QR code scan into drawing possible?

[michel.winkelman]

Hello,

I need to field check a P&ID drawing to see if it is correct.
What is a useful way to do this properly?
We are using sticker tag coding with QR code. Is it possible that we can scan the QR code and it will be displayed on the drawing?
The text of the tag code on the drawing is the same as the QR code.

[Valentin_CAD · Accepted solution]

@michel.winkelman ,

Look into this:

• AutoDesk App Store:  QR Codes 2016-2024

• Automatically generated QR codes for DWG drawings.

Related Topics:

• QrCode
• BarCode / Bar Code
• Configuring Bar Code and QR Code Database Options

[TheCADnoob]

I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to do. 

Are you saying that you are walking down a P&ID with a mobile device and encounter a piece of equipment (Valve/Pump/instrument/thing-a-majig) that has a QR code on it and that you are wanting to scan that code and then have that item shown or highlighted in the drawing on your device?

[pendean]

@michel.winkelman Wouldn't that ability need to be pre-programmed and be tied to your QR Reader specialty app/program connecting to a hyperlink that will penetrate your corporate firewall, get access to your corporate servers with the correct permissions so that it can open the required DWG file, and if you are organized enough with SSM or named views, get you further down and into that portion of the open DWG file?

Or did you not chat with your IT folks about all of this yet? None of this is an AutoCAD ability OOTB, you all have a lot of hardware/access/software/pre-programming to do first.

[michel.winkelman]

Yes, that's what I want!

Is there a solution for that?

[michel.winkelman]

I actually don't want to depend on IT, this is because IT structures still change sometimes.

[TheCADnoob]

I have been involved in a few efforts to achieve what you are wanting to do. There are lots of pieces involved in keeping something like that afloat.

Basically these kinds of needs are/can be met with a digital twin. Autodesk offers Tandem as their Digital twin platform (https://intandem.autodesk.com/) but you really need to do a deep dive to make sure your systems/procedures would be built to handle something like that. 

If you are looking for a more straightforward application to your needs, the simplest solution is just to have your P&IDs loaded into a system that allows them to be text searchable and use the code reader to get the search string text. Then just search the drawings. This will lead to multiple hits but it's probably the quickest way to get close to what you want. 

Do you know how the QR codes are generated and maintained? Are they using a particular system to create and generate the codes? Is it maintenance, reliability, Engineering, or site document control/ some one else that is providing the QR codes. Frequently if systems are in place to generate the codes, you can link to DWGs in  those records. This would save you some of the time and effort if you could piggyback on another system.