-4
DIRECTION AIDS........................................................................................... 4-5
BASIC PLACEMENT EXERCISES............................................................................. 4-5
GETTING STARTED ...................................................................................... 4-5
SETTING THE PROMPT MODE .................................................................... 4-6
PLACEMENT IN SPACE ................................................................................ 4-6
CONNECTING COMPONENTS ................................................................... 4-10
ii AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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PLACING FROM A REFERENCE POINT .....................................................4-12

PLACING COMPONENTS IN A SKEWED VIEW..........................................4-15
VIEWPOINT REVIEW ...................................................................................4-15
ALIGNING COMPONENTS...........................................................................4-18
ATTACHING TO A CENTERLINE.................................................................4-20
AUTOMATIC PIPE PLACEMENT..................................................................4-23
DISPLAY MODE ........................................................................................................4-24
COMPLETING THE EXERCISES..............................................................................4-25
CHAPTER REVIEW...................................................................................................4-25
WHAT’S NEXT ..............................................................................................4-25
CHAPTER 5: ROUTING PIPE AND FITTINGS

OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................5-2
OPENING THE DRAWING ..........................................................................................5-2
DRAWING SETTINGS.................................................................................................5-4
PLACEMENT STRATEGIES AND CONSIDERATIONS .............................................5-5
COMMAND PROMPT MODE..........................................................................5-5
DRAWING MODE............................................................................................5-5
LINE L100........................................................................................................5-6
LINE L200........................................................................................................5-9
COPYING COMPONENTS ...........................................................................5-11
WORKING WITH REFERENCE POINTS......................................................5-14
THE ALIGN TO OPTION ...........................................................................................5-15
CONNECTING PIPE ..................................................................................................5-18
ROUTING A CENTERLINE .......................................................................................5-20
ADDING ELBOWS AT THE INTERSECTIONS ........................................................5-24
COMPLETING THE MODEL .....................................................................................5-25
SAVING THE DRAWING...........................................................................................5-27
CHAPTER REVIEW...................................................................................................5-28
WHAT’S NEXT? ............................................................................................5-28
CHAPTER 6: THE DRAWING DATABASE

OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................6-2
DRAWING DATABASE TABLES.....................................................................6-3
EDITING A COMPONENT RECORD..............................................................6-4
VIEWING COMPONENT INFORMATION ...................................................................6-4
EDITING COMPONENT INFORMATION ....................................................................6-6
VIEWING THE DRAWING DATABASE ......................................................................6-8
Tutorial iii
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UPDATING COMPONENTS ....................................................................................... 6-9

CLEANING THE DATABASE................................................................................... 6-13
CHAPTER REVIEW .................................................................................................. 6-14
WHAT’S NEXT?............................................................................................ 6-14
CHAPTER 7: DRAWING PRODUCTION

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 7-2
BEFORE YOU START.................................................................................... 7-2
SETTING UP PAPER SPACE..................................................................................... 7-3
WORK AREA .............................................................................................................. 7-5
WHAT IS A WORK AREA?............................................................................. 7-5
CREATING A WORK AREA ........................................................................... 7-7
DEFINING WORK AREA VIEWS.................................................................. 7-10
CREATING THE PLAN VIEW....................................................................... 7-10
CREATING A SECTIONAL VIEW................................................................. 7-13
PLACING WORK AREA VIEWS IN PAPER SPACE .................................... 7-14
DIMENSIONS............................................................................................................ 7-16
ANNOTATION........................................................................................................... 7-22
ESTABLISHING ANNOTATION PREFERENCES........................................ 7-22
VALVE ANNOTATION .................................................................................. 7-23
LINE NUMBER ANNOTATION ..................................................................... 7-25
CREATING AND ANNOTATING A SECTION.......................................................... 7-28
CHAPTER REVIEW .................................................................................................. 7-30
WHAT’S NEXT?............................................................................................ 7-30
CHAPTER 8: GENERATING A BILL OF MATERIALS

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 8-2
GENERATING THE BILL OF MATERIALS................................................................ 8-3
RETURNING TO MODEL SPACE .............................................................................. 8-7
CHAPTER REVIEW .................................................................................................... 8-8
SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 8-8
iv AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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CHAPTER 9: SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATIONS

OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................9-2
AUTOPLANT IMPORT/EXPORT ..............................................................................9-3
REBIS PLANT EXCHANGE FORMAT (PXF) IMPORT...................................9-3
GENERATING A PXF FILE FROM AN AUTOPLANT DESIGNER MODEL9-3
GENERATING A PXF FILE FROM A PRO-PIPE MODEL ........................9-4
GENERATING AN AUTOPLANT PIPING MODEL FROM A PXF FILE....9-4
PLANT EXCHANGE (PXF) EXPORT ..............................................................9-5
ISOGEN PIPING COMPONENT FORMAT (PCF) OPTIONS .........................9-6
REBIS EXPLORER/ID ...........................................................................................9-13
EXPLORER PROGRAM START ...................................................................9-13
VIEWING AUTOPLANT COMPONENT INFORMATION........................9-14
INTERFERENCE DETECTION MODULE.....................................................9-14
EXPLORER/ID PROGRAM START ........................................................9-14
AUTOPLANT CONFIGURATION EDITOR .............................................................9-16
AUTOPLANT CLASS EDITOR ...............................................................................9-17
PROGRAM START .......................................................................................9-18
GETTING STARTED.....................................................................................9-18
SELECTING A CONFIGURATION................................................................9-19
MODIFYING A MODULE...............................................................................9-19
MODIFYING A PARENT/COMPONENT CLASS ..........................................9-21
UPDATING THE CONFIGURATION FILES..................................................9-22
SCRIPT EDITOR ......................................................................................................9-23
PROGRAM START .......................................................................................9-23
DEBUG MODE ..............................................................................................9-24
DIALOG EDITOR .....................................................................................................9-25
PROGRAM START .......................................................................................9-25
REBIS SPECIFICATION GENERATOR ..................................................................9-26
CONVERTING OLD SPECS .........................................................................9-27
CONVERTING OLD AUTOPLANT DESIGNER/ISOMETRICS SPECS........9-27
CONVERTING SPEC GENERATOR V5.0 SPECS TO V6.0 SPECS............9-27
Tutorial v
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Welcome to AutoPLANT® PIPING, a 3D integrated piping application which makes it
easier than ever to produce and maintain intelligent, three-dimensional piping
models. PIPING combines speed and power into an intuitive, graphical interface that
makes the process of creating models easier than ever. PIPING has been designed
to make your job easier by reducing drawing time and automating traditionally time-
intensive tasks. Project Managers will also appreciate the efficiency with which
project data is handled, and how easy it is to share data between the entire suite of
AutoPLANT products. This tutorial introduces some of the main features of PIPING,
and walks you through the creation of a simple piping model. For information related
to the use of a specific command or function refer to the on-line help.
WHAT IS PIPING? 1-2
INSTALLATION AND AUTHORIZATION 1-2
HELP AND DOCUMENTATION 1-3
FEATURES 1-7
ABOUT THIS TUTORIAL 1-20
SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATIONS 1-22
TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING 1-24
DOCUMENTATION CONVENTIONS 1-25

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AutoPLANT PIPING utilizes the latest AutoCAD ARX technology. The program architecture
takes advantage of 32-bit processing, will run in AutoCAD 2000 or AutoCAD Release 14, and
enables you to produce intelligent, three-dimensional production models under demanding
deadline constraints.
If you are a new user of a Rebis piping application, you will soon discover that PIPING provides a
true three-dimensional work environment. Objects can be viewed from any perspective, and users
can toggle between various display modes almost instantaneously, without creating duplicate
objects in the drawing or experiencing a “lag” in redraw time. What’s more, the underlying data is
more powerful than ever. Component and drawing control data is dynamically linked to an external
drawing database. The database information can be used to generate reports, or to globally
manipulate and revise the descriptive component data.
>_dU PIPING is a powerful addition to AutoDesk’s popular AutoCAD drafting package, and is
fully compatible with AutoCAD 2000 and AutoCAD Release 14 working in the Windows
95, 98, or NT environments, ONLY!
>_dU At this time, PIPING does not support AutoCAD 2000’s multiple document interface
(MDI).
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Procedures to install PIPING are outlined in the AutoPLANT Installation and Configuration Guide
provided with your software. This is the small insert document provided with your CD. This
tutorial assumes you have already properly installed and configured PIPING using the instructions
provided in that document.
Each PIPING package is licensed for use on only one computer, or for a limited number of
workstations in a network environment.
The Rebis Security Configuration Manager application has been implemented to authorize your
software. The procedure to authorize AutoPLANT V2.0 is provided in the help file for this
application, which may be launched via your Window Start menu by selecting
Rebis Security/Rebis Security Configuration Manager, then Help Contents. The Authorization
Procedures area of this help provides graphical walkthrough procedures of each phase of the
authorization process.
When you start an AutoPLANT application that has not been authorized, a dialog will display that
prompts you to specify whether you want to run the software in Demo mode, or authorize the
software as an Evaluation copy for a limited number of days. The software can only be fully
authorized using the Rebis Security Configuration Manager application described above.
1-2 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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>_dU No existing hardware locks will be authorized for use with applications using the new
software security. This means the old hardware locks will not work with the new
applications. Users should keep their hardware locks in a safe place to allow project
support for previous versions of the software. You will also need this lock to authorize
upgrades to the software. Again, refer to the Rebis Security Configuration Manager help
file for details on authorizing your software.
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In an effort to provide you with the best application support in the industry, the majority of
AutoPLANT documentation is now provided electronically in the form of HTML help files. This
important decision was made to implement a method for Rebis to quickly update users with
information on the latest program additions or modifications. Since this information is provided
electronically, users can simply download the latest help files from our web site, without the delay
to update and reprint hard copy documentation.
>_dU In response to user requests to have the application on-line help formatted in a manner
that can be referenced away from a setting in which the actual software is installed we
will now provide the help in an Adobe® Acrobat® Reader PDF formatted manual after
each major release. These will be provided in PDF format to enable users to print as
many copies of this information as desired. These files will be generated after each
release from the on-line help and made available for download from the
http://www.rebis.com/support/docs web page.
8D=<85<@ 1>4 @46DED?B91< 69<5C

All AutoPLANT help is provided in the latest HTML help format. This tutorial is also provided
electronically in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. In order to view the HTML help, you must have
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer v4.0x or later installed and functioning. To view the PDF files you
must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed and functioning. Options are provided on the
AutoPLANT installation CD to install these applications. (Microsoft has indicated that the next
release of their Windows software will install all of the required files to view HTML help
automatically). The following table lists the help/tutorial objects provided with your PIPING
application, and how they may be accessed.
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AT_PIPE.PDF Description: This is an Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF version of this Tutorial.
Access: Select AutoPLANT 3D/Tutorials/Piping from your Windows Start menu.
AT_PIPE.CHM Description: This is the main PIPING application help file. It provides a detailed description
of every available feature and function.
Access: Select Help/Contents from the Piping application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/Program Help Files/PIPING Help from your Windows Start menu.
Tutorial 1-3
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AT_XCHG.CHM Description: This is the main Import/Export module application help file. It provides a
detailed description of every available feature and function.
Access: Select Help/Contents from the Import/Export application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/Program Help Files/Import-Export Help from your Windows Start menu.
AT_CUS.CHM Description: This help system provides information on customizing many of the program
functions provided with your AutoPLANT applications (e.g., project customization, drawing
database customization, module customization, report/BOM customization, etc.).
Access: Select AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/AutoPLANT Program
Customization Help from your Windows Start menu.
BSCRIPT.CHM Description: This help system provides information on AutoPLANT Basic Language
Extensions provided to customize almost any area of the application. Each topic provides the
command/function prototype, a description of its parameters, and an example. Help is also
provided for the Standard Basic language elements. Context-sensitive help is provided for
almost all of these language elements when using the Rebis Script Editor to customize/create
basic scripts. Simply place the cursor within the element you need help on and press the b
function key.
Access: Select AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Basic Language
Reference Help from your Windows Start menu. The Rebis Script Editor may also be
launched from this program group.
AT_CE.CHM Description: This is the AutoPLANT Class Editor application help file. The AutoPLANT Class
Editor provides an intuitive graphical user interface to modify the information in the
configuration files that define the PIPING/ISOMETRICS modules and the individual
components available in each module. It also provides direct access to the method script
files, port definition, and specification search criteria that are used by each component class.
Access: Select Help/Contents from the Class Editor application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Class Editor Help from your Windows
Start menu.
AT_CFG.CHM Description: This is the AutoPLANT Configuration Editor application help file. The
AutoPLANT Configuration Editor was designed to remove the tedious effort that would have
been required to manually edit the configuration files used to create and customize project
configurations.
Access: Select Help/Contents from the Configuration Editor application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Configuration Editor Help from your
Windows Start menu.
DLG_EDIT.CHM Description: This is the Rebis Dialog Editor application help file. The Rebis Dialog Editor
provides an intuitive graphical user interface to create/customize AutoPLANT-compatible
Basic dialogs that may be used in your Basic scripts and functions.
Access: Select Help/Contents from the Dialog Editor application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Dialog Editor Help from your Windows
Start menu.

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EBS_EDIT.CHM Description: This is the Rebis Script Editor application help file. The Rebis Script Editor
provides an intuitive user interface to create/customize AutoPLANT Basic drawing scripts and
functions. Context-sensitive help is provided to almost every standard Basic and Rebis Basic
API Extension command, function, data type, etc.
Access: Select Help/Contents from the Script Editor application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Script Editor Help from your Windows
Start menu.
EXPLORER.CHM Description: This is the Rebis Explorer/ID application help file. Rebis Explorer is an
interactive 3D viewer for large models and sets of models, which may be purchased
separately. You can load multiple models varying from thousands to millions of triangles in
size and interact with them at a guaranteed frame rate. It supports multiple formats via a
plugin mechanism, as well as its own native file formats, AutoCAD’s *.dwg and *.dxf files and
3D Studio’s *.3ds files are supported. A range of navigating and viewing controls enable even
the largest and most complex model to be explored with ease.
Access: Select Help/Help Topics from the Explorer/ID application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/Explorer ID/Rebis Explorer Help from your Windows Start menu.
SPECGEN.CHM Description: This is the Specification Generator application help file. The Spec Generator is
a stand-alone application whose primary function is to generate specifications for use with
Rebis applications.
Access: Select Help/Contents from the Spec Generator application menu, or select
AutoPLANT 3D/SpecGen/SpecGen Help from your Windows Start menu.
MIGRATE_X.PDF Description: A migration guide is provided in PDF format that describes
additions/modifications made in this release of the software. The "X" in the file name
indicates the version number.
Access: This document resides in your ..\SUPPORT directory.
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The Contents page of AutoPLANT help files contains an Update Now button. If you have a
connection established with an Internet provider, press this button to access the Rebis Help/Doc
Update web page for the help file that you are viewing. View the main help/docs web page at
KWWSZZZUHELVFRPVXSSRUWGRFV for a complete list of applications. You can then click on a
specific AutoPLANT application to display a list of its available help/doc downloads.
Help and Tutorial builds are tracked by the build date that displays in the Title bar of each
help/tutorial window. Check the build date on your existing file, then from the download area of
the Rebis web site view the currently available help for your AutoPLANT application. Compare
the date that displays on that version with the date of your current help file to determine if a newer
version is available.
Downloads will be provided in the form of self-extracting zip files. When you download an update,
simply save the file to the directory where the old files resides, then run the downloaded
executable. For example, if you download an update for the AutoPLANT PIPING V2.0 help file
Tutorial 1-5
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AT_PIPE.CHM, the downloaded file will be named PIPEV2_0.EXE. Save the file to
your..\SUPPORT directory where the existing AT_PIPE.CHM help file resides, then run the
PIPEV2_0.EXE to overwrite your existing help file.
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PIPING’s on-line Help is the source for answers to any questions you might have about program
features and functionality. All PIPING command dialogs provide a help button to quickly display
context-sensitive help on that option. PIPING Help includes the following main topic areas:
New Features: Provides links to new and modified features by version number.
Getting Started: Provides an introduction to the interface, covers general placement techniques
and tools, explains the recommended method of annotating drawings, and provides a
description on how to get the most use out of the help system.
Command Reference: This folder is organized to closely match the structure of the Piping main
menu. This should enable you to quickly locate help on a specific menu option. In general, the
help for each command resides in a separate folder under the menu name folder where it exists
in the menu. Most command folders also contain a How To sub folder, which includes a set
of procedure topics that describe how to use that command.
2D Piping Application Notes: The new 2D PIPING application is provided with this release.
The options provided in this application are automatically included with your application if
you have purchased the full 3D PIPING application. If you have only purchased a 2D PIPING
authorization, please read the topics in this area for important information.
Technical Support: Contains information on how and when to contact our Technical Support
staff. This section includes telephone and fax numbers, as well as a live web link to the Rebis
web site for the latest support information.
Adding Your Help: Rebis has developed a simple system to enable Dealers, Contractors, Users,
etc. to provide links to their own custom HTML help system within each AutoPLANT
application's help system. This area of the help explains how to connect your own HTML help
to each AutoPLANT application’s help system.
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The HTML format of Rebis help systems makes printing easier than ever. To print a topic, simply
select it from the Table of Contents, then press the Print button. Enable the Print the selected topic
radio button in the dialog displayed, then press OK. If you want to print all of the topics that reside
in a particular folder and all of its sub-folders, simply select the folder and press Print, then enable
the Print the selected heading and all subtopics radio button, then press OK. All topics in and below

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the selected folder will be printed in the order that they are defined in the folder. PDF files may be
printed by selecting File/Print, then selecting the range of pages to print.
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PIPING runs on top of AutoCAD R14 or 2000 ONLY in the Windows 95, 98, or NT environment
as shown in the following Figure (AutoCAD 2000 screens are used throughout this tutorial). Note
that the toolbars enable quick placement of piping components and the execution of commands.
The standard set of AutoCAD commands and menus is also available. The interface is designed to
streamline user input and to set up the CAD environment for the development of 3D piping
models.
>_dU Chapter 3 introduces the PIPING interface and offers suggestions for customizing the
interface to suit your working style.
The following sub-sections briefly describe new features in this release as well as existing features
of the software.
Tutorial 1-7
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This section briefly describes the new and modified features provided in v2.0.
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2D Piping Application: A 2D version of the AutoPLANT PIPING application may now be
purchased separately. Users that purchase the full 3D AutoPLANT PIPING application will
get the 2D functionality free of charge.
A new option, 2D-Piping, is available during the install that enables you to install this product
which will provide different options from the 3D installation. Under this product there will be
no provision to install Import/Export or ISOGEN. Only PIPING and EQUIPMENT will be
available as valid selections. Currently both of these applications will be provided as part of
the 2D Piping solution. The functionality will be controlled by the Rebis Security system. The
primary control of the component drawing mode will be handled through the Drawing
Preferences dialog.
Drafting Tools Menu: The Drafting Tools menu has been added to the main Piping menu. It
contains commands specifically designed for the placement and manipulation of 2D AutoCAD
entities. A new Symbol Manager application is included, which provides a dockable interface
that lists symbols in a tree view. These symbols may be dragged from the Symbol Manager
directly into your drawing, or new symbols added by simply dragging them from AutoCAD
into the interface.
The Broken Pipe commands, which were previously located in the Annotation menu have been
moved to the Drafting Tools menu. The 2D symbol placement options that were also in the
Annotation menu have also been moved to this menu.
The AutoPLANT report writer has been upgraded to version 7.0 of Crystal Reports. Due to an
anomaly in Crystal Reports, you should request the free correction release of version 7.0 from
Seagate (version 7.0.100.15 or higher). This will enable version 5.0 reports to be saved
without crashing under version 7.0 (this is only if you are using version 7.0 of Seagate). If you
are currently customizing reports, you may continue to do so with version 5.0. However,
obviously the new report templates delivered can only be modified with version 7.0 or higher.
>_dU Although version 8.0 has not been tested we expect this bug has been corrected in the
standard version 8.0 release allowing version 5.0 reports to be saved in version 8.0.
Under this version the report should be saved as a version 7.0 report unless you want to
upgrade his own runtime to version 8.0.
Architectural Desktop support: This version will be supported when run with the version of
AutoCAD that is delivered with Architectural Desktop. There is no interaction with any of the
Desktop objects or any other added functionality associated with the Desktop product.

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DIN specs now have the nominal diameter prefixed with DN, such as DN100 for 100mm pipe.
Various other changes were made to support the DN prefix. These include a correction to
pulled pipe.
Using international settings in Windows for decimal delimiter now works correctly for welds
and with ISOMETRICS dimensioning.
Toolbars now load correctly on computers using dual-byte character sets (Asian characters)
New HDPE Catalog and spec. The catalog is called Driscopipe and the spec HDPE.
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Reference Dimension attachment: The Reference Dimension attachment is now available for
placement by executing the Miscellaneous Attachments option from the Piping/Iso menu, then
selecting Reference Dimension. This attachment is provided to enable you to dimension from a
point on a component to a disconnected item in an ISOGEN isometric drawing generated from
a PIPING model or ISOMETRICS drawing using AutoPLANT Import/Export. This capability
was added to enable you to identify the component and the item to which it references.
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3D Display Utilities/Set Clipped Graphics Type: Enables you to toggle the display of clipped
cylinder (pipe) graphics to either Baseballs or Quadrant display. You may also enter
SETCLIPPEDGRAPHICS at the command line to manually toggle this clipped graphics
display of individual cylinders.
Representations: The numerous individual menu commands that were previously provided to
generate graphic representations of components have been centralized in a single dialog
control.
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High Purity elbow draw scripts have been improved to be more realistic. They now include a
straight section of tube before the bend.
Insulation is now drawn on all components, not just pipe and elbows.
Pulled pipe is now available in the Tubing module (renamed from Swagelok)
Tap ports can now be placed on diaphragm valves.
Single and double line representations have been enhanced. Both single and double line
modes will now draw elevation views correctly. The check valve representations have also
been corrected.
Tutorial 1-9
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Pulled pipe now can be tapped on the straight sections. You can also add pipe supports to the
straight sections.
The cut pipe symbol can now be optionally changed to the Japanese standard.
Rectangular and Round HVAC components in imperial, metric, and mixed metric units have
been added. The McGill catalog was used.
General components have been added to the High Purity module. Ball valves have been added
to the High Purity catalog and specs as well. The valve topworks have been improved for this
module.
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Generic Guides/Anchor Boxes
Vessel Pipe Guides
Platform Pipe Guides
Riser Clamp
Base Anchor
General Hanger
Rod Spring Hanger
Pipe Lug Attachment
Elbow Lug Attachment
Angle Steel Trapeze Hanger Bar
Single C-Channel Trapeze Hanger Bar
Spring Can Trapeze Hanger
Tee Shoe with Pad
Pipe Insulation Saddle
Pipe Wear Protection Pad
Adjustable Post Support
Adjustable Elbow Spring Support
Base Spring Support
Dummy Leg Support
Single Pipe Trunnion Support
Double Pipe Trunnion Support

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General Steel Support

Attached General Hanger
Attached Angle Steel Trapeze Hanger Bar
Attached Single C-Channel Trapeze Hanger Bar
Attached Adjustable Post Support
Attached Base Spring Support
Attached Channel Shoe Support
Attached Tee Shoe Support
Attached Slide Plate Assembly
Attached Generic Guide Boxes
Attached Generic Anchor Boxes
Attached U Bolt Anchor
Insulated Pipe Vessel Guide
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Reducing Lateral
Long Weldneck Flange
Control/Ball Valve
Control/Globe
Control/Check
Control/Butterfly
Control/Angle
Control/3 Way
Control/4 Way
Control/Gate
Relief/Angle
Pressure Reducing/Angle
Pressure Reducing/Instrument Angle
Miscellaneous Fittings/Blinds/Restriction Plate
Miscellaneous Fittings/Strainers/2- Port Wye
Misc additional components:
Tutorial 1-11
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Reinforcing Pad
Plain Lock Coupling # 90
Roto Chain Links
Roto Chain Operator
Injection Quill
Venturi Flow meter Symbol
Complex Flow meter Symbol
Isogen Reference Dimensions
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PIPING’s emphasis is on producing finished 3D models. Drawing production tools are provided to
set up work areas and views. These enable you to manage multiple drawings developed for a
particular project and generate production drawings from them. Production drawings can be
output, reports generated, and drawings created with other AutoPLANT applications, such as
EQUIPMENT or STRUCTURAL can be xreferenced in to complete the model.
A variety of features are available to automate most repetitive drafting tasks. Extensive use of
PIPING's utilities automate processes such as conversion between drawing modes, generation of
Bill of Materials, routing centerline paths, automatic placement of pipe, etc. Our goal is to
automate the processes that formerly required intensive user interaction, thereby saving you time
while ensuring accurate, clean models. Managers responsible for meeting tight production
deadlines will appreciate this important design philosophy.
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When our developers began work on PIPING, much of the emphasis was placed on creating clean
three-dimensional models. It was also a requirement that the file size be minimized, and that views
be available to support a variety of display modes without the added baggage of creating duplicate
copies of components. The result of our efforts is a true three-dimensional work environment that
does not sacrifice speed or drawing size to achieve its goal. Gone are the days of being forced to
visualize 3D objects in 2D space. Of course, the model can always be displayed in 2D mode and
optimized for plotting, but we are sure that you will find connecting components and routing pipe
lines much easier using the 3D methodology.

