I am creating piping systems with various flanged pipe spools, valves, pumps, strainers etc using the tube and pipe generator in AIP2010. Currently, I am creating a new pipe run for each pipe spool and component because it makes it easy to put each pipe spool in a dwg file for shop drawings. The problem is that when I am not in the tube and pipe environment, I can move each pipe run as if it were not constrained. Most of the time the pipe run will go back, but occasionally it will not go back and will take some of the connecting pipe runs with it. It seems to do this when I constrain two fitting within a pipe run using the constrain tool. I like to do this because I might want the centerline of two 90's a specific distance apart, or I might want the face of two flanges a specific face to face dimension. Obviously I could just subtract the dimension of the flanges from the length I want, but that is somewhat cumbersome. I was just wondering if there was a better way of doing this.
See below images. I wanted the centerlines of the 90's to be a specific distance, so I constrained the 90 withing the tube and pipe environment. When I complete pipe run, and click on the spool piece with the two 90's and move it, it moves the flange and ball valve. Is there a better way to do this? Tube and pipe in Inventor is almost a great tool, but I'm finding it isn't that user friendly.
