Configuring isometric drawings

[mark.templin]

Greetings,

As we work to enhance the isometric drawing configuration workflow in Plant 3D, we need to know what steps you typically take to get the job done.  If you'd like to contribute to improving the configuration experience for future releases, please reply with a list of the critical steps in the process of customizing isometrics just right for your business and customers.

Thanks for your time and consideration!

Cheers,

The Plant Team.

[RSFAdsk]

Another way to provide this feedback would be to share your ISO files (PDF, DWF, DWG or image)

You can upload files to the following link where they will be reviewed by us (Autodesk).

https://www.hightail.com/u/RichardFrank728973

As Mark said, our goal is to identify your configuration steps.

Reviewing your I Wish AutoCAD Plant 3D Did This Out Of The Box ISOs would help us identify the things you think are most important.

[PVLegazpi]

Richard, Mark:

I don´t produce isos everyday but I train people and I will try to summarize the problems the new users find.

The first one is to have only one iso instead of several pages. I understand the old isogen is much more perfect compressing the content of the iso, the dimensions and all the stuff looks like more "compact". The new users are not so worried about the number of the isos, but when they try to have a long line in only one iso the drawing is not so nice. So I think there is some work to do with that. Perhaps a wizard, perhaps to change the size of the dimensions,... but a user trying to get everything in one drawing should not get a disaster.

Second: symbols. The library of symbols should be increased. A special attention to valves with complex configurations (3way valves) could be interesting. Garlock symbols for connectors as well.

And third, the list of materials with (total) weights.

I think Isometrics has been a success and you are doing a great job. This is a good initiative. To listen customers is a good way to produce good software.

Pablo

[darrelldixon]

A few things I think of right off:

1)  Have the title block information populate the block correctly without having to open each one and execute an ATTSYNC.

2) Have instruments be numbered on the drawing and appear in the BOM. This is very basic.

3) Make it easier to customize the line number format that is automatically generated and labeled on the line itself. It does not follow the TAG or ANNOTATION.

[ajb]

Required areas for improvement to avoid post iso modifications;

• Ability to add sketches to the model so they appear on the Iso
• Spool number locking
• Item number locking
• Repeatability
• Ability to set start point in model

Regards

[RSFAdsk]

Thank you if you uploaded sample ISO drawings and for your comments.

We have reviewed a few dozen of your ISOs. The results were remarkably consistent in terms of wanting more draw area and the ability to make things more compact. And an additional paper size.

One thing we have not received is metric sheets.

You are welcome to continue to uploading your I Wish AutoCAD Plant 3D Did This Out Of The Box ISOs here: https://www.hightail.com/u/RichardFrank728973

DWGs, PDFs, or even JPGs snapped from your phone are welcome 😉

[amr.shehab91]

Hi RFSK,

      I have a problem on plant 3d 2014, Porduction Isometrics can be generated for only one line number.

Is there any configuration I can alter to generate isoetrics for multiple ljne numbers together ?

thanks in advance !

[daLeed]

I want a variable to control spacing / scaling on lines that contain items (valves, supports)

I want another variable to control spacing / scaling on empty or long lines

I want these two variables to be independent of horizontal runs and vertical runs - if a line is very long with nothing on it I dont want it marginalized to become insignificatn

forgive my ignorance if solutions exist

I changed the block scaling to 10 - I felt the default 20 were too big

at 10 some of the runs came out nice but the next continuation drawing strangley resulted in cramped up unreadable info

as you can see from the examples - I also want some padding so that dimensions dont become leaderized

many of the variables have little or no effect on controlling isometric output - except making it take much longer with no improvement in layout options.

in the attachment you can see the effect of changing block scale factor

(Symbols Placeholder="MissingIsoSymbolPlaceholder" Scale="xx" )

When the majority of pipe runs are probably horizontal there needs to be simple variables to reduce dominance of the vertical runs

yes altering congestion can help but then all the isometrics that came out good are not so good - to help the one that was dodgey.

scenario A (default scale="20" - somewhat acceptable however odd dimensions have become leaderized, blocks too large for liking (or need to space out), draw space not fully utilized

scenario B, scale="30" blocks too larger, however has increased available draw space

scenario C, scale="10" looks horrible - unreadable, however drawing continuing came out ok, manual break points didnt help.

scenarion D, scale="20" (default) - but entities within guide block definition were prior scale at 50% and dummy defpoints entities added to maintain some form of padding/spacing - dimensions came out perfect.

altering the scale that blocks are represented/inserted should not have such a drastic effect on how the available free space is considered

making the scale smaller should not cram all the objects together (piping supports) into a smaller lump (with massive space free in the drawing)

[david.flores]

Isometric production is an ongoing issue with our firm.