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PIPING is an open-ended system, which enables you to customize almost any aspect of the
component placement process. PIPING components are constructed parametrically by executing
instructions in external Basic scripts. These scripts contain instructions to read the external
specification database and extract the parametric dimensions required to draw the component in
3D, Double Line, or Single Line drawing modes, and to write its external drawing database record.
With a general understanding of BasicScript syntax and terminology, you should be able to
create/modify almost any aspect of the component placement process.
PIPING components are constructed from a group of Rebis Custom Objects. For example, a piece
of piping is created from a cylinder, while a flanged ball valve is created from two cylinders for the
flanges, two cones, and a sphere. These custom objects have four inherent display modes, which
enable you to almost instantaneously switch between display modes.
In addition, the PIPING application provides a set of representation commands that enable you to
generate and display single line, double-line, and 3D representations of specific components in a
piping line, or complete lines in the same model.
>_dU The Basic Language Reference help file may be launched via the
AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help group in your Windows Start menu. It
provides help on the AutoPLANT Basic Language Extensions provided to customize the
system, as well as standard Basic Language element help.
Tutorial 1-13
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PIPING models are not merely drawings. As the model is created, a drawing database is also
maintained, which contains a record for each component placed in the model. A component’s data
can be edited at any time during a drawing session.
Many PIPING functions enable you to apply the function to a selection set of components. This
selection set may be defined by querying the external drawing database to select components that
have the same database field value (e.g., Line Number, Spec, Tag), or drawing attributes (e.g.,
color, layer). After a selection set of components is created, you can globally revise values, change
line numbers, enter unique descriptions, etc. This is particularly useful when updating drawings
due to design changes.
Queries can be saved
Selection sets of
components can be
created across multiple
drawings
Search for attribute

values from the
drawing database
Complex expressions
can be created to find a
specific set of objects

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AutoPLANT stores component and drawing information in an external ODBC-compliant database.
When you installed the application(s), ODBC drivers were installed on your system to enable you
to define the database format that you want to use on your projects. Currently, AutoPLANT
supports Microsoft Access and dBASE database configurations. You may elect to configure other
database formats, but they are not supported at this time. The external database may be configured
as a single Microsoft Access database with multiple tables, or multiple dBASE-formatted database
tables. The drawing database format should be configured at the start of a project and used
throughout.
>_dU By default, the drawing database is configured as a Microsoft Access database. For
information on configuring the drawing database for use with other formats, refer to
AutoPLANT Program Customization help, which is available via the
AutoPLANT/Customization Tools and Help group in your Windows Start menu.
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PIPING provides sample database catalogs of tens of thousands of components from which
manufacturer-specific specifications may be produced. The Spec Generator program enables you
to build and customize the database specifications used with particular projects or clients. Each
specification is a subset of a catalog and is stored in its own directory. Specifications can also be
edited or modified to suit unique requirements, and any number of specifications can be created.
The ability to select and apply one or more specifications consistently throughout one or more
drawings or projects is why we call PIPING a specification-driven application. Because PIPING
components are placed according to defined specifications, they are not merely drawing blocks.
Instead, the components are built parametrically, and therefore have a high degree of intelligence.
To expedite the drawing process, sample specifications are included. These specifications are
available in Imperial, Metric, and/or Mixed-Metric versions. A brief description of some of the
sample specs provided is given below:
Carbon Steel: A sample carbon steel specification, based on 150-pound ANSI pressure
classification (Imperial: CS150, Metric: MCS150, and Mixed Metric: MMCS150).
Stainless Steel: A sample stainless steel specification (Imperial: SS150, Metric: MSS150,
and Mixed Metric: MMSS150).
Ductile Iron: The Ductile Iron Pipe module provides a set of components, which are
typically used for water/wasterwater applications. A sample ductile iron specification
(Imperial: Ductile, Metric: MDUCT, and Mixed Metric: MMDUCT).
Victaulic: The Victaulic module provides a set of components, which are typically used
in commercial building piping. A sample Victaulic specification (Imperial: Victalic,
Metric: MVICT, and Mixed Metric: MMVICT).
Tutorial 1-15
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High Purity: The High Purity module provides a set of components, which are typically
used in HiPurity, Food/Bev, Pharmaceutical, Dairy, Breweries, etc. A sample High
Purity specification (Imperial: TriClove, Metric: MTRIC, Mixed Metric: MMTric).
Lined Pipe: A sample Resistoflex (RSF) specification (Imperial: RSF, Metric: MRSF,
Mixed Metric: MMRSF).
Cable Tray: The Cable Tray module provides a standard set of cable tray components
used in most industries. A sample Cable Tray specification (Imperial: CableT, Metric:
MCableT, and Mixed Metric: MMCableT).
Conduit: The Conduit module provides a set of thin wall tubing components, which
typically contains electrical wires and are used by most industries. A sample Conduit
specification (Imperial:Conduit, Metric: MCond, Mixed Metric: MMCond).
HVAC: The HVAC module provides a set of components for Heating/Ventilating/Air
Conditioning. Typically, this Ductwork is used by all industries where the plant is inside
a building, including Food/Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Dairy, Breweries, etc. A sample
HVAC specification (Imperial: HVAC, Metric: MHVAC, Mixed Metric: MMHVAC).
Tubing: The Tubing module provides a set of components, including small bore tubing
used for instrumentation lines in many industries These components are typically used in
the pharmaceutical industry, and also in mechanical design applications (pump
manufacturers, etc). A sample Tubing specification (Imperial: Swagelok, Metric:
MSwglok, Mixed Metric: MMSwglok).
PIPING’s specification-related features include a default component switch, which enables you to
force the system to utilize the spec record that you have defined as the default for a specific
component size.
>_dU Refer to the Spec Generator’s on-line help system for more information on specification-
related features and functions.
PIPING uses the Microsoft ACCESS (*.MDB) versions of the specs as the default. This is
configured in your network ..\DATABASE\DBCONFIG.INI file and may be modified.
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Components can now be placed with greater ease than ever. You can automatically attach a
component to the run end of the previous component using a “fitting-to-fitting” method, place a
component a known distance from a reference point, align a component to the centerlines of two
existing components, automatically attach a component to the intersection of a polyline, toggle the
insertion point on a component, and change the reference point, elevation, etc. In short, the new
placement tools enable you to quickly place a component anywhere in the model with precision.

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A Bill of Materials module is provided to generate reports for placement on your drawing. You
can customize any of these reports, or create your own. For instance, it is now a simple task to
filter the selection set of components that will be included in a report based on one or more criteria
across one or more drawings. The Bill of Materials module shown below provides a means to
generate a wide range of external reports on the data contained in the current model, or across a
range of models.
The new Report Writer module provides a means to generate a wide range of reports on the data
contained in the current drawing, or across a range of drawings. AutoPLANT makes extensive use
of the Crystal Reports™ run-time engine to process data in the external drawing databases. In
addition to standard Bill of Materials generation, a number of external report options are also
provided. Additionally, you can customize any of these reports or create your own. For instance, it
is now a simple task to filter the selection set of components that will be included in a report based
on one or more criteria across one or more drawings.
The AutoPLANT Report Generator function is also provided to generate fully customizable
external reports, which will not be placed on a drawing sheet. The dialog that appears when you
execute the Report function is shown below.
Tutorial 1-17
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The Piping Tools/Centerline Routers menu provides commands to construct the geometry of a piping
line. Elevation and coordinate parameters are stored on the line and are applied to components
placed on them. You can also associate intelligence, including: size, spec, line number, insulation
thickness, etc. with the line so that these settings are assigned to any component placed on the line.
The Centerline Routing tools are often the easiest method of defining an entire pipe run, or all runs
in a given model.

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AutoPLANT applications take full advantage of the latest AutoCAD ARX technology. An ARX
application is a dynamic link library (DLL). The PIPING application is supported by a series of
ARX applications. Within these ARX applications, Rebis has implemented a BasicScript engine.
The PIPING architecture was designed with your customization needs in mind. In addition to the
standard BasicScript function and command set, Rebis has developed a set of BasicScript API
Extensions to facilitate the creation of component drawing scripts and manipulation functions.
These extensions consist of a set of Basic data types, commands, and functions specifically
designed for the creation of AutoPLANT components. These functions, combined with the
standard BasicScript macro language, provide a full-featured environment for script development
and customization of the PIPING application.
All PIPING components, and most dialogs, are defined in open Basic files for easy modification.
The system architecture enables a user with a solid foundation in the Visual Basic for Applications
programming language to modify almost any aspect of the component placement process, or to
create new components or add new functions to the system.
>_dU The Basic Language Reference and AutoPLANT Program Customization help files may
be launched via the AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help program group in your
Windows Start menu.
Tutorial 1-19
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The model constructed in this tutorial is not intended to be a working piping arrangement. Instead,
the focus is on building a model that demonstrates the major features of the PIPING application.
As the model is constructed, you will learn various techniques that can be used to place and
connect components. The finished tutorial model is shown below.
This tutorial also emphasizes the use of PIPING’s Drawing Production utilities to place annotation,
dimensions, Bill of Materials, and Sections in Paper Space.
PIPING TUTORIAL MODEL

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Chapter 3 of this tutorial introduces the PIPING interface and basic placement procedures. These
exercises are provided to help you get comfortable with the full range of placement options. Walk-
throughs are provided on connecting components, placing components with respect to a reference
point, toggling the insertion point, changing the reference point, aligning components, etc. By the
end of this section, you should be familiar with the placement interface and be able to quickly
place a component anywhere in your model with precision.
>_dU If you want more information on the range of connection and placement options, refer to
the Getting Started section of the on-line help file.
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The bulk of this tutorial focuses on the construction of a simple piping model. Separate chapters
are provided on project-setup, building the model, working with model data, annotating and
dimensioning the model, and producing reports. At the end of the tutorial, you will have
constructed a sample piping model, obtained a good working knowledge of the program, and
learned how to apply these techniques to create your own models.
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Before you can begin this Tutorial, you must install the PIPING program files onto your hard disk
and configure your computer system to run PIPING. These procedures are explained in the
AutoPLANT Installation and Configuration Guide.
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A sample piping model is created in this tutorial. As this model is generated, a drawing database is
created “on the fly,” which contains information about the components in the drawing. In an effort
to consolidate this information, create a directory named TUTOR and periodically save the
drawing in this location. After the tutorial is finished, you can delete the directory and its files.
Tutorial 1-21
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AutoPLANT software is shipped with a set of supplemental applications. These utilities are
provided in the main Rebis menu and toolbar as shown below. The top part of the menu contains
AutoPLANT applications. Options that appear grayed-out in the menu have not been installed.
Rebis Menu Rebis Toolbar
8Y^d Directly launch all of these applications (except Import/Export) from the Windows Start
menu by selecting the start icon from the AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help
group.
A brief description of each of these applications is provided in the following table. A more detailed
explanation of each application is provided in Chapter 8, Supplemental Applications at the end of
this tutorial. Each of these supplemental applications has its own associated context-sensitive help
file, which can be launched from the application. Refer to the application help file for a detailed
explanation of every available feature and function.
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Import/Export Import/Export is intended to facilitate transfer of CAD data between
AutoPLANT and other CAD/CAE software. The transfer is
accomplished using Rebis’ Plant Design (PXF) data format, which can
either be generated or read by AutoPLANT. AutoPLANT also supports
output to a Piping Component Format (PCF) for input to Alias Limited’s
ISOGEN software.
Explorer EXPLORER may be purchased separately. It is an interactive 3D
viewer for models and sets of models that interact with these at a
guaranteed frame rate. It supports multiple formats, as well as its own
native file formats. Navigation and view controls enable the most
complex model to be explored with ease.
Explorer ID EXPLORER ID may be purchased separately. The Explorer
Interference Detection add-on, is designed to help you control clash
tests and leave an audit trail of clashes throughout the life of the
project. It runs within the EXPLORER interface.

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Configuration Editor AutoPLANT is designed to support multiple configurations for
drawing/model defaults and settings. The Configuration Editor is the
tool for modifying these files and creating saved sets of configuration
definitions that can be applied to a particular project or drawing.
Class Editor The Class Editor provides a single source for the manipulation of
AutoPLANT PIPING and ISOMETRICS modules, components, and
their associated configuration files.
Script Editor The Rebis Script Editor provides an intuitive user interface to
create/customize AutoPLANT Basic drawing scripts and functions.
Context-sensitive help is provided to almost every standard Basic and
Rebis Basic API Extension command, function, data type, etc.
Dialog Editor The Rebis Dialog Editor provides an intuitive graphical user interface to
create/customize AutoPLANT-compatible Basic dialogs that may be
used in your Basic scripts and functions. The Basic statements that
construct the dialog instance may be inserted directly into custom
scripts created with the Rebis Script Editor.
Specification The Rebis Specification Generator is provided to enable you to
Generator create/modify the external drawing database specifications.
AutoPLANT provides Imperial, Metric, and Mixed Metric catalogs,
which contain tens of thousands of components from which your
project-specific specifications can be generated.
NOTE: This application can only be launched from the Windows Start
menu.
Tutorial 1-23
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Rebis' trained personnel are available to provide quality support to customers on all current
product lines. To inquire about technical support options, contact Rebis’ corporate headquarters at
(925) 933-2525.
Explore On-line Help for an answer to your question.

Contact your local dealer. Rebis believes that a close customer-dealer relationship is the
best method for receiving personalized, quality technical support.
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Maintenance, Enhancement and Support (MES): Users who have purchased an MES contract
receive priority Technical Support on a toll-free 800 support line. In addition, on-line support
is provided via the internet. As an MES customer, Rebis will do its best to resolve your
problem immediately.
>_dU Please contact your Rebis Inside Sales Representative for more information on MES.
Internet Support: Online Support is a reserved area for active MES subscribers. A few benefits
are described below:
Input and track support incidents related to your organization. You will be automatically
notified via email when the status of your support incident has changed. New incidents
go directly into our Technical Support database, and you can track the incidents remotely
over the web. You can even change the status of your incident live!
View our Solutions Database. Much more than a set of FAQs, this is a comprehensive
database of solutions compiled and maintained by our Tech Support staff.
View Software Bugs. Rebis is confident about our products, and we want to help you
resolve any problems you may be experiencing. Because of this, we expose our Tracker
database to our customers.
You can see the advantages of obtaining an MES contract: Search the knowledge browser for
a list of solutions, see if your problem has been reported already as a bug, add a new incident
and track it... all from the web and without requiring a phone call!
The Rebis Support URL is www.rebis.com/support.
Fax Support: Fax traditional inquiries to (504) 893-5293; 24hrs, 7days/week.

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The following conventions are maintained throughout this tutorial in order to emphasize menu
selections, user-interaction, file names, and other standards.
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>?D5* Precedes information of general importance.
89>D* Precedes optional time-saving information.
G1B>9>7* Precedes information about actions that should not be performed under normal
operating conditions.
FILENAMES Directory paths and file names are italicized.
Example: \AT-EQP directory, AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
3URJUDP &RGH Excerpts from text or basic script files, script variables, and statements appear in the
font shown.
INPUT Commands or information that must be manually entered is bolded in the font shown.
Menu & Menu commands and dialog buttons appear in a sans serif font that stands out from
Buttons normal body text.
Example: After selecting the File menu, press the OK button in the dialog.
N Individual keyboard keys, or key combinations, are graphically represented.

Examples: L, N, J+
Dialogs Dialog and database table names are italicized.

Field_Name Example: The Preferences dialog.
Select Indicates that the command must be executed from a menu or dialog.
Pick Indicates an item (component or point) that may be picked on a drawing.
Throughout this Tutorial, the menu command sequence required to execute a
command will be explicitly defined in the text, while the associated toolbar button is
presented in the left margin.
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Procedures are provided throughout this tutorial. Menu selections and user input are emphasized in
bold while the toolbar equivalent is shown in the margin. Refer to the example below.
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! Select Piping/Bends and Returns/90° LR Elbow.
By following the procedures, a model is constructed. Samples of how the model should look at
different stages of the tutorial are also provided. All screens and toolbar icons shown were saved
while running the application in AutoCAD 2000.
Tutorial 1-25
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This chapter explains how AutoPLANT configurations may be setup/customized.
Configurations may be used to assign a series of drawing settings that apply across
an entire project.
OVERVIEW 2-2
CREATING A CUSTOM CONFIGURATION 2-4
MODIFYING A CUSTOM CONFIGURATION 2-6
MODIFYING COMPONENTS 2-11
CHAPTER REVIEW 2-12

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This chapter provides an overview of the system AutoPLANT uses to control drawing settings on a
project-wide basis. It is provided as an overview only and is NOT required for completion of this
Tutorial. The remaining Tutorial chapters use one of the sample configurations provided in the
shipping version of the software.
AutoPLANT is designed to support multiple configurations for drawing/model defaults and

settings. This design enables you to define the units, specs, drawing database format, borders,
drawing templates, module and component options, etc. in a specific configuration.
When you create a new PIPING drawing, the following dialog displays to enable you to select the
desired configuration.
The Configuration drop-down lists all of your configurations, including the three sample
configurations (Imperial, Metric, and Mixed Metric) provided with your software.
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To support this implementation, a number of configuration files were required to serve as
placeholders for the definition of the configuration defaults and settings. The AutoPLANT
Configuration Editor application was designed to remove the tedious effort that would have been
required to manually edit these configuration files. It provides a highly intuitive graphical user
interface with tabbed dialogs to create/modify project configurations.
The shipping version of AutoPLANT software provides three base configurations: Imperial,
Metric, and Mixed Metric. Each of these configurations defines the drawing settings for the
environment indicated by the configuration name, and should not be modified. These
configurations may be used as templates for defining new configurations based on imperial, metric,
and mixed metric units.

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The Class Editor (CE) works hand-in-hand with the Configuration Editor application. The intent of
the system design is for you to use the Configuration Editor application to create new
configurations using the provided configurations as templates, then to use the Class Editor to
create/modify the module and component scripts and methods in your custom configuration. All
modified component files are stored in your custom configuration directory; thereby, maintaining
the integrity of the shipping version of these files.
When you create a new drawing, and then select a custom configuration, the system will search the
custom configuration directory path for custom versions of all files first. For example, if you use
the Configuration Editor to create a configuration named MYCONFIG, then used CE to modify
the drawing script for a gate valve in your MYCONFIG configuration. CE will save the modified
gate valve script within your MYCONFIG configuration directory structure. When you create a
new drawing and select the MYCONFIG configuration, then attempt to place this gate valve, the
system will search for the gate valve drawing script in your MYCONFIG directory path first,
thereby using your custom script to place the gate valve. If the system does not find a custom file
for any component placement option, it will use the file located in the path of the configuration
(Imperial, Metric, or MMetric) that you selected as a template when you created your custom
configuration.
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When you install PIPING, if you accept the default (REBIS) installation directory, a
REBIS\CONFIG subdirectory will be created. The provided Imperial, Metric, and Mixed Metric
(Mmetric) configuration directories will also be created on your system, and the required
configuration files will be installed in these configuration directories. For example, the
REBIS\CONFIG\IMPERIAL directory will be created and will contain all of the sample Imperial
configuration files.
As mentioned previously, the system is designed to enable you to create a custom configuration
using the provided configuration for the units desired. For example, if you want to create a custom
Imperial configuration, you will use the provided Imperial configuration as a template. The
provided configurations should NEVER be directly modified. If you modify these configurations
directly, future upgrades to your AutoPLANT software will overwrite any changes made. This is
why the Configuration Editor and Class Editor will not let you modify any of the settings in the
provided configurations.
Tutorial 2-3
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This section will walk you through the procedure to create a custom imperial configuration using
the default Imperial configuration as a template.
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! Select AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Configuration Editor from your Windows
Start menu (this application may also be launched within AutoCAD).
" Select File/New Configuration. The first time you attempt this command, the following dialog
displays to indicate that the system cannot find the root custom directory. In general, the
system is designed for you to create you custom configurations under a primary custom
directory. Press Yes to specify the root custom directory.
# If you are working in a network environment and want your custom configurations available to
other users, you should specify a network path for this directory. Enter the desired root custom
directory path in the dialog below, then press OK.
The New Configuration dialog displays as shown below.

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$ As mentioned in the overview, an existing configuration must be used as a Template. In this

example, you will create a custom imperial configuration. Select Imperial from the
Configuration drop-down list in the Select Template to Copy area of the dialog.
% The name of your custom configuration must be unique. The name entered will display as the
default directory name in the Directory field of this dialog. Enter MYIMPERIAL in the Name
field.
& Enter a brief description in the Description field. This description will appear as a
configuration option in the drawing Setup dialog when a new drawing is created. Enter
Custom Imperial.
' The default configuration directory shown in the Directory field uses the name specified in the
Name field. This is the path to the new configuration’s configuration file. Every configuration
must have a unique directory where its configuration file, CONFIG.INI, is stored. You can
either enter the full path to the new configuration directory in the field provided, or press the
browse button to select the path. If the new configuration directory has not been created
manually, you can browse to select its root, then manually enter the new directory name to the
end of the root path. The new configuration directory will be created if it does not exist.
Accept the default for this exercise.
( The directory you specify in the Custom scripts and definitions directory field indicates the
path where methods or functions that you modify for this configuration will be stored. For
example, if you want to modify the manner in which the valve drawing script draws a specific
valve type, then you would use the Class Editor to modify the valve script, which would copy
the modified file into the appropriate directory in your configuration structure. When you start
a new drawing and select the custom configuration and place the modified valve, the system
will search the selected custom configuration directory structure first for the valve drawing
script and draw the valve using this script. In addition, when you use the Class Editor
application to add/modify module and component class information, you should select your
custom configuration to make the changes to its class files. Accept the default.
) Your custom configuration definition should appear as shown below.
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! Press Add when you are finished to create the new configuration record. A new configuration
becomes the active configuration in the Configuration Editor when it is created. This
configuration will have the same configuration settings as the template until modified.
!! When the configuration has been created, the following dialog displays to remind you where
the methods or functions that you modify for this configuration will be stored. Press OK.
!" The active configuration name, MYIMPERIAL, now displays in the bottom-left corner of the
status bar.
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The following exercises are intended to teach you how to modify a custom configuration.
Configuration variables are organized into several groups. Each major application (PIPING, ISO,
and EQUIP), has a set of configuration variables that may be assigned and are used only by those
applications. There is also a set of modeling configuration variables, which only apply to PIPING
and EQUIPMENT models. Finally, there is a set of common system configuration variables, which
may be assigned and are used by all applications. This section will explain how to customize each
of these configuration variable types using the AutoPLANT Configuration Editor.
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The Configuration Editor's Edit/System Configuration Group command displays a tabbed dialog to
modify configuration settings that will apply to PIPING, ISOMETRICS, and/or EQUIPMENT
drawings. The System tab contains options for units and other required system paths. The
Component tab contains options to define the default component preferences displayed in the
PIPING and ISOMETRICS Drawing Preferences dialogs. The Isogen tab contains options to
assign the default units that will be applied when you create the PCF export file from a PIPING
model using the Export to PCF function.
The following exercise explains how to access and modify some of the default settings that will
display in the PIPING and ISOMETRICS application's Drawing Preferences dialog.

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! Select Edit/System Configuration Group to display the dialog shown below.
The System tab contains options for units and other required system paths. For example, if you
created your own custom specs for this custom configuration and stored them in a location
other than the default shown, you could modify the Root Spec Directory to point to the path
where your custom specs reside. When you create a new drawing, only the specs that reside in
the directory specifies will appear available for selection in the Drawing Preferences dialog.
You can click on the Help button for a complete description of all of these variables.
" Click on the Component tab to display the dialog as shown below.
If you are an experienced AutoPLANT user, these fields should be familiar. These fields are
common in the PIPING and ISOMETRICS Drawing Preferences dialogs. The values assigned
Tutorial 2-7
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to these variables will display as the defaults in these dialogs when you create a new drawing
and select this custom configuration.
# You can also set the default values for other fields such as: Area, Paint Code, Service, etc. If
you know that these values will be used for a particular project, assigning defaults here would
reduce the set up required for each drawing created for that project.
$ You can save changes by pressing Save. Press Close at this time to exit without saving
changes.
>_dU The Restore button will automatically reset all variable assignments to their last saved
value. Once you have saved a configuration change, it will have to be updated manually.
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The Edit/Modelling Configuration Group command displays a tabbed dialog to specify configuration
defaults that apply to PIPING and/or EQUIPMENT models. The Setup tab enables you to set
defaults for the Model Setup dialog options that displays when a new PIPING or EQUIPMENT
drawing is started. The CAD Setup tab contains options to set defaults for AutoCAD environment
variables used in a PIPING and EQUIPMENT drawing session.
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! Select Edit/Modelling Configuration Group to display the dialog shown below.

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" The Setup tab variables primarily assign the defaults for the Model Setup dialog shown below,
which displays when you create a new PIPING/EQUIPMENT drawing.
# For example, the state of the North Arrow Flag check box on the Setup tab determines the state
of the Insert North Arrow check box on the dialog above. If you enable the Insert North Arrow
check box when you create a drawing, then AutoPLANT will insert the north arrow symbol
that you assigned to the configuration's North Arrow setting on the Setup tab. It will locate this
symbol from the path assigned in the configuration's Directory for Arrows field on the Setup
tab. You can modify the north arrow symbol by editing the north arrow drawing, or saving a
new one in the directory assigned to the configuration's Directory for Arrows.
$ The Modelling Configuration dialog’s CAD Setup tab contains keys to assign defaults for
AutoCAD environment variables that will apply during a PIPING or EQUIPMENT drawing
session. Press the Help button, then click on the CAD Setup tab for a detailed explanation of
each of these settings.
% You can save changes by pressing Save. Press Close at this time to exit without saving
changes.
Tutorial 2-9
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The Edit/Piping Configuration Group command displays a tabbed dialog to set configuration
defaults that apply to your PIPING models ONLY. The Paths tab contains keys to define the
default paths to symbol drawings used by the PIPING application, as well as the path and template
drawing file name used to create a new PIPING drawing. The Preferences tab contains keys that
define the default settings for PIPING drawing options displayed in the Drawing Preferences
dialog the first time it is opened.
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! Select Edit/Piping Configuration Group to display the dialog shown below.
The Preferences tab contains keys that define the default settings for PIPING drawing options
displayed in the Drawing Preferences dialog the first time it is opened.
" If you want to save the CADLink and Port Data to the external drawing database you can
enable these check boxes on the Preferences tab. Assigning these defaults at the start of a
project will reduce the amount of time spent setting up for each of your new project drawings.
# There are several variables that may be set to control the manner in which AutoPLANT
PIPING components are copied. The Copy tab on the Piping Configuration dialog contains
keys that assign the defaults that display in PIPING's Setup/Component Copy Preferences dialog.
This option enables you to establish rules that define how copied components are updated.
When using AutoCAD’s COPY command, key fields, such as Line Number, may need to be
updated depending on where the component is copied and the intended use at the new
location. The Component Copy Preferences dialog controls whether updates are performed
manually or automatically, and enables you to select component data fields and specify how
they are updated. Press the Help button on this dialog, then select the desired tab from the help
window to display a detailed explanation of each of these variables.

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$ You can save changes by pressing Save. Press Close at this time to exit without saving
changes.
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When you are finished editing the settings for your configuration, select File/Save Configuration,
then select File/Exit to close the Configuration Editor application.
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As mentioned in the overview at the start of this chapter, the AutoPLANT Class Editor application
is provided with your PIPING application to enable you to customize AutoPLANT component
scripts and methods. Any file changes or additions made to your AutoPLANT components during
a Class Editor session will be saved in the custom configuration directory structure, thereby
maintaining the integrity of the shipping version of these files.
This process is beyond the scope of this tutorial. Detailed instructions on Class Editor are provided
in the on-line help for that application. An introduction to the Class Editor is provided in Chapter
9, Supplemental Applications of this tutorial.
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In summary, the system is pretty basic. You shouldn't modify the shipping version of any
AutoPLANT files directly. You must use the Configuration Editor to create a custom configuration
using one of the configurations in the shipping version of the software as a template. This step will
create a custom directory structure and copy the required files. You can then use Configuration
Editor to modify application specific settings, or the Class Editor to modify the modules and
component scripts or methods. When you save your work in CE, it will create custom versions of
all files affected by your changes in your custom configuration directories. When you create a new
drawing and select your custom configuration, the custom versions of all modified files will be
used.
This overview was intended to provide a general overview of the functionality of the Configuration
Editor and Class Editor applications. Refer to the on-line help for each of these applications for
more specific information.
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Chapter 3 explains how to start the PIPING application, select a configuration that defines the
default drawing settings, and then provides a tour of the interface. The Drawing Preferences
dialog, which is the central location for the modification of drawing and component preferences, is
also introduced.

