Diagrams User Guide

Diagrams
User Guide
AVEVA Solutions Ltd
Disclaimer
Information of a technical nature, and particulars of the product and its use, is given by AVEVA
Solutions Ltd and its subsidiaries without warranty. AVEVA Solutions Ltd and its subsidiaries disclaim
any and all warranties and conditions, expressed or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Neither the author nor AVEVA Solutions Ltd, or any of its subsidiaries, shall be liable to any person or
entity for any actions, claims, loss or damage arising from the use or possession of any information,
particulars, or errors in this publication, or any incorrect use of the product, whatsoever.
Copyright
Copyright and all other intellectual property rights in this manual and the associated software, and every
part of it (including source code, object code, any data contained in it, the manual and any other
documentation supplied with it) belongs to AVEVA Solutions Ltd or its subsidiaries.
All other rights are reserved to AVEVA Solutions Ltd and its subsidiaries. The information contained in
this document is commercially sensitive, and shall not be copied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Ltd Where such
permission is granted, it expressly requires that this Disclaimer and Copyright notice is prominently
displayed at the beginning of every copy that is made.
The manual and associated documentation may not be adapted, reproduced, or copied, in any material
or electronic form, without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Ltd. The user may also not
reverse engineer, decompile, copy, or adapt the associated software. Neither the whole, nor part of the
product described in this publication may be incorporated into any third-party software, product,
machine, or system without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Ltd, save as permitted by
law. Any such unauthorised action is strictly prohibited, and may give rise to civil liabilities and criminal
prosecution.
The AVEVA products described in this guide are to be installed and operated strictly in accordance with
the terms and conditions of the respective licence agreements, and in accordance with the relevant
User Documentation. Unauthorised or unlicensed use of the product is strictly prohibited.
First published September 2007
AVEVA Solutions Ltd, and its subsidiaries 2007
AVEVA Solutions Ltd, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HB, United Kingdom
Trademarks
AVEVA and Tribon are registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Ltd or its subsidiaries. Unauthorised
use of the AVEVA or Tribon trademarks is strictly forbidden.
AVEVA product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Ltd or its
subsidiaries, registered in the UK, Europe and other countries (worldwide).
The copyright, trade mark rights, or other intellectual property rights in any other product, its name or
logo belongs to its respective owner.
AVEVA Diagrams
Contents
AVEVA Diagrams
Contents
Page
Diagrams
Diagrams Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Document Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Diagrams Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Database Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:2
Main Operating Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:3
Application Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:5

Runtime Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:5
Environment Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:5
Document Files, Sessions etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:5
Copying Data between Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:6

Database Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:7
Schematic DB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MDB Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Groups
..............................................................
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2:7
2:7
2:7
2:7
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:9

Starting the Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:9
Making settings for the program session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:9
Select Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:9
Set up Default Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:10
2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd
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Select a Default System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:11

Select a Current Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12
Application Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12
Diagrams Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:13
Other Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:16
Migration of Data from Tribon M3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:17

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Upgrading Shapes to Diagrams Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Upgrade Selected Master(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Upgrade Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Re-creating Database Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3:17
3:17
3:17
3:18
3:18
3:18
Creating Shapes and Adding to Stencils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:18

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating MS Visio Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Diagrams Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Import Shape Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3:18
3:19
3:27
3:28
3:36
Working with Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:39

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:39
Main GUI Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:40
Main Window and Dockable Sub-windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Schematic Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
System Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diagram Drafting Canvas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Custom Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Item List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Catalogue Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Message Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Initial 3D Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Search
.............................................................
Find in Drawing Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard DB Browse Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Document Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4:40
4:40
4:41
4:43
4:44
4:44
4:45
4:46
4:47
4:48
4:50
4:50
4:51
4:52
4:53
Standard MS Visio Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:54
ii
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Application Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:57

Keyboard Shortcuts and Function Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:58
File Handling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:58
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Document file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New
.............................................................
Open
.............................................................
Open Read Only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save Work and Save As . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Get Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Delete
.............................................................
Additional Notes on File Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4:58
4:58
4:59
4:60
4:63
4:70
4:71
4:71
4:71
Define / Undefine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:71

Refresh
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:72
Consistency Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:72

Annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:74
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shape Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Labels
.............................................................
Property Break Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4:74
4:75
4:76
4:76
Off-page Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:77

Offline Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:80
Manual Component Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:82
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Catalogue Explorer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying, Renaming and Deleting Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selection Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Result List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4:82
4:83
4:83
4:86
4:86
4:86
4:87
Copying/Pasting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:90

Primary / Secondary Shapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:90
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Secondary Shapes by Changing Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Secondary Shapes by Copy/Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing and Changing Primary/Secondary Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Behaviour of Primary/Secondary Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
iii
4:90
4:91
4:92
4:93
4:93
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Deleting Primary/Secondary Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:97

Finding All Shapes Referring to a Certain DB Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:97
Using Background Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:97

Setting an Initial 3D Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:98
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:98
Setting the Initial 3D Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:98
Changing Symbols for Existing Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:98

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:98
Manual Replacing of Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:98
Automatic Replacing of Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:99
Replace Symbol from Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:100
Setting System Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:101

Naming
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:101
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Autonaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auto Renaming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rename Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Prompting the User to Enter a Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4:101
4:102
4:102
4:102
4:104
Highlighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:104
Importing/Exporting Drawings, Stencils and Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:105
Importing and Exporting Data to the DB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:105
Import
Export
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:105
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:106
Undo and Redo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:106
Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:107

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:107
Creating Pipelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:107
Pipeline Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:109
Creating Branches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:109
Adding Parts to a Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:110
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Arrive and Leave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dropping and Connecting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Tube Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Connecting Fittings without a Tube in between . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5:110
5:110
5:110
5:111
5:111
Using Equipment and Subequipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:111
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Using Nozzles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:112

Using Pipe Destination elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:113
Grouped Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:113
Online Dimensioning and Specification Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:114
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
No Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimensioning without Catalogue or Spec Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimensioning with Manual Catalogue Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimensioning with Automatic Spec Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Respec
............................................................
Resize
............................................................
Refit
............................................................
5:114
5:116
5:116
5:116
5:116
5:119
5:119
5:121
Reverse Direction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:122

Splitting Pipelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:123
Joining Pipelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:124
Consistency Check for Pipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:124
Automatic Management of Logical Pipe Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:124
HVAC Diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:125

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:125
Creating HVAC Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:125
HVAC Line Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:126
Creating Branches and Adding Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:126
Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:127
Resize
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:129
Refit
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:130
Splitting and Joining HVAC Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:130

Consistency Check for HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:130
Cable Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:131

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:131
Single Line Cabling Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:131
Working with Multi-cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:132
Naming Cables Owned by Multi-cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:132
Presenting Multi-cables in Item List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:134
Connecting Cable Elements to Nested Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:134
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Core Connections Definition Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:134

Defining the Number of Cores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting Electrical Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting the Terminal for Each Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Configuring the Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7:135
7:136
7:137
7:138
7:138
Generating Core Connection Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:139
Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:141
Releasing Information for 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:143
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:143
Setting the Release Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:143
Visualizing Release and Link to 3D Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:147
Warnings and Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:148
Released but not Linked Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:148
Released and Linked Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:149
Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:151
Batch Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:151
Batch Consistency Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:152
Batch Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:152
Project Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:153

Clean Old Session Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:153
Schematic Model Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:155

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:155
Starting the Viewer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:156
Navigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:157
Zooming, Panning etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:157
Navigating Along the Pipeline Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:157
Re-arranging the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:158

Viewing Inline Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:158
Viewing Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:158
Settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:159
Icons
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:159
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A:1
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Attribute Presentation Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A:1

Pseudo Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A:1
Customisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A:2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A:2
Using the Visio Drawing Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A:2
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Diagrams Overview
Diagrams Overview
1.1
Document Contents
The chapter gives an overview of the application and explains some of the main principles.
It is intended for all users who need a general introduction to Diagrams.
1.2
Prerequisites
Before starting to use the Diagrams application, it is recommended that users acquire some
general knowledge about using applications based on the AVEVA Design platform:
Database principles, such as MDBs, sessions, DB elements, attributes, references etc.
Using the command line
Handling of the Application framework GUI, with docking windows etc.
General Microsoft Visio knowledge.
You also need to be familiar with the main principles of using Catalogues and
Specifications. Please refer to the Catalogues and Specifications User Guide for more
information.
These functions are relevant for the usage of the Diagrams application, but are outside the
scope for this manual.
1.3
Diagrams Application
Diagrams supports the creation of Piping, HVAC and Cabling Diagrams. The application is
based on the AVEVA Design Platform GUI and diagram layouts are created using an
embedded Microsoft Office Visio drawing control. All relevant data entered through the
application is stored into the Schematic Database.
The functions available in the application include standard MS Visio functions, standard
Outfitting functions and specific Diagrams functions.
1:1
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Diagrams Overview
Figure 1:1.
1.4
The Diagrams Application
Database Architecture
The object data created through the Diagrams application is stored in the Schematic
Database. This data is possible to re-use for 3D modelling through the use of P&ID
Integrator (please refer to the Schematic 3D Integrator User Guide).
The diagram documents created through the Diagrams application will be stored in the file
system or an external document management system. There are index elements in the
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Diagrams Overview
database for each diagram, stencil and template. Diagrams, stencils and templates are
listed and opened through the DB index elements.
In addition to the MS Visio Diagram files the application also creates SVG format files for the
purpose of viewing the diagrams in the P&ID 3D Integrator.
1.5
Main Operating Principles

When shapes are dragged from a stencil and dropped onto the diagram, a corresponding
element will, if possible, be automatically created in the database. This process is known as
Define. In some cases the Define operation will not take place until shapes are connected.
It is also possible to manually Define and Undefine items.
The application supports the Dabacon session concept with Save Work / Get Work
functions. In the Save Work function, the diagram document is also saved together with all
pending DB changes in the session. To ensure consistency between diagram documents
and the database items, certain procedures have been introduced, for instance when the
user chooses Save As on a diagram, it is required that Save Work has first been executed.
The schematic data is organized in two parallel hierarchies. The main hierarchy is the Group
Hierarchy, which works more or less like a folder structure where schematic items can be
organized according to customer preferences. There is also a secondary System Hierarchy,
which represents the design systems within the project. Diagrams contains functions for the
user to control in which Schematic Group new items will be placed. Items will also be
organized into the system structure according to the system reference attribute.
The database also maintains references between schematic items and the diagram
drawings that they are represented on. This allows the user to, for example, find and open
all diagrams where a certain pipeline is depicted.
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Diagrams Overview
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Application Setup
Application Setup
This chapter covers the database setup and runtime environment for the application. It is
primarily intended for administrators who will set up the project environment for using
Diagrams and for advanced users who need a deeper knowledge in how the application
operates on a technical level.
2.1
Runtime Environment
2.1.1
Environment Variables
To define diagram, stencil and template paths a number of environment variables are used.
They are named as follows:
%<PROJECTCODE>DIA%
%<PROJECTCODE>STE%
%<PROJECTCODE>TPL%
In the TTP project this would be equal to:
%TTPDIA%
%TTPSTE%
%TTPTPL%
These environment variables should point to the repository for each file type. Typically they
would reside under the project folder along with xxxPIC and xxxISO etc.
2.1.2
Document Files, Sessions etc.

All MS Visio documents such as diagrams, stencils and templates are handled through
index elements in the database.
When a diagram is created, an SCDIAG element is created in the database, and this
contains a pseudo attribute (VISF) that provides the file name of the actual file in the file
system. File names are composed by <element ID><session no>. This mechanism
and naming convention supports the Dabacon session concept and provides a possibility for
GLOBAL to manage the files in a multi-location project. These file names are not visible to
the user. The user will handle all diagrams through the index elements in the database and
will only see the names of the index elements.
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Application Setup
This mechanism creates new files each time a Save Work is executed. This means that
when users have been working for a certain amount of time, a large quantity of files may
exist in the %<PROJECTCODE>DIA% directory, in the same way that a Dabacon database
grows as sessions are being added. There is currently no mechanism to automatically
delete obsolete versions of the files when a database session merge is executed, however
the Diagrams application provides a tool for removing old session files from a project. It
could be used manually when KEEP_SESSION_FILES is set to False. For more information
please refer to Clean Old Session Files in Chapter Utilities.
At the same time as a diagram file is saved, an SVG format file is optionally created. This is
for the purpose of viewing the diagrams in other applications such as the P&ID 3D Integrator
without having the need for an MS Visio installation. In the same way as querying the VISF
attribute on the SCDIAG element for obtaining the MS Visio diagram file name, the SVG file
name can be found by querying the NVIEWF attribute.
On large diagrams, or diagrams that contain detailed imported background drawings, the
creation of the SVG file may take some time to execute. This could affect the performance
of the Save Work command. For that reason a possibility to control the SVG creation has
been introduced.
Whether the SVG file is created or not depends on the General Options > System
configuration > SVG setting in Diagrams Options.
If this setting is False, then the SVG file will only be created if the drawing contains or
has contained any items released to 3D.
If this setting is True, the SVG file will always be created.
When an SVG file is created, there will be a message in the message log indicating this.
Note: By changing the KEEP_SESSION_FILES default setting to False, only the latest
version of the Visio diagram file as well as the SVG file will be kept. Please consider
that using this setting will not make it possible to restore a previous session including
the corresponding diagram file version.
MS Visio templates and stencils are handled in the same way as the diagrams, using
SCTEMP and SCSTEN index elements in the database. One difference however, is that no
SVG format files are created when templates and stencils are saved by the application.
2.2
Copying Data between Databases

