AutoCAD MEP 2009 New Features

[tobysmith]

OK, I finally had a chance to get this information posted. I tried to capture the "highlights" but we did quite a bit of work for this release. Here's an overall summary:

In addition to all of the new features in the 2009 releases of AutoCAD and AutoCAD Architecture (you can find more information on these in other newsgroups posts and various blogs), there are several new features in AutoCAD MEP 2009.

Interference Detection
This is a new tool to check for collisions between objects in AutoCAD MEP. The tool allows you to find hard and soft collisions (such as clearances), zoom into the problem area, resolve the issue and navigate to the next one. Check boxes allow you to select which MEP objects to check as well as different building elements to check against.

Part Numbering
This is a new annotation tool used to number Duct and Pipe parts for scheduling. This replaces the Pipe and Duct Fabrication tag tools formerly found only in the UK profile. You can number individual objects or a system of connected objects. As items are added or deleted, you can update the numbering or re-number the entire run. There is also an option to use the same part number for identical parts.

Electrical Enhancements
There have been major improvements in this area. Load Categories have been added for all devices with Power & Lighting connectors. These Load Categories determine which Demand Factor value to use in the panel load calculations. Demand Factors have been revised to allow for changes based on quantity of objects or ranges of loads. Also, the largest motor is automatically determined and a different Demand Factor can be set for it. Demand Factors are now applied to each panel calculated load instead of individual circuit loads.

Circuit Manager is now a modeless palette, similar to the Properties Palette or the Tool Palettes. Circuit Manager can be docked on the side of the screen (or a second monitor) and will roll-up out of the way when not needed. New header and footer sections have been added to display panel properties as well as overall panel load totals, spare capacity and phase balance.

The Electrical Project Database is now a separate file with .EPD extension. Any drawing linked to an EPD file will be able to utilize any panel and circuit linked to the same EPD file. Multiple files can be linked to the same EPD file to share loads across your drawing files.

Panels can now be linked to other panels so loads can be accurately transferred across an entire electrical distribution system. Panels in the current drawing can be connected to any panel in the same drawing or to any panel in the linked EPD file. Panel-to-panel connections are shown in an offset manner in Circuit Manager (similar to Windows folder structure).

Panel Schedules are now based on AutoCAD tables instead of Visual Basic code. Table style “templates” can be created to match company-standard panel schedules. A few schedules have been created as examples and these are found in a Panel Schedule Table Styles drawing in the Styles directory.

Multiple Catalog Selection
Multiple part catalogs can now be used for each discipline. It is now much easier to keep custom content separate from the default content that ships with AutoCAD MEP. When adding parts, the different catalogs are identified to allow you to select the proper part from the desired catalog.

User Interface and Tools
Pipe and Pipe Fitting Add and Modify are now based in the Properties Palette. All of the options for changing properties while adding or editing pipe objects can now be found in one location. The Nominal Size field only displays sizes available from the selected Routing Preference. The Elevation control has been updated to allow selection of predefined elevations (from Options setting) as well as accepting typed values directly. Routing Preferences are also now stored on Pipe and Fittings.

External drawings can be utilized for Routing Preferences and System styles so these no longer need to be stored in the templates. Styles will only be brought in when an object is added. The ModifyRun command replaces PipeModify. Also, graphical one-line rise drop styles have been improved.

Plumbing Line and Plumbing Fitting Add and Modify are also now based in the Properties Palette. All of the options for changing properties while adding or modifying plumbing objects can be found in one location.

The selection dialog for devices, panels, schematic symbols and plumbing fittings has been enhanced. In the past, the tiny “worksheet” button had to be selected. Now, the Properties Palette displays an image of the part. Just click on the picture to bring up the dialog box to select a different part.

When you select a pipe, duct, conduit or cable tray object, you now have a quick way to select all of the objects in the same system, system group, domain (i.e. all piping objects or all duct objects) or connected branches. This can be found on the Edit menu or on the right-click context menu for each object.

Schematic Lines and Fittings
Drawing and editing schematic layouts is much easier with new grips to add, lengthen, move, flip and rotate objects. Associate moving (also called “sticky move”) is utilized to connected schematic lines and fittings know how to move in relation to each other.

Solution Tips
The former defect marker has been replaced by solution tips. A yellow triangle with an exclamation point will display a tool tip indicating the problem as well as possible solutions. The solution tips can be turned on and off as needed – this is now a user setting, not a drawing setting as before.

Export to AutoCAD
In the past, using Export to AutoCAD in Model view would result in some items being exported as 3D solids while others were exported as 3D faces. Everything is now converted to 3D solids.

The team also is already working on several great improvements for the 2010 release. If you would like to be more involved in helping us make product decisions, please sign up for the MEP Customer Council (www.adskmepcc.com) and Beta testing (myfeedback.autodesk.com).

Thanks,

Toby Smith, PE, LEED AP
AutoCAD MEP Product Manager

[rdswords]

1) Has the hidden line display for crossing MEP objects been fixed? (i.e. does a hidden linetype actually display now when a pipe/conduit/tray/etc. crosses beneath another)

2) Will conduit rise/drop symbols finally be fixed? My biggest problem is that when you connect a conduit to an electrical end connector on the bottom side of an MvPart, a drop symbol is incorrectly displayed. A rise symbol (for example, a full circle) should be displayed. I've also had a sporadic problems with a symbol being rotated in the wrong direction.

[scrupul0us]

When should subscription users expect to receive shipment?

Is there a roll-out plan?

