How to Add Detail Sketches in OpenPlant Isometrics Manager Using AutoPLANT Modeler

Background

Often Detail sketch is shown in isometrics to understand the graphical/technical details of the components.Detail sketches are stored in a Microstation cell library.

Steps to Accomplish

Creating a detail sketch library

1. Make a copy of a default existing cell library “detail_sketch.cel” available on location C:\ProgramData\Bentley\OpenPlantIsometricsManager V8i\WorkSpace\Projects\OPModeler_Metric\DataSet\ Isometrics\Styles\IFC\Cell and paste   it on below AutoPLANT project location: C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Plant V8i\Bentley Plant V8i Projects\SAMPLE_METRIC\Config\OpenPlant \Isometrics \styles\IFC\cell.
   
   
2. Open an "Isometric configuration" dialog and open the seed file.
   
3. From the Menu bar, go to Element>Cells.
4. From the cell library dialog, go to File>Attach file and select “detail_sketch.cel” from project location
5. For example: location for default Metric Project will be C:\%project root%\Isometrics\styles\IFC\cell
   

Import a detail sketch in the library

1. Open cell library for editing. Right click on cell name click open for editing.
   
   
   
2. In Detail_sketch.cel file, from the menu bar go to File > Model.
3. Click on “Import models” to import the desired file. Select the dwg/dgn/dxf or other supported format.
   
   
   
4. Once drawing gets selected, it will prompt to add the Model as a Model or a layout.
5. In that case, select “model”.
   
   
   
6. A new model is being created. Click on the name field and change the name. Say “detail 123"
   
   
   
7. Place Text including an underscore like A_A.
   
   
   
8. It should get placed in cell file as shown below.
   
   
   NOTE:
   A. Place the text where the cross reference is to be placed, change color etc. wherever needed. An underscore is must between the characters.
   B. This is for automatic cross-referencing, done in sequence “A”, “B”, “C”. If this rule is not necessary, just place a text with the name of the detail sketch, in this example: detail123.
   
   
9. Similarly repeat this for other detail sketches.
10. From the menu bar go to File>save settings and exit from file.

Scale factor

When the drawings are imported into the cell library the units and possible UOR (unit of resolution) will be set from the imported model. When placed as detail sketch the size of the sketches in the isometric depends on it.

For example: Import the drawing into the cell libraries and measure the sketches as 50 mm square. When used as a detail sketch they end up as 0.5 mm square. This is caused by the cell UOR being 10 subunits per master unit where 1000 was expected. In this case user needs to set the scale factor to 100.

The scale factor must be changed in the style.xml file from its corresponding project folder location:

<DetailSketch>
<PlacementType>2</PlacementType>
<BorderSize>2</BorderSize>
<NamingType>0</NamingType>
<Scale>100</Scale>
<LevelName>Detail Sketches</LevelName>
</DetailSketch>

Note: Recommended scale set is 100, the default is 1.

Add Detail Field in AutoPLANT Database

To get this implemented, add a field “DETAIL” in corresponding piping table. The detail field must be added in this table.

1. Go to Project Administrator>project>database>Databases>Projdata>Edit tables>Piping >Edit >Table Design and add the new field “DETAIL
   
   
   
2. Once the field is added make sure it is enabled for user Updates, this can be done by going to Project- Administrator >project>database>Databases>Projdata>Edit tables>Piping>Columns
   
   
3. Open the Auto PLANT Model and make sure there is an entry in the Flange for the field “DETAIL”
   
   
   Note: Make sure the detail field has the exact name as given for cell name i.e. (detail123).
   
   
4. Create the ISO using OPIM and check the detail sketch
   
   
   Note: This is also possible to add the same field in the spec and have it automatically populated when placing a new component.

See Also

http://communities.bentley.com/products/plant/design___engineering/w/plant_design_and_engineering__wiki/13393.settingsattributes-openplant-isometrics-manager

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