It is possible to use RECONFIGURE to copy schematic data between databases. There are
a few restrictions in doing this, though.
Note: The FROM and TO databases have to have the same database number.
Note: RECONFIGURE has to be executed using the SAMEREF option, since the SCDIAG,
SCSTEN and SCTEMP elements refer to files via their element id (ref. no).
Note: The actual diagram files are not handled by RECONFIGURE. These have to be
copied manually afterwards. Use the pseudo attribute VISF to find the corresponding
filename (NVIEWF for the corresponding SVGs). VISF will point to the latest version
of the element. If all sessions are needed, it is advisable to copy all files starting with
the same reference number.
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Application Setup
2.3
Database Setup
2.3.1
Schematic DB
A new schematic (SCHE) database must be created in a project where Diagrams will be
used. For more information on how to create databases please refer to your Data
Management and Data Base / Administrator User Guide.
2.3.2
MDB Setup
The MDB to be used for Diagrams must contain:
At least one SCHE DB. The administrator can add several schematic DBs to the MDB
if desired. The SCHE DB(s) must be writeable.
At least one DESI DB for the System Hierarchy. The DESI DB(s) can be read-only if so
desired.
It is recommended to keep the System Hierarchy in a separate DESI DB to make

administration easier. In case the Diagrams user should be able to access data in 3D design
elements, additional DESI DBs can be added to the MDB.
If the Diagrams user should be able to modify the System Hierarchy, the following must be
completed:
1. The module definition of Diagrams must allow Read/Write access to DESI DBs.
2. The Diagrams user must be a member of the team that owns the DESI DB where the
system hierarchy resides.
Note: It is possible to set it up in a way that the Diagrams user will have Read/Write access
to the DESI DB where the system hierarchy resides but not to other DESI DBs. In
this case the Diagrams user should not be a member of the team(s) that owns the
other DESI DBs.
2.3.3
Groups
When a schematic database has been set up, any number of Schematic Group elements
(SCGROU) can be created to form the primary hierarchy in the database. This can be
considered similar to a folder structure in the file system. Schematic groups can be used to
hold schematic elements, such as diagrams, stencils, templates, equipment, pipelines,
cables and HVACLines. Schematic groups can also be nested in an arbitrary number of
levels (having groups within groups). To create Schematic Groups, right click in the
Schematic Explorer, or use the command line. It is also possible to import a standard Group
structure into the database from a spreadsheet using the Spreadsheet Import function
(please refer to Import in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
2.3.4
Systems
The System Hierarchy can be created and maintained through the Tools > Utilities >
System Hierarchy command. For each system, there is also a subordinate SYSCDA
element containing default values per system for the Diagrams application. For instance,
when creating a new pipeline, the Pipe spec, Insulation Spec, Fluid Ref etc. can
automatically be picked up from the defaults set up in the SYSCDA element. Please refer to
the Design Common Functionality User Guide for setting up this data.
The System Hierarchy command is also available in the 3D Design applications.
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Application Setup
Note: To be able to create and modify the System Hierarchy, it is required that the MDB
contains a writeable Design DB where the System Hierarchy resides.
Note: The SYSCDA elements are not visible in the Schematic Explorer.
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AVEVA Diagrams
Getting Started
Getting Started
This chapter describes how to get started with the Diagrams application, making settings
and creating base data etc. This chapter is primarily aimed at users who will be setting up
the working environment for users. These could be super-users or CAD co-ordinators.
3.1
Starting the Application

Diagrams is started by selecting the Diagrams module in the AVEVA Login dialogue.
Note: The Diagrams application requires an MDB that contains one or more schematic
databases. Please refer to section Database Setup in Chapter Application Setup for
more details.
3.2
Making settings for the program session

When the application window has appeared, there are a few session settings that need to
be done before you can start using the application.
3.2.1
Select Mode
Select the Mode you want to work in (Pipe, HVAC, Cable), this setting is available in the
Tools > Mode menu.
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Getting Started
3.2.2
Set up Default Groups

Set up default groups by clicking on the Default Groups panel in the status bar at the
bottom of the screen. This will bring up the Default Group dialogue.
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Getting Started
By clicking on the line for each type, a browse button

can be selected by clicking this button.
will appear and a suitable group
If the same group is wanted for all elements, use the Apply to All button to set the group for
all elements in one go. The initial group for this option is calculated from CE (Current
Element) when the dialogue is entered. If there is a need to change this, use the
to browse the database for a new group.
button
In case new groups need to be created, this will have to be done before going into this
dialogue. New groups can be created by right clicking on the schematic world or on existing
groups in the Schematic Explorer and selecting the Create Group command. This must
then be done before the Default Groups can be selected.
3.2.3
Select a Default System

Select a Default System, by right clicking on the Default System panel in the status.
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Getting Started
3.2.4
Select a Current Line

For Pipe / HVAC mode, also select a Current Line before proceeding to create branches
and add fittings etc.
Note: This is however not done by clicking in the status bar, but is instead done by
selecting a line in the schematic explorer.
3.3
Application Settings
3.3.1
Overview
In the Tools menu the following commands are available:
Visio Options. This is the standard MS Visio Options dialogue (available at Tools >
Options in MS Visio). Please refer to the MS Visio documentation for more information.
Diagrams Options. The Diagrams Options dialogue is used for making relevant
settings for the Diagrams application. This is further described below.
Other Options. Through this command, a number of standard PDMS settings such as
Autonaming can be reached. This is further described below.
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Getting Started
3.3.2
Diagrams Options
Defaults
In the Diagrams Options dialogue, there are a several settings that will control the
operation of the application. Below the settings pane is a grey box providing an explanation
for each setting. The settings are further described in the documentation for the respective
functions.
If changes have been made when the dialogue is closed by clicking the OK button, the
dialogue window below will appear. In case the user clicks Yes the default settings will be
saved for the next program session. If the user clicks No, the settings will only apply to the
current program session.
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Getting Started
Attribute Presentation
On the Attribute Presentation tab the user can set up the attribute presentation to be used
in the Custom Properties Window as well as in the Item List. To the left there is a tree-view
containing the different element types relevant to the Diagrams application. In case UDETs
have been defined, these will be included in the list.
For each element type selected in the tree-view, the attribute presentation can be
individually controlled by the settings in the right hand list view. The columns in the table are
as follows:
Attribute
Name of the attribute. (This can not be modified).
Label
Presentation label for the attribute. This controls the name to be

presented to the user in the Custom Properties window only. This
setting does not apply to the Item List as it shows mixed items in the
same list.
Prompt
If a Prompt string is entered, the application will prompt the user for
a value as the shape is dropped on the drawing. The Prompt string
will be presented to the user at that time, for example Please enter
Name.
Visible
If this checkbox is checked, then the attribute will be included in the

list of attributes shown in the Custom Properties window.
Visible in Item List
If this checkbox is checked, then the attribute will be included in the

list of attributes shown in the Item List.
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Read Only
If this checkbox is checked, it will not be possible to update the

attribute value from the Custom Properties window or from the
Item List.
Copy with Shape
If this checkbox is checked, the attribute value will be copied when

shapes are copied in or between drawings. Please note that the
shape must be defined for the Copy with Shape setting to apply
(refer to Define / Undefine in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
By clicking the Move Up and Move Down buttons, the presentation order of the currently
selected attribute can be changed.
In the Import Shape Wizard there is a possibility to override the default attribute presentation
settings for individual shapes. In case this override should be enabled, the Allow individual
shape settings to override default settings should be checked. This setting can be
applied individually for each element type by first selecting a type in the tree before clicking
the checkbox. If this is not checked, any attribute presentation settings done in the Import
Shape Wizard for individual shapes will be ignored.
By clicking the Referenced attributes button, it is possible to add attributes from
referenced or hierarchically superior elements.
If changes have been made when the dialogue is closed by clicking the OK button, the
below dialogue will be shown. In case the user clicks Yes the attribute presentation settings
will be saved for the next program session. If the user clicks No, the settings will only apply
to the current program session.
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Referenced attributes can be added in two ways:

1. Navigate and select. Navigate and select the attribute in the tree view on the right
hand pane, and click the Add button to add them to the Selected Attributes list on the
right hand side.
2. Key-in. Click on the next free line in the Selected Attributes list, and key in the name of
the referenced attribute using a dot notation as described in Attribute Presentation
Notation in Chapter Appendices.
Attributes selected by Navigate and Select can also be manually edited by selecting them
in the Selected Attributes list. For example by selecting SPRE.CATR.PARA and then
manually adding (0) at the end to get the first parameter.
Note: Pseudo attributes are not shown in the list of attributes in Attribute Presentation
and Referenced Attributes dialogues. In case pseudo attributes should be
presented, these will have to be added manually by using the Key-in method
described above. A few pseudo attributes that can be useful for the Diagrams user
are described in Pseudo Attributes in Chapter Appendices.
3.3.3
Other Options
Under the Tools > Other Options menu item the following commands can be found:
Naming
Explorer
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The Naming command is further described in

The Explorer command is further described in
3.4
Migration of Data from Tribon M3
3.4.1
Overview
Diagrams includes some functions that can be used for migration of data from Tribon M3. It
is possible to migrate stencils, templates and diagrams, but not related database data.
Database data will have to be re-created using Diagrams. The procedure to follow is
indicated below for each kind of document:
Stencils:
1. Import the stencils and save them into the project database.
2. Upgrade shapes to Diagrams format.
3. Add more data to the shapes to make them fully useable in Diagrams.
Templates:
1. Import the templates and save them into the project database.
2. In order to make full use of the Diagrams functions, some manual editing can be done.
Diagrams:
1. Import the diagrams and save them into the project database.
2. Upgrade shapes to Diagrams format.
3. Add more data to the shapes to make them fully useable in Diagrams.
4. Define the shapes to create corresponding data into the database.
Note: Please also note that AVEVA provides migration assistance services, as the
migration of data from Tribon M3 is somewhat complex.
3.4.2
Importing Documents
Stencils, templates and diagrams that do not have any SCDIAG, SCSTEN or SCTEMP index
elements in the database can be opened by using the File > Import commands. Diagrams
and templates can be opened using the File > Import > Drawing and stencils can be
opened using the File > Import > Stencil.
After being opened in this way, they can be saved using the File > Save As and File > Save
Stencil As commands which will create the index elements in the database and save the
files in the location pointed to by the %<PROJECTCODE>DIA%, %<PROJECTCODE>STE%
and %<PROJECTCODE>TPL% variables.
Note: Importing documents in this way will not import the data to the database.
3.4.3
Upgrading Shapes to Diagrams Format

In the Tools > Upgrade menu, the following choices are available:
Upgrade selected Master(s)
Upgrade Drawing
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The upgrade will be done according to the following principles:
3.4.4
Non-Tribon M3 shapes will be ignored.
The upgrade will not add any of the new AVEVA features, such as attribute
presentation settings etc. to the upgraded shapes.
It is possible to develop a function that will post-process shapes after the standard
upgrade has been executed. This will enable programmatically applying settings etc. to
multiple shapes. Please refer to the Customisation in Chapter Appendices for more
information about how to attain this.
Upgrade Selected Master(s)

This command will upgrade all selected shapes on the current stencil from Tribon M3 format
to Diagrams format. To keep the upgraded shapes, the stencil must be saved afterwards. In
order to enable additional AVEVA features such as Attribute Presentation Settings etc., the
Edit Master function can be used.
3.4.5
Upgrade Drawing
This command will upgrade all Tribon M3 Diagrams shapes on the current drawing to
AVEVA Diagrams shapes. Non-Tribon M3 shapes will be ignored. Upgraded shapes will not
automatically be defined in the database. This will have to be done manually afterwards
using the Define function (refer to Define / Undefine in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
3.4.6
Re-creating Database Data

After a drawing has upgraded, it is possible to use the Define and Define Branch
commands to re-create database data. Before the define operation can be successfully
performed, base data such as the Schematic Groups, System Structure, Specification and
Catalogue Items etc. will have to be created. Also relevant default settings will have to be
set up properly, for instance Default Groups.
In many cases further data will have to be added manually to the shapes before they can be
defined correctly. This is for example:
References (to specification etc.)
GTYPEs
Etc.
When the shapes have been defined, the Consistency Check function (please refer to
Consistency Check in Chapter Working with Diagrams) can be used to check that the
diagram is consistent with the database data.
3.5
Creating Shapes and Adding to Stencils
3.5.1
Overview
A major part of the Diagrams functionality is based on a set of specialized Diagrams
shapes. Many of these shapes contain information about what kind of database element the
shape should be related to, while others do not have any database equivalence at all (such
as annotation labels etc.). This mechanism enables the application to automatically create
related database elements, as well as provide automatic annotation and general
intelligence.
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Shapes that should be recognized by Diagrams and handled by the application logic must
be created through the Import Shape Wizard accessible through the Tools menu. Examples
of these are as follows:
Shapes corresponding to DB elements, for instance branches, valves, instruments and

fittings.
Off-page connector shapes.
Label shapes presenting attribute information.
Shapes processed by the Import Shape Wizard will be stored in a user-selected stencil and
will contain data specific to the Diagrams application.
Other Visio shapes that have not been processed through the Import Shape Wizard can still
be used for annotation etc. on drawings, but they will not be handled intelligently by the
application.
Diagrams shapes can also contain default attribute values, which can enable users to
create specialized shapes and will reduce the amount of information that is necessary to
enter when diagrams are created.
By investing some time and effort in the creation of stencils and shapes, the application can
be tailored to work as efficiently as possible for the needs of the user. Thereby time and
effort can later be saved when these shapes are used to build up diagrams.
3.5.2
Creating MS Visio Shapes

