Pipe and Tube in Inventor 2013 Plant Design are missing

[John7911]

Hi,

I work with Autodesk Plant Design Suite Ultimate 2013, and I can't find Tube and Pipe?

Is it installed in this version?

Thank you 😉

[cbenner]

Hi,

First off, did you get the "Ultimate" versionof the suite so that you actually have Inventor?  I assume so, but I thought I'd ask. 

If yes, look in your Inventor under Tool\ Add Ins (on the ribbon menu).  This will bring up the add ins for your Inventor.  Look to see if Routed Systems: Tube & Pipe is loaded.  If not, check the two boxes at the bottom (see pic) and restart Inventor.

If it does not show up, you may want to contact your reseller.  Since Plant Design Suite comes with the Plant Design 3D software, the routed systems may or may not be loaded in your inventor

[mflayler2]

Plant Design Suite does not come with Inventor Professional, only Inventor Series.  You will have to have another license of Inventor with Professional to use Tube & Pipe, FEA, Simulation, or Tooling

[rdyson]

Mark,

2013 vanilla comes with routed systems.

Seems odd that it wouldn't be included with Plant Design

[mflayler2]

On the PrDS side, the Standard only comes with Inventor Series, Premium with Routed Systems, and Ultimate with Professional.

[cbenner]

Mark,

Thanks for the clarification.  I wasn't sure what came with Plant Design Suite, we use the Product Design Suite, that one has IV Pro out of the box (with the Ultimate at least).  I guess Plant Design Suite assumes you are going to use 3D Plant Design for your piping?

[mflayler2]

The assumed workflow with Inventor in Plant Design Suite is so a user can make complex equipment and then use the BIM Exhange environment to create an ADSK with Piping connections that will automatically be picked up after translation of the ADSK into Plant 3D.  So yeah, the piping is assumed to be completed in Plant while the space claim and connections can be defined by a more robust modeling program.

[cbenner]

Sounds cool,  if our systems get any bigger we may have to consider that direction.  Currently we stick with Tube & Pipe because all of our systems are skid mounted.  So Product Suite is perfect... or would be if they added Acad P&ID.

[mflayler2]

Although its not AutoCAD PID, have you tried Electrical's PID system for Hydraulic, Pnuematic, and Instrumentation symbols and line work?  I've used PID so I'm a little spoiled, but Electrical's can get you by in a budget pinch.

[cbenner]

We just started using Electrical this fall, so I haven't had the chance to try a P&ID using that system yet... I am curious though so I probably will play around with it.

[mflayler2]

Quick tip to find the symbol libraries...they are under the Schematic Tab, in the first Expanded Panel.  You use AEWIRE for the lines and you can create wire types as the line schedules.  I'll attach a few docs for reference.

[cbenner]

Thanks Mark,...

Any my apologies for us hijacking the thread from OP... though I daresay his question may have been answered somewhere in there.