Revised 11/13/2015

Getting Started with OFFPIPE 3

Installing OFFPIPE 3

OFFPIPE 3 is a new, Microsoft Windows compatible program that will replace OFFPIPE 2.07xx
and previous versions of OFFPIPE. OFFPIPE 3 is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and both
32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and 8. OFFPIPE 3 will be tested to confirm compatibility
with Windows 10 as soon as it is released.

To install OFFPIPE on your computer’s hard disk, please do the following:

1) Load the OFFPIPE 3 installation CD into the CD or DVD drive on your computer.

Note: If OFFPIPE 3 was downloaded or supplied in another form, it can also be installed
by copying the setup file onto your hard drive or a USB storage device.

2) Open Windows Explorer to display the contents of the CD and double click on the file
named: “setup_OFFPIPE_3xxxx.exe” to run the installation program.

Note: Windows may ask automatically if you want to display the contents of the installation
CD in an open window. If it does, answer affirmatively. On your CD, the characters “xxxx”
above will be replaced by a release number and two letter code, for example: “00AB”.

3) Follow the simple instructions given on screen during the installation process.

4) If the drivers for the copy protection key have not already been installed on your computer,
they can be installed by double clicking on the file: “hldrv32.exe” which is included on the
OFFPIPE 3 installation CD.

To run, most versions of OFFPIPE 3 require a copy protection key or USB “dongle” that
must be installed on your computer for OFFPIPE 3 to run. Depending upon when you
acquired OFFPIPE 3 and the terms of your OFFPIPE license agreement, OFFPIPE 3 may
be compatible with older USB and/or parallel port keys that were provided with OFFPIPE
V2.07 and earlier versions of OFFPIPE.

Uninstalling OFFPIPE 3

OFFPIPE 3 can be uninstalled from your computer like any other Windows application by
selecting the “Uninstall Program” option on the Windows “Control Panel” screen. When
OFFPIPE 3 is uninstalled, the program’s files and directory entries will be removed from
your computer, but user data and output files stored in the “My Documents\OFFPIPE 3\...”
directory should not be affected.

Nevertheless, whenever OFFPIPE 3 is installed or uninstalled on your computer, it is

recommended that all user data and output files be backed up before any change is
made.

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When OFFPIPE 3 is updated with a new version, it is recommended that the previous
version of OFFPIPE 3 be uninstalled before the new version is installed, to ensure that
there are no incompatible program or reference files remaining on the users computer.

It is not necessary to remove OFFPIPE V2.07 or older versions of OFFPIPE from your
computer before installing OFFPIPE 3. There are no potential conflicts, because none of
the files or directories used by OFFPIPE 3 are shared by Version 2.xx.

Installation Directories

OFFPIPE 3 will be installed in the default Program Files directory used by the version of Windows
installed on your computer. Please note that this default directory path, and the directory paths
used for the “My Documents” directory and for temporary (scratch) files created by OFFPIPE 3 are
generally different in each version of Windows. In Windows 7, the directory path for the OFFPIPE
3 executables should normally be:

“C:\Program Files (x86)\OFFPIPE 3\...”

After OFFPIPE 3 is installed, this directory will contain the OFFPIPE 3 program executables
“OFFPIPE_3.EXE”, “OFFPIPE_3.DLL”, etc., and two sub-directories. The two sub-directories
“\HELP SCREENS\...” and “\PROGRAM FILES\...” contain the help screens for OFFPIPE 3’s user
interface, and several reference files that are required by OFFPIPE 3.

OFFPIPE 3’s input data files and output files are placed in two sub-directories that are contained
in your “My Documents” directory. By default, these sub-directories are called “My Documents\-
OFFPIPE 3\Data\...” and “My Documents\OFFPIPE 3\Output\...”. These default directories can be
changed by editing the OFFPIPE 3 configuration file “CONFIG.V30” (described below) or when
OFFPIPE 3 is run by creating and referencing other directory paths for the input and output files.
It is generally recommended that OFFPIPE 3’s input and output files be kept in directories which
you create that are subdirectories of the default “\Data\...” and “\Output\...” directories.