Before shapes can be imported to a stencil using the Import Shape Wizard, they will have to
be created using MS Visio tools. It is highly recommended that the user creating shapes has
a good knowledge of MS Visio and is familiar with how Visio shapes works before
proceeding to create Diagrams shapes. MS Visio offers many possibilities for creation of
smart shapes with different kinds of behaviour. We recommend that this is used sparingly
and with consideration, as complex shape behaviour can result in reduced performance and
also interact with the Diagrams application code in a way that can give unexpected errors. A
few examples of useable behaviour are described below.
Note: To be able to create shapes with special features, the MS Visio Shape Sheet has to
be used. For technical reasons, this is not available in the Diagrams application. In
case you need to access the Shape Sheet for making special settings in the shapes
before import, you will have to copy the shape to the Standard MS Office Visio
application, access the Shape Sheet, and then copy the shape back to Diagrams.
When drawing the shape, it is recommended to use the same grid setting that will apply
when the shape will be used in the drawing, thereby avoiding alignment and snapping
problems. To minimize the risk for mistakes when different zoom settings are used, the grid
can be set to Fixed. A suitable grid size is suggested to be 1 mm. The Ruler & Grid
dialogue is available from the Tools > Ruler and Grid command in the main application
menu.
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It is also preferable to use a X any Y size of the shape that is evenly dividable with 2, so that
connection points can be conveniently placed at grid intersections.
Figure 3:1.
Example of Valve shape using a 4x8 size
Connection points can be added to shapes by using the Connection Point Tool available
on the dropdown for connector tool in the Standard toolbar.
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To add connection points, Ctrl+Click using this tool. For inline pipe/HVAC parts, the order in
which connection points are added is relevant, as the first added connection point will
correspond to ppoint 1 on the catalogue item. When an inline fitting is connected, Arrive and
Leave are resolved depending on the connections. I.e. if conn 1 is connected to Leave of
another fitting during define, conn 1 will be Arrive and vice versa. If it is not connected when
defined, Arrive and Leave will default to 1 and 2. The direction of the connection points can
be changed by right clicking on a connection point and selecting Inward, Outward or
Inward & Outward.
Note: These directions are NOT related to flow directions of the component. This only
relates to Visio mechanisms for connecting shapes to each other. Connection points
for 2D shapes (such as Equipment, Valves, Fittings etc.) should normally be Inward.
Only use Outward connection points if you intend the shape to be directly connected
to other 2D shapes. The normal approach is to always use Inward when shapes are
created, and to change them to Outward after dropping on a drawing only in case the
shape should be connected to another 2D shape. (refer to Connecting Fittings
without a Tube in between in Chapter Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)).
Note: When creating grouped piping/HVAC shapes having connection points, please make
sure to first group the shapes and then add the connection points to the group. In
case connection points are added to the members of the group, this could result in
difficulties to connect pipes/HVACs when the shapes are used. For electrical items, it
is OK to have connection points on group members as this is specially handled by
the application when cables are connected.
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Note: When grouping shapes, use the Group command rather than Convert to group, as
the former works better with the Diagrams application.
Example 1: Creating an attachment line
For shapes that can be attached to other shapes using a control handle, such as labels and
off-line instruments, it can be preferred to have an attach line showing where the item is
connected. This can be achieved by going though the following steps:
1. Create the shape in MS Visio by using the drawing tools.
2. Group the shape (required for the attachment line to appear behind).
3. Access the Shape Sheet (available on the right click menu).
4. If there is not any Controls section, create a new (Right click > Insert section).
5. Create a new Geometry section having a MoveTo at the desired origin point of the line
(centre of the shape is =Width*0.5 and =Height*0.5).
6. In the LineTo, refer to =Controls.Row_1 and Controls.Row_1.Y.
7. In order to get the attachment line behind the shape rather than in front of it, right click
on the shape and select Format > Behaviour. Then change Group Data to Behind
member shapes.
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8. If the attachment line should originate from the corner points rather than from the
centre point, the following formulas could be entered on the MoveTo line of the
Geometry section: =IF(Controls.Row_1>Width*0.5,Width,0) and
=IF(Geometry1.Y2>Height*0.5,Height,0).
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9. The attachment line will now snap to the nearest corner point as the control point is
being moved.
10. In case there should be a possibility to turn on and off the attachment line, this can be
achieved by inserting an Actions section with the
=SETF(GetRef(Actions.Row_1.Checked),NOT(GetVal(Actions.Row_1.Ch
ecked))) action and referring the Checked property using the
=NOT(Actions.Row_1.Checked)formula from the NoShow property of the
Geometry section:
11. The attachment line can now be turned on and off by using the shape right click menu.
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Note: It is also possible to add features to the Visio shapes after they have been imported
using the Import Shape Wizard. When this wizard is executed, it will add properties in
sections such as Custom Properties, User-defined cells, Controls etc. To avoid
malfunctions in the Diagrams application, these rows must not be modified.
However, adding new rows to these sections is allowed.
The table below provides some specific information for each kind of shape to be imported:
Category
Type
Conn.
Points
Equipment items
Equipment
Any number
Sub-equipment
Any number
Nozzle
The point to be used for

connecting the nozzle to an
equipment item should be of
Outward type. The point
where a pipe branch should
be connected should be
Inward.
Electrical
connection
The point to be used for

connecting the elconn to an
equipment item should be of
Outward type. The point
where a cable should be
connected should be Inward.
Pipeline elements
Pipeline, Branch,
Tube
N/A
These must be connector

type shapes. Linestyles can
be assigned before importing.
In case any indication of flow
direction is to be used, Begin
is considered to be Arrive,
and End is considered to be
Leave.
Pipe components
Valve
For 2-way:2
Assign connection points so

that the desired Arrive (=
connection point 1) and Leave
(= connection point 2) for the
main flow will be achieved.
For 3-way:3
For 4-way:4
Instrument
Notes
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Pipe components Fitting
Pipe Destination
Offline Instrument
Any number
Cap
During Import Shape, an

attachment control handle will
automatically be added to the
shape, if it does not already
exist in the shape sheet.
Closure
Blind flange
For a reducer, the first

connection point (arrive) is
normally on the large side.
Cross

that the desired Arrive - Leave
(main flow) will be achieved.
Olet

that the desired Arrive - Leave
(main flow) will be achieved.
N/A
These must be connector

type shapes. Linestyles can
be assigned before importing.
In case any indication of flow
direction is to be used, Begin
is considered to be Arrive,
and End is considered to be
Leave.
Coupling
Filter
Flange
Reducer
Trap
Vent
Weld
Other
Tee
HVACline elements
HVACline, HVAC
branch, Duct
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Inline HVAC
Components HVAC Fitting
Air handling unit
Cowl
Grille
Mesh
Plate
Taper
Branch connector
Damper
Fan
Flexible joint
Offset
Plenum
Silencer
Straight
Transformation
piece
Cable elements
Three way
Cable
N/A
Multi-cable
Annotation - Labels
Off-page connectors
Line splitter
3.5.3
Label
None
Multilabel
None
Off-page
connector,
incoming
Off-page
connector,
outgoing
Must be a Connector type

shape.
Line splitter
Creating Diagrams Shapes

Diagrams shapes can be created using the following steps:
1. Create a shape in a diagram drawing using standard Visio drawing tools and
according to the instructions in Creating MS Visio Shapes shapes.
2. If the shape has been drawn as separate entities, e.g. two separate lines, or a line and
a text etc., it must be grouped before proceeding. Normally shapes should be grouped
BEFORE connection points are added, refer to further info in Creating MS Visio
Shapes
3. If relevant, attach connection points by using the Connection Point tool and
Ctrl+Click to add the points to the shape.
4. Make sure that the stencil that you want to add the shapes to is open.
5. Select the shape(s), (several shapes can be imported in one go, but they must be of
the same type).
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6. Select Tools > Import Shape. This will start the Import Shape Wizard that will guide
you through the steps to transform the shapes into Diagrams shapes.
3.5.4
Import Shape Wizard

Overview
Prior to starting the Import Shape Wizard, one or more shapes must have been selected on
the current drawing. In case more than one shape has been selected, they will all receive a
common type, common presentation settings etc. when the wizard has completed. Only the
name will be different. If shapes of different types should be imported, the wizard must be
executed once for each type of shape.
When the Import Shape Wizard starts, it will perform an optional scale check of the shape.
In the Diagrams Options > System Configuration > Import Shape a min/max height/
width can be set up. Import Shape will check against these values and give a warning to the
user in case the shape exceeds or falls below the set limits.
The four steps of the import shape wizard allows the user to set up the following information
for the imported shapes:
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Step 1: Selecting Type and Assigning a Name
1. First select the category in the explorer pane to the left.

2. Then select the type in the right hand pane.
In case UDETs have been defined, these will be available for selection together with the
corresponding base types.
3. Last enter the name for the shape. In case more than one shape is imported at the
same time, the name will be suffixed _1, _2 etc.
Note: For piping and HVAC branches, a Denote to dropdown box will appear. This can be
used to select the tube/duct type that a branch should be denoted to when dropped
on to the drawing.
When a branch shape is dropped on to a drawing, a new branch element will be created in
the pipeline hierarchy. At the same time, the actual shape will be denoted to become a tube/
duct shape, and a corresponding tube/duct element will be created in the DB as well. In
case a shape having a UDET type derived from a branch is dropped on the drawing, the
application must know which UDET type it should be denoted to.
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When the Next button is clicked, the wizard will continue to the next step. At this time, there
is also a check that the shape has the correct number and direction of connection points.
Figure 3:2.
Example of error message dialogue box shown when the number of connections on the
shape is not correct
Step 2: Selecting the Stencil
In this step you should select the stencil to which the shape should be added. The dialogue
will show the currently open stencils, so the stencil must have been opened before starting
the Import Shape Wizard.
Note: When import shape is performed, the stencil is automatically saved, but to make this
save permanent, the user will have to perform a Save Work.
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Step 3: Annotation Style Settings
In this step the default annotation can be set up. The default annotation is represented by
the shape text as well as a number of default labels that can be automatically placed on the
drawing when the shape is dropped. The number of default annotations varies depending
on the type of item and can be controlled by changing the settings under General Options
> Annotation Settings in Diagrams Options.
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The annotation options are as follows:

Shape text options
Use defaults
If this is set to True, the Shape Text settings will

be fetched from the default set up in Diagrams
Options > Element Options for the relevant
type. If it is set to False, it will be possible to
override the default settings with a specific
setting for the shape to be imported in this
dialogue. Other Shape text options can only be
changed if Use defaults is set to False.
Shape text
The shape text can be specified using attribute

references and dot notation (refer to Attribute
Presentation Notation in Chapter Appendices).
Text frame style
The setting is available for 2D shapes except

annotating shapes (e.g. Labels). It allows
adding a frame around the shape's text.
Possible values are: None-no text frame,
Rectangle-rectangular frame will be added to
the shape text, RoundedRectangle-rectangular
frame with rounded corners will be wrapped
around text.
Rotate text with

shape
The setting is available for 2D shapes except

annotating shapes (e.g. Labels). Its value
determines the shape text orientation. When
set to False, the text will always be oriented
horizontally regardless of the shape's rotation.
When it is set to True - the text orientation will
be corresponding to the shape's rotation.
Shape text
colour
The colour of the shape text can be freely

selected from a Windows standard colour
palette.
Shape text font
The shape text font can be freely selected from

a Windows standard font dialogue.
XRef
XRef can be set to CENTRE, RIGHT or LEFT.

It represents the reference point in the shape to
which the X offset of shape text is related. The
setting is available for 2D shapes only.
YRef
YRef can be set to CENTRE, TOP or

BOTTOM. It represents the reference point in
the shape to which the Y offset of shape text is
related. The setting is available for 2D shapes
only.
Offset X
Horizontal offset for shape text placement in

relation to XRef. The setting is available for 2D
shapes only.
Offset Y
Vertical offset for shape text placement in

relation to YRef. The setting is available for 2D
shapes only.
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Offset
longitudinal
reference
The setting is available for 1D shapes

(connectors) only. It can be set to CENTRE,
RIGHT or LEFT and represents the reference
point in the text block. Longitudinal offset of the
text will be measured from that point to the
centre of the longest part of the line.
Offset
longitudinal

(connectors) only. It determines the longitudinal
offset of shape text in relation to the centre of
the longest part of the line.
Offset
perpendicular
reference

(connectors) only. It can be set to CENTRE,
TOP and BOTTOM and represents the
reference point in the text block. Perpendicular
offset of text will be measured from that point to
the longest part of the line.
Offset
perpendicular

(connectors) only. It determines the distance
between the label and the longest part of the
line.
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Annotation 1 - 10
Use
Can be set to the following values:

USE - Means that the annotation will be used
for this shape and that the annotation settings
can be specified separately.
DON'T_USE - Means that the annotation will
not be used for this shape.
USE_DEFAULT - Means that the default
settings as specified in Diagrams Options >
Element Options will be used.
Other annotation options can only be changed
if Use is set to USE.
Attribute
The attribute to be shown in the annotation

label can be specified using attribute
references and dot notation (refer to Attribute
Presentation Notation).
XRef
XRef can be set to CENTRE, RIGHT or LEFT

and represents the reference point to in the
shape to which the X offset is related. The
Offset X
X offset for label placement in relation to XRef.

