This is a brief introduction to the AutoPIPE Vessel PXF Nozzle Manager. This tool is particularly helpful when transferring multiple revisions of a model from AutoPLANT/OpenPLANT to AutoPIPE Vessel using the PXF format.
PXF Nozzle Manager helps users identify and synchronize changes in location, orientation, offset, and inclination of nozzles between AutoPLANT/OpenPLANT and AutoPIPE Vessel. A common use case is to import a PXF file originated from AutoPLANT/OpenPLANT to create a new AutoPIPE Vessel model. Users then may continue to make changes(nozzle location, orientation, etc,) in AutoPLANT/OpenPLANT after this transfer. In order to synchronize these changes back to the AutoPIPE Vessel model created earlier, the user can use the Nozzle Manager dialog.
A model named HorizontalVesselwithNozzle.dwg will be used in the following procedures, and is also available with AutoPIPE Vessel.
Create a model in AutoPLANT or use the existing model provided in DWG format, then export this model to PXF format from AutoPLANT.
Figure 1
In order to export a model to PXF, select AutoPLANT 3D > Import/Export.
After this selection, the Import/Export menu displays. Select PLANT Exchange (PXF) > Export.
The AutoPLANT Selections dialog displays. Press OK. The Export Progress window displays the current progress. Once complete, the PXF file is ready to use.
Once the model is available in PXF format, start AutoPIPE Vessel and select Import > PXF to AutoPIPE Vessel.
Open the file of the horizontal vessel model in PXF format, then Save in AutoPIPE Vessel. The following figure displays the model in AutoPIPE Vessel after importing.
Figure 2
Open the original model in AutoPLANT and make changes to the nozzle location, orientation, offsets, etc. Once complete, export the revised model to PXF format.
Figure 3 contains the image of the AutoPLANT model, where changes are applied on THE nozzle location and offset.
Figure 3
There is now an existing AutoPIPE Vessel model that was imported earlier and a revised AutoPLANT model in PXF format with different nozzle locations and offsets. In order to synchronize these changes from AutoPLANT to AutoPIPE Vessel, use the PXF Nozzle Manager. PXF Nozzle Manager imports changes to nozzle properties from an updated model and applies the updates to the previous model in AutoPIPE Vessel.
In AutoPIPE Vessel, select Import > PXF Nozzle Manager.
Figure 4
The AutoPLANT-> AutoPIPE Vessel dialog displays. The Open button in the AutoPLANT group-box is used to open the PXF file of the updated model. The Open button within the AutoPIPE Vessel group-box is used to open the AutoPIPE Vessel model in which the user wants to update/synchronize with the nozzle changes.
Figure 5
Select the PXF file with the modified nozzles properties.
Figure 6
After selecting the PXF model, the tag value will be shown in Tag section of the AutoPLANT -> AutoPIPE Vessel dialog. Select the tag and open the model last saved in AutoPIPE Vessel in the AutoPIPE Vessel group-box.
Figure 7
Once both files are opened, the PXF Nozzle Manager loads the nozzle properties from both models and displays them in the dialog for review.
Figure 8
To merge the changes from the AutoPLANT model back to the AutoPIPE Vessel model, use the Apply button. All nozzles with matching nozzle tags will be updated with the properties coming from the AutoPLANT model. Save the model with a different file name so you can compare with the earlier model in AutoPIPE Vessel.
Figure 9 shows the model of the horizontal vessel after applying the PXF Nozzle Manager.
Figure 9
On comparing the models, you can see the changes in Nozzle N1 and Nozzle N3.
Figure 10
To view the changes, select the nozzle and double-click on it to display the Nozzle Properties dialog. The Location section contains information about the nozzle location, offset, orientation, and Inclination.
By examining the Nozzle Properties dialog, you can compare changes in the Nozzle properties before and after applying the PFX Nozzle Manager. In the Nozzle Properties dialog of Nozzle N1, the offset value is changed from 50.00mm to 80.00mm, and the Orientation is changed from 0.00 o to 90o.
N1-Nozzle Properties
As the properties of both nozzles were same, so there will be no change in their location, offset, orientation, and Inclination.
N2-Nozzle Properties
In Nozzle N3, the location value is changed from 3050m to 3700mm.
N3-Nozzle Properties
Bentley AutoPIPE