Plant3d 2014

[tarheels09]

We are using Plant 2013 and we have had nothing but problems dealing with orthos and revit models. It is so bad we are taking the piping out of Plant and bringing it into Revit to create our sheets. We need to see building, mechanical, and electrical in the sheets and there seems to be no other way. I was wondering if it is any better in Plant 2014?

That seems to be the biggest problem with this program.

[dave.wolfe]

All the issues I've seen with REVIT to plant have been solved with: 

1. Making sure there are no complex shapes in your Revit model (ie we had a client using handrails with a ball on the top rail which had 150+ faces).

2. Modifying the ortho template so that it used 2D wireframe for loading/cutting the model: http://www.pdoteam.com/2012/07/large-model-orthos/

Orthos have received a great deal of attention, so I'd like to think there has been improvement. However, without your actual models to test, it's hard to say if your specific issues have been addressed.

[tarheels09]

Thanks Dave, The issues we are having are orthos remembering line weight, color, style, and showing hidden lines. Everytime the orthos were updated all this goes away. Impossible to work that way. Is anyone else dealing

with needing to show building, elect, and mech in plant3d. If so I would like to know how it is done. There are no suggested methods posted that I can find, and we get nothing from Autodesk on how to accomplish this in plant3d.

So we are taking the piping into Revit. So frustrating we were sold a product that we were told could handle the project and that is not the case.

[martinTstewart_Adsk]

For your ortho issues, Plant 2014 now has an Ortho Generation Settings box where your styles can be set (Project Setup/Ortho DWG Settings/Title Block and Display. Select “Setup Title Block” and then “Ortho Settings”). The Help menu article “Ortho Generation Settings dialog Box” has more on this.

http://docs.autodesk.com/PLNT3D/2014/ENU/index.html?url=filesPLNT3D/GUID-A9F0136B-5693-4C45-8FDB-0B9...

Also in 2014, you can now specify layers for ortho components

http://docs.autodesk.com/PLNT3D/2014/ENU/index.html?url=filesPLNT3D/GUID-B9DD4911-9031-4105-B1F1-A78...

Regarding your second question about dealing with a lot of various drawings, disciplines, and Revit models in Plant 3D, this is primarily a workflow issue and project setup & administration topic (and it is a big topic). Autodesk has provided several resources discussing these issues, but it is an ongoing and evolving topic in the community.

Here are some resources others have found useful:

The white paper ”How to Manage Large Projects”.  https://autocad.autodesk.com/?nd=whitepapers.

AutoCAD Plant 3D 2012 Courseware Update. This is a 596-page instructional course with Chapter 5 focused on “Setting up and Administering a Plant Project” (This can also be used with 2013 & 2014)

http://autocad.autodesk.com/?nd=plant_online_help2    (Scroll down the page to find the course)

Autodesk University has material and videos from several past classes available free online. Here’s the AU website link followed by some specific recommendations for this topic.

http://au.autodesk.com/  (If this is your first time to the site, you may need to create an account).

AutoCAD Plant 3D: An Interoperable Plant Project

http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class&session_id=10384

Structural Workflows for Autodesk Plant Design Suite Projects

http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class&session_id=10920

Easier Plant Design Using Autodesk Plant Design Suite Ultimate 2013

http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class&session_id=10233

I hope some of this is useful to you in your Plant 3D work.

[dean_bloomer]

Hoping an updated location for these links is still available ?