The setting is available for 2D shapes only.
Yref
YRef can be set to CENTRE, TOP or BOTTOM

and represents the reference point to in the
shape to which the X offset is related. The
Offset Y
Y offset for label placement in relation to YRef.

The setting is available for 2-D shapes only.
Offset
longitudinal

(connectors) only. It determines longitudinal
offset of a label in relation to the centre of the
longest part of the line.
Offset
perpendicular

(connectors) only. It determines the distance
between a label and the longest part of the line.
Colour
Annotation colour can be freely selected from a

Windows standard colour palette.
Font
Font can be freely selected from a Windows

standard font selection dialogue.
Stencil
Name of the stencil where the label shape

should be fetched from.
Label shape
Name of the label shape to be used for the

annotation.
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Step 4: Attribute Presentation
In this step the attribute presentation can be set up. If the Use default attribute
presentation settings checkbox is checked, all presentation settings will be taken from the
default that has been set up using the Attribute Presentation tab of the Diagrams Options
dialogue (refer to Diagrams Options).
In addition to the default presentation settings, it is in this step also possible to set up a
default value (the Value column) for each attribute. This can still be provided even if the
presentation settings are taken from the default.
For a description of the columns, please refer to the Attribute presentation tab of the
Diagrams Options dialogue.
Note: In the Diagrams Options dialogue, there is also an Allow individual shape
settings to override default settings checkbox related to the behaviour of this step.
If that checkbox is checked, the presentation settings specified in this step of the
Import Shape Wizard will be ignored. In case the user wants to override the default
settings for certain shapes, this checkbox will have to be unchecked when the
shapes are dropped on to the diagram drawing.
Note: The value of the Text attribute is controlled by Annotation Settings in step 3, and is
therefore disabled in step 4.
When step 4 has been completed and the Finish command has been given, the shape(s)
will be added to the selected stencil. The user will also be prompted if he/she wants to make
a Save Work or not. The reason for this is that if the application subsequently will be closed
without any Save Work command being issued, the imported shapes will be lost. So if the
user clicks NO, then he/she will have to remember to perform a SaveWork at a later time.
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Step 5: Default Catalogue Search Filter
In this step, it is possible to specify a default catalogue search filter for the shape. If this is
done, the filter will be applied in subsequent catalogue search operations using the Manual
Catalogue Selection (refer to Manual Component Selection in Chapter Working with
Diagrams). This can for instance be used in a way that for a cable shape, a filter is referred
that includes searching in the correct category for cables. When the user will subsequently
select such a cable shape in the drawing and go to the catalogue search window, it will
automatically apply the pre-defined filter so only relevant cable catalogue items will be
shown.
Default filters for each type of item can be specified in Diagrams Options by using the
Catalogue search settings > Default filters for non-pipeline elements settings. If these
should be used, the Use filter from Diagrams default settings should be checked.
Otherwise a specific filter for the particular shape can be specified in the Default catalogue
search filter textbox.
Note: If specification search for pipeline parts is not active, the following settings are also
available, Catalogue search settings > Default filters for pipeline elements.
3.5.5
Edit Master
By using the Tools > Edit Master command, it is possible to edit the settings for Diagrams
shapes in a stencil without having to do a new import. The user interface is the same as for
Import Shape (refer to Import Shape Wizard). However, as the dialogue opens it goes
directly to step 3, as steps 1 and 2 are irrelevant for an already existing shape in a stencil.
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In step 3, the annotation settings can be changed, in step 4 the attribute presentation can be
changed and in step 5 the default catalogue search filter can be changed.
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Working with Diagrams

This chapter describes all the standard functions and procedures for using the application,
and is therefore of interest to all users of Diagrams.
4.1
Introduction
Symbols are added to drawings by dragging and dropping shapes from the stencil to the
drawing area. As soon as a shape that corresponds to a DB element is dropped, it will if
possible be defined (refer to section Define / Undefine), which means that a corresponding
database element will be created in the current database session. Some shapes will need a
context to be defined. For example, if a valve shape is dropped by itself, it will not be defined
until it is connected to a defined member of a pipeline branch, for instance a SCTUB shape.
When a shape is defined, the corresponding database element can also be seen appearing
in the DB explorer. When using the Consistency Check function (refer to section
Consistency Check), a warning will be issued for undefined shapes.
Default attributes defined in the shape in the stencil will automatically be assigned to the
element. There is also a function to prompt the user for attribute values when a shape is
dropped is also supported.
The attributes of a shape are available through the Custom Properties window. As soon as
an attribute is changed by the user, it will be updated into the database session. The data
will then be written to the database and be available to other users after issuing a Save
Work command.
Shapes can be connected to other shapes directly when dropped, or they can be connected
afterwards.
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Figure 4:1.
Attributes for a shape can be viewed and updated through the Custom Properties
window. Updated attributes are automatically stored in the corresponding DB element.
4.2
Main GUI Components
4.2.1
Main Window and Dockable Sub-windows

The main window contains a number of dockable/floatable sub-windows that can be
rearranged in different ways. Please refer to the Common Application Framework (CAF)
documentation for further details.
4.2.2
Schematic Explorer
The Schematic Explorer can be used to navigate in the Schematic World in the database. If
the Schematic Explorer is not visible, it can be displayed using the View > Schematic
Explorer command in the main application menu.
In this explorer you can see the primary Schematic Group hierarchy (refer to Groups in
Chapter Application Setup). Below each schematic group, the items are further sub-grouped
by Folders. Folders do not exist in the database, they are only a way to display items of the
same type, together, and provide a better navigation and overview.
Above the navigation tree is a Filter checkbox as well as a dropdown list where predefined
filters can be selected. If the Filter checkbox is checked, the selected filter will be applied to
the explorer tree. Currently there are tree filters available, one for each discipline (Piping,
HVAC, Electrical).
The Schematic Explorer features a context sensitive right mouse button menu that provides
common commands.
Note: The Schematic Explorer shows the entire contents of the database and not only the
current drawing. Also, operations done through the explorer such as rename etc., will
only affect the database. To see such changes in an open drawing, the user will have
to use the Refresh command (refer to section Refresh).
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4.2.3
System Explorer
The System Explorer can be used to navigate in the System Hierarchy in the database. If
the System Explorer is not visible, it can be displayed by using the View > System Explorer
command in the main application menu.
In this explorer you can see the secondary Systems hierarchy. Below each system, the
items are further sub-grouped by Folders. Folders do not exist in the database, they are only
a way to display items of the same type, together, and provide a better navigation and
overview.
Main schematic items such as Pipelines, HVAC lines, Equipment items and Cables are
members in the system hierarchy through their SCSYSF attribute, which contains an array
of system references. This means that a schematic item can be a member of more than one
system simultaneously, thereby appearing in several places in the System Explorer tree.
The first system in the array is considered the primary system, and others are considered
secondary. By default, all subordinate items are considered to be members of the same
system as the parent Pipeline / HVACline / Equipment item. It is however possible to
override this buy setting a different system reference on a subordinate item, such as a
special valve or a sub-equipment item.
In this case that particular item would both appear below the parent item (Pipeline,
Equipment) in the system explorer, and also by itself under the system set for that item.
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Diagrams are shown under all systems to which the items on the diagram belong. This
includes both primary and secondary systems.
Above the navigation tree is a Filter checkbox as well as a dropdown list where predefined
filters can be selected. If the Filter checkbox is checked, the selected filter will be applied to
the explorer tree. Currently there are tree filters available, one for each discipline (Piping,
HVAC, Electrical).
The System Explorer features a context sensitive right mouse button menu that provides
common commands.
Note: The System Explorer shows the entire contents of the database and not only the
current drawing. Some administrative elements such as the SYSCDA and SYSMDA
are however hidden in order not to clutter the view. These elements can be seen and
manipulated through the systems hierarchy administration function. Please refer to
Systems in Chapter Application Setup for further information.
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4.2.4
Diagram Drafting Canvas

The MS Visio sub-window contains the diagram drawing canvas and provides access to
stencils as well as attributes through the Custom Properties window.
Shape attributes are available through the Custom Properties window (see below).
There are right-click menus available for shapes as well as for the drawing background
providing context sensitive short-cuts for common functions.
When an item is selected on the drawing, it will automatically be made the Current
Element (CE), which means that it will be selected in the explorer and other windows
that track the CE.
When an item is selected in the explorer, it will however not be selected in the drawing
automatically. In case the user wants to select it, there is a Select in Drawing
command on the right click menu in the explorer.
Navigation such as Scrolling, Panning, Zooming in the drawing window can be

achieved through standard Visio functions such as Ctrl+Shift+Click on left and right
mouse buttons. See table below.
Ctrl+Shift+Left Mouse button click
Zoom in
Ctrl+Shift+Right Mouse button click
Zoom out
Ctrl+Shift+Right Mouse button drag
Pan
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4.2.5
A number of Function Keys are available for easy access and commonly used
commands. Please refer to section Keyboard Shortcuts and Function Keys for more
information.
Please refer to the MS Visio documentation for further information about the drawing
window.
Custom Properties Window
If the Custom Properties window is not visible, it can be shown using the View > Custom
Properties Window command in the main menu. The attributes presented for each kind of
item can be changed using the Attribute Presentation settings in Diagrams Options in
Chapter Getting Started.
When the value of an attribute is changed through Custom Properties, it will automatically
be changed in the related database item using the current Dabacon Session as well. To
permanently save the changes to the database, the Save Work command must be issued.
For further information about this, refer to section Save Work and Save As.
To enter multiple values for an array type attribute, the values can be entered separated by
a blank (using space bar).
In case more than one shape is selected in the drawing, Custom Properties will show the
attributes for the first selected item. If the user will then update an attribute value, it will be
applied to all selected shapes.
4.2.6
Item List
The Item List contains lists of the items on the current page of the diagram drawing. These
are arranged on different tabs according to their type. The Item List can be shown by using
the View > Item List command in the main menu.
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The Item List is synchronized with the drawing, so that any items added to or removed from
the current drawing page will immediately be reflected in the Item List.
Note: When drawings with many items are being worked on, the automatic synchronization
between the drawing and the Item List might lead to a noticeable delay in some
situations, depending on the computer performance rating. In case this happens, the
automatic updating can be turned off by setting the System configuration > Item
List > Automatic updating default setting in Diagrams Options to False. Then the
Item List can be refreshed manually by using the Refresh command on the right click
menu.
When items are selected in the drawing, they will also be selected in the Item List and vice
versa. This behaviour can be turned off by setting the Connect Item List with Drawing
default option to False.
In the Pipe inline components and HVAC inline components tabs, Tube and Duct elements
are by default not shown in the list. It is however possible to turn on the display of Tubes/
Ducts by changing the System configuration > Item List > Tube/Duct visible default
setting in Diagrams Options to True.
The Item List is using the AVEVA Grid Control which provides a number of filtering, sorting
and grouping functions. For more information about the AVEVA Grid Control, please refer to
Getting started with PDMS documentation. The presentation of attributes in the Item List is
configurable by the Attribute Presentation tab in the Tools > Diagrams Options dialogue.
Please refer to Attribute Presentation in Chapter Getting Started for further information.
Attribute data can be edited in the Item List as well as in the Custom Properties Window
(refer to section Custom Properties Window).
The Item List features a right click menu that contains the same item specific commands as
in the Schematic Explorer as well as some presentation options such as Show Filter Line,
Show Group Panel etc.
The Item List also includes an Export to spreadsheet feature. This is further described
under section Export.
4.2.7
Catalogue Search
By selecting the View > Catalogue Search command in the main application menu, the
Catalogue Search window can be shown. This is further described under Manual
Component Selection.
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4.2.8
Command Line
By selecting the View > Command Line command in the main application menu, the
Command Window can be displayed. In the Command Window you can type in standard
PDMS commands for listing and manipulating data, executing PML functions etc. For more
information, please refer to the Data Management and Data Base / Database Management
Reference Manual.
Note: The command line should be used with care, and it is important to fully understand
the consequences of the commands issued. Some commands might not work as
expected in the Diagrams context. A few examples of these are listed below:
If changing modules by issuing the Outfitting or similar commands, the Diagrams exit
handling will be bypassed, so settings and data will not be properly saved.
By using the Savework command, the diagram document might not be saved if the
user subsequently clicks Cancel in the following dialogue.
Any DB element data that is changed through command line commands will not be
available in the diagram until the Refresh command has been used.
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4.2.9
Message Log
The Message Log can be shown by issuing the View > Message Log command from the
main application menu, or by clicking on the Message Log in the Status Bar (refer to
section Status Bar for more information).
The Message Log shows messages that occur when the application is being used.
Messages can have different severity (Error, Warning or Information) as indicated by the
icon. In case a message is related to a particular shape in the drawing, this is indicated by
the shape name in the Shape column and the page number in the Page column. In this case
it is also possible to click on the message to select the related shape in the drawing. If the
shape is not available on the drawing any more (i.e. was deleted or drawing is closed), the
page number disappears after the first click on the line with this shape. When the shape is
not visible in the drawing window, the window will pan/zoom as necessary.
The Message Log can be cleared of all messages by right clicking and selecting Clear
Message Log.
The columns are as follows:
Column
Message
Explanation
1. The icon indicates the severity of the message (Error, Warning or
Information)
2. Message text
Shape
Name of the Visio shape that the message is related to.
Connection
Connection number of the shape which the message is related to. This is
only shown in case the message is related with a certain connection
point on the shape.
DB Element
Name of DB element that the shape is related to. This is only shown in
case the message is related to a shape that has a corresponding DB
element.
Page
Page number in the drawing on which the related shape exists. This is
only shown in case the message is related to a shape.
Time
The time that the message was generated.
Note: When the Message Log window is not open, any error or warning (but not
informational messages) that occurs will cause the status bar panel to flash in an
orange colour. The flashing will stop as soon as the user moves the mouse to the
status bar panel. Please note that in some cases several messages can be
generated by a single user operation. In the example below, it is not the SPRE
changed informational message that caused the flashing, but rather the previous
error message. Opening the Message Log will show that a previous error message
caused the flashing.
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Status bar panel flashes when the Message Log window is not open.
Opening the Message Log reveals the actual error message that caused the flashing.
4.2.10
Status Bar
The status bar contains the following panels from left to right:
Panel
Description
Status message
Shows status messages, for instance how many shapes are