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This chapter explains how to start the PIPING application, select a configuration that
defines the default drawing settings, and then provides a tour of the interface. The
Drawing Preferences dialog, which is the central location for the modification of
drawing and component preferences, is also introduced.
OVERVIEW 3-2
STARTING PIPING 3-2
A TOUR OF THE INTERFACE 3-4
DRAWING PREFERENCES 3-6
CHAPTER REVIEW 3-12

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This chapter explains how to start AutoPLANT and load the PIPING application. It also provides
a tour of the interface, and examines the Drawing Preferences dialog.
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This section explains how to start the AutoPLANT Plant Design system and load the PIPING
application.
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! Install and authorize the security as instructed in Chapter 1 of this Tutorial.

" From the Windows Start menu, select Programs/AutoPLANT 3D/Plant Design (Acad 2000) to
start AutoCAD and load the AutoPLANT Plant Design environment as shown below.
# The Rebis menu and toolbar have been added, which provide access to an integrated set of
AutoPLANT plant design applications and utilities. Press the Piping button to launch the
application. You can also start PIPING from the menu by selecting Rebis/Piping.

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settings. A configuration defines the units, specs, drawing database format, borders, drawing
templates, module, and component options that you want to apply to a set of drawings in a project.
When you start a new AutoPLANT drawing, the Model Setup dialog displays as shown below.
This dialog provides options to select a configuration, which defines the default units and settings
that will apply to the drawing. Once a configuration is selected, then the drawing is saved, you will
not be able to change the configuration for that drawing.
A number of configuration files were required to serve as placeholders for the definition of the
configuration defaults and settings. The AutoPLANT Configuration Editor was designed to simplify the
tedious effort that would have been required to manually edit these configuration files to create and
customize project configurations. It provides a highly intuitive graphical user interface with tabbed
dialogs to enable you to create/modify project configurations. This application may be launched
from the Rebis menu or toolbar, or the Windows Start menu. An introduction to the Configuration
Editor was provided in Chapter 2, Project Setup.
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! The Configuration drop-down list box enables you to select the desired configuration. The
shipping version of the AutoPLANT software provides three base configurations: Imperial,
Metric, and Mixed Metric. Each of these configurations defines the default drawing settings for
the environment indicated by the configuration name. Select Imperial {Metric}.
" Check to ensure that the North direction is set to 90 (degrees), and that the World Length is 100’
{30000} and the World Width is 60’ {18000} as shown.
# Enable the Insert North Arrow and Draw Limits Box options. The first option will insert a north
arrow symbol in the drawing, while the second causes a box to be drawn around the defined
world limits. Press Done to close the dialog and accept the remaining values.
$ A box is drawn to indicate the world limits, and the prompt
Select the location for the north arrow symbol:
Tutorial 3-3
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displays. Pick a point in the upper right corner of the drawing to place the north arrow.
% The Piping menu is added to the AutoCAD pull-down menu, and the application toolbars
display. The menu and toolbars provide access to all PIPING commands and functions.
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Take some time to familiarize yourself with the main features of the PIPING interface. After initial
startup, you will want to load at least four of the PIPING toolbars. These provide the fastest access
to component placement and application commands. The toolbars can be “docked” along the
perimeter of the drawing area as shown in the following figure, or left “floating.”
! Select Piping/Toolbars/Piping Components Main.

" Select Piping/Toolbars/Piping Functions Main.
# Select Piping/Toolbars/Direction Aids.
$ Select Piping/Toolbars/Responses.
% Position the toolbars as desired. They will display in the designated positions the next time
you start PIPING.
Experiment with the placement of these toolbars, as you will be accessing them frequently during
the tutorial drawing sessions. In the example above, the Piping Component and Function toolbars

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were docked to the left of the drawing area, while the Direction Aids and Responses toolbars were
docked along the bottom of the drawing area.
The size of the toolbar icons may also be customized. Toggle the display of large or small buttons
according to your preference and monitor size by right-clicking on any button in a toolbar, then
selecting Customize from the pop-up menu. When AutoCAD’s Toolbars dialog appears,
enable/disable the Large buttons option as desired, then press Close.
8Y^d PIPING stores each user’s preferences separately in their local ACAD.INI file. If you are
running on a network, you do not need to worry about establishing display preferences
that would interfere with other user settings.
Several toolbar selections contain “fly-outs,” which are denoted by the small black triangle in the
lower right-hand corner of the toolbar button. Fly-outs are the equivalent of cascading menus;
however, they provide the additional benefit of displaying the most recent selection as the default.
This technique enables the program to automatically display the most recent selection made from a
toolbar.
>_dU If a button has a triangle in the bottom right corner, it means that it contains “flyouts.”
Once an item is selected from a flyout, it becomes the default button at that location in
the toolbar for the remainder of the drawing session.
8Y^d To view the name of the command that will be executed by any toolbar button, simply
position the cursor over an item and pause. A “tool tip” will display describing that item.
If you find yourself frequently accessing the commands in one of the flyouts, you may want to
open that toolbar individually. Select Piping/Toolbars, then select the desired toolbar from the
menu.
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Now that you are familiar with the working environment, the Drawing Preferences dialog will be
examined. This dialog contains settings that define drawing parameters such as the component
size, the specification used to draw components, the drawing mode, line number, etc. It is
important to establish drawing settings prior to beginning work on a new model.
Select Piping/Setup/Drawing Preferences… to display the dialog shown below.
Drawing preferences control various settings that apply to components when they are placed in the
model. For example, the Nominal Size field defines the nominal main piping size of the next
component placed in the drawing, while the Line Number field enables you to define the line
number value that will be written to the component’s external drawing database record when it is
placed. This can be important in generating reports and automatic isometrics.
>_dU The defaults displayed in these fields are assigned to the Imperial {Metric} configuration
that you selected when you created this drawing. Chapter 2, Project Setup, covers the
procedure for modifying these defaults.

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The Drawing Mode area of the dialog has been re-organized for this release into Drawing Mode
and Representation areas to support the implementation of the new flat 2D PIPING application.
Refer to the 2D Piping Overview in the on-line help for more information on this new application.
2D PIPING is provided free of charge if you purchase the full 3D PIPING application. Users
authorized for 2D only, will have their 3D Drawing Mode and associated Representations
disabled. Users authorized for 3D will have all draw modes and options available.
The following describes the Drawing Mode/Representations now available in terms of the
selections from the Drawing Mode and Representation areas of the dialog (e.g., 3D-Double Line will
be used to denote selecting the 3D Drawing Mode and Double Line Representation).
3D-Double Line: this is identical to the previous full 3D Drawing Mode configuration. It
enables drawing of 3D components in 3D space using Rebis custom component objects.
3D-Single Line: this configuration enables drawing of Single Line component representations
in 3D space using AutoCAD entities. In general, only Pipe Components, Bends and Returns,
and Branching components are actually drawn as single line AutoCAD entities, with a few
exceptions. All other components are drawn in standard 3D-Double Line mode.
2D-Double Line: this configuration enables drawing of "flat" (i.e., nothing will be drawn in the
vertical plane) Double Line representations of components using AutoCAD entities.
2D-Single Line: this configuration enables drawing of "flat" (i.e., nothing in the vertical) Single
Line representations of components using AutoCAD entities.
As noted above, the 2D - Double Line mode will automatically generate and draw flat 2D. This is a
radical change from the previous method. Previously, the Double Line mode in the 3D system used
a complex set of draw methods to determine which view the component was being placed in and
then determined how this component should be drawn. This method will be replaced by
automatically converting, during placement, the 3D component into 2D native AutoCAD objects,
which have been generated via the new Hidden Line Removal (HLR) interface.
1 449D9?>1< ?@D9?>C*
Surface Resolution: When you enable the 3D Drawing Mode radio button, a Surface
Resolution setting will be activated. This value assigns AutoCAD’s 685)7$% and
685)7$% environment variables that control the mesh display of component graphics. A
number between 2 and 32766 is required, while a setting of 12 or 16 is recommended.
Changing this value does not change the Surface Resolution setting assigned to previously
inserted components. You toggle the display the inherent mesh representation of 3D
components with the Piping Tools/3D Display Modes/Mesh command.
2D HL Options: When you enable the 2D Drawing Mode radio button, the Surface Resolution
option will be replaced by a 2D HL Options button. Pressing this button displays the HLR
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Options dialog shown below, which enables you to define how hidden line removal is handled
for the 2D-Double Line representations. Hidden line removal is handled on a per component
basis with respect to the settings defined in this dialog.
The Output Hidden Geometry check box determines if hidden line output should be displayed for
each component. Enabling this check box will activate the Output Properties grid in this dialog.
The grid options define the manner in which hidden line output is displayed as described below:
Visibility If the "Light bulb" is ON (yellow), then visibility is turned ON and hidden lines will be visible.
Color Assigns the color of the visible hidden lines.
Linetype Selects the line type to be used for the hidden line. Only loaded line types can be used from this
selection and there will be no interface to load line types. The standard CAD interface should be
used for this purpose.
Lineweight Determines the weight of the visible hidden lines. When you click within this grid field, a Browse
button will appear. Press this button to display a dialog to assign the desired settings. Select the
desired Units, then pick the desired line weight that will be used for your 2D representations.
A brief description of the remaining fields in this dialog is provided below. Review the
descriptions below, then set the starting values as shown in the previous figure and press OK.
695<4 45C3B9@D9?>
Specification Displays the root specification directory path. Sub-directories that reside below this directory will
Path appear as options in the Specification: selection list covered below. This path is defined in the
configuration selected when you started this drawing.
Specification Lists the specification directories that reside below the Specification Path shown. Select a spec
directory from this list to make it active. New specifications can be created (or existing ones
edited) using the Rebis Specification Generator.
Nominal Size Lists the available main nominal pipe sizes from the selected specification. The selected size is
applied to all subsequent components placed in the model, provided the size is available for that
component in the specification.
Line Number Line numbers can be assigned using any alphanumeric combination of characters. All
subsequent components placed in the drawing will be assigned a Line Number from this field.
However, if the “Data Mode” is set to “From Connecting Component,” the Line Number value will
be determined by the connecting component.
Line Number information is used in reporting, annotation, generating isometrics, and other
functions of the program.

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Other Database Settings are provided to enable you to specify the value that will be written in the external drawing
Fields database for Insulation Thickness, Insulation Spec, Paint Code, Area, Unit No., and Service.
These values will be stored in the external drawing database for components when they are
placed. To graphically control the display of pipe insulation, enable/disable the Show Insulation
check box in this dialog.
Drawing Mode/ Refer to the explanation prior to this table.
Representation
Component These settings determine the set of rules that define component color and layer attributes.
Color/Layer Components of the same Size, Layer, Spec, Line No., or Paint value can be colored the same in
order to visually distinguish them when viewing the model. Likewise, components can be
arranged on the same layer according to their specification or Line Number.
Data Mode Determines how settings are applied when routing components. “From Connecting Component,”
extracts the component preferences (size, spec, line number, and insulation thickness) from the
existing component and applies them to the connecting component that is being placed. This
option overrides the Drawing Preferences dialog settings to provide an easy method of
maintaining consistency. “From Settings,” will enforce the settings assigned in the Drawing
Preferences dialog despite the preferences associated with a connecting component.
Auto Router Enable this switch to automatically connect a selected component to the run end of the previous
Mode component. This is the fastest method of placing a series of connected components in a
continuous pipeline. If the selected component contains a branch or a bend, you will still be
prompted to specify the orientation.
Show Insulation This check box controls the graphical display of insulation on pipe components in the drawing
when they are placed.
Debug Mode This switch should ONLY be enabled if you are customizing/creating component placement
scripts or related functions. When enabled, this switch places BasicScript execution in debug
mode. When a Basic Script function is executed, it will display in the Rebis Script Editor in Debug
Mode to enable you to step through each step of the function as it is executed. This is primarily
used to locate/test for errors in customized Basic scripts.
Default Spec When a component is selected for placement, PIPING searches the selected specification for the
Choice component record based on the component preferences set in the Drawing Preferences dialog
and the type of component selected. If more than one match is found, the Specification Selection
dialog displays to enable you to select the desired component from the matching records. For
example, the component records may have the same size and type, but may have different
facings, end conditions, schedules, ratings, etc.
When the Default Spec Choice switch is enabled, PIPING will place components marked as
defaults in the specification automatically, without displaying the Rebis Specification Selection
dialog. A component may be marked as the default selection by placing a 1 in the Option Code
field of the specification record using the Spec Generator application.
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Weld Gaps Welded joints determine the fastener used to connect welded components based on this setting.
If the check box is enabled, a weld gap will be inserted using the fastener basic script
at_weldedjoint_fasteners to insert AT_WELDGAP. If this check box is disabled, then a weld gap
will not be inserted, but a buttweld fastener will be inserted using this script to insert
AT_BUTTWELD.
Save CAD Links This option defines whether or not the CADLINK table is added to the external drawing database
to store component handle information externally as well as in the drawing. If you are using MS
Access, an extra table will be added to the drawing database. If you are not using MS Access, an
additional database table will be created when the drawing is saved. The new table will have the
name of the drawing, followed by an extension specified in the DBCONFIG.INI file.
Save Port Data This option defines whether or not the PORT, JOINT, and FASTENER tables are added to the
drawing database to store component port, joint, and fastener connection information externally
as well as in the drawing. If you are using MS Access, extra tables will be added to the drawing
database. If you are not using MS Access, additional database tables will be created when the
drawing is saved. The new tables will have the name of the drawing, followed by an extension
specified in the DBCONFIG.INI file.
Once these options are set, all subsequent components will be drawn in that mode until it is
changed. You can also generate existing component representations using the new settings.

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An abbreviated form of the Drawing Preferences dialog that contains the most commonly
modified settings is available via the Piping/Setup/Component Preferences… command.
This dialog may be left open on the desktop at all times. To change the Spec, Size, Line Number,
or Data Mode, simply edit the associated field. This technique prevents you from having to
repeatedly open and close the Drawing Preferences dialog to make changes to these component
preferences.
Tutorial 3-11
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Starting PIPING: PIPING is started by from the Windows Start menu by selecting
Programs/AutoPLANT 3D/Start AutoPLANT Plant Design icon, then pressing the Piping button
from the Rebis toolbar.
Model Setup: When you start a new drawing, the Model Setup dialog displays to enable you to
select the configuration that you want to apply to the drawing. This configuration defines the
default units and other drawing settings for the model. The shipping version of the
AutoPLANT software provides three base configurations: Imperial, Metric, and Mixed
Metric. Each of these configurations define the drawing settings for the environment indicated
by the configuration name.
Configuration Editor: The AutoPLANT Configuration Editor may be used to create/modify

project configurations. It provides a highly intuitive graphical user interface with tabbed
dialogs and a toolbar. An introduction to this application was provided in Chapter 2, Project
Setup.
Interface: The PIPING interface has been designed to provide easy access to components and
commands. The use of toolbars, in particular, aids in component selection by providing quick
access and always displaying the most recent selection made from a component group. The
toolbars can be resized and positioned along the perimeter of the drawing area.
Drawing Settings: The Drawing Preferences dialog enables you to customize parameters used in
a drawing session. Through a single dialog, the specification, drawing mode/representation,
main size, connectivity check, and other options can be controlled.
Component Preferences: The Setup/Component Preferences… command displays a dialog that

you can leave on your desktop at all times to modify the Size, Spec, Line Number, and Data
Mode settings.
G81DµC >5HD
Chapter 4 provides an introduction to component placement commands and techniques. The entire
range of placement and connection options is discussed, and several examples are provided. A
brief discussion of drawing modes is also provided.

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This chapter focuses on component placement concepts and techniques. Particular
attention is given to the prompts that appear during placement, and how to combine
options and placement techniques to produce a variety of results. A discussion is
also provided on component placement from the menus and toolbars.
OVERVIEW 4-2
BASIC PLACEMENT PROCEDURE 4-2
COMPONENT SELECTION 4-3
BASIC PLACEMENT EXERCISES 4-5
DISPLAY MODE 4-24
COMPLETING THE EXERCISES 4-24
CHAPTER REVIEW 4-24

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?F5BF95G
This chapter provides an introduction to component placement. It begins by reviewing the basic
placement procedure, then moves on to exercises that focus on the more sophisticated placement
concepts and techniques. Component placement from plan and perspective views will also be
covered in these exercises.
21C93 @<135=5>D @B?354EB5

The basic component placement procedure involves four generic steps. Specific options are
provided at each stage, depending on the component type and how it is to be placed in the model.
! Select the component: Components may be selected for placement from the toolbars or the
menu system.
" Specify a reference and placement point: Components are always placed with respect to a
reference point. In most cases, the reference point and the placement point are one and the
same because the default reference point is always the end point of the component previously
placed in the model. You can attach a component directly to this reference point, place it a
known distance from this point, or select one of the following options:
“In space”: not connected to another component, centerline, or piece of equipment. In
this case, the user picks (or inputs) a new point in the model, which becomes the
reference point. You can also specify an elevation prior to picking the point.
Inserted on an intelligent centerline: The component run direction and orientation will be
extracted from the geometry of the centerline. The component will also assume the size,
spec, and line number attributes from the line, if they were defined.
Aligned with existing components: A component can be placed so that its centerline
automatically aligns with the centerlines of two existing components.
Attached to previous Placed “in space” Inserted on a centerline Tee aligned with two
component existing elbows

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# Toggle insertion point: If you specify the reference point on an existing component, you can
toggle to any of the connecting component’s ports to specify the port that you want to connect
to on the existing component. For example, a tee may be inserted with respect to either of its
main run end ports, center point, or branch port as shown below (some components, such as
pipe, do not have a center point or a branch end and do not provide this prompt option).
Endpoint Centerpoint Branch
$ Orient the component: Many components have a branch or bend that must be oriented
separately (for example, when placing an elbow, the downstream leg can be placed in the X,
Y, or Z plane, or rolled along a specified angle). This prompt will only appear for component
placements that require it.
Some examples of how a Tee may be oriented
Each of these four generic steps is illustrated in the exercises provided in the following sections.
These exercises illustrate how to combine the placement options to produce a variety of results.
After a little practice, you will find that these options enable you to position and place components
with ease and precision.
3?=@?>5>D C5<53D9?>
PIPING components can be selected from either the Piping menu or the Piping Components Main
toolbar.
>_dU The components shown in this section are part of the default carbon steel module
shipped with PIPING. Several other component modules are also provided with your
software, and can be loaded with the Setup/Module Setup… command. Each module
provides its own component placement menu and toolbar.
Tutorial 4-3
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@Y`Y^W =Uê
The Piping menu, shown below, provides access to the complete range of components. Note that
component types are grouped together in this menu, and that the menus “cascade.”
Piping components are grouped

together in cascading menus.
=QY^ @Y`Y^W D__\RQb

The Piping Components Main toolbar is shown below. Like the menu system, the toolbar provides
access to the complete range of components, and groups components into similar types. The
toolbar also has the added advantage of displaying the last selection made from one of its “flyout”
toolbars. This technique enables you to quickly access the most recent component selections.
Pipe Branching Miscellaneous Miscellaneous

Components Components Flanges Fittings Attachments
Bends and Valves Reducers Supports

Returns and Swages
8Y^d Because the Piping Components Main toolbar is used so frequently, experiment with its
positioning. It can be docked at the top of the screen just below the AutoCAD toolbars, at
the bottom of the screen above the command line, or at the left or right edge of the
drawing area.

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4YbUSdY_^ 1YTc
The Direction Aids toolbar shown below may be used to specify the orientation of a component in
response to the component placement prompts. These tools are particularly useful when placing
components that run towards or away from the viewer in the current plane, or when working in a
skewed view.
21C93 @<135=5>D 5H5B39C5C

This section provides some working exercises that demonstrate the range of component placement
commands. Exercises include the following:
Placement in space
Connecting components
Placing from a reference point
Placing components in a skewed view
Aligning components
Attaching to a centerline
Automatic pipe placement
75DD9>7 CD1BD54
The procedure to start PIPING was provided in the previous chapter. If you do not already have
the PIPING application loaded, follow the generic procedure outlined below.
D? ?@5> D85 @9@9>7 1@@<931D9?>
! Select Programs/AutoPLANT 3D/Start AutoPLANT Plant Design from the Windows Start menu.
" Select Rebis/Piping to start the PIPING application.
# When the Model Setup dialog displays, select the Imperial {Metric} configuration, then press
Done to accept the remaining defaults. After the dialog closes, pick a point in the upper right
corner of the drawing area to place the north arrow.
>_dU If using the metric configuration, set the World Length to 10000mm and the World Width
to 7500mm.
$ Open the Piping Components Main, Piping Functions Main, Direction Aids, and Responses
toolbars from the Piping/Toolbar menu.
Tutorial 4-5
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% Open the Drawing Preferences dialog and set the Nominal Size to 6” {150mm}.
& You are now ready to begin the exercises.
C5DD9>7 D85 @B?=@D =?45

During a modeling session, the placement options display in the command line just below the
drawing area. AutoPLANT utilizes two different prompt modes: standard and expanded. The
expanded prompt mode will automatically prompt you for the direction of components. The
standard prompt mode is abbreviated, and assumes you will be specifying directions using the
Direction Aids toolbar. This tutorial uses the standard prompt mode throughout. To ensure it is set
properly, type the following at the command line, then press N.
DWBSLSLQJV\VWHPBVHWRULHQWDWLRQPRGH
@<135=5>D 9> C@135

In this exercise, you will learn how to place a standard piece of pipe in space.
D? @<135 1 @9535 ?6 @9@5
! Select Piping Tools/Display Modes/Set Wireframe w/Centerline to change the component display
mode.
" Select Piping/Pipe Components/Pipe. The prompt
Elevation/<Pick point>:
displays. Type E and press N to display the Set Elevation dialog shown below.
Type 6’ {1800mm} and press OK to set the AutoPLANT elevation to 6-feet (1800mm).
# The prompt
displays. Pick any point near the left edge of the drawing area.
$ The prompt:
Connect to/<Enter Length>:

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displays. Note that a ghost line “rubber bands” from the initial point. You can either pick the
distance from the original point, or input a length at the command line. Type 10’ {3000} then
press N to specify a ten-foot {3000mm}length of pipe.
8Y^d By default, the Imperial Configuration uses architectural units. You can change the unit
type and precision with AutoCAD’s DDUNITS command.
% The prompt
Enter direction:
displays. This last step orients the component. For example, if a point is selected to the right
i
of the insertion point (with ORTHO ON ), the pipe will extend in the +X direction from the
base point. You can also use the Direction Aids toolbar to specify this information. For
example, press the +X button on the Direction Aids toolbar, then press N to place the pipe as
shown below.
Direction
Distance
1 Placement Point
>_dU The direction vector is necessary because the pipe is being placed “in space.” When
connecting to an existing component, the direction vector is determined automatically.
& Use AutoCAD’s zoom controls to view the entire length of the pipe segment. Leave some
extra space to place additional components.
@<139>7 1> 5<2?G 9> C@135

" The prompt
Current Elevation <COP 6’>:
Relative/Toggle/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit)>:
displays. Notice that PIPING assumes you want to attach the elbow to the end of the pipe.
Override this default by picking a new point in space (i.e., a point NOT on or near the existing
pipe).
# An outline of the elbow is placed in the drawing as shown in the Figure below, and the prompt
Tutorial 4-7
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21C93 @<135=5>D 5H5B39C5C
Toggle insertion point/<Return to select>:

displays. Note that by default, the center point of the elbow is selected as the insertion point.
Insertion point symbol
8Y^d By default, whenever you place a bend or branching component “in space,” PIPING
assumes that you want to insert it from its center point.
$ To toggle a component’s insertion point, press the Toggle icon on the Responses toolbar, or
type T and press N at the command line. The Figure below illustrates how the insertion point
will toggle for an elbow and a tee.
ELBOW TEE
= Insertion point
Continue to Toggle the reference point until the elbow port shown below is selected, then
press N, or click the right mouse button, to accept this point.
Press the button until the

insertion icon appears as
shown.
8Y^d Pressing the right mouse button is the equivalent of pressing N. This technique is
standard to all AutoCAD operations that request the user to press N at the command
line.

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21C93 @<135=5>D 5H5B39C5C
% The prompt
Enter direction
displays, and a “ghost line” extends from the point specified in Step 4. Specify the run
direction of the elbow by selecting a point any distance to the left of the anchor point (with
i
ORTHO ON ), or press the --X icon on the Direction Aids toolbar.
& The prompt
Enter orientation
displays. The Direction Aids toolbar is particularly useful for specifying an orientation that is
difficult to pick in the current viewing plane (for example, specifying that an elbow should be
oriented vertically while working in the plan view). The following Figure illustrates a few
elbow orientations that may be obtained using the Direction Aids toolbar options.
+Y -Y +Z -Z
To specify the orientation of the elbow leg, pick a point any distance below the last point
picked, or press the -Y icon on the Direction Aids toolbar. The elbow is drawn as shown
below.
Direction
2
Orientation
3 1
Placement Point
' Erase the elbow to demonstrate how components are removed from a model. Type E then
press N to execute AutoCAD’s Erase command. When the
Select objects:
prompt appears, pick the outline of the elbow, then press N. The elbow is removed from the
drawing.
>_dU Later in this tutorial, you will learn how to “clean” the external drawing database to ensure
that the records in the database are synchronized with the model.
Tutorial 4-9
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3?>>53D9>7 3?=@?>5>DC
When connecting components in PIPING, the software can automatically “snap” to the open end
of the last component placed. This feature, along with a Connectivity Checker, helps to ensure that
components are connected properly, and that their end conditions are compatible. The following
exercises demonstrate how to connect components using the fitting to fitting method. The default
mode is demonstrated first, followed by an exercise that utilizes the AutoRouter.
D? 3?>>53D 3?=@?>5>DC =1>E1<<I
! Select Piping/Bends and Returns/90° LR Elbow .

" The prompt
Current Elevation <COP 6’>:
Relative/Toggle/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit>:
displays. Pick a point on the east end of the pipe that was drawn earlier. The reference point is
moved to that location.
# The prompt
displays again. Press the right mouse button (or N ) to connect to the end of the pipe using
the “fitting to fitting” method.
$ The prompt
Enter orientation:
displays. Pick a point straight down, or press the -Y button on the Direction Aids toolbar. The
pipeline appears as shown in the graphic below.