[Matt__W]

Is there a PDF that can be downloaded that outlines all of the improvements/enhancements/changes?

Matt W

[tobysmith]

Yes, members of the MyFeedback beta testing group (myfeedback.autodesk.com) have access to PDFs of feature summaries from AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP.

Toby Smith, PE, LEED AP
AutoCAD MEP Product Manager

[Matt__W]

*runs off to log into MyFeedback*


Thanks! I'll check them out.

Matt W

[scrupul0us]

forgot password function is bunk

[sleo]

Toby, will the pipe elevation tag work on sloped objects? and are ther to be more plumbing DWV fittings from manufacturers in parametric form available?

[valacho]

Got mine today

[jschultz]

You got your Autocad MEP 2009 today? Do you have the Revit MEP Suite or just Autocad MEP 2009?

I have the Revit MEP Suite and have not gotten mine yet.

[valacho]

I only have AutoCAD and AutoCAD MEP, not Revit. I also received a notification email about the MEP shipping, although the AutoCAD shipment appeared magically with no notification.

I hope you get your Revit soon!

[Hugh_Compton]

I'm an MEP newbie and use a custom tag to label the sloping pipe elevations (see attached).

I have a VBA routine that adds the PSDs whenever I save the drawing. I am willing to share if anyone is interested.

---------------------------------------
Pipework & Structural Steel http://www.3DCADMax.com

[arcticad]

Yes Please Post your code.

Thank You;

[Hugh_Compton]

I have attached the code in a text file. Two things to note:

1) The PSD needs to be in the drawing (feel free to copy / rename mine from the first DWG in the messages above). It's a good idea to add it to your template.

2) The VBA needs references added. I have the following referenced:
AEC MEP 5.5 Application Library
AEC MEP 5.5 Base Object Library
AEC MEP Plumbing 5.5 Base Object Library

Enjoy! This makes tagging pipe slopes easy.

[BHashman]

Hi Hugh,

help me understand this... it appears that the text in the PSD is a manual entry.

The code adds the PSD to the pipe, but from what I can see, are you getting the invert from the pipe automatically? It does not appear that you are. Yet this is possible with vbscript in the PSD.

http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5710249

[CCMoor]

Improve the XREF analysis for error catching.
80% of my crashes and failures arise from XREF's with absolutley no diognostic of why, where, when, and how.

Get the palettes into the cui or do away with the cui.
This is a huge pig with little to no benefit. crashes, stops updating after a few adjustments constantly, takes forever to open. Doesn't allow multiple selections. Forces everything to do a single drag and drop in a very clumsy way with active scrolling going haywire and hangs acting like it is updating with every change when in fact it doesn't update anything. Hold the text and wait for me to apply instead of wasting my time hanging on every little twitch.

Palette Groups, Palettes, MEP Palettes.......
Fix the entire system into a centralized location to actually work in a meaningful way for those of us trying to manage 80 plus workstations. Quit forcing me to blow out the profile on every workstation for every palette update. Why cant this just read them on loading?
Perhaps separate standard block palette systems from MEP AEC tool palettes completely to save us both some headaches.

Find a reasonable and logical way to manage palette Groups. The current format has been lousy and continues to get worse since 2006. 2009 manages to not only blow out its own stock palette groups, but those of my 2008 deployment for no logical or reasonable explanation. Even though the workspaces call for the groups, once they are lost, they are lost. I have to completely uninstall and reinstall the 2 gig system to get the stock palette groups working again.
All of this hinges on the workstation registry, the profile arg, the workspace, and the horrid FixedProfile.aws. It's bad enough we can't export palettes in MEP anymore.

Why didn't the team simply add an M-, E-, P- to the beginning of every stock palette so we can actually tell the difference of which Annotation, Equipment, etc... palettes go with what discipline? How about some multiple selection options to make the management of them productive as well?

The interface seems to consume more and more resources to accomplish the same goals that havent changed in the last 5 years.

How about integrating the overall functionality of Reference Manager into the AutoCAD XREF manager. Minus the constant CTD's.

Please add the Select Similiar function to stock Vanilla AutoCAD.

Overall, I do like the ribbon more than the dashboard implementation. I just wish in the CUI I could select multiple items from a toolbar to place into a Tab or a Panel and have them drop on easily. Copy and paste functionality is a bit obscure of when and where it will actually work. I've used Ctrl & Shift for selection sets but it doesn't seem to work consistently. Everytime I start doing this, I have to apply, close, and completely shutdown AutoCAD then start back up and load the CUI editor to get more modifications to work. Message was edited by: CCMoor

[sleo]

Thanks for the code!!!! I'm going to give it a try although I'm not too experienced with VBA myself.

[Goood_Ash]

We are not very impressed with the new Interference detection tool. It seems that Auto CAd goes out of it's way to make things more dificult. The old collision detection was a simple process of checking a button and selecting a color for the colision. Way too easy! Now you have to find it, then call Microdesk for help in finding the location of the color, wait an hour for them to call back, then restart your computer after it crashes (twice). While you are waiting for it to run you can go out for lunch and it should be done when you get back. I know Autodesk is always striving for new ideas but this one we could do without. Does anyone know how to replace the MV Parts Catalog? We saved our old (2008 MEP) catalog with custom parts we use all the time and are having trouble installing it into 2009. By the way has ANYONE ever designed a duct system with 3x3 duct? I'm not sure why it is even in the program. I would take quite a beating from our field guys if I ever designed a system with 3x3 duct and parts! Edited by: goood_ash on Oct 9, 2008 7:36 PM