selected at the moment.
Message Log
Shows the latest message in the Message Log. By clicking on

this panel, the Message Log window will be shown (refer to the
section Message Log for more information).
Current Line
Shows the name of the current Pipeline/HVACline. The

application remembers the latest Pipeline/HVACline that was
selected by the user. In case the CE moves to another part of the
schematic hierarchy, for instance by selecting an equipment
item, the latest selected Pipeline/HVACline will still be
remembered and shown in this panel. If any new branches are
added, they will be created in the line shown in this panel. If you
click on this panel, the line shown will become CE.
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Panel
Description
Default System
Shows the current Default System. When new items, that can be
part of the System hierarchy, are created they will be created
under the current Default System. The current Default System
can be changed by clicking on this panel, this will bring up the
Standard DB Browse Dialogue.
Default Groups
This panel shows the current setting for Default groups. This can
be either Individual per type or Get from CE. The Default Groups
setting determines at which position in the main hierarchy
(schematic groups) that new items will be created. By clicking on
the panel, the Default Groups dialogue will be shown (see
below). In the Default Groups dialogue, the default group can be
set up for each type of item. In case UDETs are being used,
separate settings can be applied for each UDET type.
In case the Get Default Group from CE checkbox is checked,
new elements will instead be created under the Schematic
Group which is found in the CE path.
Figure 4:2.
The Default Groups dialogue.
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4.2.11
Initial 3D Position
The Initial 3D Position dialogue can be used to set up an initial 3D position for schematic
elements.
Please refer to section Setting an Initial 3D Position for further information.
4.2.12
Search
The Search command is available in the View menu. This function searches the database
for elements based on name, element type or other criteria and can be useful for finding
elements in case the user is not familiar with their location in the schematic hierarchy and
are therefore difficult to locate in the explorer. The Search Results shows a list of elements
found, and features a right-click menu with common commands.
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4.2.13
Find in Drawing Toolbar

The Find in Drawing Toolbar can be used for finding and highlighting of shapes in the
diagram. These selections can be used for further operations.
The procedure to use the Selection Toolbar is as follows:

1. First select the type of element using the Type dropdown box.
2. Select an attribute using the Attribute dropdown box. If no attribute is selected, all
items of the specified type will be selected in the drawing. It is also possible to key in
the name of a pseudo attribute or a referenced attribute in this field. In order to do that
square brackets must be used, e.g. [ABORE] or [SPRE.CATR.PARA(1)].
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3. Select an operator using the Operator dropdown box.

4. Enter a criteria value. The value can be left blank in case you are searching for shapes
where some fields have not been set, for instance where SPRE in not set.
5. Click the Find and Select button to select items according to the criteria, or click the
Find and Highlight button to instead highlight items according to the criteria.
6. Click the Previous button to go to the previous item within the collection of selected or
highlighted shapes. The Next button goes to the next item within the collection of
selected or highlighted shapes.
By clicking the Add to current selection / Highlight button, the add to mode will be
enabled or disabled. When enabled, it means that a new search will add to the existing
selection or highlight. When disabled, a new search will disregard the previous selection /
highlight the next time that the user performs a search.
When the Zoom To button is activated the application will zoom and/or pan so that the
entire selection is visible.
By using the dropdown for Defined/Undefined Shapes this function can be set up to
search for only Defined shapes, Undefined shapes or both.
On the History dropdown there is a list of previous searches that the user has made. By
selecting one of these, a previous search can be recalled and the Type, Attribute,
Operator and Value fields will be updated accordingly. The user will then have to click the
Find and Select or Find and Highlight button to perform the search.
4.2.14
Standard DB Browse Dialogue

A standard dialogue is used for several tasks where a DB reference is to be set. The
dialogue enables the user to navigate the relevant parts of the database hierarchy as well as
search for items by a text search. When the OK button is clicked, the reference to the
selected item will be returned to the UI component from which he dialogue was called.
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In the Database Tree tab only relevant parts of the database for the current context is
shown. In case the user is supposed to select a certain kind of element, only this kind of
element together with necessary hierarchy elements will be shown.
Using the Search tab, it is possible to make a text search in the database.
In case the user has selected a hierarchy node in the Database Tree tab, the search will be
limited within that part of the hierarchy. The current search scope can be seen after the
Search in label above the text criteria field.
The text criteria should be keyed into the criteria field. This will be matched against a
concatenation of the Name and Description attributes as the search is being carried out. In
case no wildcard characters are used, only items with a whole word matching the criteria will
be found. In case more than one word is entered, this will be considered as a complete
string to be matched. This means that if you want to find a string that contains two or more
words which might be separated by other words, you will have to use asterisks in between
(see wildcards below).
The asterisk (*) character can be used as a wildcard denominator. Asterisks can be placed
before (e.g. *A3), after (e.g. A3*) or in between (e.g. system*spec). This can also be
combined (e.g. *A3*).
Note: The search is not case sensitive.
4.2.15
Document Links
The Links command is available in the View menu and the Tools menu. It allows the user
to link documents, URLs etc., to elements in a generic fashion using the LinksAddin. The
functionality provided by the LinksAddin is further described in Database Management
Reference Manual chapter Link Documents.
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4.3
Standard MS Visio Functions

The standard MS Visio functions are embedded and available through menus and toolbars.
For more information about MS Visio functions, refer to the MS Visio documentation.
Below can be seen the main application menus, where the standard MS Visio functions
have been highlighted in a yellow colour.
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Other main application menus do not contain any standard MS Visio commands.
4.4
Application Modes
Diagrams can operate in three different application modes:
Pipe mode
Cable mode
HVAC mode
The selected mode will affect some of the available commands. Each mode has its own
main application menu (Pipe, HVAC, Cable) that is only available when that mode is
selected.
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Figure 4:3.
4.5
Application mode selection in Tools menu.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Function Keys

In the following table is listed the various keyboard shortcuts available in Diagrams.
Standard Visio commands have been highlighted in a yellow colour, while Diagrams specific
commands are not.
4.6
File Handling
4.6.1
Overview
All diagrams, stencils and templates are handled through proxy elements in the database,
even if the actual files are stored in the file system. Please refer to Database Architecture in
Chapter Diagrams Overview for an overview of how these documents are managed.
4.6.2
Document file formats

Documents in the Diagrams application can be saved in two formats - binary or XML
depending on the Save documents in Visio XML format setting in Diagrams Options:
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The setting provides possibility to choose if drawings, templates and stencils should be
stored in binary (*.vsd, *.vst, *.vss) or XML format (*.vdx, *.vtx, *.vsx).
It is recommended to save documents in a binary format which is more efficient and
improves performance of Save Work and Open operations. For that reason it is used by
default in the Diagrams application.
It is possible to check in which format the document was last saved by querying SCHFF
(schematic file format) attribute of SCDIAG, SCTEMP or SCSTEN. It can have the following
values:
0 - Visio XML format
1 - binary format
When Save Work is performed all opened documents (also unchanged) with file format not
corresponding to the Save documents in Visio XML format setting will be saved again in an
appropriate format.
4.6.3
New
New diagrams, templates and stencils can be created through the New Diagram and New
Stencil commands in the file menu.
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If desired, a template for a new diagram can be chosen from the database. If no template
should be used, then click the No template button.
4.6.4
Open
Existing diagrams, stencils and templates can be opened through the File menu.
When the Open command is issued, the Open dialogue is shown. This dialogue shows a
list of the diagram, stencil and template index elements in the database, through which the
diagrams can be opened.
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Diagrams, stencils and templates can also be opened by double clicking or using the rightclick menu of the Schematic Explorer.
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In case the diagram is connected to other diagrams through off-page connectors, the
Connected Diagrams command will be available. By selecting this command either of two
things will happen:
1. If the diagram is connected to one other diagram only, this diagram will open.
2. If the diagram is connected to several other diagrams, a list of diagrams will be shown so
the user can select which one(s) to open.
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Note: When the user tries to open a diagram that is already claimed a dialogue will be
shown where the user gets the opportunity to open in read only mode.
4.6.5
Open Read Only

It is possible to open a diagram as read only. It will not be possible to modify the diagram
and in read only mode it will not be claimed. This means that other users still can open it in
Read/Write mode (using the normal Open command). The Open Read Only command is
available in a number of situations as seen below.
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Figure 4:4.
Context menus on SCDIAG
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Figure 4:5.
Context menus on SCPLIN or its members (also SCEQUI etc.)
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Figure 4:6.
When line, equipment etc. are placed on diagrams
Figure 4:7.
When option Connected Diagrams is chosen
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Figure 4:8.
Open from File menu
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Figure 4:9.
In Open From Batch Job
Figure 4:10. In Line Properties
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Figure 4:11.
In the Search Result context menus
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4.6.6
Save Work and Save As

When the Save Work command is issued, it will perform the following actions:
1. Save the Visio drawing and modified stencils to the file system, also re-save all opened
documents with file format not corresponding to Save documents in Visio XML format
setting.
2. Update the SCDIAG and SCSTEN index elements in the database with Visio drawing
related data.
3. Perform the Dabacon SaveWork, thereby flushing all session data to the database.
4. Create an SVG format diagram file for viewing in the P&ID 3D Integrator. If the General
Options > System configuration > SVG > Always Create SVG setting is set to
False, the SVG file will only be created if there are or have been any items in the
drawing that are released to 3D.
Note: When a SaveWork command is issued from PML or the command prompt, this will
also trigger the saving of the Visio drawing as described above. However, in the case
of a new drawing, the user will be presented with a dialogue to enter a name for the
drawing. If the user then clicks Cancel in this dialogue, the drawing will not be saved,
but the SaveWork will still proceed leading to an inconsistency between the DB data
and the drawing.
This is only the case when the Savework is called from PML or the command prompt. When
using the Save Work and Save As commands in the Diagrams File menu or Standard
toolbar, and subsequently cancelling as described above, the Savework will also be
cancelled and a consistent state will be reached.
The Save As command will provide the user with a possibility to save the drawing under a
different name. The maximum length for a diagram name is 50 characters. This command
also performs a Save Work before the user is prompted for the new name for the copy.
In the Save As dialogue it is also possible to create new schematic groups by right clicking
on the Schematic world element or an existing Schematic group element.
Note: In case you have done updates to a previously saved diagram and then make a
Save As, the Save Work will first apply the changes to the existing diagram before
the copy is created.
Note: If more than one diagram is open, all open diagrams will be saved when Save Work
is performed.
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Note: It is not allowed to overwrite an existing diagram by making a Save As and selecting
the same name as an existing diagram. This is due to technical reasons and the way
that diagram files are stored and referred from the DB proxy elements (SCDIAG).
The workaround is to first delete the diagram to be overwritten before making the
Save As using the same name.
4.6.7
Get Work
To get access to updates done by other users, the Get Work command can be used. This
works exactly like the standard PDMS Get Work command.
4.6.8
Delete
Diagrams can be deleted using the Delete command on the right click menu on the
SCDIAG element in the schematic explorer. When a diagram is deleted, any related items
on that diagram will not be deleted from the database. However, all references to that
diagram will be cleared. This means that if the diagram for instance contains an equipment
shape, the DIAREFARRAY on the equipment item will be updated, but the equipment item
as such will not be deleted.
Any orphan items left over when diagrams are deleted can be found by searching for items
where DIAREFARRAY is empty.
Note: When a single page within a diagram is deleted, the user will be presented with a
question regarding deleting all items from the database or not.
4.6.9
Additional Notes on File Handling