The following items would be useful:

The ability to generate 3D isos with dimensions

The ability to preview an isometric and make adjustments before generating the final output drawing.

The ability to adjust the scale an isometric within the drawing border in a preview mode.

Simplify adding Column Bubbles and reference dimensions to isos

Provide a connectivity check of the line when creating an iso

Simplify the process of adding custom isometric templates or add more styles of templates that are customizable.

Simplify the process of adding custom iso symbols.

Improve the quality of the graphics.

[Marc_VDZ]

Hi, I send you 2 series of metric isometrics: a serie of 4 'adapted' isometrics and the 4 original isometrics as generated by the program. What I want to change is the possibility to preview the isometric and change what is necessary: orientation of text, leaders, symbols, etc... Possibilty to change textheight: this differs between dimensions, leaders and normal text. Possibility to place just the elevation without the N and E orientation. These are things to loof after for the next release of P3D.

Best regards,

Marc Vandezande

sr CAD engineer at Waterleau Group NV

[dtham]

I don't want to change the subject of this thread, but since you guys are in the software developing team.

Isometric drawing are fine for Plant design. We do pipeline drawings that requires Ortho drawings.
We are using Civil 3D drawing as a base to show how pipeline hugged the land profile or the pipeline corridor.
Normally, we showed a vertical exaggeration about 5 times the horizontal scale so that we can see the change in profile.

Civil 3D pressure piping has features for laying out pipeline, but lack the complete spec driven feature of Plant 3D.

I guessed I am thinking of something like Orthogen or incorporate spec-driven feature into Civil 3D.

Clients want to see pipelines in Naviswork where the pipeline interact with road crossing or in or out of the Plant.

[Bob_Lipchik]

My list of wants/needs for improved isos in P3D is below.  I'm guessing some of these might be able to be fixed with some settings or adjustments but with project schedules I've not had a whole lot of time to get into this subject too deep or develop custom iso setups (that frankly shouldn't need to be customized).  Also some of these things might be addressed in 2015 which we have not upgraded to yet.

1. Line up the tags and piece marks better with the leader lines.  Maybe I'm just too picky but why do they not line up?

2. BOM Piece marks over in the cartoon/drawing have the text too large for the boxes, or better yet, boxes are too small.  Once printed or output to PDF they're difficult to read.  Need to have the ability to change this spacing easily.

3. Larger flow arrows.  Right now once the isos are printed or output to a PDF the flow arrows are so small they are barely visible.

4. Flow arrows that point in the correct direction.  

5. There was a change from 2014 to 2014 with extensions on the dimensions where the text for the dimension was no longer attached to the dimension itself.  Any time you stretch the dim out to clarify the drawing the text would stay and add a leader.  We tried changine all dim settings that normally control this but nothing helped.

6. Better support for lined pipe and other flanged pipe and fittings.  Currently the lined pipe drawings are HORRIBLE.  Missing flanges, incorrect dimensions, individual spool lengths not listed, some fittings completely skipped, etc.  Just BAD BAD BAD altogether.

7. Would like to see more options for supports being displayed in isos.  Right now the blocks used for supports are too limited and don't represent the type of supports being used.  Why can't we have a hanger look like a hanger, a U-bolt look like a U-bolt, a base elbow support look like a base elbow support?

8. Spool number locking.  I can generate an isometric with spool numbers, no problem.  But when I generate spool drawings these numbers on the isos don't match the spool number drawings.

9. A trigger when generating the BOM that if there are two items that are identical (for instance, 1" threaded valve in spec CS150) but have different long descriptions, these items should be placed on separate BOM line items and assigned separate numbers.

10. Instrument bubbles that appear in the drawing but also in the BOM.  Very basic thing here.

11. Instrument bubbles or notes that actually fit within the boxes or bubbles.  Or better yet, bubbles that actually display as they're supposed to display.  I can add a circle note using Iso Notes but it will come in as a circle with a box around it.  Sometimes the bubble is the correct size, sometimes it's not.

I know this sounds bad but overall, but I think the iso generation is great.  There's just a few tweaks that need to be made to make it perfect.

Thanks for listening to the users!!

[hectorhdz15]

Hello, how do you go about changing the scale on the i-configure menu?