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D? 3?>>53D EC9>7 D85 1ED?B?ED5B
! Select Piping/Setup/Drawing Preferences… to open the Drawing Preferences dialog.

" Enable the Auto-Router Mode check box, then press OK to close the dialog.
# Select Piping/Flanges/Weldneck. The flange is attached to the elbow as shown below. Note that
you did not have to specify the connection point. When the Auto Router switch is set, PIPING
automatically attaches to the previous component using the “fitting to fitting” method.
$ Select Piping/Flanges/Weldneck again. The Specification Selection dialog displays as shown

below to enable you to specify the gasket to connect the flanges. In instances where there is
more than one valid record in the specification, the selection dialog will display to enable you
to select the desired component. The records in this dialog may contain different end
conditions, ratings, schedules, or other unique fields, but otherwise meet the requirements
specified in the Drawing Preferences dialog.
% Select the first gasket option in the list, then press OK. The model appears as shown in the
following Figure.
Tutorial 4-11
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@<139>7 6B?= 1 B565B5>35 @?9>D

At this point, all of the components were either placed “in space,” or connected to existing
components. In this section, you will learn how to place a component a specified distance from a
reference point.
To insert a component a specific distance from the center point of another,

use the Relative option then input or pick a distance.
D? @<135 1 3?=@?>5>D 6B?= 1 B565B5>35 @?9>D
! Before you start, adjust the view of the model so that you can place components south and east
of the elbow. Use AutoCAD’s zoom controls and scroll bars to obtain a view similar to the
one shown below.
" Select Piping/Setup/Drawing Preferences… and disable the Auto-Router Mode check box, then
press OK. Components cannot be placed from a reference point until this switch is disabled.

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# Select Piping/Branching Components/Straight Tee. The reference point is automatically

selected at the open end of the flange.
$ The prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit>: R
displays. Type R and press N to select the Relative option.
% The prompt
Align/change Ref point/<Enter distance or Return for fit-fit>: 5’ {1500}
displays. Type 5’ {1500} and press N to place the tee 5-feet {1500mm} away from the end of
the last flange.
& The prompt
Toggle insertion point/<Return to select>: T
displays, and an outline of the component appears at the placement point. You must now
indicate whether the end point, center point, or branch point of the tee is to be placed at that
point. Type T and press N to Toggle the reference point to the end of the tee, then press N
to accept the point.
' The prompt
Enter orientation:
displays. Orient the tee so that its branch extends eastward. With ORTHO ON, select any
point to the right or press the +X button from the Direction Aids toolbar. The tee is placed
relative to the flange as shown in the Figure below.
Tutorial 4-13
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381>79>7 D85 B565B5>35 49B53D9?>
! In this exercise, you will place an elbow using the center point of the tee as a reference. You
will place the elbow so that one of its legs moves away from the plan view. Select
Piping/Bends and Returns/90° LR Elbow.
" The prompt
Relative/Toggle/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit>: T
displays. Continue to type T and press N until the branch tee port is selected.
When the tee branch port is highlighted, type R and press N to choose the Relative
placement option.
# The reference point becomes the center of the tee and the prompt
Toggle /Align/change Ref point/<Enter Distance or Return for fit-fit>: T
displays. Notice that there are two points highlighted: the center of the tee, which is the
reference point, and the north end of the tee, which indicates the desired run direction. Press
the Toggle option until the branch end of the tee is highlighted as shown in the graphic below.
You can now place the elbow a specified distance along the branch direction.
Reference Direction
Point Indicator
$ The prompt
Toggle /Align/change Ref point/<Enter Distance or Return for fit-fit>: 5’ {1500}
displays. Type 5’ {1500} and press N to pick the placement point 5-feet {1500mm} away
from the center of the tee.
% An outline of the elbow appears at that point and the prompt
displays. Type T and press N until the reference point is toggled to the end of the elbow,
then press N to accept the point.

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& The prompt

Enter orientation
displays. Orient the elbow so that its leg runs towards the viewer in the plan view. From the
Direction Aids toolbar, press the +Z button. The elbow is placed in the model with its leg
running up in the vertical plane. In the next exercise, you will work from a skewed viewpoint.
The model, as it appears in the plan view, is shown in the following Figure.
@<139>7 3?=@?>5>DC 9> 1 C;5G54 F95G

PIPING is designed to produce clean production drawings from any view (see the discussion on
Drawing Modes later in this chapter). In the development of a 3D model, piping lines may be
easier to visualize, and it may be easier to discover design flaws, while working in a different
viewing perspective. PIPING enables you to route components in a skewed view as easily as from
the Plan view. You will also find working in a skewed view makes it easier to place components
that are oriented perpendicular to the current viewing plane (i.e., oriented in the +/- Z direction).
The exercise below demonstrates this process.
FYUg`_Y^d bUfYUg
You should make extensive use of AutoCAD’s View commands, and/or the View toolbar. These
commands enable you to quickly move around the model to a number of pre-defined viewing
perspectives. Particularly useful for controlling views is the View toolbar shown below. From this
toolbar, users can easily toggle between plan, elevation, and isometric viewing planes of the
current model. Refer to your AutoCAD documentation for more information.
First, you will change the viewpoint, then continue placing components on the pipe run created
earlier.
Tutorial 4-15
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D? 381>75 D85 F95G@?9>D
! Type VPOINT and press N, and then type -1,-1,1 and press N, or select the SW Isometric
View icon from AutoCAD’s View toolbar.
" Zoom in around the area of the model shown below. Note that the last elbow placed is
oriented in the vertical plane.
Routing from a skewed view is no different from routing in the plan. The only difference is that
you are better able to visualize the model and can easily select objects that may be hidden when
viewing the drawing from a plan perspective.
D? @<135 3?=@?>5>DC 9> 1 F95G@?9>D
! Select Piping/Reducers and Swages/Concentric Reducer.

" The prompt
Current Elevation <COP 6’>
displays. Whenever a component is placed from a reference point, the application will assume
that you want to route back to the original point. Select the vertical leg of the elbow to begin
routing in the vertical direction, or use the Toggle option to select the vertical port. Note that
you can pick anywhere near the endpoint of the elbow. It is not necessary to use the ENDP
osnap, as PIPING will automatically recognize any point that is selected reasonably near the
end of the elbow graphic.
# The prompt
Current Elevation <COP 6’>
displays. Press N to connect using the “fitting-to-fitting” method.

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$ The Specification Selection dialog displays as shown below. This dialog will always display
when placing a reducer to enable you to define the reduced size (remember, only the main size
is set from the Drawing Preferences dialog). Select the 6X4 {150 x 100} Buttweld Concentric
Reducer as shown, then press OK.
% The reducer is placed in the model as shown in the Figure below.
& Select Piping/Branching Components/Straight Tee to add a tee to the end of the reducer.
' The prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit>:
displays. Press N, or press the right mouse button, to connect to the end of the reducer.
( The prompt
displays. Press N to accept the default insertion point.
) The prompt
Enter orientation:
displays. Press +Y on the Direction Aids toolbar to orient the branch in the +Y direction. The
model appears as shown in the following Figure.
Tutorial 4-17
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>_dU Notice that a 4” {100mm} tee was connected to the reducer. One of the default settings in
the Drawing Preferences dialog enables you to automatically match the settings of the
last component placed in the drawing. Also of note is the color of the tee. A separate
setting in the Drawing Preferences dialog controls how colors are assigned in PIPING. By
default, objects that share a nominal size are colored the same so that size ranges can
be easily distinguished in the model.
1<97>9>7 3?=@?>5>DC
Refer to the Figure above. Suppose you were to remove the 6” {150mm}tee that is aligned with the
flange and the upward turning elbow. To place it again, you would have to find the intersection
point between the two centerlines. In the past, this meant routing centerlines or construction lines
to determine the point, or getting out the calculator to compute the desired insertion point. With
PIPING, aligning a component to existing centerlines has never been easier.
D? 1<97> 3?=@?>5>DC
! To begin this exercise, erase the 6” {150mm} tee that you placed earlier. Type E and press
N , then pick a point on the outline of the tee and press N. The model appears as shown
below.
" Now you will re-insert the tee using the Align option. Select Piping/Branching
Components/Straight Tee.

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# The prompt
displays. PIPING assumes you want to continue routing off the 4” {100mm} tee. Select the
open end of the flange instead.
$ The prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit>: R
displays. Type R(elative), then press N.
% The prompt
Align/change Ref point/<Enter distance or Return for fit-fit>: A
displays. Type A(lign), then press N.
& The prompt
Pick component to align to
displays. Select the open end of the upward-turning elbow.
' The prompt
Toggle/<Enter to select currently highlighted port>
displays, and the two selected alignment ports are highlighted. Confirm that you want an
insertion point placed at the intersection of these two ports by pressing N.
( An outline of the tee is inserted at the specified point, and the prompt
displays. Press N to place the tee at its center.
) The prompt
Toggle alignment port/<Return to select>:
displays. You can toggle the connection port so that the branch or a run end is facing toward
the flange. Press N to accept the default port alignment.
! The prompt
Enter orientation:
displays. Pick a point in the +X direction, or press the +X button on the Direction Aids toolbar
to indicate the branch direction of the tee. The tee is aligned with the centerline of the flange
and elbow as shown in the following Figure.
Tutorial 4-19
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1DD1389>7 D? 1 35>D5B<9>5
Another method of component placement is to place a component directly on a centerline. PIPING
provides centerline router functions to enable you to define a piping path with a high degree of
precision. Components can then be placed directly on the line to ensure placement at proper
elevations. In this exercise, you will route a simple centerline, then place an elbow on it to
demonstrate this feature.
D? B?ED5 D85 35>D5B<9>5
! Zoom out to give yourself more room to draw the centerline.

" Select Piping/Piping Tools/Centerline Routers/From Dialog to display the Router Line Info
dialog shown below. With Info Mode ON, the current drawing preferences are stored on the
line. When a component is placed on the line, settings such as main size, insulation, line
number, etc. will be automatically assigned to that component. For the purposes of this
exercise, however, enable the Info Mode Off radio button as shown below, then press OK.
# The prompt
Exit/<Options>/Start Point: end
displays. Type END and press N, then select the endpoint of the tee as shown in the
following Figure.

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21C93 @<135=5>D 5H5B39C5C
Select the endpoint

of the tee.
If the end was not picked as shown above, type T and press N to toggle the selection point
until the end is selected. Press N when the point is selected as shown to accept this point.
$ The prompt
Exit/<Options>/Pick Point:
displays. Press N to display the Routing options dialog shown below.
% To pick the next point 5-feet {1500mm}south from the end of the tee, scroll down and select
South from the Options list, type 5’ {1500} in the Distance field, then press OK to pick the
point.
& Press N to return to the Router dialog.
' To pick the next point sloping at a 45-degree angle, select Sloping from the Options list, type
45 in the Z Angle field, then press OK.
( The Towards/Away dialog displays. Select Towards then press OK.

) The prompt
Tutorial 4-21
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Next point:
displays. Type @5’{1500}<0 at the command line, then press N to draw the line as shown
below.
! Type E and press N to exit the centerline router command.
D? 1DD138 D? D85 35>D5B<9>5
! You can now place an elbow at the intersection point. PIPING will roll the elbow
automatically. Select Piping/Bends and Returns/90° LR Elbow.
" The prompt
displays. Pick a point near the corner of the centerline that was just created. PIPING will
automatically recognize the intersection as the desired point and place the elbow.
>_dU Notice that the insertion point and orientation prompts were bypassed, and the elbow
graphic was placed without further interaction.
1ED?=1D93 @9@5 @<135=5>D

The AutoPipe command is provided to enable you to place straight pipe between existing fittings.
The process is as simple as selecting the components between which pipe should be placed.
D? B?ED5 @9@5 1ED?=1D931<<I
! Select Piping/Pipe Components/AutoPipe.

" The Drawing Selection Options dialog displays. This is a common component selection dialog
that provides options to define the selection set of components to which the executed
command will apply. Options are available to select components that share user-defined
attributes, or to select components that exist in more that one drawing (useful when generating
reports or updating a particular field value for all components in a project). In this example,

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21C93 @<135=5>D 5H5B39C5C
you will manually select the components between which pipe should be placed. Enable the
Manual radio button, then press OK.
# The prompt
Select objects:
displays. Select the flange, the 6” {150mm} tee, and both elbows as shown below, then press
N.
Select AutoPipe then pick

these four components.
$ Connecting pipe is placed between the selected components. Notice that AutoPipe recognized
the branch run on the tee. Type REGEN and press N. The model appears as shown below.
Tutorial 4-23
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49C@<1I =?45
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PIPING components are constructed from a series of Rebis Custom Objects, which have inherent
display properties. PIPING provides the Display Mode options to enable you to instantaneously
display components using any of the four inherent display modes. These display modes do not
affect the size of the drawing. These commands may be executed from the Piping/Piping Tools/3D
Display Modes menu, or from the Display Modes toolbar (flyout of Piping Tools toolbar).
Wireframe Mode Centerline Mode
Wireframe with Centerline Mesh
>_dU The mesh density used to display components in the Mesh Display Mode is defined by
setting the value of the Surface Resolution in the Drawing Preferences dialog prior to
component placement.
3?=@<5D9>7 D85 5H5B39C5C

Select File/Exit and press N. Press No when prompted to save changes. You do not need to save
this drawing. You will load a provided drawing to complete the rest of this tutorial.
381@D5B B5F95G
Basic Placement Procedure: To insert a component, select it from the menu or toolbar, indicate
its placement point, then orient the component for branches and bends. Within each of these
basic steps, the user has a variety of options available.

3?=@?>5>D @<135=5>D 21C93C
381@D5B B5F95G
Fitting to Fitting: Because most components are placed using the fitting-to-fitting method,
PIPING automates many of these tasks. To connect a component to the previous one, simply
select the new component, then press the N key, or the right mouse button.
Working in a Skewed View: PIPING is a true 3D package. To fully utilize its power, you can
work in a three-dimensional view using AutoCAD’s standard View commands and controls.
Other Placement Options: In addition to the automated placement capabilities, PIPING allows
components to be placed with a great deal of precision and accuracy. Toggle the Relative
command to change the reference point from which a component is placed. The Align
command can be used to orient two components along the same centerline.
Drawing Mode: The drawing mode switch can toggle the display of the model between various
inherent custom object display properties. Changing the drawing mode does not affect
drawing size.
G81DµC >5HD
In Chapter 5 you will use the techniques introduced in this chapter to construct a simple piping
model. You will begin with an equipment drawing and connect directly to the existing nozzles.
Two piping lines will then be constructed. You will also take a closer look at some of the tools that
are available to automate piping tasks.
Tutorial 4-25
381@D5B
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This chapter contains several exercises that explain how to build a simple model. The
focus is on providing an overview of the major PIPING placement functions.
OVERVIEW 5-2
OPENING THE DRAWING 5-2
DRAWING SETTINGS 5-4
PLACEMENT STRATEGIES AND CONSIDERATIONS 5-5
CONNECTING PIPE 5-18
ROUTING A CENTERLINE 5-20
ADDING ELBOWS AT THE INTERSECTIONS 5-24
COMPLETING THE MODEL 5-25
SAVING THE DRAWING 5-27
CHAPTER REVIEW 5-28

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This chapter builds upon the connection methods discussed in Chapter 3. A tutorial drawing has
been provided that contains the vertical and horizontal vessels shown below. You will begin by
connecting pipe directly to the nozzles on these vessels, then execute various connection and
placement techniques to construct the simple pipe run shown here. At the completion of this
chapter, you will be capable of placing any arrangement of components as shown below.
The simple model shown at right

will be created during this chapter.
Individual exercises focus on
different aspects of the piping
interface and on placement
techniques.
?@5>9>7 D85 4B1G9>7

A tutorial drawing has been provided with your software. This two-vessel drawing was created
using AutoPLANT EQUIPMENT, and contains vessels and nozzles with pre-defined Line
Numbers. This will help to demonstrate the advantage of sharing model data between AutoPLANT
applications. For example, the Line Number and Size settings are automatically extracted when
connecting PIPING components to EQUIPMENT nozzles. To open the equipment drawing, follow
the procedure outlined below.
>_dU You can also connect to xreferenced drawings which share the same Workspace.
Workspaces allow several designers to share each other’s models. This powerful feature
of AutoPLANT is discussed in greater detail in Chapter 7, Drawing Production.
D? ?@5> D85 @9@5 !k@9@5=m 4B1G9>7
! Select Programs/AutoPLANT 3D/Start AutoPLANT Plant Design from the Windows Start menu.
" Select File/Open. When the file selection dialog appears, locate the …USER/SUPPORT
directory on your local drive. Open the file PIPE01.DWG {PIPEM.DWG}.
# Select Rebis/Piping to start the PIPING application.
$ The model opens to the extents of the drawing limits.

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?@5>9>7 D85 4B1G9>7
% Select Piping Tools/3D Display Modes/Set Wireframe w/Centerline to set the display mode. Type
Regen and press N, then zoom around the area shown below. Note that there are two nozzles
on the horizontal vessel and one on the vertical vessel. These vessel's and their associated
nozzles were created using the AutoPLANT EQUIPMENT application.
& Open the Piping Components Main, Piping Functions Main, Direction Aids, and Responses
toolbars from the Piping/Toolbars menu.
>_dU The vessels and nozzles shown in the model above were created using the EQUIPMENT
application. The drawing/model file (PIPE01.DWG/PIPEM.DWG), has an associated
drawing database file (PIPE01.MDB/PIPEM.MDB), which contains a record for each
component in the model. Every AutoPLANT drawing will have an associated drawing
database file, the format of which can be configured.
' (Optional): You might want to save the drawing in a new directory in order to preserve the
original should other users want to perform the tutorial on the same workstation. Select
File/Save As, then select a unique directory. Chapter 1 of this tutorial recommends creating a
directory on your local drive named \TUTOR. As you save the drawing throughout these
lessons, the associated drawing database file will be updated automatically.
Tutorial 5-3

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The first step in beginning a new drawing session is to establish the initial component size,
specification, drawing mode, line number, etc., in the Drawing Preferences dialog.
D? 5CD12<9C8 D85 4B1G9>7 C5DD9>7C
! Select Piping/Setup/Drawing Preferences… to display the dialog shown below.
" You will initially use the drawing preferences shown above. Ensure that your drawing
preferences match those shown above, then press OK. These settings will enable you to place
3D 6” {150mm}components from the CS150{MCS150}specification.
>_dU The default values that appear in this dialog are defined in the configuration selected
when a new drawing is created. These defaults can be modified using the AutoPLANT
Configuration Editor, which can be launched from the main Rebis menu or toolbar. An
overview of the operation of this application was provided in Chapter 2, Project Setup.
The specification used in this tutorial, CS150{MCS150}, is the Imperial {Metric}

configuration’s default spec. You can create your own specifications using the Rebis
Spec Generator, then access those records for use in your own projects by setting the
active specification in this dialog. Specifications must be stored in the directory listed in
the Specification Path field, which is also defined as part of a configuration.

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@<135=5>D CDB1D5795C 1>4 3?>C945B1D9?>C

Create a zoom window around the horizontal vessel as shown below. Be sure to leave enough
room to route pipe and fittings on the South end of the vessel. You will begin by attaching a
weldneck flange to the nozzle on the West end of the vessel, then place an away-facing elbow four-
feet from the end of the flange. Connecting pipe will then be placed between the two fittings.
West Nozzle East Nozzle

L100 L200
Zoom around the horizontal vessel as shown. Throughout this tutorial, we refer to the “West” and “East” nozzles.
3?==1>4 @B?=@D =?45

The standard sets of command prompts are used throughout this tutorial as discussed in Chapter 3.
Before continuing, ensure that this mode is still set by typing the following at the command line,
then pressing N:
DWBSLSLQJV\VWHPBVHWRULHQWDWLRQPRGH
4B1G9>7 =?45
In this tutorial we will be displaying wireframe graphics with centerlines. This may be the default
in use already on your system. To ensure it is set properly, select
Piping/Piping Tools/3D Display Modes/Set Wireframe w/Centerline.
Tutorial 5-5

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<9>5 <!
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! Select Piping/Flanges/Weldneck.
" The prompt
Current Elevation <COP 0”>:
displays. Select any point on the face of the West nozzle. As long as a point is selected near
the outline of the nozzle, PIPING will automatically recognize that you want to connect to the
end of it.
# The prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit)>:
displays. Press N to place the flange using the “fitting-to-fitting” method.
$ The Specification Selection dialog displays to enable you to select the desired connecting
gaskets. This dialog appears during component placement whenever there is more than one
specification record for the selected component in the specification. For example, there are
two gaskets that match the connecting criteria in the CS150 specification. You can view
additional fields in this dialog by “grabbing” the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the
dialog and sliding it to the right to reveal the remaining fields as shown below. Select the first
gasket option in the list, then press OK.
% The flange is connected to the nozzle as shown below.
8Y^d You can use the Spec Generator to establish a set of default components. When the
Default Spec Choice switch is enabled in the Drawing Preferences dialog, the default

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components will be placed automatically and bypass the Specification Selection dialog
during component placement. Refer to the Spec Generator’s on-line help for more
information on how to define default component choices.
In the following procedure, you will use the Relative placement option to place an elbow 4-feet
{1200mm}south of the flange.
@<135 1> 1G1I6139>7 5<2?G $ 655D k!" ==m 6B?= D85 6<1>75

" A reference point displays at the end of the flange to indicate where the default placement
point is located. Normally, you could simply press N to connect the two components using
the “fitting-to-fitting” method. However, in this exercise you want to place the elbow 4-feet
{1200mm} away from (relative to) the end of the flange. The prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit)>: R
displays. Press the Relative button on the Responses toolbar (or type R and press N ). The
prompt changes to read
Align/change Ref point/<Enter distance or Return for fit-fit>: 4’ {1200}
Type 4’ {1200} at the command line then press N.
# An outline of the elbow is drawn four-feet {1200mm} away from the flange, and the prompt
displays. Note that the reference point appears on the center of the elbow. Press N to accept
the default center-point insertion.
$ The prompt
Enter orientation:
displays. Press the -Z button on the Direction Aids toolbar to specify that the opposite leg of
the elbow moves in the -Z direction. The drawing appears as shown below.
Tutorial 5-7

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4’{1200mm}
@<135 @9@5 25DG55> D85 6<1>75 1>4 D85 5<2?G
Now that you have connected the flange to the nozzle and placed the elbow, you will connect pipe
between the two components. In this step, the Connect To command will be demonstrated.
! Select Piping/Pipe Components/Pipe.

" The prompt
Relative/Toggle/create taP/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit)>:
displays. Notice that the default reference point is the end of the elbow that points toward the
flange. Press N to accept this point as the reference point and connect to it.
# The prompt
Connect to/<Enter Length>: C
displays. Type C then press N.
$ The prompt
Select component:
displays. Pick the open end of the flange. Connecting pipe is placed between the two
components as shown below.

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@<135=5>D CDB1D5795C 1>4 3?>C945B1D9?>C
Select the open end of the

flange when the “Connect
to” prompt is displayed.
8Y^d In this example pipe was placed between two existing components. A separate
command, AutoPipe, is available for placing connecting pipe between several
components. This feature will be demonstrated later in this chapter.
<9>5 <"
The nozzle on the east end of the horizontal vessel is the starting point for line L200. In this
exercise you will turn on the Auto Router switch, then add a valve/flange assembly to the nozzle.
Afterwards you will copy the away-facing elbow placed earlier and assign it to this line.
>_dU The east nozzle was assigned the Line Number L200 when it was created using Rebis
EQUIPMENT. Since the From Connecting Component option is enabled in the Drawing
Preferences dialog, the line number will be automatically reset once you attach a
component to this nozzle.
1DD138 D85 F1<F5
! Select Piping/Valves/Gate/Gate.
" The prompt
displays. Since you are not continuing to route off the last component (the away-facing elbow
on line L100), you must specify a new reference point. Pick the open face of the east nozzle.
Tutorial 5-9

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# The prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit)>:
displays. The reference point symbol is now centered on the east nozzle. Press N to accept
the fitting-to-fitting designation and attach the gate valve at this location.
$ The Specification Selection dialog displays to enable you to select the desired gate valve from
the spec. Select the first record in the dialog, then press OK.
% The AutoPLANT Selections dialog displays to enable you to connect an operator to the valve.
Press Cancel for no operator.
& The Specification Selection dialog displays to enable you to select the desired gasket from the
spec. Select the first record in the dialog, then press OK. After responding to the three dialogs,
the valve is placed as shown below.
' All of the components placed in the model to this point were inserted without using the Auto
Router. To enable this function, select Piping/Setup/Drawing Preferences…. Enable the Auto-
Router Mode check box, then press OK to close the dialog.
( Attach a flange to the valve by selecting Piping/Flanges/Weldneck. Note that you are not
prompted for the insertion point. With the Auto Router switch enabled, PIPING automatically
assumes that you want to connect to the endpoint of the last component.
) PIPING determines the facing on the end of the valve and filters the Specification Selection
dialog to display only those gasket records that match the facing designation. Select the first
gasket option from the next dialog, then press OK. A default bolt set has been defined in the
specification. The model appears as shown in the following figure.

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@<135=5>D CDB1D5795C 1>4 3?>C945B1D9?>C
! Select Piping/Setup/Drawing Preferences…, disable the Auto Router switch, then press OK to
close the dialog.
3?@I9>7 3?=@?>5>DC
PIPING components can be copied, moved, mirrored, or arrayed just like any other AutoCAD
entity. When components are copied, a separate database record is created for each component. A
dialog also displays to enable you to change/revise the line number drawing database field values
for the copied components. In the tutorial model, the two nozzle centerlines are 6-feet (72”)
{1800mm}apart. Since this design calls for away-facing elbows equidistant from the vessel shell,
you can use AutoCAD’s COPY command to copy the existing elbow.
D? 3?@I D85 5<2?G
! Type COPY at the command line and press N.
GQb^Y^W Do NOT use AutoCAD’s Edit/Copy command or its associated icon on the AutoCAD
toolbar. These commands are members of the COPYCLIP family, and are related to
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) functions. OLE operations are not supported in the
current version of PIPING.
" When the

Select objects
prompt appears, pick the away-facing elbow on line L100 and then press N.
Tutorial 5-11

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# The prompt
<Base point or displacement>/Multiple:
displays. Pick any point on the elbow.
$ The prompt
Second point of displacement: @6’{1800}<0
displays. Type @6’{1800}<0 at the command line, then press N. The copied elbow is placed
six -feet {1800mm} in the +X direction from the selected elbow as shown in the following
Figure.
6’
% The message
Rebis post-copy/explode component update in progress…
Retrieving copied components...
Updating database links...
Re-establishing connectivity...
Updating component data...
is echoed to the command line, and the following dialog displays to enable you to change the
line number drawing database value of the copied elbow.