Note that the actual physical location and directory path for your “My Documents” directory depend
on your User Name and the version of MS Windows running on your computer.

Compatibility with OFFPIPEE V2.07

OFFPIPE 3 is compatible with input data files created using OFFPIPE 2.xx, but files
created with OFFPIPE 3 can generally not be used by previous versions of OFFPIPE.
This incompatibility is due to the many new features that are provided by OFFPIPE 3, and
also to changes in some of the keywords used in the input data by OFFPIPE 3. Some
keywords have been changed to make their usage more consistent across all of the
different input data screens/records used by OFFPIPE 3.

Help Files

OFFPIPE 3’s help screens provide comprehensive information about the data specified on each
screen and in each data entry field used by OFFPIPE 3’s user interface. The help screens are
provided in their native *.RTF” (Rich Text File) format, so they can be edited using MS Word and,

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when desired, enhanced or expanded upon by you and other users. You can even add images
and illustrations to the help screens.

The formatting of the help files has been intentionally kept as simple as possible and should be
self explanatory. A unique help file is provided for each data entry screen and sub-screen used by
OFFPIPE 3. The name of each help file is based on the related screen name. For example,
“PipeSpanScreen1.rtf” is the name of the help screen file for the first data entry screen used to
define the *SPAN record in pipe span analyses.

There are a total of five (5) *SPAN screens and sub-screens. The files “PipeSpanScreen2.rtf”
through “PipeSpanScreen5.rtf” provide help information for sub-screens that can be launched from
the *SPAN screen. These sub-screens are loaded by clicking on a “button” on the first *SPAN
screen.

General help information for each data entry screen is placed at the beginning (top) of the help file
for that screen. The help information for each individual data entry field on the screen is then
included in the help sections that follow. The help information for each field is entered in the order
in which the data entry fields appear on the screen. Each entry is terminated (separated) by a
blank line and “#” character.

Program Files

The files provided in the “\PROGRAM FILES\...” sub-directory include the text of error and warning
messages printed by OFFPIPE 3 during execution, the OFFPIPE 3 default configuration file
“CONFIG.V30”, a file “CODE_DEFAULTS.DAT” containing data used in code compliance reports,
and an image file “OFFPIPE_3_Logo.emf”.

The configuration file “CONFIG.V30” lists the directory paths, and in many cases the file names,
for disk files used by OFFPIPE 3. The code defaults file “CODE_DEFAULTS.DAT” contains the
default values for parameters required to prepare DNV OS-F101 and API RP-1111 code
compliance reports. Both of these files are simple, self documenting ASCII text files that can be
edited by you when necessary. However, in almost all cases these files should be left in their
original, as-supplied condition.

The file “OFFPIPE_3_Logo.emf” provides the background image (blue waves) for the OFFPIPE 3
logo screen that is displayed when OFFPIPE 3 is first loaded by the user. This background image
can be replaced with one that has special meaning for you and other users, for example with a
company logo or picture of a pipelay vessel. However, it should be noted that this image may
become distorted if the user changes the aspect ratio of the OFFPIPE 3 input data file editor
screen. The default screen image (waves) was chosen, in part, because it looks more or less the
same when its aspect ratio changes.

The error and warning message files cannot be edited.

Running OFFPIPE 3

When OFFPIPE 3 is installed, an icon is added to the user’s desktop. To load OFFPIPE 3, you
simply double click on this icon. To run OFFPIPE 3 after an input data file has been selected and
reviewed or edited, you simply double click on the Running Man button at the top of the “Input
Data File Editor” screen.

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When OFFPIPE 3 loads, it displays the OFFPIPE 3 “Input Data File Editor” screen, and a side-bar
menu that allows the user to create, copy, or load and review / edit a new input data file. When
OFFPIPE 3 first loads, the space that will be filled with the user’s input data file is occupied by a
simple logo screen that identifies the version of OFFPIPE 3 being used, the build date, and the
licensee’s company name.

