Keen to see a connector for Autodesk Plant 3D.
Plant 3D has 2 big sections, a schematic design tool to produce P&IDs (piping and instrumentation diagrams), as well as a 3D modelling environment which creates 3d piping models, for the most part. It’s a bit like fabrication MEP, but sits on AutoCAD and also produces ‘parametric’ models of equipment items (configurators for pumps, vessels, heat exchangers). As Autodesk have it, everything sits on a collection of SQLite databases, with an option to key into SQL server and BIM360 collaboration. Key powers of Plant versus others:
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‘Specification driven’ piping. Basically, a series/collection of components which may be applied to different conditions such as service (chilled water, avgas, effluent, steam). This includes an acceptable selection of valves, filters, guages, flanges and couplings, branch connectors and so forth, which can also change at different diameters.
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Validation between piping and P&ID databases.
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Generaton of ‘piping isometric drawings’.
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Creation and control of systems and their connections between collections of equipment items and facility areas.
Workflow
We would like to be able to move 3D plant data without losing connection information, attributes or geometric fidelity in particular to Revit for the management of these families and creation of better deliverables. We’ve found that the AutoCAD drawing engine as they have it, is no longer appropriate for the risk and effort levels required, for example:
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time it takes to generate a single view. Instead of (more or less) instantaneous performance we can attain from Revit, plant 3d goes through a process of ‘flat shotting’ and layer reassignments, so this process can take minutes or more
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disassociated annotations such as sections and view titles.
Also - there is no visual scripting environment for Plant 3D available. If we are able to create connector(s) which understand each schema then we open up to the opportunity to create a more user friendly automation library.
I’ve done an AU preso on some of these issues, which might explain these more.