Below are a few notes regarding file handling:
4.7
The application supports Multiple Document Interface (MDI) which allows several
diagrams to be open at one time. However, due to technical reasons and the
integration between the document state and the database state (Save Work and DB
sessions), it is not possible to only save one single document or to close one single
document.
When Save Work is performed, all open diagrams will be saved.
When Quit Work is performed (for instance when one diagram is closed), all open
diagrams will be closed.
When exiting the application, the user will be prompted whether to save work or not.
When KEEP_SESSION_FILES default setting is set to False, there is a tool available

for cleaning old session files. For more information refer to Clean Old Session Files in
Chapter Utilities.
Define / Undefine
The Define command will create a new database element that corresponds to a shape and
link the shape to that database element. In case an element with the same name already
exists in the DB, the application will issue an error message and create a new unnamed
element. The Define command is available on the Object > Define main menu, on the
Object toolbar as well as on the right click menu for shapes in the drawing.
For piping and HVAC branches, there is also a Define Branch command that will create a
new branch element under the current pipe-/HVAC-line and define all in-line fittings in the
branch in one go.
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The Undefine command will break the link between the shape and the corresponding
database element. The database element will not be deleted.
Note: When Undefine is performed, the attributes will be cleared using the same rules as
when a shape is copied, refer to the Copy with shape setting in Step 4: Attribute
Presentation in Chapter Getting Started.
During normal drafting of diagrams by dragging and dropping shapes from a stencil and
connecting together in the drawing, the Define operation will be handled automatically by
the application. The manual define/undefined only has to be used in special situations. For
example, if a number of inline fitting shapes (a branch or part of a branch) are copied and
pasted, they will not automatically be defined, so the user will have to first select a current
Pipe-/HVAC-line and then issue the Define command. The Define command can also be
used in conjunction with data migration procedures (refer to Migration of Data from Tribon
M3 in Chapter Getting Started).
It is possible to disable the automatic Define mechanism by setting the Define shape on
drop to False.
As a visual feedback to the user, it is possible to set up a default colour that is automatically
assigned to shapes when they are defined. This is done by the Colour setting for each kind
of item under Element Options in Diagrams Options in Chapter Getting Started. Using the
default application settings from the installation, this means that Equipment and Pipework
shapes will turn blue as they are defined, HVAC ducting and fittings will turn green etc. In
case the colour does not change on drop/connect, the user will see that the shape could not
be defined.
4.8
Refresh
The relation between Visio shapes and their corresponding database elements means that
attribute data is actually stored in two places during program execution. The architecture is
designed in such a way that the database element is considered the master.
Under some circumstances the attribute data might become out-of-sync, so that the
database element becomes updated while the shape is not. This can for instance occur
when attribute data has been updated from the command line, or when a shape text refers
to other database elements and these element have been updated.
In this case the Refresh command can be used. The Refresh command updates the shape
attributes from the corresponding database element data. Refresh can be performed on a
single shape, on a group of shapes or on all shapes in the drawing. The Refresh command
is available in the main application Object menu, on the Object toolbar and on shape and
drawing right-click menus.
4.9
Consistency Check
The Consistency Check command can be executed on a single shape, several shapes or
on all shapes in the drawing. This function will perform two kinds of checks on the selected
items. It will check the consistency between the drawing and the database as well as
performing an engineering check.
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In case any inconsistencies are found, these will be listed in the Consistency Check
Result window. Inconsistencies are classified as Errors, Warnings and Informational
messages as indicated by the status icon.
The columns are as follows:
Column
Shape
Explanation
1. The icon indicates the severity of the problem (Error, Warning or
Information).
2. Name of the Visio shape that the problem is related to.
Connection
Connection number of the shape which the problem is related to. This
is only shown in case the problem is related to a certain connection
point on the shape.
DB Element
Name of DB element that the shape is related to. This is only shown
in case the problem is related to a shape that has a corresponding DB
element.
Page
Page number in the drawing on which the related shape exists. This
is only shown in case the message is related to a shape.
Problem
Problem text. See below for the list of problems that can be detected
by the Consistency Check function.
Corrective action
In case any corrective action has been taken, this will be indicated in
this column.
By clicking on each line in the dialogue, the corresponding shape will be highlighted in the
drawing. In case the shape is not visible in the current view, the system will pan and if
necessary zoom out to make the entire shape visible.
The system will also attempt to bring back the drawing to a consistent state against the
database in case any inconsistencies have been detected. This normally means that
shapes will be disconnected or undefined in the drawing. No automatic updates will be done
to the database.
Below is a table showing the different checks that are performed during the Consistency
Check operation.
Problem
Severity
Corrective action
Not connected to the same point on element in

DB
ERROR
Disconnect in dwg
Not connected to the same element in DB
ERROR
Disconnect in dwg
Connected shape's element does not exist in

DB
ERROR
Disconnect in dwg
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Element not connected in DB
ERROR
Disconnect in dwg
Nozzle not related with an equipment item
ERROR
Undefine shape
Electrical connection not related with an

equipment item
ERROR
Undefine shape
Shape is related to a different equipment item

than in database
ERROR
Undefine shape
The database element is missing
ERROR
Undefine shape
Shape has only to/from flows
WARNING
None
Boresizes does not match (between current

and connected shape)
WARNING
None
Widths does not match
WARNING
None
Heights does not match
WARNING
None
Boresize not set
INFORMATION
None
Shape not connected at connection point
INFORMATION
None
Shape is not defined in the DB
INFORMATION
None
Only X of Y cable members released to 3D

(performed for Multi-cables)
WARNING
None
The Consistency Check command can be issued through the following UI commands:
Object pull-down menu
Shape right-click menu (also works on a selection of shapes)
Drawing background right-click menu
A summary of the consistency check result can also be seen in the Message Log. In case
no inconsistencies are detected, the Consistency Check Result pane will not appear.
4.10
Annotation
4.10.1
Overview
Diagrams supports the standard Visio shape Text field as well as predefined label shapes.
The user scan create their own label shapes, including multi-field labels. When such a label
is dropped on the drawing and connected to a DB element shape, it can display arbitrary
attributes.
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4.10.2
Shape Text
The Visio Shape Text field provides a default annotation that will be presented together
with the shape in the diagram. The initial position of the shape text is automatically
calculated by the application according to text placement settings provided in Diagrams
Options and in Import Shape Wizard (for more information refer to Import Shape Wizard in
Chapter Getting Started). After a shape has been placed, the shape text can be selected
and dragged by the mouse to another position.
For connector type shapes such as tubes, ducts and cables, the shape text is automatically
placed and oriented along the longest leg. To be able to move and place the shape text
manually, the Using control handle command has to be enabled. This command is
available on the Shape right-click menu.
The shape text can be turned on or off by right-clicking on a shape and selecting the Show
Label command. This command can also be used after having selected several shapes.
Line breaks in the shape text can be accomplished in two different ways:
By adding a "\n" escape sequence to the text annotation format.
By defining a linebreak character. This is done by assigning a value to the Linebreak

delimiter setting in Diagrams Options.This requires that the attribute data values to be
presented in the text contains such characters at suitable positions, which in essence
means that these characters will be stored inside the text strings in the database. To
enable this kind of linebreaks for a certain shape, the Linebreaks command in the
right-click menu has to be checked.
For pipe tubes and HVAC ducts, there is a possibility to enable a mode where only the
shape text for the first tube/duct in a branch (or rather segment) will be visible, while others
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will be invisible by default. This function can be enabled by setting the Show Text on first
segment only default setting in Diagrams Options to True. However, depending on the
sequence of operations when the branches and segments are built, some extra texts might
be left in the middle of a segment. These can then be manually hidden by using the right
click command.
4.10.3
Labels
Shapes for custom labels and multilabels can be created using the Import Shape Wizard.
The annotation strings can be formatted according to the Attribute Presentation Notation
(please refer to Attribute Presentation Notation in Chapter Appendices) in order to present
attribute values from the related shape.
Default labels can also be set up for shapes, so that for instance an equipment shape will
get a number of pre-defined labels when it is dropped on the drawing. This can be done in
the type specific settings in Diagrams Options and can also be overridden in step 3
(Annotation settings) of the Import Shape Wizard in case individual settings are required.
A number of annotation settings are available in Diagrams Options that controls the label
shape to be used for annotation as well as the number of annotation labels that should be
available for each type of item in Import Shape Wizard. These settings can be found under
General Options > Annotation Settings.
Line breaks are supported in the same way for labels as for the Shape Text.
4.10.4
Property Break Symbol

In the Annotations stencil supplied with Diagrams, there is a Property Break symbol. This
symbol can be dragged to the diagram and attached to a connection point on an inline
fitting. The property break symbol will then show attributes that differ between the elements
at the connection. This can for instance be used to annotate spec breaks. In the example
below, there are different Pspec (A300 vs. A150) and Ptspec (PS007 vs. PS008) between
the tee and the following tubing.
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The attributes that will be shown can be configured using the General Options
>Annotation settings > Property Break settings in Diagrams Options. This setting is
represented by a comma separated list of attributes. Only the attribute values that differ will
be shown.
4.11
Off-page Connectors
Diagrams allows the creation of discontinuous pipelines / HVAClines through the use of an
Off-Page Connector (OPC) mechanism. Even if these are called Off-Page Connectors, they
can also be used within a page.
Two variants of Off-Page Connectors are supported by the application, Outgoing and
Incoming.
Off-Page connectors are created by dragging an OPC shape onto the drawing and
connecting it to a free end of a pipeline branch.
An outgoing OPC can be connected to an incoming (or vice versa) using the Connect OPC
command in the shape right-click menu.
This command will bring up a Selection dialogue (Standard DB Browse Dialogue) where all
unconnected OPCs of the opposite kind will be listed.
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By selecting a matching OPC they will be connected by the OPCREF attribute.

When examining the database explorer, it can be seen that a new SCSEG element has
been created. The purpose of these administrative elements is to serve as containers for the
parts of a branch that is divided by OPCs.
The shape text shown in the OPC can be controlled by the Attribute Presentation Notation.
Refer to Attribute Presentation Notation in Chapter Appendices for further information. It is
for example possible to show the name of the drawing and the page of the OPC that the
current
one
is
connected
to
by
using
the
following
format:
[opcref.owner.diaref(1)] - Page: [opcref.owner.page(1)].
It is possible to navigate between connected OPCs by using the Go to Connected OPC
command available on the right click menu.
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The OPC connections can also be listed and navigated on a diagram level. By right clicking
on a Diagram Element in the database explorer and choosing the Connected Diagrams
command, all diagrams connected to the current one will be listed.
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By clicking on a diagram in the list, this can be opened.
4.12
Offline Instruments
Offline instruments can be connected to any inline fitting in a pipeline / HVACline.
1. To create an offline instrument, first drag an offline instrument shape from the stencil
onto the drawing.
2. Next drag the control handle and connect it to an inline fitting.
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3. Instrument is now connected to the fitting
It is also possible to have connection points on the off-line instrument, allowing control lines
to be attached to it as can be seen in the example below.
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4.13
Manual Component Selection
4.13.1
Overview
By using the Catalogue Search function, it is possible to search through the catalogue and
to assign catalogue references to the selected item(s). This is achieved by the following
steps:
1. First select the item(s) in the drawing that should receive the new catalogue reference.
2. Second, make a selection in the Catalogue Search window. The Select command is
available on the right click menus of the explorer and the result list as well as on a
dedicated button in the bottom right of the window.
Manual component selection behaves differently depending on the current setting of the
Use specification default variable as shown below:
Default setting
Value
Description
General Options - Pipe

Dimensioning - Spec Search Use Specification
True
Manual component selection can be done

for SCOINS, SCEQUI, SCSUBE, SCCAB,
SCMCAB, SCDUCT and SCHVFI
False
Manual component selection can be done

for elements listed above and also for
SCINST, SCTUB, SCVALV and SCFITT.
The Catalogue Search window is divided in two main parts. To the left is a pane that
contains two tabs, Catalogue Explorer and Selection Tables, to the right there is a search
result list.
The Catalogue Search window will automatically navigate to the currently used catalogue
item. This means that when a shape which has a SPREF pointing to a GPART or a
TABITEM is selected in the drawing, the catalogue search will switch to the relevant tab and
navigate to the currently selected catalogue item in the Catalogue Explorer, as well as in the
result list. However, on slow computers this can cause a slight delay when shapes are
selected. If this is the case, this behaviour can be turned off by setting the General options
> Catalogue search settings > Configuration > Auto navigate to catalogue element
setting in Diagrams Options to False.
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4.13.2
Catalogue Explorer
By selecting the Catalogue Explorer tab, the user can navigate through the GPART user
defined hierarchy of the catalogue. In case the desired GPART can be identified already in
the explorer, it is possible to right click and choose the Select command to assign the
catalogue reference (SPREF) to the selected item(s) in the drawing. There is also a
possibility to define and use filters to be applied to the search. When the Find button is
clicked, the search result will be displayed in the result list pane to the right.
In case default filters for shapes have been specified in Diagrams Options or in the Default
Catalogue Search Filter (refer to Step 5: Default Catalogue Search Filter in Chapter
Getting Started), the "== Use default filter from item ==" option will have to be selected for
these to take effect. When a shape associated with a default filter is selected, and the "==
Use default filter from item ==" is applied, as soon as the Find button is clicked, the
associated filter will automatically be applied.
4.13.3
Defining Filters
Below the explorer pane, there is a possibility to define or use filters to be applied to the
search. By clicking the Define Filters link, the Define Filters dialogue is shown.
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To define a new filter, click the New filter button and specify a name.
Below the Select Filter section, there is a Category line. If the Category checkbox is
checked, the filter will include a category selection criteria. This means that when the filter is
used, it will only search within the predefined category. As a default, the currently selected
category in the GPART hierarchy explorer pane will be shown in the category textbox. In
case the user wants to select another category, the Browse button () to the right can be
used. If the Category checkbox is not checked, the filter will be defined as a generic filter,
which can be applied to any category when used.
When filters are used, it works as follows:
If a filter including a category definition is used, the system will first navigate
automatically to the defined category in the explorer and then apply the rest of the filter
and make the search.
If a filter which does not include a category is used, the system will apply the filter to the
category that is currently selected by the user in the explorer.
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Below the category line, a table of criteria statements can be defined for the filter. To add a
new statement, simply click on the Attribute field to display a dropdown list of attributes.
This list contains all attributes that have been defined using the Customize function and
may include attributes from referenced elements.
Next click the Operator field and select an operator. Note that some operators are only
applicable to certain data types, for instance the Like operator can only be applied to text
string attributes.
Finally enter a criteria value in the Value field. When using the Like operator, wildcards can
be specified using the asterisk (*) character.
To add another criteria statement, simply click on the next empty line which was
automatically added when the first criteria statement was defined.
In case more than one statement is used for a filter, there will be an implicit AND operator
applied between statements.
Finally click OK to create the filter and close the dialogue.
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4.13.4
Modifying, Renaming and Deleting Filters

