"Software Development" -- Configuring Plant 3D deeper than Project Setup and XML files allow

[Garrett.Brothers]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to get custom properties to map from the pipe spec to P&ID components.  I know how to get the default properties to map.  I know PLANTSPECUPDATECHECK has to run (whether manually or automatically through PLANTSPECUPDATECHECKSETTINGS) for any properties to update.  I've chased through many different search results.

The closest I've gotten is this thread (2017) which states that mapping custom spec properties to the P&ID is not possible without serious effort.  “The list of spec properties seems to be hard coded and cannot be edited.  The mappings are located in PIDToSpecClassMapping.xml but adding the custom property there as a mapping there doesn’t work.” – Dan Scales, AutoDesk employee.

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I'd like to know how I can go deeper than xml files.  Where is Plant 3D's program code contained?  What's the best way to edit it?  I suspect it's somewhere in the installation files.  I know anything I do there will have to be redone whenever we install a new version of Plant 3D.  But I'm tired of researching things like "Can I configure the substitution palette?" only to run into "Plant 3D was coded this way and thus what you want to do isn't possible, but here's an idea for a workaround."  I want to tear off the band-aid and get to the heart of the matter.  I know I can do it, I know I have the capacity to learn this.  Some things will take far too much time to be worthwhile, yes, but I can evaluate that for myself when I get there.

For this particular issue, I want to find where the dropdown list of properties comes from when trying to map Spec properties to P&ID properties.

 

Where does this dropdown populate from?  Can I adjust it by typing in some more values in the right place in the installation code?  If not, then ok, fair, it's probably way too much time to be worthwhile.

In general, I just want somewhere I can start, somewhere to latch on and bore down.

[jabowabo · Accepted solution]

Both AutoCAD and Plant 3D/P&ID have robust APIs that allow for extensive customization. You can access these here. 

As far as 'editing' Autodesk code, this is not allowed by the EULA and, realistically, not possible due to software protections. However, most of the hard-coded functions can be replicated by custom code.

More links and info here: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-plant-3d-forum/question-about-using-vba-lisp-in-plant-3d-expo...

[madsenchristiaxxa97]

You shared some pretty useful links; it was very helpful for me, as a student, to find this discussion. By the way, I don't understand why so few sources give free information, like what you wrote in the post. Still, it seemed to me that paying for more in-depth and specialized knowledge was necessary, not the most basic steps. I'm still lucky since I'm just starting to study this topic, and my more experienced friends are constantly showing me something. Many of them work in companies like https://www.exposit.com/solutions/, inspiring me a lot. Looking at what they have achieved, I want to learn more and become part of a large team that creates grandiose software projects.

[dave.wolfe]

The comment resurrecting the thread made me do some deeper digging. I think this link might be your answer: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-plant-3d-forum/match-properties-by-quot-pipe-specs-in-p-amp-i...