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@<135=5>D CDB1D5795C 1>4 3?>C945B1D9?>C
Type L200 in the Edit Field box, then press OK.
8Y^d By default, LINENUMBER is the only field that appears in this dialog. You can customize
the list of fields that may be updated after a COPY is performed using the
Piping/Setup/Component Copy Preferences… command.
& Finally, you will place connecting pipe between the flange and the elbow using the same
technique you learned earlier. Select Piping/Pipe Components/Pipe. Press N to designate the
end of the flange as the first point. When the
Connect To/<Enter Length>:
prompt appears, type C then press N. The
Select component:
prompt displays. Pick the open end of the elbow that lies in the XY plane. The model appears
as shown below.
Tutorial 5-13

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G?B;9>7 G9D8 B565B5>35 @?9>DC

As illustrated in the previous Figure, you have placed all the components you can on these two
lines without changing to a new viewpoint. In this exercise you will route from an isometric view
of the model, and learn other methods for placing components relative to one another. Of
particular note in this exercise is the ability to automatically align a single component with others
that have already been placed.
! Change the viewpoint in order to get a better working view of the model. Press the SW
Isometric View button (or type vpoint -1,-1,1 at the command line), then zoom around the
horizontal vessel to obtain a view similar to that shown below.
Select a point on the end of

this elbow to begin routing
" Select Piping/Bends and Returns/90° LR Elbow.

# The prompt
displays. Pick the open end of the elbow on Line L100 as shown in the Figure above. A
reference point is placed on the end of the elbow and the prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit)>: R
displays. Type R(elative), then press N.
$ The prompt
Align/change Ref point/Elev/<Enter distance or Return for fit-fit>: E
displays. Note that the reference point now becomes the center of the elbow. PIPING assumes
that you want to use the center point as the reference (when needed, you can change the
reference point using the change Ref point option). Type E and press N to display the Set
Elevation dialog shown below.

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@<135=5>D CDB1D5795C 1>4 3?>C945B1D9?>C
Enable the Center of Pipe radio button, then type 2’ {600} in the Elevation field and press OK to
insert the elbow at an elevation of 2-feet {600} relative to the selected elbow.
% The prompt
displays. Press N to accept the default and insert the elbow at its center point.
& The prompt
Enter orientation:
displays. With the ORTHO lock ON, select any point in the +X direction to set the orientation.
The elbow is placed in the drawing as shown.
Elev: 2’
4’
DXU 1\YW^ D_ ?`dY_^

In this exercise, you will place a tee at a point directly below the away-facing elbow on line L200,
which will also align with the centerline of the elbow you just placed. This section will
demonstrate the powerful Align To feature of PIPING, which enables a component to be placed so
Tutorial 5-15

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that it aligns with two existing components, even if those components lie at different planes and
elevations.
D? 1<97> 1 D55
! Select Piping/Branching Components/Straight Tee.

" The prompt
displays. Use the Toggle option to toggle to the horizontal port of the elbow placed above
(point PT1 in the following Figure).
In Step 5, select the open

PT2 end of the elbow that turns
down on line 102A.
In Step 2, select the end of

PT1 the elbow that runs in the
horizontal plane.
# The prompt
displays. Press the Relative button (or type R then press N).
$ The prompt
Toggle/Align/change Ref point/<Enter Distance or Return for fit-fit>:
displays. In this example, you want the tee’s branch to align with the elbow on line L200.
Press the Align button.
% The prompt
Pick component to align to:
displays. Select the away-facing elbow on line L200 (point PT2 in the Figure above).

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@<135=5>D CDB1D5795C 1>4 3?>C945B1D9?>C
& The prompt

Toggle/<Enter to select currently highlighted port>:
displays. The reference point symbols are imposed on the selected objects. Press N to insert
the tee at the intersection of the two centerline paths.
' An outline of the tee is placed in the model, and the prompt
displays. Press N to insert the tee at its centerpoint.
( The prompt
Toggle alignment port/<Return to select>:
displays. Branching components have more than one alignment port as illustrated below. For
example, the tee could be oriented vertically or horizontally and still align with the selected
components. Press N to accept the default and orient the tee with its branch aligned with the
elbow above it, and its run direction in the X plane.
The two alignment ports which can be associated with the

tee are shown here. The next step is to orient the branch.
) The last step determines how the branch is oriented. Press the +Z button on the Direction Aids
toolbar to set this orientation and place the tee as shown.
Tutorial 5-17

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Earlier in this chapter, you used the Connect To placement option to connect two components that
were placed in the same plane. In this section, the PIPING's AutoPipe command will be used to
place connecting pipe between all of the “floating” components in the model.
D? @<135 3?>>53D9>7 @9@5
! Select Piping/Pipe Components/AutoPipe.

" The Drawing Selection Options dialog displays as shown below. This dialog enables you to
define a selection set of components via a number of options. The All option performs the
operation on all components in the model, the Manual option enables you to select components
individually, and the Advanced option opens a dialog to create a selection set based on a
drawing database filter (for example, selecting all components belonging to Line L100). This
utility will be covered in more detail later in this tutorial.
Select All and press OK.
Connecting pipe is automatically placed between all open-ended components that have
another component with an open end along the same plane as shown in the following Figure.
This elbow
belongs to L200
Connecting pipe
is not placed
This tee belongs
to L100

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3?>>53D9>7 @9@5
# Note that connecting pipe was not placed between the downward turning elbow and the tee.
This is because the elbow belongs to line L200 while the tee is assigned to L100. AutoPIPE
will not place connecting pipe between components on different line numbers. This prevents
faulty assignment of line number identifiers. Select Piping/Pipe Components/Pipe.
$ The prompt
Current elevation <COP 2'>
create taP/Elevation/<Pick point>:
displays. The component you pick in this step determines the line number assigned to the pipe.
If you pick the elbow, the pipe will be assigned to line L200. If you pick the tee, the pipe will
be assigned to L100. Select a point on the open end of the elbow.
>_dU In Chapter 5, The Drawing Database, you will learn how to manually edit the line number
assigned to a component, and to groups of components.
% The prompt
Relative/create taP/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit>:
display. Press N to connect to the elbow.
& The prompt
Connect to/<Enter Length>:c
displays. Type C and press N, then select a point on the branch of the tee. The model
appears as shown below.
Tutorial 5-19

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Another method of component placement involves routing a centerline to define the piping path,
then placing components directly on the line to ensure proper alignment. This method has the
advantage of laying out the entire pipe run at the outset.
A centerline in PIPING is intelligent, meaning that the application can read the positional data
stored on these lines to insert components. Component preferences can also be saved with the line
and automatically applied to any components placed on it. In this section, you will route a
centerline to connect the open end of the tee with the nozzle on the vertical vessel. Afterwards, you
will add elbows at the intersections and then use the AutoPipe feature to complete the model.
D? B?ED5 D85 35>D5B<9>5
! Change the display view so that both the end of the tee and the nozzle on the vertical vessel
display as shown in the following Figure.
" Attach a gasket and flange to the nozzle on the vertical vessel. Select
Piping/Flanges/Weldneck.
# The prompt
displays. Select the open end of the nozzle on the vertical vessel, then press N to attach the
flange to the nozzle at the reference point.
$ The Specification Selection dialog displays to enable you to select the desired gasket. Choose
the first option in the dialog. The flange is attached to the nozzle as shown in the following
figure.

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% Select Piping/Piping Tools/Centerline Routers/From Dialog.

& The Router Line Info dialog displays as shown below. The Info Mode determines the polyline’s
degree of intelligence. When set to ON, component preferences can be stored on the line
itself, and subsequently associated with any components placed on it. Select Info Mode On,
then press OK.
' The Component Preferences dialog displays as shown below. This dialog enables you to
define component preferences that will be stored with the line and applied to all components
that are placed on the line. Set the dialog values as shown, then press OK.
Tutorial 5-21

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( The prompt
Exit/<Options>/Start Point: end of
displays. Type END and press N, then select the end of the flange connected to the vertical
vessel’s nozzle. The Router will automatically extract the elevation parameters from that
point.
The prompt
displays. This prompt enables you to change the port of the flange that was picked above. If
the port on the open end of the flange is selected, press N, or if it is not, type T until it is
selected.
) The prompt
Exit/<Options>/Pick Point: @2’{600}<135
displays. You can either input points directly from the command line using standard AutoCAD
techniques, or press N to open a dialog of options. In this instance, use the command line:
Type @2’{600}<135 and then press N. A line is drawn 2-feet {600mm} from the end of the
flange.
! Press N to open the Routing dialog shown below.
Select Box Router Pick from the Options section of the dialog, then press OK. The Box Router
Pick option will draw a temporary box between the current point and a user-selected point.
This makes it a simple matter to route 90-degree changes in direction between two points
which lie at different elevations.
!! The prompt
Pick End Point of Box: end of
displays. Type END and press N, then pick the end of the tee as shown below.

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Select the endpoint on the tee as the

reference point.
!" The prompt

displays. Make sure that you have selected the open end of the tee as shown above, then press
N. You can type T to toggle to this end if required.
!# A temporary box is placed on the screen between the selected points. The prompt
Exit/Connect/Redraw Box/Points/Slope/Increment/Auto/Keep/<Next>: A
displays. Type A and press N. The Automatic option will offer suggested routes between the
two points.
!$ The prompt
Exit/Redraw Box/Manual/Keep/<Next>:
displays. Note that a yellow line is routed between opposite corners of the box. Press N to
accept the <Next> option and cycle through the suggested paths until the route shown in the
following Figure displays.
!% Type K then press N to accept (<Keep>) the highlighted centerline path. The centerline is
routed between the selected points.
Tutorial 5-23

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!& The prompt

Exit/<Options>/Pick Point: E
displays. Type E then press N to exit the router. The drawing appears as shown below.
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Now that you have routed a centerline, you can use its intelligence to place elbows at each of the
intersections. In the following procedure the intersections are referred to by number. Use the
Figure below as a reference.

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" The prompt
Relative/Elev/<Pick point or Return for fit-fit>:
displays. Select a point near Intersection 1, where the centerline bends down. The elbow is
immediately placed. Notice that you were not required to specify the direction or the
orientation because this information was extracted from the geometry of the centerline.
# In PIPING you can always repeat the last command by simply pressing N (or the right
mouse button). Press N to place another elbow. The prompt
displays. Select a point near Intersection 2 to place the second elbow.
$ Press N to re-execute the elbow command, then select a point near Intersection 3. The
elbows are placed on the centerline as shown in the following Figure.
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In this section, you will complete the tutorial model by placing connecting pipe between the
fittings on the centerline.
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! Select Piping/Pipe Components/AutoPipe to display the Drawing Selection Options dialog.

" Select Manual, then press OK.
Tutorial 5-25

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# The prompt
Select objects:
displays. In a previous exercise, you selected the components individually. You can also
window the components and let AutoPipe determine where the pipe should be placed. For
example, respond to the prompt by windowing the shaded area shown in the following Figure,
then press N.
Window the
shaded area
$ Connecting pipe is placed at the proper locations as shown in the Figure below.
% Use the AutoCAD Zoom All command to get a better look at the model. Select
Piping/Piping Tools/3D Display Modes/Set Wirefame, then type HIDE and press N to display
the model as shown in the Figure below.

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At the start of this chapter, we recommended creating a new directory simply for the purpose of
these exercises. Use the File/Save As option to save the model in this new location so you can
continue to work with it in future chapters. If you examine the directory containing the
PIPE01.DWG {PIPEM.DWG} file, you will note that there is also a file named PIPE01.MDB
{PIPEM.MDB}. This is the MS-Access formatted external drawing database file. You will be
working with drawing database information in the next chapter.
Tutorial 5-27

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The following important features and/or concepts were introduced in this chapter.
Drawing Preferences: The Drawing Preferences dialog contains settings that are applied
throughout a drawing session. The Data Mode determines whether settings are applied based on
the values in this dialog or extracted from the connecting component. The Auto-Router Mode
switch enables components to automatically attach to the endpoint of the last component
placed in the drawing.
Specification Selection: If more than one valid record exists in the current specification, a
dialog displays to enable you to choose the desired component.
Relative Placement: The Relative placement option allows components to be placed a given
distance away from an existing component. Toggle options are available to place the
component with respect to its centerpoint or endpoint.
Copying Components: PIPING components can be copied just like any other AutoCAD entity.
Separate records are created in the drawing database, and the user is prompted to (optionally)
change the line number associated with the copied component.
Align To: The Align to option (available when placing components using the Relative command)
enables you to place bends or branching components so that the centerlines are aligned with
the centerlines of selected components.
AutoPipe: The AutoPipe feature automatically places connecting pipe between selected
components.
Centerline: The Router dialog contains options for drawing centerlines. After a piping path is
defined, components can be placed directly on it to ensure proper connectivity and elevation
settings. If the router is initiated with Info Mode set to ON, component preferences defined
when the line was drawn are applied to any component placed on it.
G81DµC >5HD/
In the next chapter, you will explore the commands associated with viewing and editing the
external drawing database information. You will add a tag value to a valve, view the database
record, and learn how to clean the external drawing database so that it accurately reflects the
components contained in a model.

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PIPING creates intelligent models. There is a dynamic link between the components
in the model and the associated records in the external drawing database. You can
query this data to produce reports or to modify the records. This chapter introduces
you to some of PIPING’s database manipulation and editing tools.
OVERVIEW 6-2
VIEWING COMPONENT INFORMATION 6-4
EDITING COMPONENT INFORMATION 6-6
VIEWING THE DRAWING DATABASE 6-8
UPDATING COMPONENTS 6-8
CLEANING THE DATABASE 6-13
CHAPTER REVIEW 6-14

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When a component is placed in a PIPING model, a record is written to an external drawing
database. All data defined in the component’s spec record and additional descriptive data defined
in the Drawing Preferences dialog (e.g., Line Number, Insulation Thickness, etc.) are written into
this record.
The external drawing database may be configured as a single MS Access-formatted database with
multiple tables, or multiple dBASE-formatted database tables. The drawing database format should
be configured at the start of a project and used throughout the project. The drawing database, by
default, is configured for MS Access databases.
There may be multiple database tables associated with a single drawing file. The tables that are
actually created for a drawing depend on a number of factors. When a PIPING drawing is first
created, the system adds PIPING and CONTROL tables to the database. If the PIPING drawing is
loaded into EQUIPMENT, the EQUIP and NOZZLE tables are added. If you start with an
EQUIPMENT drawing instead of a PIPING drawing, the EQUIP, NOZZLE, and CONTROL tables
are created. If you later open the drawing in PIPING, the PIPING table would be added.
In addition to these tables, you may specify that extra PORT, JOINT, FASTENER, and CADLINK
tables and data are created, and their data stored in the external drawing database. The data in
these tables is already stored in the drawing, but a mechanism is provided to enable you to also
store this data in the external drawing database. This is accomplished via the Drawing Preferences
dialog. To add the CADLINK table and write that data to the drawing database, enable the Save
CAD Links check box in the Drawing Preferences dialog. To add the PORT, JOINT and
FASTENER tables and write their data to the drawing database, enable the Save Port Data check
box.
The database format is configured in the file DBCONFIG.INI. If the system is configured to create
an MS Access drawing database, and the name of the drawing is PIPE01.DWG, then a single MS
Access drawing database file named PIPE01.MDB will be created that contains the individual
tables. If the system is configured to create dBASE drawing databases, then individual tables will
be created named PIPE01.DBF, PIPE01.DB1, PIPE01.DB2, PIPE01.DB3, etc., which will store
the table-specific drawing data. The extensions for each table may be configured in
DBCONFIG.INI.
8Y^d The Drawing Database format may be configured by editing the text control file
DBCONFIG.INI as described in the AutoPLANT Program Customization help. This file
may be launched via the AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help program group in
your Windows Start menu.

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The following table provides a brief description of each of the external drawing database tables.
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CONTROL The CONTROL data table stores general drawing information in the external drawing
database (e.g., drawing name, user who last modified the drawing, etc.).
PIPING The PIPING data table stores all data for components placed in a PIPING or
ISOMETRICS drawing.
EQUIP The EQUIP data table stores all data for equipment components placed using the
EQUIPMENT application.
NOZZLE The NOZZLE data table stores all data for nozzles placed using the EQUIPMENT
application.
PORT (optional) The PORT data table stores all component port data in a model. The JOINT
JOINT data table stores the joint connection data for connected components in a PIPING
FASTENER drawing. These joints are checked whenever you attempt to connect components. The
FASTENER table stores component data for fasteners placed between components in a
PIPING or ISOMETRICS drawing. Joint, fastener, and port data is stored in the drawing,
but may also be stored in the external drawing database by enabling the Save Port Data
check box in the Drawing Preferences dialog.
CADLINK (optional) The CADLINK table stores information to link the external drawing database to
the CAD drawing (e.g., entity handle). Link data is stored in the drawing, but may also be
stored in the external drawing database by enabling the Save CADLinks check box in
the Drawing Preferences dialog.
TRANSACT The TRANSACT table contains a record of significant transactions that have taken
place and can be viewed by executing Database Tools/Database Information, then
pressing the View Transactions button. These transactions can be purged using the
Purge Transaction button on that dialog. In addition, under the [PLANT] group the
Transactions flag may be set to specify if transactions should be logged or not. If the
property is missing or set to NO then transactions will not be logged. If set to YES
(default) they will be logged
In addition to these tables, there are a number of tables used by the application to temporarily store
drawing port, joint, fastener, and attachment data used to store joint information on joints that span
across drawings (e.g., from a drawing into an xref). These table names start with the CNN prefix
and should not be removed from the database format configuration.
Tutorial 6-3

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You can directly view/edit a component’s drawing database record during a drawing session with
the Edit Component command. The first page of this dialog contains general component information
and some editable fields such a Tag, Line Number, Existing, etc. The second page contains
position and vector information (port data), as well as a complete listing of all component database
field values.
This chapter demonstrates two database edit methods: the first involves the simple editing of a
selected component; the second method involves updating the attributes of several components
simultaneously. In addition, you will learn how to clean the drawing database to ensure that the
records in the database are synchronized with the components in the model.
8Y^d The intent of this chapter is to provide an overview of database concepts and capabilities.
For an in-depth discussion of database configuration and customization topics, refer to
the AutoPLANT Program Customization help file that may be launched from the
AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help group of your Windows Start menu..
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In this section, you will examine the database records for the gate valve shown below. If you have
closed the drawing from the previous chapter, re-open it now and zoom in to the area of the model
shown below.
The tag associated with the gate

valve will be revised with the
Edit Component command

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! Select Piping/Database Tools/Edit Component. The prompt

Select the component, press return when done:
displays. Pick any point on the outline of the gate valve to display Page 1 of the Valve
Information dialog as shown below.
There are separate Component Information dialogs to display the drawing database information for
most of the different component types. These are defined in the component script files that reside
in your network ..\MODULES\BASE\COMMON directory. Each dialog displays the General
Information from the drawing database in the top area of the dialog, and the Class Information in
the bottom area. The tile window at the top right of the dialog displays an illustration of the
component type and the points where ports are located. Ports are points that contain connection
and vector information as you will see in Page 2 of this dialog.
>_dU The fields displayed in the Component Information dialog can be customized. Refer to
the AutoPLANT Program Customization help file for the procedure to modify these
dialogs.
Tutorial 6-5

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! Press the Next Page button at the bottom of the dialog.

" Page 2 of the Component Information dialog displays as shown below.
This dialog is divided into two sections. The top list box displays port information. The
coordinates for the ports are listed along with the vector information that defines the run direction
of the component. The Main Size, End Condition, Facing, and Pressure Class associated with the
ports are also listed.
The bottom text box lists all of the component’s drawing database fields and their values. You can
select an item in the bottom list box to edit its value. If an item is not editable, a warning message
will be issued indicating that the field is READ-ONLY.
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Press First Page to return to the first page of the dialog. The following procedure explains how to
enter a new Tag field value for the valve and save it to the component record. In the next chapter,
you will place this value as annotation.
D? 549D D85 F1<F5µC 3?=@?>5>D 9>6?B=1D9?>
! From the first page of the Valve Information dialog, type A2R in the Tag field, then press OK
to close the dialog.
" Select Piping/Database Tools/Edit Component to re-display the dialog. Note that the new value
has been saved in the component database record.

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# Press OK to close the dialog.

$ The prompt
Select the component, press return when done:
displays. This enables you to remain in editing mode without re-selecting the command. For
example, select the pipe segment attached to the tee, immediately downstream from the away-
facing elbow to display the dialog shown below.
>_dU Note that this component information dialog is formatted slightly differently from the valve
dialog. Each of the major component types has its own dialog.
>_dU This is the pipe segment that was assigned to L200 when you connected the pipe to the
elbow in the previous chapter. If you had connected the pipe to the tee, you could have
easily revised the Line Number field to read L200 inside this dialog.
% Press OK to close the dialog. Press N to terminate the Edit Component command.
GQb^Y^W Exercise caution when using a database editor to edit component records directly. We
recommend using the Edit Component or Update Component commands to edit values,
as doing so will ensure compatibility with other operations of the program. When using an
editor, do NOT edit values that provide dimensional information about the component.
Tutorial 6-7

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The View Database command enables you to view all or selected component records in the external
drawing database in a dialog within the PIPING application.
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! Select Piping/Database Tools/View Database… to display the Drawing Selection Options

dialog. Select All then press OK.
8Y^d The Advanced option enables you to create a database query that will filter the
component records displayed in the Database View dialog.
" After creating your selection set, the Database View dialog displays as shown below. Use the
scroll bar to view the entire list of component records.
8Y^d You can select a record in this dialog and press Go To to zoom into the selected
component and center it within the display, or press Edit to execute the Database
Tools/Edit Component function on the component.
# Press Cancel to close the dialog.
E@41D9>7 3?=@?>5>DC
AutoPLANT applications make extensive use of databases to track and manage component data.
This includes the use of specification databases to extract the parametric data used to draw
components, as well as a drawing database to store information about the components in a drawing
or model. By storing component information in an external database, a high level of control can be
maintained over the components in a drawing.
For example, an engineer may determine that the pressure rating of a given line must be upgraded
because of the demands of the system, or that the material of a given line should be changed from
carbon steel to stainless. The Update Component function enables you to create a selection set of
components that match user-defined criteria, then to specify a new value for a selected drawing
database field and apply that value to update the drawing database records for all selected
components.

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Changes can be made to component records in the current drawing, or to component records in
multiple drawings. The following example demonstrates how to define a selection set of
components, then revise the line number drawing database field value for every component in the
selection set.
D? B5F9C5 D85 <9>5 >E=25B
! Select Piping/Database Tools/Update Components… to display the Drawing Selection Options

dialog shown below.
8Y^d This example demonstrates how to revise a line number. The same techniques described
here can be used to select and revise other component drawing database field values.
" This is the same dialog that appeared when you selected the Auto-Pipe command earlier in this
tutorial. This selection dialog displays whenever a command may be applied to more than one
component. Select Advanced, then press OK.
# The Advanced option displays the following dialog to enable you to define a search criteria that
will be used to define the selection set of components included in the update. This dialog
enables you to create a selection set of components based on the value of a specific drawing
database field, or based on drawing attributes, such as Color or Layer. In this example, you
will define a query condition to select all components in the model whose LINENUMBER
drawing database field value is L100.
8Y^d Press the dialog’s Help button for a detailed explanation of every dialog option.
Tutorial 6-9

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$ The Query Selection area of the dialog enables you to select a query from those that have been
previously defined, or were included with the shipping version of the software. Since you only
want to apply this query to the current drawing and do not want to save it for future use, you
can ignore the settings in Query Selection area of the dialog.
% The Define Query area of the dialog is where you define the condition that will be used to
select the component records. The Type field indicates the drawing database table that will be
searched. To only include piping components in the search, select the Piping Data table.
& The Attribute Field drop-down list will now list all fields in the PIPING drawing database
table. Select the LINENUMBER field from this list. The list of fields in this drop-down list is
extracted from the drawing database.
' The Constraint field defines the relationship between the Attribute Field and its value. For
example, you can specify that you want to search for all component records whose line
number is L100 (LINENUMBER = L100), or for all component records whose line number is
NOT L100 (LINENUMBER != L100). Select the equal “=” Constraint.
( Specify the desired field value in the Attribute field. There are two methods available to
specify the value: you can type it directly in the space provided, or select it from a list. Press
the browse button (shown at left) to display the dialog shown in the following figure.

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When Browse is pressed, PIPING will search the drawing database and compile a list of
unique values for the selected attribute. The Filter List Content field enables you to filter the
list of entries displayed in the dialog. For example, if you have a large drawing that contains
hundreds of line numbers and only want to select from line numbers that begin with the
characters L2, you can filter the display of line number entries in this dialog by entering L2%
in the Filter List Content field, then pressing Reselect. The "%" implies a wild card of any
number of characters. You may also use the underscore character "_" to imply a wild card of
any single character. Select L100, then press OK.
) The last step is to add the query to the active list, then execute the query. As each query is
defined, you must add it to the Active Queries list. In this manner, you can construct a highly
detailed search by adding multiple queries in combination with the And and Or operators (refer
to on-line help for more information). This example is a simple one: press Add-> to add the
query to the Active Queries list as shown below.
Tutorial 6-11

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>_dU The Include XREF's check box at the bottom of this dialog is provided to enable you to
also update the components that in attached xref'd drawings.
! Press OK to execute the query.

!! The Update Component Data Fields dialog displays as shown in the following figure. Change
the L100 value in the Edit Field box to L300 then press OK.
8Y^d By default, LINENUMBER is the only field that appears in this dialog. You can revise it to
include as many fields from the drawing database as desired. Select Piping/Setup/
Component Update Preferences…. Refer to the on-line help for more information.
!" All components whose LINENUMBER drawing database field value was previously set to
L100 are updated so that their LINENUMBER field value is now L300.
To check the update, select Piping/Database Tools/Edit Component, then select one of the
components previously belonging to L100 (For example, any segment of pipe between the tee
and the vertical vessel). Confirm that L300 now appears in the Line Number field, then press
OK to close the dialog.

