This Client Server article is republished in its entirety from 2005 for reference purposes.

How does Isogen run?

Isogen, an application developed by Alias Ltd., is an industry standard used by many CAD applications, including AutoPLANT. The AutoPLANT Developers created a complimentary application designed to take the AutoPLANT component information and translate it into something Isogen can recognize and process. This is the purpose of the PCF creation process.

Isometric generation in the AutoPLANT Plant Design workgroup is a "behind-the-scenes," two-step process. As you've probably already guessed, this information is useful to the Plant Support Department in determining where a problem originates. For example, an issue may be caused by a defect in the Isogen system files, or it might be due to incorrect syntax in the PCF file.

How do I systematically determine the cause of Isogen errors?

Step 1: Identify the error

Isogen will usually tell the error code in the Isogen progress dialog. Sometimes, a limited amount of information is given. Here are some examples of the types of messages you might receive when Isogen did not process the components correctly:

A. Isogen errors:
    0 Components exported.

B. ISOGEN FAILED

C. ISOGEN Iso: C:\Bentley Plant Project\PROJECT1\CONFIG\ISOGEN\FINAL\DRAWINGS\L100-1.PASS.DXF

D. ISOGEN ERROR -13
Errors "A" and "B" are generic. Error "C" indicates there is a disconnect in the original AutoPLANT model. See question "C" in Step 2 below for details. The cause of error "D" can be determined from the following PDF file: ..\PLANT 2004\AUTOISOGEN\ISOUTILS\PERSONAL ISOGEN ERROR CODES.PDF, but further investigation is usually required.

In most other circumstances, the error information can be found in the following file ..\\CONFIG\ISOGEN\FINAL\MESSAGES\FINAL.MES or .LOG.

To the right of the component(s) causing the error, you will see: ***. Please see the example below (an excerpt of the FINAL.MES):

CLAMP

END-POINT      6.054          7.592          0.000  2                        ***

SKEY CLMP

ERECTION-ITEM

ITEM-CODE CPL07-2

WEIGHT           2.300

UNIQUE-COMPONENT-IDENTIFIER AT_D1W6HYS1_6

PIPING-SPEC VICTALIC

By finding the corrupted component using the specified coordinates in the affected drawing and replacing it, IsoGEN will successfully run.

Step 2: Determine where and when the problem occurs

This question gives rise to several related questions:

Within the current drawing, does the problem happen on more than one line number?
Does the problem happen on sections of that line number if the components are manually selected? Or does it only occur when using the "advanced selection" for running Isogen?
Does the problem happen in more than one drawing?
Does the problem happen in more than one project?
Does the problem happen on only one workstation or all workstations that are tested?
Using these questions, you can narrow down the source of the problem quickly, and then pursue several avenues of troubleshooting. Let's discuss each of these in depth.

Questions "A" and "B" may be related to each other, based depending upon whether or not Isogen is running. Most Isogen issues are drawing specific. In other words, the components in the drawing have been created or connected in such a way that the PCF file is generated but not recognized as valid by Isogen.

Thus, the following questions will determine if that is the case. Can we get AutoIsogen to run successfully in the drawing? If at some point it does work correctly, then the affected components can be narrowed down by using "manual" selection for Isogen processing.

Hint: Run sections of the model to see which parts work and which ones don't. It's usually possible to narrow down the problem just by trial and error. Run one section. If it works, then try another. If that one fails, then run a smaller part of that section. Keep doing this until the problem is narrowed down to a few components. Sometimes an IDFGEN error or PASS_DXF file can be caused by an invalid component. By replacing this component, IsoGEN can run successfully.

If Isogen doesn't run at all on any lines or sections of lines, then we need to broaden our testing parameters.

C. Does the problem happen in more than one drawing?

If the answer is no, the cause of the problem is within this drawing and further trouble shooting is recommended. Here are several suggestions which typically resolve Isogen errors.

Repair possible disconnects by going to the menu pick: Piping > Piping Tools > Connectivity Checker > Checker.

At times, fasteners such as welds, gaskets and bolts will have to be manually repaired. To do this, delete the weld, gasket or bolt and then go to the menu pick: Piping > Piping Tools > Component Manipulation Tools > Join Components... The fasteners will be automatically created when two piping components are joined together.

If there are multiple tap ports in the same location, IsoGEN may fail. Make sure that there is only one tap port at each tap port location. The above method of joining components may also have to be used in this case.

D. Does the problem happen in more than one project?

If the answer is no, then the problem lies within the project settings. Open the Project Administrator and go to the section ..\\ISOGEN. Double check all file paths to ensure that they are valid.

It may also be necessary to compare the settings from other projects to make sure the current project has the correct Option Switches set.

E. Does the problem happen on only one workstation or all workstations that are tested?

If the problem only happens on one workstation for all drawings in all projects, then Isogen has most likely not be installed correctly. AutoPLANT support can be contacted at this time. The affected files are in the following directory ..\PROGRAM FILES\COMMON FILES\PLANT 2004\ISOGEN.

If this happens on all workstations in all drawings, then the issue most likely has to do with what is installed on the machine. Perhaps another third party application is preventing Isogen from running correctly. It will have to be uninstalled. In other circumstance, unsupported auditing software or virus scan programs have affected Isogen. In those circumstances, the IT department should review what settings are being used for those programs. In some extreme cases, the software should be disabled in order to allow Isogen to function. Of course, AutoPLANT Support should also be notified so that you may arrive at a solution.

See Also

Client Server Archive

Plant TechNotes And FAQs

Comments or Corrections?

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