To modify an existing filter, click the Define Filters link to go the Define Filters dialogue.
Then select the filter from the dropdown list and change the criteria statements.
Unnecessary statements can be removed by first selecting the statement in the list and then
clicking the Remove Statement button.
Filters can be modified and removed by using the Rename and Delete buttons for the
selected filter.
4.13.5
Using Filters
To use a filter for a search, select it from the Filter dropdown box, and click the Find button
to perform the search. In case the filter definition includes a category, the explorer will
automatically navigate to this category when the filter is selected, and the search will be
performed accordingly.
Filters are stored in the Windows registry of the local machine.
4.13.6
Selection Tables
Selection Tables (available on the Selection Tables tab in the left pane), can be used to find
catalogue items in a way similar to pipe specifications.
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By making a selection in the Table and Type dropdown boxes and clicking the Find button,
the table on the right hand side will be filled with a relevant selection of catalogue items
represented by TABITE database elements.
If the Auto select table and type from item checkbox is checked, the table and type
dropdowns will automatically be set according to applicable default settings under General
Options > Catalogue Search Settings in Diagrams Options or specified in step 5 of Import
Shape Wizard.
A selection table item can contain default values that will be applied to the shape when the
catalogue reference is set, provided that the Apply default values to item checkbox is
checked. This can be followed up in the Message Log where messages regarding assigned
default attributes is provided.
4.13.7
Result List
When a search has been performed, the result can be seen in the Result List. If the
Catalogue Search tab has been used, the list will contain GPARTs, if Selection Tables
have been used, it will show TABITEs.
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To select a Catalogue Reference from the result list, you can either select the line in the list
and click the Select button, or use the Select command in the right click menu on the item
in the list.
The columns shown in the result list can be changed by clicking the Customise link. This
will show the Catalogue Search Result Presentation Settings dialogue.
Note: The result list for GPARTs will automatically be filtered on the LSELEC attribute. This
has to be true in order for the GPARTs to be shown in the result list.
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In this dialogue, the presentation label can be changed and it can be set up whether the
attribute should be visible or not. By clicking the Referenced Attributes button, attributes
from related elements can be shown. This dialogue works just like the same dialogue used
for Attribute Presentation (refer to Step 4: Attribute Presentation in Chapter Getting Started).
The result list can be presented in three different layouts, in order to provide as much space
for data as possible. By right clicking in the list and selecting Horizontal Layout, Vertical
Layout or Result list only the layout can be changed so that either as many rows and/or
columns as possible can be shown.
In the right click menu, commands are also available for showing or hiding the Grouping
pane, Filters row and Summary line. For more information on how to use the grouping and
filtering functions, please refer to the Getting Started with PDMS documentation.
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4.14
Copying/Pasting Data
Data and arrangements in a diagram can be re-used by using the standard Copy and Paste
commands. When shapes are pasted, they will not be automatically defined, the user will
have to manually issue the Define or Define Branch (refer to section Define / Undefine)
commands afterwards. This allows a better control over the definition process.
Which attributes to be copied or not copied together with the shape can be set up using the
Attribute Presentation function in Diagrams Options (please refer to Step 4: Attribute
Presentation in Chapter Getting Started).
Note: That this only applies when defined shapes are copied.
Please also see the section on Primary / Secondary Shapes below, as this has relevance to
the behaviour of the Copy/Paste operation.
There is also a possibility to copy and paste several attributes at the same time between
existing shapes. This can be done by using the Copy Attributes and Paste Attributes
commands in the Edit menu. These will copy and paste all attributes that have been defined
as copy with shape in Attribute Presentation. These can be used in the following way:
1. Select a single shape from which the attributes should be copied.
2. Use the Copy Attributes command.
3. Select one or more shapes of the same type as the one that you just copied from.
4. Use the Paste Attributes command.
The result of the paste operation can be followed up in the message log, which will show a
list of the attributes that have been pasted for each shape.
Note: It is the Copy with shape setting for the destination shape which will determine
which attributes will be pasted. The Copy with shape setting for the source shape is
not considered.
Note: The Copy/Paste Attributes function only apply for DB defined attributes.
4.15
Primary / Secondary Shapes
4.15.1
Overview
Diagrams supports a Primary/Secondary shapes concept. This allows a single item in the
database to be represented by several shapes in diagrams. The shapes can exist in the
same page, on another page in the same diagram or on different diagrams. A good example
of this are equipment items to which several systems are connected, such as the main
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engine. Even if the main engine will be represented on all the related systems' diagrams, it
can still be a single item in the database.
In some cases the main responsibility for an equipment item lies with a certain design team
or system design group while it needs to be accessible to other teams for connecting other
systems to it. To support this way of working, shapes can be considered Primary or
Secondary, and different rules and restrictions can be applied to these categories.
The system allows 0-n primary shapes and 0-n secondary shapes for a certain element in
the database. This means that the shapes corresponding to a certain DB element, might be
all primary, all secondary or a mix of primary and secondary.
For instance, if an equipment shape is deleted while keeping the corresponding DB item,
and later a new shape is created referring to the same DB item, the new shape will be
secondary even if no primary shape exists. This kind of situation is not handled
automatically by the system. It is however possible for the user to manually change the
IsPrimary flag.
The Primary/Secondary shape concept can be applied to the following kinds of items:
Equipment
Subequipment
Electrical connection elements
Cables
Multi-cables
Secondary shapes can be created in two main ways:
By changing the name into an already existing name.
By copying and pasting shapes in the drawing.
Note: The usage of Primary/Secondary shapes for certain combinations of main items
having subitems and/or connected cables or pipes involves a complex behaviour and
can give results that were not expected by the user. When using the Primary/
Secondary shapes for such combinations, it is important that the user understands
all implications of his/her actions.
4.15.2
Creating Secondary Shapes by Changing Name

When a shape of one of the above listed types is dropped on to the drawing, a new item will
be created in the database according to the normal Define (Define / Undefine) process. This
shape will automatically be considered a Primary shape.
In case the name of the item is subsequently changed to the same name as another item, a
dialogue will be shown to the user. This behaviour is depending on default settings, please
refer to section Behaviour of Primary/Secondary Shapes.
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In case the user will click OK, the shape will refer the existing item in the database having
the name entered by the user and it will be made into a secondary shape.
The user will then also be asked if the original item created when the shape was dropped
should be deleted from the database, depending on the setting for Primary Shape Delete.
In case the original database item had some subordinate Electrical Connection Elements, a
dialogue will be shown to the user asking if these should be copied to the existing item
having the new name entered by the user. Nozzles are moved rather than copied as they
can not have a secondary representation.
In case the user clicks OK, the subordinate elements will be copied before the original item
is deleted from the database.
If the item has pipe branches connected to it, these will be disconnected before the shape
will be referred to the other DB item. This is necessary in order to avoid inconsistencies
between the drawing and database.
The system also enforces some restrictions on secondary shape handling for hierarchically
subordinate items such as subequipment and electrical connection elements. It is for
instance not allowed to have secondary electrical connection elements referring to a DB
item owned by a different equipment item than the one that the electrical connection
element is connected to on the current drawing. This is described in more detail under
Behaviour of Primary/Secondary Shapes.
4.15.3
Creating Secondary Shapes by Copy/Paste

Secondary shapes can also be created by copying and pasting shapes in or between
drawings. When a shape is being pasted, the system checks if it contains a name of a DB
element and if that DB element already exists, a dialogue will be shown. For electrical
connection elements, no separate dialogue is shown and the response is taken from the
parent equipment item. This behaviour is depending on default settings, please refer to
Behaviour of Primary/Secondary Shapes.
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4.15.4
Viewing and Changing Primary/Secondary Status

The Primary/Secondary status of a shape can be seen by having a look at the
IsPrimaryShape attribute in Custom Properties or the Item List. It is also possible to change
the Primary/Secondary status for a certain shape by using the dropdown list.
4.15.5
Behaviour of Primary/Secondary Shapes

A set of default settings available in Diagrams Options controls how primary and secondary
shapes will behave regarding creation, updates of attributes and deletion of the shape.
These can be found under the respective element options. For instance for equipment
items, the settings can be found under Element Options > Equipment Options. The
settings are as follows:
Default setting
Value
Description
Primary Shape Delete
Always Delete
When a primary shape is deleted, the

corresponding DB element is always also
deleted without any confirmation or
message to the user.
Never Delete

corresponding DB element is never
deleted.
Ask User

system will ask the user if the
corresponding DB element should be
deleted or not.
Always Create
When the name of a shape is changed to

the name of an existing item in the
database, always create a secondary
shape referring to the same item in the DB.
Never Create
It will not be allowed to change the name

to the same name as an existing item in
the database.
Ask User
When the name of a shape is changed to

the name of an existing item in the
database, the user is asked whether to
create a secondary shape referring to the
same item in the DB or not.
Secondary Shape Create

on name change
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Secondary Shape Create

on paste
Secondary Shape Delete
Secondary Shape Modify
Always Create
When a shape having a name already

existing in the DB is pasted, always create
a secondary shape referring to the same
item in the DB.
Never Create

existing in the DB is pasted, blank the
name and never create a secondary
shape. A new item will be created in the
DB.
Ask User

existing in the DB is pasted, the user is
asked whether to create a secondary
shape referring to the same item in the DB
or not.
Always Delete
When a secondary shape is deleted, the

corresponding DB element is always also
deleted without any confirmation or
message to the user.
Never Delete

corresponding DB element is never
deleted.
Ask User

system will ask the user if the
corresponding DB element should be
deleted or not.
Always Modify
When an attribute value for a secondary

shape is changed, the corresponding DB
element is always also updated without
any confirmation or message to the user.
Never Modify

shape is changed, the corresponding DB
element is never updated. The user will
receive an error message.
Ask User

shape is changed, the system will ask the
user if the corresponding DB element
should be updated or not.
There is also certain behaviour related to subitems and connected items. This behaviour is
described in the table below. In case of secondary shape creation through name change,
the DB item that the shape was referring to before it was assigned to another one is referred
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to as the Source item. The DB item that the shape will be linked to after the creation is
referred to as the Destination item.
Method
Action
Behaviour
Name Changed
Creating secondary shapes

for equipment where the
source DB item has got
subequipment.
No special handling. The source

subequipment items will be kept or
deleted with the source item according
to the user selection (Delete Yes/No).

for equipment or
subequipment where the
electrical connection items.
The user will be asked whether he/she

wants to move the elconns to the
destination equipment item.
Yes: The system will move the elconns
to the destination element without
disconnecting cables.
No: The system will disconnect any
cables connected to the elconns in the
drawing and make the elconns
undefined.
Note: Finally the source equipment
item will be deleted or kept
according to user selection or
default settings. The system
only allows to create secondary
shapes for elconns if parent
(equipment/subequipment)
in
DB is the same.

for equipment or
nozzles
The nozzles will be copied to the

destination DB item. The nozzle shapes
will still be primary, as secondary
shapes is not supported for nozzles.

for equipment or
subequipment having
connected cables
Cables are disconnected

for equipment or
subequipment having
connected pipes
The pipes will be disconnected

for equipment or
subequipment having
connected HVACs
The HVACs will be disconnected

for cables
If the cable is connected, it will be

disconnected.
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Method
Action
Behaviour
Copy/Paste

for equipment where the
subequipment.
No special handling. The source

subequipment items will always be
kept.

for equipment or
electrical connection items.
The electrical connection items will be

copied to the destination DB item, and
the electrical connection shapes will be
made secondary shapes.

for equipment or
nozzles
No special action as long as only the

equipment shape is copied.

for equipment or
source DB item has
connected cables


for equipment or
subequipment having
connected pipes


for equipment or
subequipment having
connected HVACs

Copy/Paste of an elconn
A new elconn is always created. When

copying multiple shapes including
equipment items and elconns, the
elconn always inherits the answer from
its parent.
Copy/Paste of multiple
shapes having mixed item
types.
When multiple shapes of different kinds

are copied and pasted, the system will
behave differently depending on the
kinds of items that have been selected.
This is fairly complicated and is
therefore not recommended unless the
user knows exactly what he/she is
doing.
If the user for instance has selected a
few equipment items and a few subequipment items and these items
contain elconns, all elconns will be
added to their parents as primary/
secondary - depending on the answer
from the parent.
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Equipment and Sub-equipment Copy and Paste Summary