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As components are placed, the drawing database is continually updated. If a component is placed
in the model and then later erased, the drawing database would contain a record for a component
that no longer exists in the drawing. In order to ensure the database accurately reflects the current
state of the model, you should clean the database periodically.
D? 3<51> D85 41D121C5
! Select Piping/Database Tools/Clean Database to display the dialog shown below.
" A brief description of each of these options is provided below.
>1=5 45C3B9@D9?>
Clean Database Enable this check box to synchronize the external drawing database so that it will match the
Records contents of the current drawing. Any database record that exists without a corresponding
graphic component is removed.
Clean Fasteners Enable this check box to remove both the CAD and external database entries for those
fasteners that are no longer joining two components together. For example, if a weld is
connecting a pipe and an elbow and the elbow is removed, the weld is left, unless also
manually removed. This operation will clean up such fasteners.
Clean Graphics On rare occasions a graphic component is created without a corresponding database
Data record. This implies there is no intelligence associated with this component. Enable this
check box to move those graphical components that exist without an associated database
record to the piping_orphan layer.
Display Status This enables you to "quietly" clean the database. Current cleaning statistics are still
Dialogs reported to the command line, but the total information dialog will not be reported if this
option is left unchecked. This enables an operator to request the clean operation and allow
the entire process to be executed without interaction.
Enable all of the check boxes, then press OK. Status messages will display on the command line to
indicate changes to the drawing during this process.
Tutorial 6-13

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The following important features and concepts were introduced in this chapter.
Viewing Component Information: A component database record can be viewed directly

with the Edit Component command. A two-page dialog will display general component
information, port information, and a list of drawing database field values for the selected
component.
Editing Component Information: Component data can be edited from the same Edit
Component dialog. Editable fields can be distinguished as white text boxes in the dialog.
Input the new value and press OK to update the record.
Viewing the Drawing Database: Component records in the drawing database can be
viewed directly from within PIPING. Select Piping/Database Tools/View Database…. A
dialog displays a list of component records in the drawing database.
Updating Components: The Piping/Database Tools/Update Components… function can be
used to update the value of a drawing database field for a selection set of components.
The update function can work in the current model, or may include components in
xreferenced drawings multiple drawings.
Cleaning the Database: As a drawing is constructed, records are written to the drawing
database. If a component is erased from the model, a record still exists in the drawing
database until it is removed using the Clean Database command. This command should be
executed periodically to keep the drawing database synchronized with the model.
G81DµC >5HD/
In the next chapter, you will learn how to use PIPING’s Drawing Production commands to setup
tiled viewports in Layout View (Paper Space), then place dimensions and annotation text in the
drawing. Rebis encourages the use of layouts (paper space) to perform these activities as it ensures
the model will be kept clutter-free. It also helps to visualize how the final production plot will look
and enables you to conveniently manipulate several views of your drawing in one environment.

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This chapter explains how production drawings are created from a PIPING model.
The concept of a Work Area is explained, and two saved Work Area views are
inserted into Paper Space. Each of these viewports is dimensioned and annotated to
create a Plan and Sectional view of the model on the same drawing sheet.
OVERVIEW 7-2
SETTING UP PAPER SPACE 7-3
WORK AREA 7-5
DIMENSIONS 7-16
ANNOTATION 7-22
CREATING AND ANNOTATING A SECTION 7-28
CHAPTER REVIEW 7-30

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This chapter introduces PIPING’s drawing production commands. Two key concepts: Work Space
and Work Space Views, are discussed in detail. Two Work Space Views are defined and placed in
Paper Space as a Plan and Sectional view. Later in the chapter, dimension and annotation tools are
demonstrated. After completing these exercises, your drawing will look similar to the one shown
below.
256?B5 I?E CD1BD

Before you begin these exercises, open the drawing created in the previous chapter. If you have not
completed the model created in Chapter 5, return to that section of the tutorial and create it. You
will be extracting the updated valve tag and line numbers assigned in Chapter 6, and placing these
values as annotation.

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C
C5DD9>7 E@ @1@5B C@135

Rebis encourages its users to dimension and annotate in Paper Space (Layout). For those of you
unfamiliar with Paper Space, it provides an environment to construct several views of your
drawing and place them on a virtual “sheet” of paper. To facilitate the use of Paper Space, drawing
production tools have been provided, which make it easy to create and place single or multiple
orthogonal projections of the model on the same drawing sheet. It is then a simple matter to add
dimensions and annotation.
Another advantage of paper space is that it keeps the model clutter-free. You can place dimension
lines, annotation, and Bill of Materials in paper space, without worrying about freezing these
layers in order to view a “clean” representation of the model.
The remaining exercises in this chapter (and the next) rely on the use of Paper Space.
D? C5DE@ @1@5B C@135

! You should still have the PIPE01.DWG {PIPEM.DWG}model open. Type PLAN and press
x twice to view the entire model.
" Move into Paper Space using one of the following methods:
AutoCAD R14
Double-click on the word TILE in the status bar, or
Select View/Paper Space, or
Type tilemode 0 at the command line
AutoCAD 2000
Click on the Layout1 tab, or
Type tilemode 0 at the command line
ACAD R14: If running in AutoCAD R14, the Paper Space icon replaces the standard Model
Space USC icon to indicate that you are now defining objects that will go on the sheet. The
next step is to insert a title block.
ACAD 2000: If running in AutoCAD 2000, the Page Setup dialog displays when you click on
the Layout tab to enable you to setup the Layout’s plotter and paper size. Click on the Plot
Device tab. For this tutorial, select the DWF_Classic.pc3 plotter driver from the plotter Name
list. This plotter driver provides the page size options required to complete this tutorial. Click
on the Layout Setting tab, then select ANSI D (34.00 x 22.00 inches) }from the Paper Size drop-
down list. Metric users can use the ISO expand A2 (594mm x 420mm) paper size. Press OK to
accept the plotter configuration. Type E and press x, then select a point on the border of the
default viewport placed on the layout and press x to delete it. You will add viewports using
AutoPLANT’s Drawing Production commands later in this exercise.
Tutorial 7-3
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C5DD9>7 E@ @1@5B C@135
# Select Piping/Drawing Production/Drawing Setup….

$ The prompt
Align/Create/Scale viewports/Workarea views/Options/Title block/Undo: t
displays. Type T, then press x to insert a standard AutoCAD title block.
% The prompt
Delete objects/Origin/Undo/<Insert title block>:
displays. Press x to display the title block selection dialog shown below.
>_dU The title block drawings shown in this dialog are controlled by the current configuration.
In the configuration you can define the directory used to display the available border
drawings.
& Select the dbord.dwg {a2bord} border file, then press OK. The Edit Attributes dialog displays
as shown below. You can input the drawing name and file name in the fields provided to
include them in attribute blocks in the border. Type PIPING TUTORIAL MODEL in the
DOC_NAME field, then press OK. The string entered in the DOC_NAME field will
automatically be placed on the title block when it is inserted.

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' The ANSI-D {ISO-A2} Size title block is placed as shown in the following figure. Press x
to end the title block insertion command.
( Return to model space:

ACAD R14: Type tilemode 1, then press x, or double-click on the word TILE in the AutoCAD
status bar.
ACAD 2000: Click on the Model tab.
G?B; 1B51
Now that the title block has been placed in Paper Space, you can return to Model space to define
the areas of the model that will be placed on the sheet.
G81D 9C 1 G?B; 1B51/

During the generation of plant models and drawings, it is frequently necessary to xreference
drawings from a variety of disciplines. Xreferencing drawings enables you to visualize how
elements from various models will look when overlayed, and ensures proper connectivity among
these elements.
For example, before placing piping elements, you might normally xreference steel and equipment
drawings in order to ensure placement at the proper coordinates (i.e., connecting a flange directly
to an xreferenced equipment nozzle). Similarly, drafters and designers from these other disciplines
might need to xreference the piping drawing. The Drawing Production utilities drastically simplify
this process by providing a mechanism to define a common Work Area. Individual drawings can
be added to a Work Area in order to create a set of saved xreferenced drawings that overlay each
other.
Tutorial 7-5
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G ?B; 1B51
Step 1: W ork A reas a re de fin ed in the W ork A rea Se tup dialog
= C urrent D ra w ing
P IPIN G
L200
= R eferenced D raw in g
P IP IN G
L 100 W ork A rea E Q U IP M E N T
PROCESS AREA 1
STEEL If P IP IN G L 200 is a M em ber of the

W ork A rea , the n it w ill be X referenced
w hen other m em be rs (i.e., ST E E L ) ope n
this W ork A rea.
After the Work Area is defined, three-dimensional viewing cubes can be defined and associated.
These views represent coordinates within the Plant Model which are shared by the set of
referenced drawings. The view direction, scale, front and back clipping planes, etc. can also be
saved with the view.
Step 2: D efine the 3D V iew s (C lipping Planes) from the W ork A rea V iew s d ialo g.
Vie w A rea 2
V V-IN
View A rea 1
H V-O U T = N am ed View w ith Front,
B a ck, a nd E levation clipping
After the Views are created, they can be:
Applied: When in Model Space, an applied Work Area View is similar to a saved View Name
that includes the set of referenced drawings. The result is a working view, which can be shared
among all team members, or across multiple drawings.
Inserted: When in Paper Space, Work Area Views can be inserted as tiled viewports. Match
lines and plant coordinates can be automatically placed along with the graphic, and users can

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
G ?B; 1B51
edit the orthogonal projection of the view. The ability to create and edit orthogonal views is
useful in generating a variety of sectional views from the same Work Area.
Step 3: P lace th e n am e d view s in P ape r Space o r view them in M ode l Space
The Work Area tools are versatile and powerful. The next several exercises demonstrate how to
create Work Areas, assign Views to the Work Area, and then how to place these views in Paper
Space.
3B51D9>7 1 G?B; 1B51

In this section, you will define a new Work Area. The file that is created by this process is a
*.RWA (Rebis Work Area) file that can be saved on a local or a network drive. Drawings added to
the Work Area as Members will be available to any other drawings that share the same Work Area.
Drawings that join as Guests will xreference the specified set of drawings without becoming a
permanent member of this group. Each of these concepts will be explained during the following
procedure.
D? 3B51D5 1 G?B; C@135

! Select Piping/Drawing Production/Work Area Setup… to display the Work Area Setup dialog
shown below.
Tutorial 7-7
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
G ?B; 1B51
" Press New.

# A standard Windows file selection dialog displays as shown below. Type TUTOR in the File
name field. The next step is to specify the location where the file will be created. Save the
Work Area on the same local drive where your tutorial model resides (for example,
C:\TUTOR\TUTOR.RWA). After specifying the file name and navigating to the directory
where it will be stored, press Save.
8Y^d If you save the file on a shared network drive, other drawings can be added to the Work
Area by other users.
$ The Work Area Setup dialog displays. The filename specified in the previous step now appears
in the title bar.
% In the Title field, type TUTORIAL WORK AREA.

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G?B; 1B51
& For this tutorial, the current drawing is the only one defined in the Work Area. Enable the
Member radio button from the Membership Status area. Notice that the current drawing is
immediately added to the list of referenced drawings. The Member Status determines the
relationship between the current drawing and the Work Area’s referenced drawings as follows:
CD1DEC 45C3B9@D9?>
Guest The current drawing is not added to the list of drawings associated with the Work Area. Joining
as a Guest allows you to view how the current drawing is positioned in relation to the
referenced drawings; however, your drawing will not be visible when this same Work Area is
opened from one of the Member drawings.
Member The current drawing is permanently added to the list of referenced drawings, and will be visible
when the Work Area is opened from one of the other Member drawings.
Non-Member When this option is selected, the drawings in the Work Area are not visible inside the current
drawing. Use this option to recall saved views or to place view ports in Paper Space using the
coordinates associated with the selected Work Area (without including reference drawing
information or graphics).
( Notice that when a drawing in the Reference Drawings list is highlighted, the Insertion Point
fields are enabled. This enables you to insert a drawing in the Work Area at specific
coordinates. You can specify the coordinates manually. Use the Pick option to graphically
designate the point, or accept the default origin (0,0,0). In this tutorial, you will accept the
default.
>_dU The Reference Drawings area contains a list of the drawings associated with the Work
Area. Files are added to this list by pressing Add and selecting the file. Drawings
referenced in this way are linked to the current drawing using AutoCAD’s XREF/Overlay
command (as opposed to XREF/Attach).
) When the dialog appears as shown in the following figure, press Save to save the Work Area
definition, then press Done to exit the dialog. The Work Area is now defined. Once the dialog
is closed, the referenced drawings overlay the current drawing. In this example, since there is
only one drawing, there are no xreferenced elements visible after closing the dialog.
Tutorial 7-9
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G ?B; 1B51
4569>9>7 G?B; 1B51 F95GC

A set of views can be associated with a saved Work Area. In this section, two Work Area Views
will be created: The first view is a top (plan) view of the entire model. The second is a front view
section of lines L200 and L300.
3bUQdY^W dXU @\Q^ FYUg
D? 4569>5 D85 69BCD G?B; 1B51 F95G

! Select Piping/Drawing Production/Work Area Views….
>_dU If the Work Area Views command is selected and a Work Area has not been opened in
the current drawing, you are prompted to select an RWA file. Otherwise, the dialog opens
the last Work Area that was active.
" The Work Area Views dialog displays as shown below.

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G ?B; 1B51
# Note that there are no views associated with this Work Area. Press Add from the Views group
to define a new Work Area View.
$ The View Properties dialog displays as shown below. This dialog enables you to define a
three-dimensional cube within the plant/model world. The coordinates are defined in the 3D
Envelope area of the dialog. Once the cube is defined, you can specify the side (view) that will
display in the Work Area View. The active projection is illustrated by a red box in the tile
window. These views can be applied in Model Space, or placed as tiles in Paper Space.
% In the View Title field, type AREA 1 - PLAN VIEW.

& The View selection list determines the view direction. For example, after defining the
geometry of the three-dimensional view (in the 3D Envelope area of the dialog), you must
choose a side of the cube to view. Only orthogonal projections are permitted (Front, Back,
Left, Right, Top, Bottom). Select Top to display the plan view.
Tutorial 7-11
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
G ?B; 1B51
>_dU The graphic on the left is updated based on the selected View. For example, if you select
Front, the front side of the cube is highlighted in red.
' Set the Scale to ½”=1’0” {1:30}. The scale applies when placing Work Area Views as tiled
viewports in Paper Space.
( The View Options are annotation and layer control options that are applied when the Work
Area View is placed as a viewport in Paper Space. The Match Line setting draws a border
around the viewport in Paper Space. The Coordinates display the plant world coordinates
from which the view was “cut,” provided the Match Line option was enabled. The Clipping
options exclude components (or parts of components) that do not lie within the boundaries of
the 3D Envelope. The Viewport Visible option causes ALL AutoCAD viewport borders to
become visible in the drawing. This option must be enabled if you want to be able to re-
position viewports after they have been inserted. Make the following selections:
The View Options are

only applied to Work
Area Views placed in
Paper Space
) The next step is to specify the 3D Envelope settings. These points define the boundaries of the
three-dimensional viewing cube. The First Point and Second Point fields determine the
opposite corners of a box projected on the model from the plan. You can input these
coordinates manually, or interactively select them from the plan view of the model. The
Elevation fields determine the Top and Bottom clipping planes, which define the height of the
three-dimensional Work Area View. Input the following values:
First Point East 7’ {2100}
North 28’ {8500}
Second Point East 36’ {11085}
North 4’ {1240}
8Y^d You can pick these points manually by selecting the Pick View Area by Window option,
then picking the window from the Plan view of the model. If you are creating a Top view,
it is not necessary to specify elevation values. However, if you are creating a sectional
view (Front, Left, Right, Back), you must specify Upper and Lower values to designate
the height of the box. A sectional view is created later in this chapter.
! Press OK to close the View Properties dialog. Changes to the view properties are saved
automatically.
!! Control is restored to the Work Area Views dialog. Notice that AREA 1- PLAN VIEW is now
listed in the window. Select the new view and press Preview.
!" The dialog temporarily closes, and a dashed red line is drawn around the defined view. Press
x to return to the dialog. In the next section, you will create a Front View section.

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G ?B; 1B51
3bUQdY^W Q CUSdY_^Q\ FYUg
D? 3B51D5 1 C53D9?>1< F95G

! From the Work Area Views dialog, press Add to display the View Properties dialog.
" Type AREA 1 - FRONT VIEW in the View Title field.

# From the View selection list, choose Front. Notice that the tile graphic to the left changes to
indicate that a Front View projection has been selected.
$ Set the Scale to ¾”=1’ {1:20}.
% Choose the following View Options:
>_dU The Coordinates option, which was not selected in the previous view, will annotate the
plant coordinates of the projected view.
& Input the following values to define the 3D View Envelope. Note that Elevation values are
required for the Front View projection.
First Point East 11’ {3200}
North 23’ {6742}
Second Point East 28’ {8375}
North 12’ {3758}
Tutorial 7-13
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G ?B; 1B51
Elevation Upper 8’6” {2580}

Lower 1’3” {450}
7. Press OK to close the View Properties dialog and add the front view to the Work Area.
( Press Preview to confirm that the new view encloses the two pipe lines in the model.
) Press x to return to the Work Area Views dialog, then press Close to exit. REGEN to remove
the dashed view envelope.
@<139>7 G?B; 1B51 F95GC 9> @1@5B C@135

In this section, you will place the two Work Area Views in Paper Space. Later in the chapter, the
viewports will be dimensioned and annotated.
D? @<135 F95GC 9> @1@5B C@135

! ACAD R14: Type TILEMODE 0 then press x, or double-click on the word TILE in
AutoCAD’s status bar.
ACAD 2000: Click on the Layout tab.
" Select Piping/Drawing Production/Work Area Views….
# Select AREA 1 - PLAN VIEW from the list, then press Insert in Drawing.
$ The dialog closes, a ghost image of the tile is anchored to the crosshairs, and the prompt
Insert point of viewport
displays. You can select a point in the drawing or input one at the command line. Type 9",1'2"
{225,350} and press x.
% The plan view of the tutorial model is placed in Paper Space as shown below, and the Work
Area Views dialog displays.

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
G ?B; 1B51
& Select AREA 1 - FRONT VIEW, then press Insert in Drawing.

' The dialog closes, a ghost image of the tile is anchored to the crosshairs, and the prompt
Insert point of viewport
displays. Position the second viewport as shown below.
( Press Close to exit.

) Examine the drawing. Note the effect enabling the Coordinates option had on the second tile.
Coordinates appear along the border of the viewport. These specify the East, West, and
Elevation values from which the section was generated.
Tutorial 7-15
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
4 9=5>C9?>C
>_dU The size of the coordinate text is determined by the current value of AutoCAD’s DIMTXT
system variable.
49=5>C9?>C
PIPING relies on AutoCAD for its dimensioning tools. In general, you should refer to your
AutoCAD documentation for instructions on using their dimension commands and the capabilities
of these features. In this section, a few exercises are presented to illustrate the dimension
placement process.
>_dU For users already accustomed to the use of Paper Space, you should be aware that we
have defined the DIMLFAC environment variable. This variable sets a global scale factor
for linear dimensioning measurements. All linear distances measured by dimensioning
(including radii, diameters, and coordinates) are multiplied by the DIMLFAC setting
before being converted to dimension text. This means that even though you will be
selecting points from within paper space, the dimension values will reflect the distances
in the model.
D? @B5@1B5 D85 =?45< 6?B 49=5>C9?>9>7
Before beginning these dimension exercises, establish the dimensioning and annotation preferences
outlined below in the AutoCAD environment indicated.
1ED?314 B!$
! Type DDIM and press x to display AutoCAD’s Dimension Styles dialog.
" Select Geometry to open AutoCAD’s Geometry dialog. Type 1/8” {3} in the Arrowhead Size
field, then press OK.
# Press Annotation to open AutoCAD’s Annotation dialog.
$ Type 1/8” {3} in the Text Height field.
% Press the Units button on the Annotation dialog to display AutoCAD’s Primary Units dialog.
& Select Architectural Stacked {Decimal} from the Units selection list, then select 1/16” {0.00} in
the Dimension Precision field as shown above. Press OK to close the Primary Units dialog.
' Press OK to close AutoCAD’s Annotation dialog, then press OK again to close the Dimension
Styles dialog.
1ED?314 "
! Type DDIM and press x to display AutoCAD’s Dimension Style Manager dialog.
" Press Modify to override the current settings.
# On the Lines and Arrows tab, type 1/8” {3} in the Arrow size field.

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
4 9=5>C9?>C
$ Click on the Text tab, then type 1/8” {3} in the Text height field.
% Click on the Primary Units tab. Ensure that the Unit format is set to Architectural {Decimal} and
that the Fraction format is set to Horizontal. Set the Precision to 1/16” {0.00}.
& Press OK, then press Close to exit.
You are now ready to dimension the drawing. The annotation settings were also established when
you set the annotation text height.
D? @<135 49=5>C9?>C
! Zoom Window around the boundaries of the first viewport as shown below.
" The quickest method to execute AutoCAD’s dimensioning commands is through a toolbar.
Select View/Toolbars… to display the Toolbars dialog. Enable the Dimension check-box to
open the Dimension toolbar shown below, then press Close to exit the dialog.
8Y^d You can either dock this toolbar to the perimeter of the screen or leave it floating,
depending on your preference and working style.
# Select Tools/Drafting Settings… to display the Drafting Settings dialog, then select the Snap
and Grid tab and disable the Snap On check box to turn the snap mode OFF for this exercise.
Press OK to exit the dialog.
$ Press the Linear Dimension button on the toolbar.
% The prompt
Tutorial 7-17
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
4 9=5>C9?>C
Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: end of

displays. The following Figure serves as a guide to the picks required to place the first
dimension line, which runs from the centerline of the horizontal vessel to the centerpoint on
the elbow on Line L100. Type END and press x, then select PT1.
& The prompt
Specify a second extension line origin or [Undo/Select] <Select>: center of
displays. Type CEN and press x, then select PT2.
' The prompt
Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]::
displays. Pick point PT3 to the left of the pick points to place the dimension line and text. The
drawing appears as shown in the following Figure.
PT1 END
of
NOD
PT3 PT2
of
END
PT4
of
( To continue dimensioning from the last point, press the Continue Dimension button on the
Dimensioning toolbar. The prompt
Specify a second extension line origin or (UNDO/<Select>): end of
displays. Type END and press x, then select the point labeled PT4 in the Figure above. The
second dimension line is placed as shown below. Press } to end the command.

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
4 9=5>C9?>C
) Now you will dimension the points shown below. Select the Linear Dimension command, type
END and press x, then pick the vessel reference seam labeled PT5 in the Figure below.
END
PT9 of
END
of PT5
END
PT10 of
CEN CEN
PT6 of PT8 of
PT7
! Type CEN and press x, then pick PT6.

!! Place the dimension line approximately at PT7.
Tutorial 7-19
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
4 9=5>C9?>C
!" Press the Continue Dimension button. The prompt

Specify a second extension line origin or (UNDO/<Select>): center of
displays. Using the AutoCAD snap overrides for each point shown in the figure, pick points
PT8-PT10. Press } when done to finish the dimensioning. The drawing appears as shown in
the Figure below.
In this last phase, you will place an angular dimension to highlight the angle of the nozzle
connected to the vertical vessel.
D? @<135 1> 1>7E<1B 49=5>C9?>

! Press the Angular Dimension button on the toolbar.
" The prompt
Select arc, circle, line, or <specify vertex>:
displays. Press x.
# The prompt
Specify angle vertex: cen of
displays. Type Cen and press x, then select any point on the outline of the vertical vessel
shell to pick the point in the center of the outline.

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
49=5>C9?>C
$ The prompt
Specify first angle endpoint: nod of
displays. Type NODE and press x, then select the node on the away-facing elbow near the
vessel’s nozzle.
% The prompt
Specify second angle endpoint:
displays. With ORTHO ON i, select any point on the dimension line attached to the west end
of the vertical vessel.
& The prompt
Specify dimension arc line location (Mtext/Text/Angle):
displays, and a ghost image of the 45-degree angular dimension is centered on the crosshairs.
Position it as shown below.
Tutorial 7-21
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
1>>?D1D9?>
1>>?D1D9?>
In this section, you will place annotation on the drawing. You will annotate the valve’s Main Size
and Tag, and place Line Number annotation on the two lines running from the horizontal vessel.
Like dimensions, annotation should be placed in Paper Space.
5CD12<9C89>7 1>>?D1D9?> @B565B5>35C

Unlike dimensioning, a special set of annotation commands have been provided which are unique
to the PIPING application. Annotation commands enable you to extract drawing database values
and properties associated with a selected component and insert this information as text in the
drawing. Preferences can be established so that annotation is placed with or without leader lines,
drawn with a container around the text, associated with a block, etc. The method for controlling
these preferences is the Annotation Preferences dialog, shown below. To open this dialog, select
Piping/Annotation/Preferences….
Notice that when the dialog first opens, Default Settings is listed in the Annotation Style field. You
can establish settings that are applied to all annotation types, or select a specific type from the
Annotation Style list box to define properties unique to that type. In the first several exercises, you
will be using the default values. Press OK to close the dialog. Later you will re-open this dialog to
place rotated text as the default. (If using a Metric configuration, accept the default settings also).

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
1>>?D1D9?>
F1<F5 1>>?D1D9?>
In this section, you will annotate a valve’s main size and tag.
D? 1>>?D1D5 D85 F1<F5µC =19> C9J5

! Zoom into the area shown in the Figure below.
" Select Piping/Annotation/Database Fields/Main Size. Notice that as soon as the annotation
command is selected, the drawing switches to Model Space. This enables you to select the
component in Model Space. When the annotation is placed, PIPING automatically switches
back to Paper Space for the placement of the annotation.
# The prompt
Select the component:
displays. Pick the point at the center of the gate valve.
$ The prompt
Annotation location:
displays. You can select multiple leaderline points to position the annotation. Pick point a
point to the right of the valve, then press x to complete the definition of the leader line and
place the annotation as shown below.
Tutorial 7-23
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
1>>?D1D9?>
% The prompt
Format/Edit vertex/Rotate/Move/Annotation/eXit <X>: x
displays. The placement prompts enble you to control how annotation is placed. You can
rotate the text, format it, insert blocks, etc. Press x to complete the placement.
8Y^d If you prefer to place annotation without seeing this prompt, you can select another
Placement Method from the Annotation Preferences dialog.
& The prompt

Select component:
displays. The annotation command is automatically repeated to enable you to place several
instances of size annotation in your drawing. To end the command, press x.
8Y^d To exit the command immediately after placing annotation, choose a different Placement
Method from the Annotation Preferences dialog.
D? 1>>?D1D5 D85 3?=@?>5>D D17
In the previous chapter, you defined a valve tag using the Edit Component command. In this
section, the Tag value will be extracted from the drawing database and placed as annotation.
! Select Piping/Annotation/Tags/Component Tag. The prompt

Select component:
displays. Select the center of the gate valve.
" A dialog displays showing the current Tag field value for the selected component. To accept
the current value, A2R, press OK. The prompt
displays. You can select multiple leaderline points to position the annotation. Pick a point to
the left of the valve, then press x. Press x again to complete the definition of the leader
line and place the annotation as shown below. Press x, then press x to exit the command.

