Create parametric pipes on Autodesk Inventor and export them to Infrastructure Parts Editor-Civil 3D

[arturo_crngzm]

Hi there! I've just learn how to model and import custom drainage structure (I'm faking those using them as custom "medium voltage network" structures) but I want to do the follow for the pipes, I have ducts containing 5 pipes of differents diameters, the idea I have is to draw the involvent border of the five pipes (as a shadow) and use it for the "extrude" Pipe network does inside Civil 3D enviroment. Somebody know the needed parameters for creating and publishing pipes? Not pipes connectors or fittings, the tube itself. (Sorry for my bad english and thank you everyone for your help).

Custom structure made on Inventor

[rl_jackson]

I commend you on your ingenuity! You're probably going to have to use pressure pipes to solve the connections, Inventor builds the structure andC3D the pipes (maybe Plant3D?) What you're asking is that C3D nest multiple pipes as one object if I understand you correctly and that 2 the best of my knowledge is not available at this time.

[arturo_crngzm]

Hi. Thank you for you reply. You're getting it right, I saw in another Civil 3D post a link to this video (I did not amount to nothing yet as I barely understand):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Qj9U7XiKA

I don't care that much about the individual pipes itself, it is more a matter of "occupied volumes/space" for using in a clash detective routine in Autodesk Navisworks, I was playing around with part builder the other day and draw something similar to the image below (the blue polyline, it was a totally parametric shape but I think I already erased the part) but as I expected, there's no recognition inside Civil 3D (in a 3D view Civil 3D "shows" (?) the pipe as a cube without detail):

I need the blue line that involves the 5 pipes, so I tought the software (part builder) would be able to extrude a pipe with that shape (as it were one single pipe).

Thank you again.

[MikeEvansUK · Accepted solution]

This is exactly how you can do this.

Create each pipe (circle) referenced by a controlling dimension for diameter and gap etc. Once complete create new geometry (arcs) over the top using the constraints to form the shape over the top of them using that as the profile shape.

The rule with pipes is that the profile being used for the shape must be a closed shape and you can only have one profile in the file.

Would have been nice to have more than one profile so you could draw internally as well as externally or merge elements...

Good luck..

Mike