Plant 3D Tips & Tricks - Specialty Item Annotation in Isometrics

1 min 45 sec read

I had a customer ask how to have a specialty Item tag annotation show automatically in the isometrics. After spending an hour or so on it, I figured it out. Whoop! Whoop! I was finally able to make this happen by editing the IsoConfig.xml and the Iso.atr files. The main hair-pulling took place trying to create the filter so the annotation would only show on items with a number value.

 

This article will walk through the steps of adding the Specialty Item annotation to the Plant 3D Isometrics.

SPITEM.png

CREATE SPECIALTY ITEM BLOCK

None of this works unless you create a block you want to use for the Specialty Item annotation. For this example, I'll show a standard specialty item symbol. The symbol will contain (2) attributes XX and YY as shown below. 

 

NOTE: Depending on the scale factor set for iso annotation, you may need to edit the block and scale up or down as needed.

 

kenfauver_0-1677086753460.png

  1. Open the IsoSymbolStyles.dwg.
  2. Create the Specialty Item block using the AutoCAD block command. Name the block SPItem.
  3. Save and Exit the drawing.

 

ADD NEW PROPERTIES

We first need to add two (2) new properties to all pipe component classes that may be used as specialty items. 

  1. Open Project Manager.
  2. Expand Plant 3D DWG Settings -> Plant 3D Class Definitions -> Piping and Equipment -> Pipe Run Component.
  3. With Pipe Run Component highlighted, select the Add... button on the right side. Type SPCode in the Property name field. Select String and pick OK to exit the dialog in the Choose a type area.
  4. Using the same steps in item #3, add the SPNumber property.
  5. Make the Default Value for the SPCode property read "SP".

Results:

kenfauver_2-1677084786273.png

 

UPDATE ISO.STR FILE

Next, we will need to add two entries for the newly created properties to the Iso.atr file under the BOM-Attributes.

 

BOM-ATTRIBUTES
EngineeringItems.Schedule
EngineeringItems.PressureClass
EngineeringItems.Material
EngineeringItems.SPCode
EngineeringItems.SPNumber

 

UPDATE IsoConfig.XML File

This is where all the magic happens. Open the Isoconfig.xml file and add the following lines under the Default Theme for AnnotationStyle, AnnotationScheme, and Filters. Be careful to not create a typographical error as it will create errors when running isometrics.

AnnotationStyle

<AnnotationStyle Name="SPItem" TextStyle="AdskIsoAnnotation" BlockName="SPItem" />

 

AnnotationScheme

<MapScheme Name="SPTAG" AnnotationStyle="SPItem" Alignment="FlatHorizontal" LeaderStyle="Always" DefaultsOverride="true" Filter="SPItemTag" Fields="" Placement="Anchored">
<FieldMap>
 <Field Tag="XX" Fields="SPCode" />
 <Field Tag="YY" Fields="SPNumber" />
</FieldMap>

 

Filters

<Filter Name="SPItemTag" Value="NOT (SPNUMBER = ' ')" />

 

Feel free to drop me an email at ken.fauver@ecadinc.com if you have questions regarding this article.

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