topic Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012) in AutoCAD Plant 3D Forum

Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 19:25:53 GMT

Hello,

This is probably a really basic question, but how do you edit the radius of an elbow? I'm routing a pipe loop and I need a 3R elbow but, by default, CAD uses standard elbows. I've tried just going into properties and changing the radius under "part properties" but the radius row is grey (implying that it cannot be edited). I've also tried creating a line with the desired radius and using the line to pipe tool, but it just converts it back to a standard elbow. I've also seen some tutorials that have a pipe bend button in the part insertion tab but my version of Plant 3d(2012) doesn't have it, or at least not in the same place. Any advice on a solution?

Thanks,

Trevor

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

TomislavGolubovic — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:27:36 GMT

Because Plant3D is Spec driven, you'll have to go into the Spec Editor and add a 3R elbow in to the Spec from the Catalog. Does your paper spec for the project dictate that 3R are for that spec, or is it a change of spec?

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 08:36:44 GMT

If you select the elbow and then click on the blue substitute triangle you should have the option to change to a pipe bend. The pipe bends allow you to change the bend radius in the properties. Plant 3D treats pipe bends pretty much as elbows ie with welds etc.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 12:43:04 GMT

thanks for the reply, buty i'm not really sure what you're asking. I've looked around in the catalog editor and I couldn't find any 3R elbow's but I'll be the first to admit that I haven't really used the spec editor very much so I could be overlooking it. The spec I've been using is CS300 if that answeres your question.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 12:43:56 GMT

I tried using the drop down arrow but there's no other options other than the current elbow

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Dadspackard — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 13:12:49 GMT

Hi Trevor,

See screencast on how to add the 3R elbows to the CS300 spec.

3R elbow

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

TomislavGolubovic — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 17:08:52 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
If you select the elbow and then click on the blue substitute triangle you should have the option to change to a pipe bend. The pipe bends allow you to change the bend radius in the properties. Plant 3D treats pipe bends pretty much as elbows ie with welds etc.

OP has 2012, pulled bends was later than that.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:30:23 GMT

Hey, sorry for the late response. The video helped a lot, thanks! unfortunately, my version of cad does not have the 3R elbow, or at least not in the same spec catalog as yours....but I'll keep checking other catalogs and try to find one. Once I save, should the new component appear in Plant 3d, or are there additional steps?

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Dadspackard — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:10:24 GMT

Hi Trevor,

Yes once you add the elbow to the spec they should be available when you go back into the model. Nothing else is needed.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

TomislavGolubovic — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 23:13:27 GMT

I'm 99% sure that every version of the catalogs would have had 3R elbows. Check the ASME catalogs that ship with the software. Once you open your spec, you just add them from the ASME catalog, save it, then you'll see it in your project

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 12:24:49 GMT

I checked AMSE, as well as every other catalog, it's just not on here. I also tried making a couple changes to the catalog and saving it, just so I could learn how, and none of my changes are showing up in the project...

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Dadspackard — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 13:01:12 GMT

Hi Trevor,

Your project (piping model) reads a spec not the Catalogs. So any changes you make to the catalog you need to add to the spec.

How about posting some screen shots of your steps so we can see pictorially what is going on?

Could you attach the catalog here that way we can take a look at it?

Tom

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 13:23:43 GMT

I appreciate all the help. Here is a screen shot of what I'm seeing. I was trying to add the street elbow thats highlighted in the spec editor. And I did remember to save and tried closing and reopening plant 3d. I don't know if you can tell from the screen shot, but I selected "fittings" in the spec editor and literally no "bends" appear, only elbows. And I'm probably using the word catalog and spec interchangeably, but I have only been trying to use the spec editor and follow the instructions in your video. Sorry for the confusion.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Dadspackard — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 14:59:24 GMT

Trevor,

From the screen shot it looks as you modified the out of box CS300 spec?

Once you added this elbow to the out of boc spec did you copy the spec over to your project Spec Sheets folder?

C:\USERS\trevor.feemster\documents\.........\Spec Sheets

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:10:18 GMT

Yes, that's the spec I added it to. But other than just hitting save after adding it and setting the priority, I didn't do anything else. That's kinda what I was asking about before, if that's all I had to do other than hit save. Can you explain a bit on what you mean by coppying the new spec over? Again,it's probably a super basic question but I've never used the spec editor before.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Dadspackard — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:18:39 GMT

Hi Trevor

Is this where you have the project located?

C:\USERS\trevor.feemster\documents\.........\

If so you will need to copy the CS300 spec from

C:\AutoCAD Plant 3D 2012 Content\CPak ASME

C:\USERS\trevor.feemster\documents\.........\Spec Sheet

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:18:59 GMT

If you go to where your project is located and open that folder. You will see a series of folder along with other files one of those folders will be named spec sheets. copy and paste the CS300 .pspc and .pspx file from your cpak 2012 content folder into the projects spec sheet folder. after that i usually close plant then open it back up again and the change should be updated. All you should have to do in change the spec in your part insertion panel on your ribbon then change it back to the spec you are using.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:31:59 GMT

ok got it, thanks for all the help! now if I could just figure out why there isn't a 3R bend anywhere! do you know of any downloadable content sources?

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 22:01:34 GMT

Have you tried the AWWA catalog that comes in the content pack? It has both 3 piece 30 degree and 3 piece 45 degree. you can download from the exchange the 2.0 for the most up to date version of the catalog.

Re: Elbow Radius (CAD 2012)

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 02:16:13 GMT

I can't download the most recent catalogs because they don't support software as old as the one we use. But thanks for the suggestion. I ended up just copying and modifying one of the existing pieces and saving, now that I actually know how to use the spec/catalog editor.