Issues with custom fittings and catalogs

[Bryanf88]

Hello, 

   I am attempting to creat a custom fittings catalog for rubber/plastic lined pipe and I'm running into some issues. Let me explain my work flow (note: all of this is done on my C drive, no network stuff here), I model the fitting and save it as a 3d block, creat a new plant project, creat a new drawing file within the project, insert 3d block/save and run plant part convert/pick ports/save, relocate the converted block and all associated files ( it makes three dwg, XML and PNG file) to a combined fitting blocks folder on my desktop to keep them organized, go into spec editor and creat a new empty catalog, creat a new empty folder in the same folder as the catalog with the same name, creat components pick block from folder on desktop and everything goes fine.

   Once I get everything into the catalog and into a spec and saved in my project I am unable to insert them into my piping model. The thumbnail in the fittings tool palette is just a white square however I see all of the information, ie long descriptions, for the fittings I just get a "can't find symbol for specified part" Message when I attempt to bring anything into the model. I was done some research and I'm pretty sure I'm doing everything correctly, so why isn't it working? Am I missing something?

[patpat79 · Accepted solution]

Here's how I do things, first create my custom catalog ("either by catalog builder, copy the existing") then model custom components. 3d cad, convert to block, add ports. That's it. Then I create a new component to the catalog, use the model I have done then, eureka. It's done.

[patpat79]

For your information, catalog items does not depends on the project you are working, it depends on the "contentshaeedfolder" of your plant 3d and your spec editor.

[patpat79]

"Contentsharedfolder" I mean

[Bryanf88]

I believe I found the issue. I was making my parts for different sized pipe in separate drawings, not in the same drawing. Thanks for the responses though!

[patpat79]

Hmm, I think if custom component is concerned, it doesn't matter what drawing you use, for me I use a dedicated test.dwg in the project where I put custom blocks and where I also test components and setup output. For what I know, it doesn't matter what drawing, it's just that, component must be converted and had port addition, and of the same contentfolder.