Route Pipe too far from WCS origin = disconnections and length limitations

[aaron_simpson]

Working in a new drawing, I can route pipe near the wcs origin with no problems.  I didn't notice any major problems until I made it to about...  3.7268E+05,5.8689E+05,0  Once here if I zoom in close to the pipe, I've noticed that my pipe length keeps locking up at 1".  This isn't too big of a deal, but at almost every elbow the pipes seem to become disconnected.

Now I did say that is when the problem started.  If I continue to go out the problem gets more and more difficult to avoid.  The drawing I'm currently working with has me trying to route at 2.9593E+07, 1.3075E+08,0.  At this point I have to play with my mouse and find the perfect spot for me to be able to enter in a distance.

Have many others experienced this, and does anyone have an idea of what might be causing it?

[TomislavGolubovic]

What's the thought behind working at such large coordinates? Why not move the site to 0,0?

[aaron_simpson]

That was exactly my thoughts, but the client refused. Personaly I wouldn't have had an issue doing just that, but I suppose standards are standards.

[dpchiasson]

Aaron we are getting the same issues also. The graphics disorientation and today the stuck in 1" pipe length mode started.

As to why we are using such large coordinates, that is what our client is specifying. They do not want to use plant coordinates. They are requesting we use real world coordinates.

My question is, what is the basis that this is the cause of the issue? Why would the coordinates being so far from 0,0 cause this? Calculation issues? Round off issues? Or is the coordinates to far from zero just a guess?

[aaron_simpson]

Using the same method of routing with any spec has the same issue. I'm sure the the distance from wcs 0, 0 has an effect on it, but I hope to find something that would cause that.

[TomislavGolubovic]

You're just going to keep getting the error at those coordinates. It's an AutoCAD issue AFAIK, not just related to Plant3D.

Can you get the customer to make the corner of the site 0,0 and work from there?

[aaron_simpson]

Well what is odd is that one of my coworkers opened the drawing and didn't have the issue. I'm going to post more information tomorrow. It's an unusual error.

[aaron_simpson]

Yesterday my client did find a way to solve the issue, but the method he used did not solve the problem for my computer.  He had to run the AUDITPROJECT command, and after that it worked fine.

[Rich.O.3d]

Have you tried making your own local 'site Datum in your model, then when you dump your iso's , you use the tool to add the coords back in so that they show your easings and northings relative to you ghd or wherever you are datum, you can add formulas and fields to your ordinate dims to show your eastings and northings too.

You can also throw the top level xref into another dwg that locates it at the correct geo datum for your client to coordinate with there civil and navis layouts.

Like Tom said, its an autocad limit thing...if you try and use hatch it will probably wig out too, and if your gonna have a lot of pipes, then your machine is gonna chug no matter how pimped the hardware is. Plus all your weight calcs and other things will probably start having precision issues.

[dave.wolfe]

I'm pretty sure this is at the bottom of the issue:

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2004/01/more_on_autocad.html

but Plant needs more/better tools to handle custom ucs's so you can have the project closer to the origin while being able to output the correct dimensions in your final output.

[aaron_simpson]

Thanks everyone for the input;  I really appreciate the help.  We have not come to a true solution yet for my workstation, but for the time being the client is in working order.  Hopefully this problem can be addressed easier in the future.

I did like the idea that Rich mentioned, but I think there is a problem with this method:

If I recall right when you offset the model to generate iso drawings via the advanced options, all your iso messages and breaks do not get offset with the model resulting in a loss of some of your information.  Maybe this is something that has been fixed though.  Perhaps it only lost the information when the model was rotated in this method.  I need to look back into that issue.

Dave, thank you for providing additional documentation on the significant figures of AutoCAD.

[Rich.O.3d]

i was reporting the messaging box off the page story about the tranlated datum for ISO issues in 2011, i would have hoped that this issue would be fixed by now...autodesk...can anyone confirm

[ahashash]

@aaron_simpson I'm having the exact same issues! My piping, elbows, and parts are coming in all jagged and weird too.

Did you ever find a solution? I might have to create a lisp that moves my entire drawing closer to origin.  Only problem is remembering to move drawing back to existing location PRIOR to weekly export to Navisworks.  

Glad to know I'm not alone!