When the input data file is selected by the user (a blank file is loaded when a new file is being
created), it is displayed in the window on the “Input Data File Editor” screen. This window is
actually a text editor that allows the user to review and edit the input data file on the screen. The
input data file can be modified by typing directly on the screen, or by deleting, copying, or cutting
and pasting data to or from the screen. Text can also be copied from another text file and inserted
directly into the input data file using the “Input Data File Editor”.

The user can load each record in the input data file into a data entry screen that is specifically
designed for that record by double clicking on the desired record on the “Input Data File Editor”
screen. The data entry screens provide a brief description (on screen) for each data entry field,
plus extensive help for the data entered on each screen and in each field. The data entry screens
also perform error and validity checks on the data when it is loaded into the input data file.

OFFPIPE 3’s printed output is displayed in a separate screen (“View Printed Output”) that is
loaded automatically after OFFPIPE 3 finishes execution. The “View Printed Output” screen
allows the user to view, page through, and save or print OFFPIPE 3’s printed output.

Output parameters that have been referenced on a *PROF (profile) or *HIST (time history) record
in the input data file can be viewed graphically and saved or plotted using the “View Graphic
Output” screen. The “View Graphic Output” screen is loaded by clicking on a button at the top of
the “Input Data File Editor” or “View Printed Output” screen. A separate “Select Plot Table Entry”
screen can be used to select plots for viewing, and to select or de-select individual plots and the
output parameters displayed on each plot.

Note that although OFFPIPE 3 is a new program, its input data file and output are similar to the
input and output from OFFPIPE V2.07 and previous versions of OFFPIPE. This similarity has
been maintained because “it works”, and to ensure that users familiar with OFFPIPE can begin
using OFFPIPE 3 immediately and take advantage of its improved efficiency and ease of use with
little or no new “learning curve”.

Screen Size and Placement

The initial positions and dimensions of OFFPIPE 3’s screens are determined by data contained in
the status file “STATUS.TXT” which is included in the “..\OFFPIPE 3\PROGRAM FILES\” directory.
The initial screen positions and dimensions for OFFPIPE 3 are assigned (in the installation setup
file) such that at least a portion of each screen should be visible on even the smallest laptop
screens.

These screen positions and dimensions are updated and saved for future use by OFFPIPE 3 each
time they are changed by the user. This allows the user to optimize the screen size and
placement for his/her personal working environment, and return to this configuration each time
OFFPIPE 3 is used. The initial default values for the screen positions and sizes are saved in and
can be restored copying the file “STATUS.DEF” to create a new copy of “STATUS.TXT”.

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Note that if the size of the display screen changes between executions of OFFPIPE 3, for example
if the user connects a larger display screen to his/her laptop when in the office but not at home,
some of the windows displayed by OFFPIPE 3 could be invisible (displayed on a part of the screen
that cannot be seen on the laptop) when OFFPIPE 3 is run without the larger display.

Running OFFPIPE 3 In Batch Mode

When OFFPIPE 3 is installed, a program called “OFFPIPE_BATCH.EXE” and an example batch

file “RUN_BATCH.BAT” are loaded into the OFFPIPE 3 directory. In Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10,
the OFFPIPE 3 directory (32-bit version) is given by: “C:\Program Files (x86)\OFFPIPE 3\”.

The program “OFFPIPE_BATCH.EXE” is a simple shell program that takes the place of the
OFFPIPE 3 user interface program “OFFPIPE_3.EXE”, and allows the OFFPIPE 3 solution
module “OFFPIPE_3.DLL” to be run directly from the “Command Prompt” window without first
launching the Windows based user interface.

OFFPIPE 3 can be executed in batch mode by entering the command: “C:\PROGRAM FILES
(x86)\OFFPIPE 3\RUN_BATCH” in the Windows “Command Prompt” window, or by double
clicking on the file: “C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86)\OFFPIPE 3\RUN_BATCH.BAT” in “Windows
Explorer”.

