Data Shortcut Pipes Problem

[Anonymous]

All right, so here goes nothing.  Allow me to try to explain this:

1. We are working on a large project and have used data shortcuts to bring a pipe network in from the "pipes" base drawing.  These pipes come in via data shortcuts to a number of drawings.
2. We have recently found that pipes that are for instance, 250mm DIA in the source drawing, become 375mm DIA in the target drawing (drawing pipe is dref'd into).
3. This doesn't happen to ALL 250mm pipes, only ones that have been recently edited.
4. Synchonizing/Opening causes this change to happen in dref'd files.
5. Looking at pipe properties in the dref'd file the inner diamter shown is 375 in the target, and 250 in the source.  Same pipe ID, network had been very clean prior to this.

My suspicions, which I'm unable to make any headway with are:

• The Parts List might not have included a 250PVC so it kicks to the next one, a 375PVC?  But the Parts List has a 250, so that shouldn't be the cause of it.  
• The Parts Catalog is unchanged and pointing to the local C3D installation path for the default catalog.

[pinwards]

Do you also use the "pipes base" as an xref in the target drawings? I know having both xref and dref from the same source has caused sync issues in the past. Just a thought.

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[Anonymous]

Nope, I don't xref it in at all.  And the issue happens in any drawing that has the pipes dref in it.

[kcobabe]

Are you trying to get the pipes into a profile for a road or something?

The only reason to data shortcut something now is to place it in a profile or do a interference check if you keep your pipes systems (Water, Sewer, Storm, Gas).  Data shortcutting to every file can be a pain.  Might want to try Xrefing.  Especially since you can label pipe networks that are in a xref with a C3D label.

To get to the problem though, in the drawing you are referencing them into.  Did you bring the part catalog with it?  Were changes to the catalog made after the changes?  I suspect that the part was added after the drawing was made.  So all you should have to do is take off the part catalog from the network.  Copy over the new catalog.  Synch and it should fix it.

[annw2]

last time I used Drefs for networks, all the labels and structure display reset to odd default.

If you entered a pipe with a description of X size, then changed the size.  The description will not update.

Are your labels in BOTH files set to label the modeled pipe size or the original description?

[Bill_Myron]

How are you mainig the edits in the SOURCE drawing?

Are you swapping parts? or editing properties?


I have found that if you edit just the properties some times it will not come through on the DREF.We have had to make a part for every single pipe and structure to avoid this issue.

If you are swapping parts i have found this process to work at pushing through new parts that did not update. 

- Swap the offending part to something completely different. A different part family would be ideal.
- Save the drawing.
- Swap the part to the actual part you want.
- Save the drawing.

- Open D-Ref drawing and synchronize.

[Anonymous]

Profiles, that's the reason.   The catalog that was used is the stock C3D one - I've learned better than to make a change these days (especially with a yearly release cycle).

[Anonymous]

I change it using the swap method. Your outline is the one I was using - but for some reason it's just blowing up in my face right now. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for thinking aobut this with me.  The method I use to label is the pipe inner diameter, not the description.  So somehow the actual pipe diameter is changing during the synchonization.

[Anonymous]

Now it's popping up with this for each pipe:  

[Jeff_M]

I had that happen in one of my projects. I closed the Session through Task Manager, rebooted, Opened C3D and ran recover...first on the source drawing, then the target drawings. I think that this 'fixed' the issue (it's been a few years now and I didn't write down the steps).

[rkmcswain]

Just had the same issue here, in Civil 3D 2017. Resolved it by doing the following:

• Created a new parts list in each drawing, added a single pipe size to it (the desired size).
• In the source drawing, changed the parts list for the pipe network to this new parts list.
• In the source drawing, we did a "swap part" on the desired pipes, changing them to this "new" pipe size.
• Saved the source drawing, synced the profile drawing
• The correct size was synced to the profile drawing, and subsequently drawn corrected in the profile view.

[cstringer-ns]

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@Anonymous wrote:

My suspicions, which I'm unable to make any headway with are:

• The Parts List might not have included a 250PVC so it kicks to the next one, a 375PVC?  But the Parts List has a 250, so that shouldn't be the cause of it.  
• The Parts Catalog is unchanged and pointing to the local C3D installation path for the default catalog.

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I think your on the right track, but investigate the catalog further.  A part can be listed in a parts list, but if the corresponding part doesn't exist in the catalog, funky stuff will start to happen.  

If all your installations point to a local catalog, and someone created a custom part size in their catalog, then someone on a different machine, with a different local catalog, opens the file using that part... It will still show in the list, but won't be able to find the part in the catalog, and go wacky.

Check the catalog on the machine the pipes were created originally.  Then check the catalog on the machine trying to reference the parts.  

It's really a good idea to have one catalog, on a shared network location, that the whole office references.