Producing Isometrics using a UCS, not WCS

[Anonymous]

So we've just begun a project involving piping between two buildings, with a consulatant responsible for building design.

The buildings have been designed and modelled to real world coordinates and are correctly located in the WCS system with matching ID points. The buildings are constantly updated and sent to us to include in our model and work to.

Now in the past we've mainly worked on in office projects where we could discuss and set out of XREF's and adjust accordingly, this isn't an option for this project and we need to work with the models provided without adjusting there location in the cad file (as we'd be forever moving them every time we receive an updated copy)

Modelling pipe is no problem as we can set up a UCS to the plant datum, which runs perpendicular/parallel to the buildings. But producing isometrics is inconvenient as we're left with skewed isometrics and pipe angle hatches all over the drawing. Ideally we want to produce isometrics to the plant datum so the pipe appears on the isometrics running North to South, East to West.

Usually this wouldn't be a problem as we would set up our WCS as the plant datum/coordinate system and have a separate UCS for measuring real-world coordinates. But in this situation our piping will be situated to real world cardinal directions.

Whilst we can produce isometrics by rotating the model this isn't efficient and produces incorrect coordinates on the isometrics. Ultimately what I want to know is if there is a way to produce isometrics off a UCS, not the WCS?

[TomislavGolubovic]

Did you look at the Rotation options under the Isometric settings?

[Anonymous]

Yes I did find out about that a few mintes after I posted. I'm going to test it tomorrow but in theory looks like it will be perfect for what we need.

Just to confirm though there is still no way to have isometrics produced off a named UCS? The workflow being to put the angle difference between world cordinmates and the plant datum in the rotation option under Advanced Isometric production?

[Anonymous]

Ok so the problem isn't solved exactly...

I was able to adjust the isometric to cardinal directions using the rotate option under Advanced Isometric creation, but this produces incorrect coordinates. Is there any other options or are we going to have to change the isometric coordinates manually?

I was hoping that by running isometrics off a UCS it would retain the correct coordinates and run it as per the UCS North to South, East to West.

[TomislavGolubovic]

ok, so what about going the other way, have the piping aligned to a Project/Plant north, and then use the Offset and Rotation within the Isometric setup to have it produce an Iso with the true real world coordinates on it??

I've always done Plant/Piping projects on a Plant North, so that way Iso's will mostly be in Iso view, unless they are skewed. If youre doing real world coordinates your always going to get skew, unless your project is on Magnetic North.

[Anonymous]

That's how we would usually do our projects as well, unfortunately as previously mentioned we're receieving cvonstant external XREf updates that are in WCS real world coordinates, so our piping is skewed in this system.

Ideally we'd like to be able to produce isometrics with Plant/Project North cooridnates without the skewing, but it doesn't look like we'll have any other option.

I might try working backwars and begin with rotating the isometic and working back to the Plant coordinates to see if I can set up an offset that will provide the plant coordinates.

[TomislavGolubovic]

So why can't you move/rotate the XREF'd files to your own Plant coordinates? Each time they get replaced your XREF'd file wouldn't need to move, you're just replacing that model, and the location inside your plant model doesn't change

[Anonymous]

Personally I haven't started working on the project yet and am posting this query on behalf of a colleague.

My fault here as there was some misinformation.

The plant north for the site has already been set by the building designers and due to the shape it has been unavoidable that buildings, and subsequently pipe not be run perpendicular/parallel to the the plant north.

Initially the query was merely how to run the isometric perpendicular/parallel to the cardinal directions with the the correct coordinates. But as the pipe is skewed, it is unavoidable to either have a skewed isometric with the correct coordinates OR a cardinal isometric with the incorrect coordinates (using the roation variable in Advanced Iso production).

Thanks for your help though.