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1 >>?D1D9?>
<9>5 >E=25B 1>>?D1D9?>

Now you will annotate the line numbers of the pipe lines connected to the horizontal vessel. If you
remember from previous exercises, the line on the west nozzle was revised from L100 to L300,
while the line on the east nozzle remains L200.
D? 381>75 D85 1>>?D1D9?> @B565B5>35C

! Select Piping/Annotation/Preferences….
" We’re going to revise the annotation preferences associated with line numbers. From the
Annotation Style list box, select LineNo.
# Type 90 in the Text Rotation field, then disable the following options:
Container
Hookline
Arrowhead
$ Set the remaining options as shown below, then press OK to save the new values and close the
dialog. (For Metric configuration, set the Height to 3mm).
Tutorial 7-25
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1>>?D1D9?>
D? 1>>?D1D5 D85 <9>5 >E=25BC

! Zoom out to display both lines off the horizontal vessel as shown below.
Imperial
Metric
" Select Piping/Annotation/Line Number/Line No. Short to display the prompt:

Select the component: cen of
Type CEN and press x, then pick a point at the center of the away-facing elbow on line
L300.
# The prompt
displays. Select a point below the dimension line to place the annotation.
$ Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for the away-facing elbow on line L200. When complete, the line
numbers are annotated as shown in the Figure below.

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
1 >>?D1D9?>
Imperial
Metric
Tutorial 7-27
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
3B51D9>7 1>4 1>>?D1D9>7 1 C53D9?>
3B51D9>7 1>4 1>>?D1D9>7 1 C53D9?>

Earlier in this chapter, you created the AREA 1 - FRONT VIEW Work Area. This view was placed in
Paper Space to create a sectional view of the model. Using the annotation and dimensioning
techniques demonstrated on the first viewport, you should be able to obtain a section that appears
as shown below.
Imperial
Metric

4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
B51D9>7 1>4 1>>?D1D9>7 1 C53D9?>
3
Zoom extents to view the entire drawing sheet as shown below.
Tutorial 7-29
4B1G9>7 @B?4E3D9?>
381@D5B B5F95G
381@D5B B5F95G
Working with Paper Space (Layouts): Paper Space is the recommended work environment for
placing dimension lines and annotation text. It keeps the model clutter-free, and enables you to
define and arrange several viewports on a single sheet for plotting.
Work Area Definition: A Work Area is a set of referenced drawings that share the same
physical location in a plant layout. Members of the Work Area can view each others’ drawings
and data. Guests of the Work Area can only view drawings that are permanent to the group.
Work Area Views can be associated with Work Areas.
Work Area Views: A Work Area View is a three-dimensional cube that exists at defined
coordinates that is specific to a saved Work Area. Members of the Work Area can apply saved
views to their current drawings. In model space, this creates shared working views. Placing a
Work Area View in Paper Space will ensure consistency in production drawing output among
various members of a Work Area.
Dimensioning: Dimensioning in Paper Space relies on AutoCAD’s dimensioning commands.

After the Paper Space is properly configured, dimensioning is a simple matter of picking the
points in the drawing between which dimension lines and distance text should be placed. The
use of AutoCAD’s DIMLFAC command ensures there is a proper correspondence between
paper space and model space units.
Annotation: Like dimensions, we encourage you to place annotation in Paper Space. When an
annotation command is selected, the model will automatically switch into Model Space to
enable you to select a component to annotate. An Annotation Preferences dialog enables you
to specify whether or not leader lines are included, containers are placed around the text, and
other variables that can be associated with individual annotation styles.
Creating a Section: In PIPING, a section is created by defining an Elevation Work View, then
placing this view in Paper Space. Commands are available in the View Properties dialog to
place coordinates along the boundary of the view. This helps to annotate the relative
coordinates from which the section was created.
G81DµC >5HD/
In the next chapter, you will remain in Paper Space to place a Bill of Materials. The options in the
Bill of Materials dialog will be discussed, as well as the placement procedure.

381@D5B
75>5B1D9>7129<<?6=1D5B91<C (
In this chapter, you will learn how to generate a Bill of Materials and place it on the
drawing sheet.
OVERVIEW 8-2
GENERATING THE BILL OF MATERIALS 8-3
RETURNING TO MODEL SPACE 8-7
CHAPTER REVIEW 8-8
SUMMARY 8-8
75>5B1D9>7 1 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
( ?F5BF95G
?F5BF95G
AutoPLANT provides functions to generate a Bill of Materials (BOM) for placement on your
drawing, or to generate external reports that are not placed on the drawing.
A Bill of Materials may be placed in either Model or Paper Space; however, as in previous
chapters, the emphasis here will be on placing this report in Paper Space. This exercise
demonstrates how to generate a standard BOM that is placed on the drawing sheet. Other report
options are available to generate reports that can be viewed on-screen, sent to a file, or sent to a
printer. You can also generate equipment lists, nozzle schedules, and create customized reports.
For more information on generating reports, refer to PIPING’s on-line help file.
Several options are available to generate the BOM, including the ability to ignore components
marked as “existing” and to recalculate cutlengths. Formatting options are also available to control
the appearance of the BOM. After you generate and place the Bill of Materials in this chapter, the
drawing will appear as shown below.
>_dU Before beginning these exercises, you should have completed all exercises in the
previous chapters.

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75>5B1D9>7 D85 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
75>5B1D9>7 D85 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C

In this section, a Bill of Materials will be generated from your tutorial model. PIPING makes
BOM placement easy. After the command is selected, PIPING examines the drawing database and
compiles a list of the piping components in the model. You are then prompted to select a
placement point.
D? 75>5B1D5 D85 2?=

! Select Piping/Reports/Bill of Materials….
" The Bill of Materials dialog displays. This dialog provides access to Bill of Materials
reporting and configuration options. Select BOMCADStandard from the Report drop-down list,
then set the remaining dialog values as shown.
Tutorial 8-3
75>5B1D9>7 1 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
( 75>5B1D9>7 D85 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
Descriptions of these options are provided below:
695<4 45C3B9@D9?>
Report Select the desired report type. For PIPING and ISOMETRICS, available reports are
as follows:
BOMCADCutLengths: BOM with individual cutlengths for insertion in the drawing.
BOMCADStandard: BOM with accumulated cutlengths for insertion in the drawing.
BOMCADSFCutLengths: BOM with individual cutlengths with components sorted
according to Shop/Field designations.
BOMCADMaintenance: BOM with individual cutlengths and all other components
listed individually.
BOMTotal: BOM with accumulated cutlengths and weight.
BOMWeight: BOM with accumulated weights for each component type.
BOMRounded: BOM that will round up cutlengths to the nearest foot or meter.
Report File Displays the file name associated with the selected Report Type.
Units The units reported on the Bill of Materials. The BOM units can be different than the
units in the current drawing. The choices are Metric, Imperial, and Mixed Metric.
Precision Select the level of numeric precision reported for pipe lengths.
Suppress 0 These options are read-only, and display the settings as set for by AutoCAD’s
Feet/Inches DIMZIN environment variable. Only the imperial (architectural) settings are currently
honored. Refer to your AutoCAD documentation for more information.
Bore Precision Assigns the precision of the display of the bolt nominal size.
Omit Codes When you place an AutoPLANT component the SORT_CODE value from its spec
record is written to its drawing database record (e.g., SORT_CODE=17 for pipe, and
SORT_CODE=1 for Weldneck Flange). This value controls whether components will
be omitted from B.O.M. processing. Components whose sort order code is greater
than this value will be omitted from the BOM.
Ignore Existing PIPING components can be marked as Existing using the Edit Component command
Components to distinguish components that already exist in the field, and those that are part of a
new design or revision. You may then update the drawings associated with a
particular system, and generate a Bill of Materials that contains only those
components that did not previously exist.
Enable the Ignore Existing Components field to omit components marked as Existing
from the BOM.
Clean Database This option removes those fasteners that are no longer used for connecting
Fasteners components. For example if a pipe is welded to an elbow and the elbow is removed
but the weld is left, this action will remove the weld from the pipe.
Append Pipe End Specifies whether or not Pipe End Preparations will be appended to the Pipe
Preparations Description in the BOM.

75>5B1D9>7 1 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
75>5B1D9>7 D85 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
695<4 45C3B9@D9?>
Append Topwork Specifies whether or not Topwork Descriptions will be appended to Valve
Descriptions Descriptions in the BOM.
Ascending If this check box is disabled, then the BOM records are sorted from largest to
SORT_CODE Order smallest component SORT_CODE value. If this check box is enabled, the records
are sorted smallest to largest component SORT_CODE value.
Material Tag Options: When the BOM executes in PIPING it will update the necessary material tag fields
according to the selection made. However, material tag balloon annotation will only be placed in
ISOMETRICS/AUTO-ISO. When tagging attempts to create balloons for the tags in a PIPING drawing a
warning message is issued, indicating that the material database tags have been updated only (no graphics will
be generated). If you want to place material balloon tags in a PIPING drawing after a BOM has been generated,
you may do so using the new Annotation/Tags/Material Tags command.
Tag Format This option enables you to specify how the material balloon tags are formatted. Two
options are available.
Starting Tag Number This field enables you to specify the starting tag number for material tag placement
and numbering.
No Material Tags Enable this option to disable the placement of material tags on each component.
Enabling this radio button will automatically disable the associated Show Material
Tags, Fastener Tags, and Support Tags options.
Update Material Tags Enable this option to update the MAT_MARK field with the new material tag for
component records in the external drawing database.
Reinsert Material Tags This option is disabled in PIPING, and applied to ISOMETRICS drawings only.
Enable this option to automatically update existing material balloon tags that may
have been placed from a previous BOM run.
Do Not Update This option is disabled in PIPING, and applied to ISOMETRICS drawings only.
Existing Material Tags Enable this option to leave the existing tags and use them in the BOM, then only
generate and place material tags for new items that were not tagged from the
previous BOM run.
Show Material Tags The Show Material Tags option is only available when generating a BOM with
Show Support Tags AutoPLANT ISOMETRICS or AUTO-ISO. If enabled, the system will attach a
Show Fastener Tags material balloon tag to each component in the report selection set. This technique
makes it easy to pair components in the drawing with records in the report. If this
check box is enabled, the Show Fastener Tags and Show Support Tags option will
also be made available to enable you to optionally display tags for supports and
fasteners. (These options are disabled in PIPING)
# Press Options to display the Bill of Materials configuration dialog as shown in the following
figure. Notice that the dialog contains several tabs to modify the elements that control how the
BOM is placed and formatted in the drawing. From the General tab, select Standard from the
Format selection list, then enable By Pick Placement option and the Lower Right radio button
Placement Corner option. Press OK when the dialog appears as shown in the following figure.
Tutorial 8-5
75>5B1D9>7 1 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
( 75>5B1D9>7 D85 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
Select Standard,
then enable the
By Pick and
Lower Right
options.
$ Press OK to close the configuration dialog, then press OK again to execute the BOM. The
Drawing Selection options dialog displays. As mentioned previously, this dialog enables you
to create a selection set of components based on a drawing database search criteria. For
example, it would be possible at this point to limit the BOM so that only components from
Line L200 would appear on the report, or to manually select the components that should be
included. To generate the BOM on all the components in the drawing, select All then press OK.
% During processing, the following dialog displays to indicate that the function is processing
component records for the BOM.
& After the model is analyzed and the report prepared, the prompt
Select lower right point:
displays. Type INT and press N, then pick the point where the border intersects the top of the
title block.
8Y^d After the BOM is placed, you can move it as an entire block to reposition it more
precisely.

75>5B1D9>7 1 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
B5DEB>9>7 D? =?45< C@135
>_dU The BOM can be customized so that it is placed using another method (i.e., by its upper
right point), or at a specific coordinate location. Refer to the on-line help file for more
information.
' The BOM is placed in the drawing. Zoom Window around the Bill of Materials to examine it
more closely as shown below.
>_dU The Annotation/Tags/Material Tag command may be used to annotate the value shown
in the No. column above for selected components in the drawing.
B5DEB>9>7 D? =?45< C@135

In Chapters 6 and 7, you placed annotation text and graphics in Paper Space. In the procedure
below, you will return to Model Space to see how these additions affect your model.
D? B5C5D D85 D9<5=?45

! Type tilemode 1, then press N. (ACAD R14: double-click on the word TILE in the status bar to
toggle between these two states; ACAD 2000: click on the Model tab).
" AutoCAD returns you to the original view of the model as indicated by the UCS icon in the
lower left corner of the drawing area. Notice that the annotation, dimension lines, and Bill of
Tutorial 8-7
75>5B1D9>7 1 29<< ?6 =1D5B91<C
( 381@D5B B5F95G
Materials do not appear in the model. These items were placed in Paper Space, and therefore
do not appear in Model Space, reducing drawing clutter.
381@D5B B5F95G
Generating a BOM: Select Reports/Bill of Materials to generate the standard BOM. Your model
is immediately analyzed, and you are prompted to select a point for insertion. Additional
reports include the ability to generate equipment lists, nozzle schedules, and to create custom
reports. The Reports/Generate Reports option is also available to generate reports that will not
be placed on the drawing sheet.
Clean database: The Database Tools/Clean Database option may be executed in order to remove
any reference to components which may have been deleted from the model, but have not yet
been removed from the drawing database. This option is automatically invoked when you run
a BOM.
Customization Options: A separate dialog has been provided for customizing the Bill of
Materials. This dialog controls placement options, as well as variables such as linetype and
scale.
CE==1BI
This completes the drawing phase of the PIPING Tutorial. You should now be familiar with the
basic commands and techniques used to complete a model. Combine these techniques in your own
models to suit your working style. For specific command reference and more information on
customization options, refer to the on-line help files.

381@D5B
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This chapter introduces the Supplemental Applications that are either shipped free of
charge with your AutoPLANT software, or are available for purchase. These utilities
are used for program customization, project configuration, migration from previous
release drawings, model visualization, interference detection, and specification
generation. Each of these applications provides their own on-line help file, which
covers the available features or functions.
OVERVIEW 9-2
AUTOPLANT IMPORT/EXPORT 9-3
REBIS EXPLORER/ID 9-13
AUTOPLANT CONFIGURATION EDITOR 9-16
AUTOPLANT CLASS EDITOR 9-17
SCRIPT EDITOR 9-23
DIALOG EDITOR 9-25
REBIS SPECIFICATION GENERATOR 9-26

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?F5BF95G
?F5BF95G
This chapter provides an overview of AutoPLANT supplemental applications. Most of these
applications can be launched directly from the Rebis main menu or toolbar after you start
AutoPLANT Plant Design, or directly from the Windows Start menu. Each of these applications
has its own context-sensitive on-line help that provides detailed explanations of every available
feature and function.
These help file may be displayed by selecting Help/Contents from the application’s menu, or by
running the help file directly from the AutoPLANT/Customization Tools and Help menu in your
Windows Start menu.
The Contents page of every AutoPLANT help file contains an Update Now button. If you have a
connection established with an Internet provider, press this button to access the Rebis Help/Doc
Update web page for the help file that you are viewing. View the main web page at
KWWSZZZUHELVFRPVXSSRUWGRFV. You can then click on a specific AutoPLANT application
to display a list of its available help/doc downloads.
Help file builds are tracked by the build date that displays in the title bar of each help system
window. Compare the build date on your existing help file with the build date of the file available
from the download area of the Rebis web site to determine if a newer version is available.
>_dU Refer to Chapter 1 for instructions on the download procedure.

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1ED?@<1>D 9=@?BD5H@?BD
1ED?@<1>D9=@?BD5H@?BD
The Import/Export utility is intended to facilitate transfer of CAD data between AutoPLANT and
Rebis’ AutoPIPE stress analysis CAD/CAE software. The transfer is accomplished using Rebis’
proprietary Plant Design Format (PXF), which can either be generated or read by AutoPLANT.
AutoPLANT also supports output to a Piping Component Format (PCF) for input to Alias
Limited’s ISOGEN software for the automatic generation of ISOGEN isometrics.
This section explains how to create PXF files from your AutoPLANT DESIGNER and PRO-
SERIES PRO-PIPE drawings, then how to use Import/Export to generate AutoPLANT drawings
and databases from these PXF files. If you have purchased and installed ISOGEN or
AutoISOGEN, you can complete that section, which explains how to generate an ISOGEN
isometric from a PIPING model.
B529C @<1>D 5H381>75 6?B=1D @H69=@?BD

PXF is Rebis’ proprietary Plant Exchange Format. This file format is designed to provide a smooth
transition from Rebis’ PRO-PIPE and DESIGNER piping application drawings to the new
AutoPLANT drawing and database format. The procedures to generate PXF files from
DESIGNER and PRO-PIPE models are covered below. The procedure to generate an AutoPLANT
PIPING drawing and database from a PXF file is covered later in this section.
7UÛbQdY^W Q @H6 6Y\U Vb_] Q^ 1ed_@<1>D 45C97>5B =_TU\
The Plant Exchange/Import command will generate an AutoPLANT-compatible drawing and

database from a PXF file generated from an AutoPLANT DESIGNER model. The following
procedure explains how to create a PXF file from a DESIGNER model. The procedure to create an
AutoPLANT drawing and database from this file is covered later in this section.
D? 75>5B1D5 1 @H6 69<5 6B?= 1> 1ED?@<1>D 45C79>5B 4B1G9>7
! A PXF file may be generated by loading the DESIGNER drawing into AutoCAD,
AutoPLANT Plant Design, or AutoPLANT. Start AutoCAD now.
" Select File/Open and then select your DESIGNER drawing file and press OK.
# Type APPLOAD and press x to display the application load dialog.
$ Press File. Browse to your network ..\PIPING directory and select the file AT_DES.LSP, then
press OK.
% Press Load to load the Lisp file and display the following prompt:
Type [DesPxf] to run the pxf function.
Tutorial 9-3
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1ED?@<1>D 9=@?BD5H@?BD
& Type DESPXF and press x to generate the PXF file. The PXF file will be stored in the same
directory as the file from which it was created. It will use the name of the drawing and with the
PXF extension.
7UÛbQdY^W Q @H6 6Y\U Vb_] Q @B?@9@5 =_TU\
The Plant Exchange\Import command will generate an AutoPLANT compatible drawing and
database from a PXF file generated from a PRO-SERIES PRO-PIPE model. The following
procedure explains how to create a PXF file from a PRO-PIPE model. The procedure to create an
AutoPLANT drawing and database from this file is covered in the next procedure.
D? 75>5B1D5 1 @H6 69<5 6B?= 1 @B?@9@5 4B1G9>7
! The PXF file may be generated by loading the PRO-PIPE drawing into AutoCAD,
AutoPLANT Plant Design, or PRO-PIPE. Start AutoCAD now.
" Select File/Open and then select your PRO-PIPE drawing file and press OK.
# Type APPLOAD and press x to display the application load dialog.
$ Press File. Browse to your network ..\XCHG directory and select the file PROPXF.LSP, then
press OK.
% Press Load to load the Lisp file and display the following prompt:
Type [ProPxf] to run the pxf function.
& Type PROPXF and press x to generate the PXF file. The PXF file will be stored in the same
directory as the file from which it was created. It will use the name of the drawing with the
PXF extension.
' Optional: After the execution is complete, you can use APPLOAD to load the lisp file
ERASEPRO.LSP and execute the command EraseProComponents to remove all the components
previously exported. This will enable you to use the current drawing as the starting point for
the import sequence, thereby preserving all layout information, etc.
7UÛbQdY^W Q^ 1ed_@<1>D @9@9>7 =_TU\ Vb_] Q @H6 6Y\U
The following procedure explains how to create an AutoPLANT drawing and database from a PXF
file generated from an AutoPLANT DESIGNER or a PRO-SERIES PRO-PIPE drawing.
D? 75>5B1D5 1> 1ED?@<1>D 4B1G9>7 1>4 41D121C5 6B?= 1 @H6 69<5
! Start AutoPLANT Plant Design if not already loaded.
" Select Import/Export from the Rebis menu to load the Import/Export utility and its menu.

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1ED?@<1>D 9=@?BD5H@?BD
# The AutoPLANT PIPING Model Setup dialog displays. Select the desired model
configuration and modify the Model Layout parameters as desired, then press OK.
$ Select Plant Exchange/Import from the Import/Export menu.
% Select your PXF file and press OK.
& The Import/Export Progress dialog displays to enable you to view the status of the
conversion. When the process is complete, press OK to close the dialog.
' Select File/Save As, then enter the new drawing file name to save the drawing. You now have
an AutoPLANT compatible drawing and external database.
( Select Piping from the Rebis menu to load the PIPING application.
) Select Piping/Database Tools/Edit Component, then select any of the converted components to
view its drawing database record.
! Select File/Exit to exit AutoPLANT.
@<1>D 5H381>75 @H65H@?BD

The Plant Exchange/Export command will export your AutoPLANT PIPING drawing data to create
a PXF file that you may then import into Rebis’ AutoPIPE stress analysis software. This procedure
also works to generate a PXF file from an AutoPLANT ISOMETRICS drawing. The procedure to
generate a PXF file for a single line in the PIPE01.DWG tutorial drawing is provided below.
D? 75>5B1D5 1 @H6 69<5
! Start AutoPLANT Plant Design.

" Select File/Open and load the completed tutorial model, PIPE01.DWG.
# Select Import/Export from the Rebis menu to load the Import/Export utility and its menu.
$ Select Preferences from the Import/Export menu to display the Preferences dialog. Enter the
directory where you want the system to store your PXF output files in the PXF Output Dir.
% Select Plant Exchange/Export to display the Drawing Selection Options dialog.
& Select All and press OK to export all components in the drawing to the PXF file.
' An Export Progress dialog will display the status of this process.
( The Log text box provides details on the operation, including the location and name of the
export file.
) The PXF export file will be created in the directory specified in the Preferences dialog above
using the name of the file with the PXF extension. In this example, the export file
IMPORT01.PXF was created.
! This file may now be imported into Rebis’ AutoPIPE software for stress analysis.
Tutorial 9-5
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1ED?@<1>D 9=@?BD5H@?BD
>_dU This procedure will also enable you to generate a piping model from your AutoPLANT
ISOMETRICS drawings.
9C?75> @9@9>7 3?=@?>5>D 6?B=1D @36?@D9?>C

PCF is a file format accepted by ISOGEN to automatically generate ISOGEN isometric drawings
from your AutoPLANT PIPING models. In association with Alias Limited©, Rebis has developed
an interface to their ISOGEN™ software. This application simplifies the process required to take
the PCF (Piping Component File) file created by the AutoPLANT Import/Export module all of the
way through to an ISOGEN AutoCAD-compatible (.DXF) or MicroStation-compatible (.DGN)
isometric file. A separate utility is also provided in your Import/Export/ISOGEN menu to generate
an AutoCAD DWG from the DXF output from ISOGEN.
There are basically four (4) operating modes that may be applied to generate ISOGEN isometrics
via Import/Export. A limited version of the ISOGEN application, which we call AutoISOGEN, is
shipped free of charge when you purchase AutoPLANT PIPING. The AutoISOGEN Plus
authorization may be purchased from Rebis at a substantial discount when compared to the price of
a server ISOGEN lock. The primary difference is that with full ISOGEN you can generate as many
PCF files as you want on separate machines, then run them through ISOGEN on a single machine,
while with AutoISOGEN Plus, you must run the PCF through ISOGEN on the same machine and
at the same time it is generated. The AutoISOGEN Plus authorization must be performed using the
Rebis Security Manager and may only be authorized for use on a workstation basis.
Demo Version of Software (e.g., no PIPING lock): you will be able to run a limited
demonstration version of the AutoISOGEN software. This will enable you to see how an
AutoISOGEN iso is created, but output items such as dimensions and BOM values will be
marked out in the output drawing file. You can also only generate a “Final” iso type.
AutoISOGEN: A limited option switch version that comes with PIPING at no extra charge. This
will enable you to see how an AutoISOGEN iso is created, but output items such as
dimensions and BOM values will be marked out.
AutoISOGEN Plus: A full option switch version that is locked to a single workstation. You
must generate ISOGEN isos by enabling the Automatically run ISOGEN check box in the
Preferences dialog, then use Export to PCF to generate the PCF. If the PCF is generated
successfully, it will be processed through ISOGEN to create the DXF output file.
Server ISOGEN: A full option switch version using a hardware lock. This version can run PCF
files generated on any workstation.
This section will walk you through the procedure to generate a AutoISOGEN isometric in
AutoCAD DWG format from the IMPORT01.DWG model provided with your software.

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! Start AutoPLANT Plant Design, then open the IMPORT01.DWG (this file is installed in your local
..\SUPPORT directory).
" Select Import/Export from the Rebis menu to load the Import/Export utility and its menu.
# Select Preferences from the Import/Export menu. The ISOGEN(PCF ) tab on this dialog
contains the fields described below:
>1=5 45C3B9@D9?>
Continuing Specifies the number of additional components that do not belong to the criteria, but which
Components connect to the criteria, to output into the PCF file. For example, if you select a line with a
TEE and the line number changed at the branch of the TEE, you could include X number of
components that connect to the branch of the TEE in the PCF. In ISOGEN, continuing
components are dashed and do not appear in the BOM.
System Iso System isos are a means of putting multiple lines (for example) on a single iso. If this check
box is enabled, all components matching the criteria are put into a single PCF. The iso will
display annotation indicating the change in line number.
Automatically When you export your model to PCF using Import/Export's ISOGEN/Export to PCF, if this
run ISOGEN check box is enabled, PCF Export will automatically send an error free PCF file through
ISOGEN if the export was successful.
Output Dir Specifies the directory path where the ISOGEN PCF files created during an Export to PCF
will be placed.
$ Ensure that the Automatically run ISOGEN check box is enabled, and that the System Iso check
box is disabled, then press OK.
D? 3B51D5 1> 9C?75> @B?:53D
! The next step is to set up your AutoISOGEN project. Select ISOGEN/ISOGEN Interface. If you
have not previously created a project, a message box will display indicating that you must
press the Config button to create a project.
" Press Config on the Rebis ISOGEN Interface dialog to display the Project Manager dialog.
# Press Create Project to display the following dialog.
Tutorial 9-7
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1ED?@<1>D 9=@?BD5H@?BD
$ Type REBISPROJ in the Project field to specify the project directory name. This project
directory will be created in your network ..\PISOGEN\PROJECTS directory. The Iso Types
selection list enables you to specify the type of isometric that you want to generate. ISOGEN
requires a Reference File (FLS), which defines all of the files that can either be read or written
during a run through the ISOGEN system. When you generate a PCF file from a PIPING
model, you are required to specify the Reference (FLS) File to use when it is run through
ISOGEN. These settings must be defined in a file named ISOGEN.FLS. Rebis provides a set
of pre-configured ISOGEN.FLS files for each of the listed Iso Types. These files reside in
directories of the same name as the Iso Types listed under the ..\PISOGEN\STANDARD
directory. Sets of these files is provided for Imperial, Metric, and Mixed Metric Units. The file
that is used depends on the Units selected in this dialog. Select Imperial {Metric} Units and the
Final Iso Type for this exercise, then press OK. The ISOGEN.FLS and other related files will
be copied from the provided directories into your project directory structure, so they may be
modified without losing the integrity of the provided files.
GQb^Y^W Only the “final” Iso Type can be run without AutoISOGEN Plus or Server ISOGEN
authorization. When run without either of these, the ISOGEN.FLS file is modified and an
I-GEN.OPL file is created. If an AutoISOGEN or Server ISOGEN authorization is later
activated for this project’s “final” Iso Type, you will still get a limited AutoISOGEN
isometric. To activate full ISOGEN, the ISOGEN.FLS file must be edited to point to
FINAL.OPL instead of I-GEN.OPL. Also any optional files must be added, i.e.
DRAWING-DEFINITION or ALTERNATIVE-TEXT.
>_dU To be safe, it is recommended that after the project manager has customized the
project’s “final” Iso Type, the ISOGEN.FLS file should be copied, or saved as,
FINAL.FLS. If the project’s “final” Iso Type is run without an AutoISOGEN Plus or Server
ISOGEN authorization (either accidentally or intentionally), you will only need to copy the
FINAL.FLS to ISOGEN.FLS to get a full ISOGEN isometric.
% The version of AutoISOGEN that ships with AutoPLANT provides ISOGEN’s ATEXT,
Option Switches, and Symbols Editors. These programs may be launched from the Project
Manager dialog. We have automatically disabled the fields in these editors that will be
ignored if you have not purchased AutoISOGEN Plus or Server ISOGEN authorization. If you
have purchased either of these authorizations, you can enable the Full Option Switches Editor
check box in this dialog to activate the remaining ISOGEN settings in the Editor applications.

