point filtering error?

[Greek2Me]

When I began working in 3D and discovered point filters, I was in heaven! No more switching back and forth between ortho views and drawing construction lines to "find" a point, just use the x/y/z and begin drawing from there.  But in Plant 3D I have an infuriating problem...

Check my attached image.  I drew the pipe on the left at some elevation (who cares), then the circle on the right to represent the bottom of a tank at something below the pipe.  Now, all I need is a pipe whose center is on the same elevation as the previous pipe, but starts directly above the center of the tank and heads off somewhere. Simple, right? Not so much...

My routing is set to COP. Start new pipe. When asked for start point, hit .z and select center of left pipe, for x/y select center of circle, then pull out pipe. But something doesn't appear right, so I draw a line to check it. Line command, start at center of circle. For end point, hit .z and select center of left pipe, then turn on ortho, holding end of line to x/y of circle below (or vertical). Shouldn't upper end of line and center of 2nd pipe be exactly the same?  But they're NOT!

I flipped ucs and dimensioned it to show that, though they should be at same x/y/z, there is a horizontal difference of 1.5" and a vertical difference of .3125!  How can this be? 

I MUCH prefer using orbit to roll around to a good perspective and then drawing in the real world rather than front/top/right view changes. When using straight Acad, I have had wonderful success using this method and it is always "spot on". But in Plant 3D, it doesn't seem to work the same. This example is pretty blatant, but usually it is off by stupid small distances, and I'm talking like 0.0000012, just enough that connections aren't made and I spend much time looking for barely sloped pipes. Maybe I don't have my mouth held just right...

Can anybody explain to me what is happening?  I LOVE the power of Plant, but am very frustrated that it appears I have to go back to 2d methods (view switching and construction lines) to produce a 3d model!

Appreciate your thoughts on this.

Maranatha

[Dadspackard]

Hi Maranatha,

Did you check your offset distance?

Specify start point or [Size/SPecification/STub-in/Elevation/routingOffset]: O "enter"

Offset from [Top/Cop/Bop/TL/TR/cL/cR/BL/BR/offsetDistance] <Cop>: d "enter"

Horizontal Offset <0">:

Vertical Offset <0">:

Tom

[Greek2Me]

Both set to 0.  And the "error" isn't consistant.  Usually some stupid small distance, to the 1000th or more. (Frankly surprised that my quickie example was so large!) but it's always something different. Not snapping to something else either, 'cause it happens with snap on or off. I've gotten chewed out so many times for things not lining up that I've given in and started drawing from ortho views (SO 90's), but would kill to know why my filters don't work in plant like acad. Seems like there should be some precision setting that would go ahead and connect. Do you use point filters, or am I all alone out here?

[damian_willcox]

Hi Maranatha,

I tried the scenario you mentioned and am getting the XY of the pipe matching the circle, as well as the elevation of the pipe to a precision of 8 decimal places.

Tom has a good suggestion above regarding piping offset, and be sure that slope is also not on. You mentioned that you are using the alignment of COP which is good - I recall many years back sometimes the routing would "stick" in the previous setting when switching from BOP to COP that could have caused issues, but that was fixed as far as I know.

Can you provide any more details on what you are seeing or any other steps to reproduce, as well as which version of Plant 3D you are using?

EDIT: Sorry, one other thing - when snapping to the pipe are you using node snap, or center snap?

thank you,

-damian 

[jack_foster1]

The best feature in ALL of AutoCAD, for me, are the xyz point filters.  I am just learning plant 3D and I can't even get it to take a simple .x typed in.  I do have a good tip for you to use on some toolbars with the point filters.  A friend and I did these 20 years ago and I use them daily.  

.yz;none;@;   If you pick this on a button you are prompted for .x and that is the only direction the move will take.  

.xy;none;@;  This prompts for .Z and only allows movement in the .Z axis

.xz;none;@;  This prompts for .y and only allow movement in the .y axis.  

.z;none;@;   This allow you to pick and xy to move horizontally to while staying at the Z elevation.  Don't use this one that much but the others ALL of the time.  

Also I created method of doing 3D design using 4 PS viewports which works great.  I flipi UCS and do plan to match it so I have a Plan, Front & Side view and upper right is 3D perspective to spin occasionally.  Thought I would suggest you look into this as it makes it much easier and you can go from viewport to viewport to pick.  Of course Autocad is trying to kill this as they stopped the UCS from showing up only in the current vport after you do something in the viewport.  SCREAM!  

I set these for students when I used to teach and they loved it.  Told me they could do their homework in half the time once they learned about the filters and using my custom macros.  

Below is what happens when you pick one of the 3 buttons.  I call them X@, Y@ and Z@ as the @ sign is at the last point picked which makes this work incredible great.

Command: L LINE
Specify first point:
Specify next point or [Undo]: .YZ
of none
@
(need X):