OFFPIPE 3 is run in batch mode by executing a batch file similar to “RUN_BATCH.BAT” which
contains the following two commands:

CD C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86)\OFFPIPE 3

OFFPIPE_BATCH C:\USERS\<user ID>\APPDATA\ROAMING\OFFPIPE 3\

Where the term “<user ID>” is the Windows identifier for the present user.

The first line in the above batch file “CD C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86)\OFFPIPE 3” changes the
current directory to the one in which the OFFPIPE 3 (32-bit) executables are stored. The batch
mode shell program “OFFPIPE_BATCH.EXE” can only be run from within the OFFPIPE 3 program
directory.

The second line above runs or executes OFFPIPE 3 in batch mode. The calling argument given in
the second line: “C:\USERS\<user ID>\APPDATA\ROAMING\OFFPIPE 3\” specifies the complete
directory path for the users’ personal application data directory for OFFPIPE 3. This information is
required and must be provided for the solution module to run in batch mode.

When OFFPIPE 3’s Windows based user interface executes, it creates a simple ASCII text file
“PROGRAM FILES\PATHDATA.V30” in the above directory that tells the OFFPIPE 3 solution
module where its input and output files, temporary files and program files are located.

When OFFPIPE 3 is run with the Windows based user interface, this information is transmitted to
the solution module via its calling argument list. However, when the OFFPIPE 3 solution module
is run alone in batch mode, there is no easy way for it to determine where these files are stored,
so the path to the directory in which “PATHDATA.V30” is found must be communicated directly to
the solution module.

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The above file path information cannot simply be “hard wired” into the solution module, because
the file paths (which are dictated by Windows) include the user ID as part of the path.

Note that the Windows user ID is normally shown on the initial sign-in screen displayed when
Windows first starts up, and it can also be found by checking the sub-directory names listed in the
“C:\USERS\” directory. This directory usually looks something like the following:

C:\
Users\
All Users\
Default User\
Public\
<User ID>\

Where the position of “<User ID>” in the above list depends upon the spelling of the user ID (the
directories are listed in alphabetical order).

The user ID is used by Windows as the name for the directory in which Windows stores personal
data (My Documents, Downloads, etc.), program data and temporary program files associated
with the present user.

Note that the directory “C:\USERS\<user ID>\APPDATA\” is a hidden directory. It is only visible if
the “Show hidden files, folders and drives” option is enabled in the “Folder and Search Options”
menu of “Windows Explorer”. Note also that on most networks and systems, the user will need
Administrator privileges to access files in the users’ own “\APPDATA\” directory.

Batch Mode Input and Output

When OFFPIPE 3 is run in batch mode, it uses the temporary input data file
“OFFPIPE.DAT” which is stored in the directory: “My Documents\OFFPIPE 3\DATA\”.
This is the same temporary input data file used by OFFPIPE 3’s Windows based user
interface. When OFFPIPE 3 is run in batch mode, the user’s input data must be copied to
“OFFPIPE.DAT” before OFFPIPE 3 is run.

When OFFPIPE 3 is run using multiple input data files, the user’s input data must be
copied to “OFFPIPE.DAT” just before OFFPIPE 3 is run, each time the program is
executed.

When OFFPIPE 3 is run in batch mode, it writes its temporary output files:
“OFFPIPE.OUT”, “PROFILE.PLT”, etc. to the directory: “My Documents\OFFPIPE 3\-
OUTPUT\”. This is also the same directory that is used by the Windows based user
interface.

When OFFPIPE 3 is run in batch mode, the output files desired by the user must be
copied or saved to another file name and/or path after OFFPIPE 3 is run. Otherwise, the
output files will be overwritten the next time OFFPIPE 3 is executed.

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When OFFPIPE 3 is run using multiple input data files, the output files desired by the user
must be copied or saved immediately after OFFPIPE 3 is run, each time the program is
executed.