The Plant 3D Compass

I don't think enough love has been given to the Plant 3D Compass settings.  I would like to explain them to you in this post so you can get the most usage out of them that you can.

So these are the Compass settings found in the Home tab of the ribbon in AutoCAD Plant 3D.

Notice how I do not have any icons enabled.  They are all greyed out.

This TOGGLE COMPASS button shown below is the controlling button for all of the other Compass buttons.  It has to be toggled ON to adjust tick mark visibility, increments, tolerances.  If this button is off, you will not see the Compass when you are routing pipe as shown below.

When that button is toggled ON, you will see the other buttons enabled, or not greyed out.

Now, let's address the other buttons.

The top left button is the TOGGLE TICK MARKS with a TICK MARK INCREMENT setting to the right of it.  This button only sets the tick marks that show up on the compass.  The drop-down menu to the right of it showing 15° has other angles to choose ranging from 15° to 90°.

But those tick marks are basically useless unless you enable the next button - TOGGLE SNAPS.  This button also has a drop-down menu to the right of it to set the angle snap increments.

This may seem confusing but the snap increment can be different from the visible tick marks.  This may be hard to see in the image below but the tick marks are set to 45° increments but the snap is set to 15° increments and you can see as I am pulling the pipe run, a "15" is showing up at both ends of the pipe letting me know the angle I am routing.

The next button down is TOGGLE TOLERANCES.  When you select it, there is another button that is no longer greyed out in the collapsed ribbon called TOLERANCE SNAP INCREMENT.  You can set a 0° thru 3° tolerance for your snap increment.  

Now, this may be a lesser-used toggle but knowing what it does can help you with routing pipe requiring tolerances.  In the image below I have changed the tolerance to 2°.  I have also run a pipe 2° to the left of X (magenta pipe).  Continuing the route, I make a left turn in the Y direction.  By default, that angle should remain at 90° with a 90° Elbow in place and I would be running this pipe at 2° to the left of Y.  However, with tolerance enabled and set at 2°, I can "straighten" out the route to be in the true Y direction.  Make sure Ortho is not turned on.  You will notice at the end of my cursor or pipe run, you will see "90+2" indicating that the tolerance is being utilized.

 A close-up looking down on the pipes will show the 2° gap and the skewed red lines of connectivity, but still fully connected.

The last 2 buttons hidden in the collapsed ribbon are the Color and Diameter options for the Compass.  You can change to any color you wish and if the compass is too big or too small, adjust the value in the Diameter box.  In the image below, I changed the color to green and the diameter from 150 to 90 to get a smaller Compass.

I hope this helps you with pipe routing using the Compass and I plan to address some of the other commands in Plant 3D that do not get a lot of love.  If you have a suggestion for a command or group of buttons you have always seen but never knew how they worked, let me know and I will try to get it on here for you.

PnPIsoConfigEditor.exe

In Plant 3D 2022, Autodesk incorporated the Iso Style Editor.  It is a nice GUI interface to manipulate the isoconfig.xml file in case you are not an XML guru.  It is located in the Project Setup and appears to only be able to be run from there... Not so fast, my friend!

The Iso Style Editor can be run without going into the Project Setup by going to: 

        C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2022\PLNT3D\PnPIsoConfigEditor.exe

So when the Project Setup is locked out when an admin changes the Project.xml to read-only or you would just rather not open the Project Setup dialog, you can still tweak the Isoconfig.xml thru this nice GUI interface if needed.

Moved to ECAD!

Today closes my first full week at ECAD and let me say I am thrilled to have made the move. I will be updating this blog more now with new and fun items pertaining to Plant 3D and Inventor.

Python Scripting Tool Palette Setup in Plant 3D

I have been asked on occasion how I do my scripting and testing in Plant 3D for the Steel Supports Bundle.  I did this long ago and just carry it over release after release. I created a tool palette called Python Scripting that has several commands that I need during testing.  If you are like me, you never get the code right the first time so you test it, modify the code, test again, modify the code, etc. 

This is my tool palette, and sure, I could make some changes to this to add more tools or combine existing tools into one, or even add some of these commands in the scripts, but I am a creature of habit and I am stuck on this one.  I like it!  It has my Arxpnp3dadapter load, my register scripts command, and then my test script.  I will explain the others later on in this post.

So this tool palette is called PYTHON SCRIPTING.XTP.  After I created my first one way back when in the 2015 release, I right-clicked on the tool palette header, then went to CUSTOMIZE PALETTES...  

It opens the following dialog box and from there, I exported it out to a folder.

Once exported to a folder, I can then import the same way when a new release of Plant 3D comes out, or I have to reinstall my existing P3D.

Now back to the tool palette... 

