Convert .stp to .pcf

[Jroper]

I have a .stp file that I would like to convert to a .pcf.  I can export the .stp to a .dwg then open it in Plant.  Then I see a PCF Export in the Isos tab.  But I can't export it.  I'm guessing I'm missing something because the the Line Numbers text box is blank.  I'm clueless about Plant myself.  Do the pipes need to be worked on to be created as smart piping objects first before a person can convert it to a .pcf? 

[dgorsman · Accepted solution]

A PCF file contains enough information to draw an isometric (and in most cases, do material management as well).  That includes but is not limited to connection point information (size, type, coordinates), short and long description, BOM category (fabrication, erection, etc.), new or existing, any extra component information which may have been imported into ATTRIBUTENN properties, plus global properties such as line number, linear and weight units, and so on.  A basic object (STP, IGES, and other formats) has none of this information until it is assigned through piping design software.

[Jroper]

Thanks for the response. That makes sense. The person that was requesting the .pcf file wanted to used Caesar with it as well. Is there any salvagable parts from a dumb Acad drawing that could be useful to him? Are the pipes at least traceable or workable to a Caesar user or Plant user?

[patpat79]

If you want a pcf file, you must convert your file to a plant 3d model so creating a pcf file means no effort at all, does your step file that so many that you can't recreate it? Thanks.

[patpat79]

Recreating or converting your model is very easy for an expert plant 3d user.

[Jroper]

I think the files to convert are fairly small. I'll pass it along to one of our Plant users. Thanks for your help.

[dgorsman]

CAESAR, as a stress analysis program, doesn't model the way piping design does. Depending on how many components and the individual stress engineer (some of them prefer to model directly in CAESAR instead of importing objects), a simple drawing may be more efficient.