Cutting Plane / BOX

[vannmannen]

In Microstarion we have cutting plane and in PDMS a box to cut planes so you can see what goes on INSIDE your module. I do not find any of these options in Plant 3D and it is becomming a nightmare when I have a 3 storey module and try to route pipes inside the skid.

I am aware that autocad always have been 'layer' based but I can not turn on/off layers all the time, specially when we use TELKA converted structure models that only comes out as one single layer.

Anyone have a soultion for this?

[davidpacer]

Yes this is a long overdue feature.  You can achieve it to some degree with xclip, but it's crying out for a decent dynamic clipping box for editing.

[Rich.O.3d]

have you tried the hide feature

[vannmannen]

I assume you mean Right-Click > Hide.

(If you refer to another command, please advice)

That will not work on an XREF file as the whole file will be hidden. The XCLIP does neither solve this.

Can anyone tell me if a clipping box will come on next version, or atleast if someone is making an app for this?

[Rich.O.3d]

There is a cutting box in Navisworks that operates as you are asking.

I only have the pipe im working on and the bits relavant to it loaded when in plant, I use navis as the viewing tool to 'see' where im rounting relative to the big picture.

[vannmannen]

Rich, your answer is to some extend correct but this issue is becomming very serious when we do 3 storey congested modules.

Attached snapshot shows that the program gives my a cutting plane by use of  the 'section plane' plane feature, but the nozzle in the red circle is not accessable when this plane is on. When I try to press the nozzle, the section plane will highlite and the nozzle becomes inaccessable.

To use Navis viewer beside is pointless as I need the cutting options in Plant 3D when I do the routing.

[Rich.O.3d]

I see whats happening, its a selection cycling thing, the plane is at the front so when you go to pick something behind it, it picks the plane

turn on selection cycling (toolbutton at bottom) or hit ctrl+w to toggle it on (again to toggle it off)

then pick your nozzle, it will pop up a box that lists your nozzle, the plane or anything else that is over the point youve picked, then pick your nozzle from the list

or if you dont like selection cycling...hide the plane

or...create a layer and put the plane on it (eg 'live section plane') then turn the layers visibiltiy off

edit: ps sorry for delayed response, i havent been working on plant for a while (cant find a job using it) and have only just had time to look back at the forums