Spec Editor Duplicate support catalog to palette

[Anonymous]

Hello, 

I'm trying to duplicate an existing support and modify it so that we can get an insulated pipe to fit inside of it. We have been just making a special block item, but I would like to integrate it into the automated palette and catalog. It appears that some of the out of the box items that came with the software may not be working correctly or quite possible I'm not doing something correctly. 

When I duplicate the item and follow all of the various tutorials, I'm not able to see it in the tool palette. I'm wondering if these extra instances of similar catalog items are interfering as this one was built into the catalog with the software. This is the only support item I've had a problem with. It is an Anvil roller hanger. 

If somebody could walk me through this, I think this would be a great example of a glitch in the software, or at least a unique situation where somebody with a little more knowledge could shed some light for future endeavors. Any help is appreciated. Please let me know what other details need to be provided. 

The only part that isn't working is that I don't see the items in the palette once it is created. 

Thank you, 

Cole DeBolt

Universal Piping Industries

248-548-4900 ext. 2029

[mmcmorris]

Are you going to spec viewer, selecting the component and hitting the add to tool palette button (note this adds it to the active palette)?

This may also help as supports can sometimes error when adding them:  https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-plant-3d/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles...

[Anonymous]

This might be where I'm missing a step. Is the spec viewer a separate program or just a button? I don't see one. I'm in the program Spec Editor 2017. Do you have a snapshot? This is very helpful and so is the link you sent. 

Thanks,

[mmcmorris]

Spec viewer is part of plant 3d.  It's is on the Home Tab under part insertion.  Top row in between Assign Tag and Line to Pipe.  Looks like a box with a magnifying glass.

[Anonymous]

Ok, I see this now. It is defaulting to the custompartsimperial location. I need to get it to bring up the supports file. I've opened plant 3d in a couple of projects. There is still a small disconnect that I'm not seeing. I need to open the spec viewer and have it show me the Supports file? 

You have gotten me much closer so far. 

[mmcmorris]

In the top right of spec viewer there is a drop down that lets you select the spec.  Also if you select the spec in the route pipe section then open spec viewer it will open to that active spec.

[Anonymous]

Ok. It's only showing me the specs here: CS150, imperial custom, etc. Because this is a support and not a dynamic pipe spec. I'm guessing I need to take an extra step. What I need is not in the drop down. Does the Pipe support spec palette work the same way, or am I approaching this wrong? I see the item in the specs under spec editor. It is in the Support folder. I saved it in Plant 3d 2017 Conetent\cpak common\supports.pcat. I need to tie this in somewhere where I can grab it from the spec viewer?

[mmcmorris]

Is that spec copied to the project or if you are running 2017 before release .1 copied to the project spec repository?  If you look in project manage and you have a heading for pipe specs you need to right click on it and select copy specs to project and select your updated pipe support spec.  If that doesn't show up in project manager you need to get to project properties and look under General Settings>Paths.  Copy the spec to the location under "Spec Sheet Directory".  After that close and reopen plant 3d and it should show in spec viewer.

[Anonymous]

Are there any manuals or training videos on how to do this? All of the information i'm finding is very vague. At this point, I think I need to totally walk through this process somehow. I'm missing a key step somewhere. As an example, Bentley has on demand videos, manuals, & information under the help section. The help section is very vague as well. What can i do to learn this tool properly as i will have to administrate many items like this topic? Special interest groups or any videos available?

Thank you for all of your help. 

[Dadspackard]

@Anonymous,

Online Overview

http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/overview

Plant3D

http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/search?full-text=plant3d

Getting Started

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-plant-3d/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2017/...

Hope these help

[mmcmorris]

Pdoteam and in the pipes are two good places. On phone so no links but you can google them up.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Your proposed solution brings in the information to the palette. However, I'm seeing that it doesn't bring in the short name as classified in the spec. This is really odd. This component was duplicated from another. One was renamed. So, I see both of them in the palette, neither one of them sizes correctly on the pipe now. This information is really hard to show in a message, but I have never seen anything like this before. I realize you can pick a size and spec when places items from the palette, but they usually always resize to the size of the pipe you are placing on. It seems it is just places these at random sizes now. 

Also, every time I make a change on the new duplicated component, another instance will pop up on the palette (See picture 1)

Even though I renamed the short description, it still keeps adding the default name i copied from (Picture 2)

In this (picture 3) this is the component that I copied. I'm just trying to make the 2 1/2" parameters of this hanger to work with insulation per specs.  

[mmcmorris · Accepted solution]

It's because you didn't change the Family Description(Size). That is what the tool palette displays instead of Family Description(Long) which comes up on spec viewer and ISO BOM.

[mmcmorris · Accepted solution]

If you don't use them look up how layouts work in spec editor. You can set them to pulls seperate fields together for the part and fill the both out automatically.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

You said that it is because of the family description size.. is that the same as the Long Description (Size)? I think you are trying to tell me, Long description (family) and (size) need to be named differently than component that you copied from? Is that correct?

[mmcmorris · Accepted solution]

Yep. Sorry about that.

[Anonymous]

I've been trying to duplicate a component for over a week now from an existing pipe support. The only way I see to do it that I can find instructions from is to do it from a block. Thanks for all of the help.