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In many project we are asked to add to each pair of OPC a unique number but since the OPC are non-engeneering items i can not assign a Tag System to it and therefor I need to add numbers manually and check (Manually, again) for duplicates.
I recently put in for something similar on this. One thing I have done recently is put the field in the line group and adjust the OPC field to pull from that field. In this manner it will pull automatically when the connector is attached.
What I am currently trying to make happen here is to use the line number as the OPC number. Always automatic and never duplicated. It actually makes more since because you are using the OPC's to provide a road map for a specific line number to begin with. You may have to use an override on branch situations, but that should be a minority or cases.
The problem with pulling it off the line currently is that it only works if there are no branches on the line. As soon as you branch off the line you are stuck with question marks.
When that happens you would do an override to the situation. This should be in the minority. If this happens a majority of the time, they might want to rethink their line numbering as they are making things harder to manage for fabrication and installation.
I have tried putting a field in the line group for the off page connector number to be separate for the line group, and two additional fields for optional OPC numbers for a branch scenarios. Works very well, but the people doing the input complain about having to do the additional input to the line group.
I have tried having one main OPC and another version that pulls the number from the main OPC. This means there is two OPC types. This time the people doing the P&ID's do not want to put in the correct OPC type and thus complain it it the software's fault.
The preferred version here is for everything to be manual fields so they can put in what they want at that moment in time. Problem is that they are never managed and as such are worthless because the mismatching of numbers leads to confusion.
I not found anything that is perfect so far, and unlikely it will ever be, Where the sofware can and should be overhauled a bit on this issue, the real problem is in the people doing the P&ID's.
Yes, those who are doing the PnIDs should have a real good grasp of the software. But I can't help but wonder that if AP3D can connect the OPCs, it should be able to pull the OPC number. In fact, if it gives Engineering items unique identifiers, it could be, in theory, be able to program atleast the OPCs,a non Engineering item, to have a unique identifier for a pair.
I think the base line issue is that they are trying to create a product that everyone can adapt to easily. Companies do things so differently, it can be difficult to create a one size fits all approach. So I believe they have gone with the simplest approach as a starting point. There are ways to have one connector read another connector field, but then for that to work, you have to have two different symbols (one for "To" and one for "From") Doing that causes confusion and they tend to put in one or the other. I had mention one way of doing it is to have a connector number assigned to the line group and in that way it is automatic, but there are times when you have multiple lines going off the page for the same line group. Then you have the same OPC number multiple times, and that causes an override situation. At the moment there is no perfect solution for all situations to be automatic, which is likely why they have the default as manual entry. We will get there eventually.
I can't really find fault in a manual entry though. I know things change on a minute by minute basis, and multiple people can be involved in the P&ID editing process. But, in reality we are trying to come up with a solution to correct the lack of follow through in the work process.
