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Adding Custom Pipe Supports to the CADWorx Specification Editor FAQ

Question:

How are Custom 3D Pipe Supports modelling using AutoCAD Solids added to a CADWorx
Specification?

Answer :

Pipe Supports that cannot be assembled using the standard CADWorx Support Components
and Assemblies, can be modelled using AutoCAD 3D Solids and added to a CADWorx
Specification. This method will ensure that this Custom Pipe Support is no less intelligent
than a standard CADWorx Pipe Support Assembly and that the correct Isogen Symbol
(SKEY) can be selected for the Isometric Drawing.

All material required for this tutorial FAQ can be downloaded by following the link below.

AutoCAD Support Solids

In this example the following 3 Pipe Alignment Anchor Supports will be added to the legacy
“Metric_CS_Catalog.cat” file as well as the “Metric_CS_Specs.prj” file.
Once the AutoCAD 3D Supports are modeled these need to be saved into a
“Custom_PipeSupport” folder in the same folder where the relevant Specification Catalog
and Project files are stored. In this example, a “Custom_PipeSupport” folder was created in
the “Metric” folder in the following location. This will be the Sub Directory referenced later
in the Data Table.

C:\CADWorx 2014\Plant\Spec\Legacy Imported CAT and Specs\Metric\Custom_PipeSupport

In the Specification Editor, click on the Spec Editor “Beach Ball” and click on “Open” to as
seen below.

Open the relevant CADWorx Specification Catalog in the Specification Editor as seen below.
Once opened, Right Click on the “Data Tables” folder and click on “Add Category” as seen
below.

Next, select to create a “PipeSupport” Category and click “OK” as seen below.
Right Click on the created “PipeSupport” Category and click on “Add DataTable” as seen
below.
Next, define a name for the Custom Support Data Table and select “Custom” for the
Support “Type”. Lastly, select the relevant “Size Table” and click “OK” once complete as
seen below.

A Custom Pipe Support Data Table will be created. Right Click on an open space inside the
Data Table and select the “Add MAINSIZE” option as seen below.
Available sizes from the Size Table will be listed. In this example, 3 Custom Supports for 3
Pipe Nominal Bore Sizes will be added to the CADWorx Specification. Check “50”, “100” and
“150” and then click on “OK” as seen below.

Under the “SUBDIRECTORY” column, enter in the name of the Sub Directory where the
AutoCAD Solid (*.dwg) files are stored under the ‘Spec” folder. This would be the
“Custom_PipeSupport” directory mentioned earlier.
Complete the Data Table by inserting the name of the AutoCAD Solid (*.dwg) file for each
size and ensure the (*.dwg) file extension is also included in this column. Once the Table is
complete, it should look similar to the Completed Table seen below.

In the “Properties” palette, ensure that the “Show Optional” setting is set to “0” as seen
below.

Now that all the Custom Support Data Tables have been added to the Specification, click
on the Spec Editor “Beach Ball” and click on “Save” to save all changes to the Catalog file
as seen below.
The Custom Support Table now need to be added to the Project file allowing the User to
attach Intelligence to this Support. Click on the Spec Editor “Beach Ball” and click on
“Open” to as seen below.

Open the relevant Project (*.prj) file as seen below. In this example the relevant Project
file is the “Metric_CS_Specs.prj”.
If prompted to “Update the project from the Base Catalogs”, click “Yes” as seen below.

Next, inside the Project (*.prj) file, click on the “Add Pipe Support Assembly” button as
seen below.

Define a “Name” for the complete Pipe Support and select the relevant “Size Table”.
“Available Sizes” can also be checked allowing you to filter out irrelavant sizes and make
this support available for only the relvant sizes. Click “OK” once complete.
Click on the “Pipe Support Assembly” tab, Right Click on the newly created Pipe Support
Assembly and click on “Add Support Component” as seen below.

A blank Support Component entry will now be added to the Project File as seen below. The
correct Data File will need to be referenced from the Catalog file.
Before adding any components to this Support Assembly, ensure that “Pipe” is selected for
the “Attachment Type”

Select “Custom” under the “Components Available” pull down and select the “Pipe
Alignment Anchor” component. Move the component across to the “Components Selected”
list by click on the “Add” button as seen below.
Next, Intelligent Data needs to be assigned to this Custom Support so that every time this
Support is modelled, this data is automatically embedded into the Custom Support in the
3D Model. The descriptions of each required option can be seen below.

• Name - The name that is used to define this Support on the list of all the available
Pipe Supports for this Specification.
• Size Range - Defines the sizes for which this component is available.
• Isogen Options - Defines what Isogen Symbol needs to be used when an
Isometric is generated.
• Caesar II - Defines what Support Type to use when the Support is exported to
Caesar II.
• BOM Sort - The Sort Order controlling the order that this component is placed on
the BOM.
• BOM Type - Whether this item should be placed on an Erection, Fabrication,
Offshore or Misc BOM Type.
• Long Description - The description that is shown in the Description column in the
BOM.
• Short Description - This can be extracted on to GA Drawings.
• Tag - The Component Tag Number which can be extracted or used to locate a
component in the model. Sometimes this is also used for the Part Numbers.

Click on the “Add” button once all the information has been populated to the Custom
Support.
Now that the Custom Support has now been added to the Specification, click on the Spec
Editor “Beach Ball” and click on “Save” to save all changes to the Project file as seen
below.

“Reload” the relevant Specification Project file into CADWorx Plant Professional. The newly
created Pipe Support should now be listed under the Pipe Support Palette as seen below.
Once inserted onto a pipeline the User will be prompted to select the Insertion Point as
seen below.

Next, the Orientation of the Support will need to be specified as seen below.
As Custom Supports were included for 3 different sizes, these Supports will be available for
those 3 Nominal Bore Pipe Sizes in the Specification as seen below.

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