The Erase-Purge is just a simple set of commands that erases the 3d object that is placed during testing (on 0,0,0).  Yes, I could just close the DWG without saving but saving is also something I have a habit of doing so when I do that by mistake, this is my bailout command to clear it from the drawing and purge it.

The Plant Snap Shot is just the thumbnail creation tool you need when you start adding your scripts to the catalog.

And Plant Part Convert is not really needed with Python Scripting, but I have the command there in my tool palette for when I am having to catalog block based components.

So that is what I use.  If you need to see the actual command syntax behind the buttons, comment on this post and I will be happy to send them to you.

Collaboration in Plant 3D

This is just a post to ask what you think of the new collaboration in Plant 3D 2018.  Are you using it?  Have you at least tried it?  If so, what are the things you like or dislike about it?  Reply to this post.

Check out my Screencast of the day:  http://autode.sk/2lC0nEd

Clevis Hanger with Rod and Scissor Clamps and Toggle Lock Point of Support

AutoCAD Plant 3D & Sloped Socketweld Piping: Why is my vertical pipe not truly vertical? This is the fix! http://autode.sk/2jqDQtz 

Complex Pipe Routing #1

Visit the Applied Software blog for my post on complex pipe routing.

http://www.asti.com/News-Events/blogs/PostId/2006/complex-routing-in-autocad-plant-3d

Complex Pipe Routing #2

Visit the Applied Software blog for my latest post on complex pipe routing.

http://www.asti.com/News-Events/blogs/PostId/2021/complex-routing-in-autocad-plant-3d-2

Oh good.  AU 2016 starts Tuesday at 8:00AM.  Want to guess when my class is scheduled?

Awesome!  Get it done and out of the way early!

an Aux Steel Supports Bundle for Plant 3D is soon to be released from Applied Software!  If you want information on it, email shallmark@asti.com

I guess I am heading back to AU again...

Look it up when you register!

I found a great decompiler for Python the other day...

 

You can find it at https://sourceforge.net/projects/easypythondecompiler/files/bin/ 

 

If you need to see what those PYC's in the Variants.ZIP really look like, use this!

Add Pipe Makeup Length to BOM on FFW... works now!

Yes, you read it correctly.  Adding Pipe Makeup Length to BOM on FFW... works now! 

She's got legs!

In AutoCAD Plant 3D 2017... Tanks have legs now!  Thank you ZZ Top for the inspirational song to title this post.

 

Still looking for more goodies to the new release... I will update soon.

In case you missed it...

Here is the link to the Plant 3D Supports utilizing Python Scripting Webinar from yesterday afternoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMpcfomJdI8

Mark your calendars!

Mark your calendars!  Applied Software is hosting a webcast on Aug 20 that is entitled “Do you need more Plant 3D piping supports?”  In this webcast, I will be showing some of the additional supports we have created via Python Scripting for various clients and why you need to stop stick-building auxiliary steel supports and using non-intelligent and non-parametric 3D blocks of hangers and guides just like they did.  This is not a session on how to create Python Scripts on your own but more of what all goes into the work that Applied Software can do FOR you!  Feel free to register at

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1358024771940637442

AU Classes and Python Scripting offering

If you did not get a chance to see the ReCap and Plant 3D class that I taught at AU last year, here it is:  http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/class-catalog/2014/recap/pd6092-p#chapter=0

I had submitted a few proposals for this year but my classes were not accepted.  I had a great one on Python Scripting called "Snakes on a Plant" but nevertheless, it was denied.  I guess the interest from the masses is just not there yet.

In other news, if your company is needing additional aux-steel supports for P3D that are parametric and intelligent, let me know. Applied Software (whom I work for) offers this as a service.  We discuss the needs on a discovery call, scope out the work, provide a quote and then write the code for the supports. You could spend many, many, MANY hours trying to learn this on your own or you can let us do it for you!

email me at shallmark@asti.com

Autodesk ReCap and Plant 3D

If you are not using ReCap to register, index and manipulate your point clouds and then dropping them in Plant 3D to do as-built designs, you are missing out!

 

Come to Autodesk University in Las Vegas this year and attend my class on this very subject.

PD6092 - Simplify As-Built Modifications in Plant 3D: Autodesk ReCap and AutoCAD Plant 3D - 12/3/14 (Wednesday) 4:30 PM



AutoCAD Plant 3D: Tricks of the Trade

If you haven't seen it yet, this was my class on AutoCAD Plant 3D: Tricks of the Trade (for beginners) at Autodesk University last year.

http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/class-catalog/2013/plant-design-suite/pd2297#ooid=9mNm83aTqumDs7wXWGcp0vu-BriHpBhn

There are tons of great classes on the AU site so go check it out!

http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/search?full-text=plant+3d&p=1