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ISOGEN provides three editor applications to enable you to customize the format of the ISOGEN
isometric drawing generated by this process. These editors are provided with AutoISOGEN and
may be launched from the Project Manager dialog, which displays when you press the Config
button on from the main Rebis ISOGEN Interface dialog. The executables for these editors reside
in your ..\PISOGEN\ISOUTILS directory. Each of the editor subdirectories contains a
READMExx.TXT file that describes the operation of each application.
When you created a project earlier in this exercise, you selected the Iso Type in the Create Project
dialog. The Iso Types selection list enables you to select the type of isometric that you want to
generate. Rebis provides a set of pre-configured settings and switches files for each of the listed
Iso Types. These files reside in directories of the same name as the Iso Types listed under the
..\PISOGEN\STANDARD directory. A set of these files is provided for Imperial, Metric, and
Mixed Metric Units. When you create an ISOGEN project, the files that reside in the ..\UNITS\ISO
type directory are copied into your projects ..\PROJNAME\ISO type sub-directory.
In this example, you selected Imperial Units and the Final Iso Type in the Create Project dialog,
therefore, the system copied the files from the ..\PISOGEN\STANDARD\IMPERIAL\FINAL
directory into your project directory structure. You can then use the editor programs to modify the
individual settings in these files.
>_dU As mentioned previously, if you have not purchased AutoISOGEN or Server ISOGEN, a
number of switches will be disabled in the editor applications. If you later purchase either
of these, you can enable the disabled switches by running the ISOGEN Interface
program, pressing Config, then enabling the Full Option Switches Editor check box.
>_dU You should refer to your ISOGEN documentation for more specific information on using
the editor applications. After you start an Editor, select About, then View Read Me to
display ISOGEN’s help on this utility.
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The ISOGEN Reference (.FLS) File assigns all of the files that are either read or written during a
run through the ISOGEN system. The ISOGEN Interface application provides an interface to
create/modify the required ISOGEN Reference (FLS) File.
When you created a project earlier in this exercise, you selected the Iso Type in the Create Project
dialog. The Iso Types selection list in this dialog enables you to select the type of isometric that
you want to generate. Rebis provides a set of pre-configured ISOGEN.FLS files for each of the
listed Iso Types. These files reside in directories of the same name as the Iso Types listed in your
..\PISOGEN\STANDARD directory. A set of these files is provided for Imperial, Metric, and
Mixed Metric Units. When you create an ISOGEN project, the ISOGEN.FLS file that resides in
your ..\units\iso type directory is copied into your projects ..\projname\iso type sub-directory.
Tutorial 9-9
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In this example, you selected Imperial Units and the Final Iso Type in the Create Project dialog,
therefore, the system copied the ISOGEN.FLS file from the
..\PISOGEN\STANDARD\IMPERIAL\FINAL directory into your project directory structure.
The settings in this ISOGEN.FLS file may be modified using the ISOGEN Inteface program as
follows:
! Press Reference File in the Project Manager dialog to display the Reference File Editor
dialog.
" The path to ISOGEN.FLS file for the current project and iso type selected will display in this
dialog. You can press the browse button, then navigate to your project directory and then the
Iso Type sub-directory below your project to select a different ISOGEN.FLS file to modify.
The settings defined in that file will propagate the dialog fields.
# You can manually edit any of these field values, or press the Browse button next to the field to
select a path and file name. The assignments in the Input Files area of the dialog are optional.
$ Press Close to return to the Project Manager. Now that you have setup your Reference File,
you are ready to generate the PCF output file from your PIPING model and run it through
ISOGEN.
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This procedure explains how to generate the PCF (Piping Component File) required by ISOGEN
from a single line in a PIPING model.
! Press Close to return to the main dialog interface. The REBISPROJ project now appears as the
current Project, and the final Iso Type is selected.
" At this point, if you had previously generated PCF files using Import/Export's Export to PCF
function, you could specify the directory where the PCF files were created in the PCF Dir
field, then select a PCF from the PCF Files list and press Run to generate and AutoCAD DXF.
In Step 1 of this exercise, however, you enabled the Automatically run ISOGEN check box in
Import/Export's Preferences dialog. Therefore, the remainder of this procedure explains how
to return to Import/Export and generate your PCF and resulting DXF from there.
# Press Close to exit the ISOGEN Interface.
$ From the Import/Export menu, select ISOGEN/Export PCF. This function will use the project
selected when you closed the ISOGEN Interface to create your PCF.
% The Drawing Selection Options dialog displays to enable you to define the selection set of
components that you want included in the iso output. Enable the Advanced radio button, then
press OK.
& In this example, you will define a temporary query condition to select all components in the
model whose LINENUMBER drawing database field value is L100. In the Query Selection
group, select the Select by line number query. This will propagate the Define Query group’s

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Type, Attribute Field, and Constraint fields. Press the Browse button next to the empty
Attribute field. A dialog will display listing all of the line numbers in the current drawing.
Select line number L100, then press OK. Press Add-> to add the query to the Active Query text
box. Press OK to execute the query. The system will search the current drawing for all
components whose external drawing database LINENUMBER field value matches the value
that you assigned in the query definition.
' The Connection Criteria dialog displays to enable you to define the criteria used to break the
model into separate PCF files. For example, if you had selected “All” components instead of
only one line number when you defined your query, you could have specified here that you
want to break the model into separate PCF files for every change in the line number. This
Naming Rule area of this dialog also enables you to specify the conventions used to name the
generated PCF files. Since you only selected one line number, you can leave the defaults and
the system will create one PCF file using the line number as the file name prefix. Press OK to
create the files.
( The Export Progress dialog will display the status of the process. Since you had the
Automatically run ISOGEN check box enabled in the Import/Export Preferences dialog, the
Export to PCF function automatically runs the PCF file output from the IMPORT01.DWG
model through AutoISOGEN and then deletes the PCF file. If this option were disabled, Export
to PCF would have only generated the PCF output file, L100.PCF. You would then have to
manually run this file through AutoISOGEN using the Run option in the ISOGEN Interface
program.
) At this point you now have an ISOGEN isometric drawing named L100.I01.DXF in your
..\PISOGEN\PROJECTS\REBISPROJ\FINAL\OUTPUT directory. Press OK to close the
progress dialog.
>_dU If an error occurs during the creation of the ISOGEN PCF file, then the DXF will not be
generated. Review the process log and correct any errors, then repeat this process.
>_dU If you have purchased a Server ISOGEN authorization, instead of running each of your
lines all of the way through this system, you may optionally elect to simply create all of
the PCF files for the lines you want to output, then generate the DXF output. This may be
accomplished by disabling the Automatically run ISOGEN check box in the
Import/Export/Preferences dialog. When you run Export to PCF, the process will stop
after the PCF file has been generated. You can then start the ISOGEN Interface program
and use the Run option to generate the DXF files. This option is not available if using
AutoISOGEN Plus.
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Import/Export provides a DXF to DWG utility to enable you to create an AutoCAD drawing from
this file.
Tutorial 9-11
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! To Create and AutoCAD DWG from your ISOGEN DXF File, select ISOGEN/DXF to CAD
Drawing. The file selection dialog displays requesting you to specify the DXF file that you
want to convert.
" Select the L100.I01.DXF from the Files to edit list. Is the file does not appear in the list, set the
Input Path to the location where your DXF resides.
# Specify the directory where you want the AutoCAD DWG output from this function to reside
in the Output Path field, then press OK. The AutoCAD drawing L100.I01.DWG will be created
in the directory specified and loaded into AutoCAD.
8Y^d Refer to the Import/Export on-line help for a detailed explanation of every available
feature or function.

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The new Rebis EXPLORER, which may be purchased separately, is an interactive 3D viewer for
large models and sets of models as shown below. You can load multiple models varying from
thousands to millions of triangles in size and interact with them at a guaranteed frame rate.
Rebis EXPLORER supports multiple file formats via a plugin mechanism. As well as its own
native file formats, AutoCAD’s DWG and DXF files and 3D Studio’s 3DS files are supported.
A range of navigating and viewing controls enable even the largest and most complex model to be
explored with ease.
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The procedure to start Rebis Explorer is provided below. This application can be launched from
the Rebis menu/toolbar or from the Windows Start menu.
! Select Rebis Explorer from the Rebis menu, or select

AutoPLANT 3D/Explorer ID/Rebis Explorer from your Windows Start menu.
Tutorial 9-13
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AutoPLANT component information can be viewed within EXPLORER. To view this data, select
an AutoPLANT component in the EXPLORER view, then either select Edit/Properties, or click
your right mouse button and select Properties.
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The EXPLORER ID interference detection add-on module may be purchased separately. It
provides a re-sizable modeless tabbed dialog as shown below.
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The procedure to start Rebis Explorer ID is provided below. This application can be launched
from the Rebis menu/toolbar or from the Windows Start menu.
! Select Rebis Explorer ID from the Rebis menu, or select

AutoPLANT 3D/Explorer ID/Rebis Explorer ID from your Windows Start menu.
" All of the options provided with standard Rebis Explorer are available in Rebis Explorer ID.
The only difference is that a Check Interferences option has been added to the Tools menu to
enable you to perform interference detection in the ID module.
# Open an AutoPLANT drawing, then select Tools/Check Interferences to display the following
dialog.

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Explorer ID checks your model and shows you any areas where the models interfere or ‘clash ’
with each other. Explorer ID is a tabbed dialog box accessed through the Tools menu, allowing you
to manage your test and results. From the Explorer ID dialog box you can set up your clash tests,
view the results, sort the results and produce a report.
Managing a series of clash tests can get complicated, especially if you have a whole set of different
layers you want to clash separately. The Explorer ID is designed to help you control these clash
tests and leave an audit trail of clashes throughout the life of the project.
One simple but time-saving way it does this is by remembering the names of clashes throughout
the project’s life so you don’t have to go through each clash every time you do a test to figure out
whether it’s a new clash, or one you’ve already seen and approved.
The Explorer ID also allows you to assign a status to a clash and can update this status
automatically, informing you of the current state of the clashes in the model.
You can set up a batch of clash tests that you could run overnight, every night and for each test,
choose the objects to clash against, along with the options for the test. These batches can be saved
as *.nwx files, independently of Explorer files.
Tutorial 9-15
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settings. This design enables you to define the units, specs, drawing database format, borders,
drawing templates, module and component options, etc. in a specific configuration.
To support this implementation, a number of configuration files were required to serve as

placeholders for the definition of the configuration defaults and settings. The AutoPLANT
Configuration Editor was designed to remove the tedious effort that would have been required to
manually edit these configuration files to create and customize project configurations. It provides a
highly intuitive graphical user interface with tabbed dialogs to enable you to create/modify project
configurations.
>_dU Chapter 2, Project Setup provides an overview and walkthrough example of this utility.

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A module is defined in AutoPLANT as a set of files that define the components that may be placed
when the module is active in the PIPING or ISOMETRICS applications. PIPING and
ISOMETRICS share the same module and component class configurations. The shipping versions
of AutoPLANT PIPING and ISOMETRICS software include the following modules:
Carbon Steel (default)

Ductile Iron
Victaulic
High Purity
Lined Pipe
Tubing
Cable Tray
HVAC
Conduit
The AutoPLANT Class Editor provides a single source for the manipulation of these modules, and
their associated component and configuration files. The procedure to start the Class Editor is
provided in the next section. The three sections that follow give a brief overview of Class Editor
operation and the files involved in this process.
The Class Editor (CE) works hand-in-hand with the AutoPLANT Configuration Editor application.
The shipping version of the AutoPLANT software provides three sample configurations: Imperial,
Metric, and MMetric, which should not be modified. The intent of the system design is for you to
use the Configuration Editor application to create new configurations using the provided
configurations as templates, then to use the Class Editor to create/modify the module and
component scripts and methods in your custom configuration. All modified files are stored in your
custom configuration directory, therefore, maintaining the integrity of the shipping version files.
>_dU Chapter 2, Project Setup provides an introduction to the Configuration Editor application
When you create a new drawing in PIPING/ISO, and select your custom configuration, the system
will search your custom configuration directory path for custom version of all files first. For
example, if you used the Configuration Editor to create a configuration named MYCONFIG, then
used the CE to modify the drawing script for a gate valve in your MYCONFIG configuration. CE
will save the modified gate valve script within your MYCONFIG configuration directory structure.
When you create a new drawing in PIPING/ISO, and select the MYCONFIG configuration, then
attempt to place this gate valve, the system will search for the gate valve drawing script in your
MYCONFIG directory path first, thereby using your custom script to place the gate valve. If the
system does not find a custom file for any component placement, it will use the file located in the
Tutorial 9-17
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path of the configuration (Imperial, Metric, or MMetric) that you selected as a template when you
created your custom configuration.
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The procedure to start AutoPLANT Class Editor (CE) is provided below. This application can be
launched from the Rebis menu/toolbar or from the Windows Start menu.
! Select Class Editor from the Rebis menu, or select

AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Class Editor from your Windows Start menu.
The remainder of this section provides an overview of Class Editor operation. Refer to the on-line
help for a more detailed explanation of every available feature and function.
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When the Class Editor first starts it reads the project configuration definition file,
..\CONFIG\CONFIGS.INI, which contains a group record for each defined configuration. The /RF
keyword is assigned to the configuration’s main directory, which contains its configuration
definition file, CONFIG.INI. This is the file that the Configuration Editor application enables you
to view/modify. The >6\VWHP@ group in this file contains keyword assignments that define the
location of each configuration’s module configuration file, MODULES.INI. This file consists of
module records that specify the module’s directory and paths to its method script, dialog, and
picture files. These files define the components available in the module.

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Once the CE finds the configuration’s MODULES.INI, it extracts the module group records into a
temporary database, CE.MDB. From the data in this temporary database, CE creates a navigation
tree for each configuration to enable you to view/configure the module and its component methods.
The modules defined in MODULES.INI are denoted by the symbol in the navigation tree.
Each modules main directory is defined in its MODULES.INI record. This tells CE where the
component class, methods, ports and specification search criteria control files are located. These
files define the components available in the module.
A component is defined by its class record in the file CLASS.INI. In general, a component class
defines the Basic Script methods or functions executed to associate intelligence and draw the
component. Several components may be assigned to the same class, which defines the base
methods that apply to all components assigned to that class. For example, all valves are assigned to
the same parent class, which enables you to assign a set of methods that are common to a number
of components to a parent class, then assign this parent class to each of these components instead
of repeatedly assigning the same methods to all of these similar components.
CE extracts the information in each module’s CLASS.INI, METHODS.INI, PORTS.INI, and

SPECKEY.INI files into the temporary database to build the navigation tree for each configuration.
Parent class records are depicted in the navigation tree by the symbol, while individual
component class records are noted by the symbol.
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The drop-down list next to the CE toolbar enables you to select the
configuration whose module and associated component methods you want to modify. When you
select a configuration, the navigation tree will automatically be updated to reflect the modules and
associated components available in that configuration.
>_dU As noted previously, the Class Editor will not allow you to modify any of the information in
the provided modules. You must use the configuration editor to create a custom
configuration using one of the provided configurations as a template, then you may select
that configuration in the Class Editor to modify its modules/components.
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As mentioned above, modules are denoted by the symbol in the navigation tree. The following
procedure illustrates how to view/edit the Ductile Iron module definition for the Imperial module
configuration.
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! Select Imperial from the configuration selection drop-down list next to the CE toolbar.
" Select Ductile Iron Module from the CE navigation tree.
Tutorial 9-19
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# There are three methods available to modify a module:

Select Edit/View from the CE menu.
Press on the CE toolbar

Press your right mouse button to display a pop-up menu, then select View this node…
$ Regardless of the method selected, the Ductile Iron module’s record from MODULES.INI will
appear in the dialog as shown below.
% The first column in this dialog contains the keywords, while the second column contains the
keyword assignment and can be modified.
& Press the button in the upper right-hand corner of this dialog to exit.
>_dU Refer to the Command Reference area of the Class Editor help for a detailed description
of the information presented in each dialog and how it may be modified.

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As mentioned above, parent class records are depicted in the navigation tree by the symbol,
while individual component class records are noted by the symbol. The following procedure
explains how to view/edit the valve’s parent class record for the Imperial module configuration.
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! Select Imperial from the configuration selection drop-down list next to the CE toolbar.
" Press the button next to the AutoPLANT Root Piping Class to expand the tree, then press the
button next to the Parent Class - All Base Components to expand the navigation tree.
# Select Parent Class - Base Valves from the CE navigation tree.
$ There are three methods available to modify a parent/component class:
Select Edit/View from the CE menu.
Press on the CE toolbar

Press your right mouse button to display a pop-up menu, then select View this node…
% Regardless of the method selected, the Parent Class-Base Valves record from CLASS.INI will
display in the Details tabbed dialog as shown below.
& This dialog separates the selected parent/component’s methods, ports, specification, and other
properties defined in its class record into separate tabs. If you want to view the script file
function for a particular method assignment, simply move the cursor into the Function field
and press the browse button.
' Press the button in the upper right-hand corner of this dialog to exit.
Tutorial 9-21
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>_dU Refer to the Menu Command Reference area of the Class Editor help for a detailed
description of the information presented in each of these tabs and how it may be
modified.
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As you make changes to the module and component configuration files, CE stores these changes in
the temporary CE.MDB database. The File/Save option may be executed at any time during a CE
work session to update the configuration files with changes that have been stored in the CE.MDB
database. If you modified one of the provided files (i.e., a gate valve placement script), then CE
will save the modified version of this file in your configuration directory structure, thereby
maintaining the integrity of the provided file in its original location.
Since a temporary database stores all of your changes during a CE session, you can play around
with the program, then exit without saving to keep your original system intact while experimenting
with the Class Editor application.

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AutoPLANT provides an intuitive and highly functional script editor to create/customize
BasicScript function and component drawing scripts. The Rebis Script Editor highlights keywords,
commands, etc. to simplify the script construction process. You may elect to use this editor, or one
that you are already more familiar with to create your basic scripts.
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The procedure to start Rebis Script Editor is provided below. This application can be launched
! From your Windows Start menu, select AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Script
Editor to start the Script Editor application. This editor highlights standard Basic language
data types, controls, functions, and comments to simplify the editing process.
Context-sensitive help is provided for most standard Basic language elements by simply
b
"
placing the cursor within the element you need help on and then pressing the function key.
For example, select File/Open, then open the VALVES.EBS file from your
..\MODULES\BASE\PIPING\DRAW directory. Scroll down the file and move the cursor into
one of the standard Basic elements, which will be highlighted in blue as shown below, then
b
press to display its help.
Tutorial 9-23
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# This functionality is also available for the Rebis API Extensions to the Basic language. Most
of these extensions are easy to identify within a script because they start with the string “DWB”.
For example, select Edit/Find and type at_Component_getPoint and then press Find Next. Move
b
your cursor anywhere within this function call, then press to display its help as shown
below.
8Y^d The Basic Language file, BSCRIPT.HLP, that resides in your network ..\SUPPORT
directory will be updated continuously to include new and better descriptions of every
available Rebis API Extension. You should periodically check the Rebis web page for
help file updates at http://www.rebis.com/support/docs. The Script Editor also provides its
own help file, EBS_EDIT.HLP, which describes the general operation of the application.
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The Script Editor can also be placed in debug mode by enabling the Debug Mode check box in
PIPING’s Drawing Preferences dialog. If this switch is enabled when you execute an PIPING
component placement command, the drawing scripts that are executed will display in the Script
Editor to enable you to step through each statements that is executed to draw the component.
This switch should only be enabled when you are modifying or customizing PIPING component
placement or function Basic script files.

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The Rebis Dialog Editor provides an intuitive graphical user interface to create/customize
AutoPLANT compatible Basic dialogs that may be used in your Basic scripts and functions. These
dialogs can be inserted directly into custom scripts created with the Rebis Script Editor.
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The procedure to start Rebis Dialog Editor is provided below. This application can be launched
! From your Windows Start menu, select AutoPLANT 3D/Customization Tools and Help/Dialog
Editor from the Rebis menu or toolbar to start the Dialog Editor application shown below.
This application can also be launched directly from within the Rebis Script Editor by selecting the
Edit/Insert New Dialog command. This command will start the Dialog Editor, enable you to define a
new dialog instance, then exit the Dialog Editor and automatically insert the Basic statements that
define the dialog instance into your script in the Script Editor.
You can also modify a dialog that is already defined in a script by simply selecting the statements
that define the dialog in the editor, then selecting the Edit/Edit Dialog command. This will display
the dialog instance in the Dialog Editor. When you have finished modifying the dialog, select
File/Update to update the dialog statements in the script. Then select File/Exit and Return to close
the Dialog Editor.
Tutorial 9-25
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The Specification Generator provides an interface to generate specifications for use with Rebis
AutoPLANT applications. An option to install this application is provided during your
AutoPLANT installation.
A specification is a set of databases that define the range and properties of components applicable
to a specific project and that meet certain design specifications. The Spec Generator provides a
user-friendly interface, which makes it easy to create a specification by graphically selecting
records from a catalog database table. In general, the process involves creating a selection set of
records, then adding these records to the equivalent specification database. Records that are in the
selection set are highlighted, enabling you to graphically review the items that will be added to the
spec.
The Spec Generator may be launched from your Windows Start menu by selecting AutoPLANT
3D/SpecGen/Specification Generator.
>_dU Refer to the Spec Generator on-line help for a complete description of every available
feature and function. A help menu is provided on the application dialog as shown above.
The help may also be launched from your Windows Start menu in the same program
group that the Spec Generator application selection resides.

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Rebis provides two utilities to enable you to quickly convert your existing specifications to the new
format required for use by the latest version of the AutoPLANT software. A description of each is
provided below:
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The Spec Converter is the first utility, which is a separate program that must be executed outside of
the Spec Generator. It has been provided to convert your older AutoPLANT
DESIGNER/ISOMETRICS specifications to the format required by the latest AutoPLANT
products.
The AutoPLANT Spec Conversion program is an optional add-on program that can be installed in
conjunction with the Spec Generator installation. The application start icon resides in the
AutoPLANT/SpecConverter group of your Windows Start menu. Select the Specification Converter
option to launch the application, then press the Help button on the application dialog to display
instructions to convert your AutoPLANT Version 13.x applications to the new AutoPLANT
format.
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The DB Converter is the second utility, which may be executed from the Spec Generator's Tools
menu. It converts specifications created with the previous Spec Generator v5.0 application into the
format used by the latest AutoPLANT applications. Spec Generator v5.0 created separate database
files for each component table. The new AutoPLANT applications use the Microsoft Access MDB
format, which consolidates specifications into a single database with separate tables according to
component type.
The Converter can convert a single specification, or multiple specifications simultaneously

provided they all exist under a common parent directory.
>_dU Press the Help button from the Tools/DB Converter dialog to display instructions for its
use.
Tutorial 9-27

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ISOGEN® is a registered trademark of Alias Limited.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO AUTOPLANT PIPING

CHAPTER 2: PROJECT SETUP

CHAPTER 3: GETTING STARTED

CHAPTER 4: COMPONENT PLACEMENT BASICS

ii AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

PLACING FROM A REFERENCE POINT .....................................................4-12

CHAPTER 5: ROUTING PIPE AND FITTINGS

CHAPTER 6: THE DRAWING DATABASE

UPDATING COMPONENTS ....................................................................................... 6-9

CHAPTER 7: DRAWING PRODUCTION

CHAPTER 8: GENERATING A BILL OF MATERIALS

iv AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

CHAPTER 9: SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATIONS

WHAT IS PIPING? 1-2

INSTALLATION AND AUTHORIZATION 1-2

HELP AND DOCUMENTATION 1-3

ABOUT THIS TUTORIAL 1-20

SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATIONS 1-22

TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING 1-24

DOCUMENTATION CONVENTIONS 1-25

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1-2 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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1-4 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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1-6 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

1-8 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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 Tap ports can now be placed on diaphragm valves.

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1-10 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

 General Steel Support

Insulated Pipe Vessel Guide

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1-12 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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Queries can be saved

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1-14 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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1-16 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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1-18 AutoPLANT ® PIPING Version 2.0

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PIPING TUTORIAL MODEL

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Rebis Menu Rebis Toolbar

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Tap ports can now be placed on diaphragm valves.

General Steel Support

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Explore On-line Help for an answer to your question.

Fax Support: Fax traditional inquiries to (504) 893-5293; 24hrs, 7days/week.

! Select Piping/Bends and Returns/90° LR Elbow.

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$ As mentioned in the overview, an existing configuration must be used as a Template. In this

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! Select Edit/System Configuration Group to display the dialog shown below.

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! Select Edit/Modelling Configuration Group to display the dialog shown below.

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! Select Edit/Piping Configuration Group to display the dialog shown below.

! Install and authorize the security as instructed in Chapter 1 of this Tutorial.

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! Select Piping/Toolbars/Piping Components Main.

Configuration Editor: The AutoPLANT Configuration Editor may be used to create/modify

Component Preferences: The Setup/Component Preferences… command displays a dialog that