AutoCAD P&ID

[#1]

We are trying to setup to use SQL Server as our DB engine. We've been able to successfully create a project using the plantconfiguredatabase and have created drawings and verified that data is going into yhe SQL DB. We use an Access ADP file to look at the SQL DB.

Here;s the problem. It looks like data transfer is only oneway, from the PID setup to the database. I've created an extra parameter for pumps and when I look in the SQL DB the new field is there but if I create a new field in the SQL DB it doesn't show up in PID. Also if I populate some data in the the fields in PID they show up in the SQL DB but if I populate in the SQL DB they do not show up in PID.

Does anyone have any insight into what we are doing wrong or can offer some guidance. I did a search here in SQL and from what I read it should be working.

Brian

[#2]

Hi Brian,

The database at the backend of P&ID is really there to facilitate reporting, it is not the master repository of the project data.  The live data is actually stored in the drawing files.  The database is updated when a drawing file is saved.

Any updates that you make to the records in the database will be lost the next time the drawing is saved that contains the components whose data you have modified.  If you need to add additional properties to a component, you need to add them via Project Setup and populate them via Data Manager.

Regards,

Andy

[#3]

Andy,

Thanks. After your reply I did a little experimenting. I had already figured out that it appears the communications is one-way from P&ID to the DB which is a real disappointment but I've been able to somewhat verify what you said. If there is already an entry in the P&ID DB for a field it will indeed overwrite the field in the SQL DB, but if the field is blank (Null) in P&ID then it will not disturb the same field in the SQL DB if it's already populated.

I did do a search here on "SQL" and read everything that has been said and there seemed to be an indication that at least for version 2009 and possibly 2010 the data could flow both ways. It doesn't make any sense to me to give us a tool to utilize an SQL Server DB and then basically cripple it.

Still shanking my head over this one and I hope someone from Autodesk comes on here and clears up exactly what it can and can't do.

Brian

[#4]

I disagree with your conclusions.

I find that the data transfer is two way but you must be careful with the timing.

Open P&ID.

Open a drawing that has a piece of equipment that has a tag.

Change the tag to something you can find easily like 999 or whatever your format will allow.

Save and close the drawing.

Start Access and open your adp file to SqlServer

Change the tag to 444 or something.

Move off the record to make sure the Sql table is updated.

Go back to P&ID and open the drawing.

The tag should now show as 444 or whatever you entered in the sql table

Tom

[#5]

Tom,

Thanks for the reply and I'm glad you weighed in on this question. You've got a lot more experience on using the SQL link than we do.

I tried the experiment again based on what you said but got the same basic results. Any changes I make in ADP do not show up in the PID but once I save the PID again any changes I made in the DB will be overwritten with the values in the PID, if that makes sense.

In the very short document about setting up PId to use the SQL Server DB they mention configuring SQL to allow remote connections. Did you have to do this in your case? We just followed the steps in the white paper down to creating the DB and the connection seemed to be established and then we went on.

Brian

[#6]

Brian

If you are using Sqlexpress on the same machine as Autocad P&ID, you should not have to set up remote connections. If you run it over the network you will have to allow remote connections and you will probably have to create an exception in the windows firewall. If you are running a full version of SqlServer, your db administrator must help you.

When you searched the discussion group for SQL did you see the reply from Jorge Lopes of Autodesk on data exchange for Sql.

Don't give up. Two way communication is possible and a little tricky.

Tom

[#7]

Tom,

Thanks again. All I really needed is validation that it is possible to have two-way communication. Now I'll have to sit down with our IT guiys and try and figure this out. I've also posted a question on Ask The Expert here so hopefully I'll get Autodesk's answer to this.

Brian

[#8]

For all that may be interested we figured this out with some help from one of the AC Experts here. We were running P&ID using an SQL DB and the communication seemed to be one way. If you made a change to data in P&ID it would write out the SQL DB with no problem. but if you made a change to data in the SQL DB it was not being written to P&ID.

Turns out there is a command that is not documented called PLANTXDBMANAGER. I assuming it's a demo program for using the SDK but it is essentailly a data mapping program. Once we started mappinf the fields between the SQL DB and P&ID the communication is two way and works well. Once you have some mapping defined when you go into DataManager and right click on a class you will see a selection to Reload Mapped Properties.

Hope this helps someone else out there.

Brian

[#9]

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andy.davis wrote:

Hi Brian,

The database at the backend of P&ID is really there to facilitate reporting, it is not the master repository of the project data.  The live data is actually stored in the drawing files.  The database is updated when a drawing file is saved.

Any updates that you make to the records in the database will be lost the next time the drawing is saved that contains the components whose data you have modified.  If you need to add additional properties to a component, you need to add them via Project Setup and populate them via Data Manager.

---

What happens when you open Data Manager and select "P&ID Project Data"? Are you viewing/editing the information in the database, or does it actually go out to each drawing and pull that info?

Say for example I have one drawing open in the project. I open Data Manager and view "P&ID project data", expand the list down to "Hand Valves", then filter for all valves with a particular supplier.

If I change all of those to a different value (supplier name) using copy/paste operation, does it write the new values to each drawing or does it save back to "ProcessPower.dcf"?

[#10]

Hi Jason,

The Data Manager writes the data to the drawing files.  It opens the drawing files that contain the valves that you are updating.  The data is not written to the database until the drawings are saved.

Regards,

Andy