When the user copies/pastes more than one item in one step, and that collection then
contains both equipment and sub-equipment, the following logic is used to determine the
correct equipment owner (Situations are considered each time the user chooses Create
New DB Item during the copy/paste action):
1. First situation. There are two equipment and two sub-equipment. The User selects the
it and do copy - paste. In the result he will get two new equipments and two new subequipments like below:
4.15.6
Deleting Primary/Secondary Shapes

The system does not include any automatic management of primary/secondary status when
shapes are deleted. This means that if a primary shape is deleted, leaving the DB element,
it can happen that only secondary shapes are left for that item. In case this is not a preferred
situation, one of the secondary shapes will have to be upgraded to a primary by changing
the status of the IsPrimaryShape attribute. In case the DB element has also been deleted,
this will be detected and reported by the consistency check operation for the secondary
shapes.
4.15.7
Finding All Shapes Referring to a Certain DB Element

To find out which drawings contain shapes that references a certain DB element, the Open
Diagram function can be used. This is for instance available by right clicking on the element
in the Schematic Explorer. In case the element only exists on a single drawing, this drawing
will be opened. If it occurs on several drawings, a list will be displayed. When a drawing has
been opened, the Find in Drawing Toolbar can be used to find all instances of the DB
element within that drawing.
4.16
Using Background Drawings

Diagrams relies on the standard Visio function Import CAD Drawing for importing
background drawings. This means that the process is the following:
1. Export the background drawing from Marine Drafting using the Export > DXF
function, having a format that is compatible with the used MS Visio version, for
instance R12 DXF*.
2. Import the drawing using the Insert > CAD Drawing command in Diagrams.
*As the support for drawing formats and versions changes with new releases of
Marine Drafting and MS Visio, it is recommended that the user will make some tests
and investigations using their current program versions to determine which format and
version will provide the best results.
For more information about the Import CAD Drawing function, please refer to the MS Visio
documentation.
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4.17
Setting an Initial 3D Position
4.17.1
Overview
Diagrams supports a 3D Position (POS) attribute for relevant schematic database elements.
This position is independent of the 3D position of any related 3D elements. This can be
handled in different ways using the P&ID 3D Integrator. It is for instance possible to copy the
initial 3D position given for the schematic element to the corresponding 3D element during
the build process. Please refer to the Schematic 3D Integrator User Guide for more details.
4.17.2
Setting the Initial 3D Position

The initial 3D position can be set by using the dialogue available through the View > Initial
3D Position command.
Note: The Initial 3D Position command is only enabled when a database containing a ship
coordinate system is available in the current MDB.
The initial 3D position can also be set as XYZ coordinates by directly updating the POS
attribute. In case the position should be presented to the user using the ship coordinate
system format, the SHIPX, SHIPY and SHIPZ pseudo attributes can be used. Refer to the
documentation for referenced attributes in Attribute Presentation in Chapter Getting Started
for more information on how to access pseudo attributes.
4.18
Changing Symbols for Existing Items
4.18.1
Overview
Diagrams supports exchanging a placed and connected symbol with another symbol. All
attributes and connections will be retained. This can be done either manually by the user or
automatically by fetching a shape reference from the catalogue.
The reason that this function is called Replace Symbol rather than Replace Shape which
would be the standard MS Visio terminology, is that it will only replace the visual appearance
of the shape, and will not apply to all attributes, default values etc.
4.18.2
Manual Replacing of Symbol

By selecting one or more shapes and using the Replace Symbol command on the right
click menu, the symbol can be manually replaced. This will bring up a dialogue where a new
shape can be selected.
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In the treeview to the left, all open stencils are shown. In the right hand pane all shapes for
the selected stencil can be seen. Select one of these and click the Replace button to make
the change. In case the dialogue should remain open, use the Apply button instead. The
Reset button will restore the original symbol(s).
If the selected shape is not of the same type or has too few connections, an error message
will be shown and the symbol will not be replaced.
4.18.3
Automatic Replacing of Symbol

When the catalogue reference for an item is set or changed, the application can
automatically replace the symbol using a symbol reference from the catalogue. This can for
instance be applied when a generic shape has been used from the beginning, and when at
a later time in the process the catalogue reference is set. Then a more specific symbol can
be fetched from the catalogue, given that the catalogue item includes a shape reference.
The shape reference in the catalogue can be set using the Symbol Group and Symbol
Name fields in Paragon. Symbol Group should contain the name of the stencil and Symbol
Name should be the name of the shape within the stencil.
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Figure 4:12. Catalogue symbol reference in Paragon
The way that the automatic symbol replacement works is controlled by some default
settings in Diagrams Options (Defaults in Chapter Getting Started):
Default setting
Value
Description
Auto replace shape from

catalogue
Yes
When the catalogue reference is set or

changed, the application will check if the
referenced catalogue item has a shape
reference. If it has, the shape will automatically
be replaced with one referenced from the
catalogue.
No

changed, the application will not attempt to
replace the shape from the catalogue.
Ask User

changed, the application will check if the
referenced catalogue item has a shape
reference. If it has, the system will ask the user
if the shape should be replaced.
In addition to this, there is also a setting for Auto replace manually replaced shapes. This
can have the same values as described above for the Auto replace shape from catalogue,
with the difference that it only applies to shapes that the user has previously exchanged
manually. This basically provides a way to disallow any automatic changes to shapes that
the user has manually replaced.
4.18.4
Replace Symbol from Catalogue

By using the Replace Symbol from Catalogue command available on the shape right click
menu, the current symbol will be replaced with the one stored in the catalogue. This can be
useful in the following cases:
The item has received a new catalogue reference outside the control of the Diagrams
application and the symbol has therefore not been updated accordingly.
The user has manually replaced a symbol and now wants to return to the symbol
provided by the catalogue.
The catalogue has been updated with new symbol references and the diagram should
reflect this change.
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4.19
Setting System Reference

In some cases the user might want to override the System reference inherited from the
pipeline for a particular valve or fitting. In this case the Set System Reference command
available on the shape right-click menu can be used. This will bring up a dialogue where the
system reference can be set or updated. This dialogue can also be used for setting the
system reference(s) for equipment items and cables.
One item can be a member of multiple systems. To add a reference to a System, click the
button, which will bring up a dialogue where the system hierarchy can be browsed and
a system selected.
To remove a system reference, select it in the list and click the
button.
In the list you can also see the system reference of the parent Pipeline / HVACline for
applicable items as a greyed out system name at the top of the list. This is not shown for
cables or equipment items, as there is no hierarchically superior element in the database
that has a system reference.
4.20
Naming
4.20.1
Overview
Diagrams includes a possibility for automatic naming and re-naming of database elements.
This is primarily accomplished through the standard Outfitting Autonaming function. In
addition to this, there are also functions to rename elements based on their position in the
diagram layout.
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4.20.2
Autonaming
Naming Rules
To set up naming rules to be automatically applied when DB elements are created, use the
Tools > Other Options > Naming function. Please refer to the Data Management and Data
Base / Administrator User Guide for more information about this. The autonaming only
works when no name has been given at the time the element is created. If for instance the
Prompt on drop (Prompting the User to Enter a Name) facility is used to prompt the user for
a name, the autonaming will not be activated (unless the user does not enter any name).
Autoname CE
The naming can also be manually triggered by using the Autoname CE function available
under Object > Naming > Autoname CE menu item, or from the Naming toolbar.
Note: That this only works in case the element is not already named.
Autoname CE and Offspring

The Autoname CE and Offspring function is the same as the Autoname CE, but it will
also autoname any unnamed off springs of CE.
4.20.3
Auto Renaming
In addition to the autonaming, it is also possible to autorename elements. These functions
works more or less in the way that the current name is first removed and then a new
autoname is applied.
Auto Rename CE
This function will autoname the current element according to the current Naming Option,
after first removing the current name. The function is available under Object > Naming >
Auto Rename CE in the main menu or on the Naming toolbar.
Auto Rename CE and Offspring

Works the same way as Auto Rename CE, but it will also auto rename any off springs of CE.
The function is available under Object > Naming > Auto Rename CE and Offspring in the
main menu or on the Naming toolbar.
4.20.4
Rename Elements
This function works on the current selection in the diagram, and can rename the elements
based on their position in the diagram layout. Typically the user can select elements of a
certain type (i.e. valves, cables etc.) and rename them according to their position.
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Name Option
Choose whether the names should be regenerated, re-ordered ascending or re-ordered
descending.
Regenerating the names will first remove the names of the selected elements and then the
autoname function will be applied to the selected elements. Re-order names will keep the
names of the selected elements and re-order them alphanumerically.
Point of Comparison
Choose which point of the shape that should be used for deciding the order. Typically this
setting is used in conjunction with function Sort Options Horizontally and Vertically.
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Sort Option:
4.20.5
Horizontally
This will consider the X position of the shapes first.
Vertically
This will consider the Y position of the shapes first.
Selected Order
This will rename in the order that the shapes where

selected.
Reversed Selected Order
This will rename in the reverse order that the shapes where
selected.
Chain (cables only)
This will rename cables in a chain style, starting with the

selected cable traversing downstream via connected
equipments/elconns. Before using this option, the user must
first have selected a single cable at the start of the chain. If
more than one cable is selected, the rename chain option
will be disabled. It will also only propagate downstream if
there is exactly one incoming and one outgoing cable at
each connection. Typically this feature can be used for
naming continuous circuits like lighting, fire alarms etc.
Prompting the User to Enter a Name

By using the Attribute Presentation settings (please refer to Attribute Presentation in
Chapter Getting Started), it is possible to make the application prompt the user for attribute
values as a shape is being dropped on the drawing. In case the NAME attribute is used for
prompting, a special functionality is invoked. In case an element with the same name
already exists in the DB, the user will be presented with a dialogue where it is possible to reenter the name, create a Secondary shape (Creating Secondary Shapes by Copy/Paste), if
this is enabled, or to create the new item anyway, but with a blank name.
4.21
Highlighting
The application includes a number of ways to highlight shapes in the drawing. Some
examples of these are the right-click menu in the Schematic and System Explorers, the
Find in Drawing toolbar, during automatic dimensioning/spec search etc.
In the case that the application will not automatically reset the highlight, it can be reset by
using the Reset Highlight function. This is available in the main application Object menu
as well as in the Object toolbar. In addition to this, the F7 key on the keyboard can be used.
The highlight colour and linewidth can be configured by changing some default settings in
Diagrams Options (refer to section Defaults):
Default setting
Value
Description
Highlight colour
Colour (default is Red

colour)
Colour to be used when highlighting
Line width multiplier
Multiplier factor
The multiplier to be applied to the line

width when highlighting. This is only
relevant when Enable auto line width is
False.
Enable auto line

width
True / False
Automatically adjust the line width to the

current zoom level when highlighting is
done.
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4.22
Auto line width
Line width
The line width in approx points to be

applied when Enable auto line width is
True.
Apply auto line width

on zoom operation
True / False
Automatically adjust the line width when

the zoom level is changed. This can be
set to False if the performance of the
zoom operation degrades on large
drawings.
Keep highlight after

dimensioning
operation.
True / False
If True, changed component will be kept

highlighted after resize / refit operations.
Importing/Exporting Drawings, Stencils and

Templates
The File > Import function can be used to open Visio drawings which are not created
through the Diagrams application and are therefore not represented by index elements in
the database. Likewise, to export an existing drawing or to save a newly created Visio
drawing to a file without creating an index element in the database, the export function can
be used.
The Diagrams Import and Export functions are basically the same as the standard MS
Visio Open and Save As functions, and also supports importing/exporting other formats,
such as DXF etc. Please refer to the MS Visio documentation for further information on how
these functions operate. For Export and Save As there might for instance be some
differences in what kinds of information can be exported to different formats, as well as if the
function will export the whole diagram or only the current page.
Please note that the Import Drawing function only opens a Visio drawing stored in the file
system and does not import related data to the database. Please refer to the Migration of
Data from Tribon M3 in Chapter Getting Started chapter for how to migrate data from Tribon
M3.
4.23
Importing and Exporting Data to the DB
4.23.1
Import
The Tools > Utilities > Spreadsheet Import command provides a possibility to import data
to the schematic database from .CSV and .XLS format files. Please refer to the Data
Management and Data Base / Database Management Reference Manual for a description
of how to use it.
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4.23.2
Export
The Item List includes a facility for exporting data to a spreadsheet file. By right clicking on
the table and selecting Export to SpreadSheet the contents of the currently selected tab
will be exported to an .XLS file. The file can be saved in a location selected by the user
through a standard File > Save As dialogue.
4.24
Undo and Redo

The standard Visio Undo and Redo commands are available in Diagrams. These can be
fully used for Visio functions and operations that are not affecting the database, for instance
undoing the move of a shape in a drawing etc.
Note: The Undo/Redo command supplied via Visio is not connected to the Undo/Redo
functionality presented by the database. If any database actions have been carried
out as a result of the previous Visio command, then the Undo buffer will be emptied
to assure consistency between the diagrams and database.
Also, pure Diagrams functions such as Refresh, Resize, Refit etc. are not possible to
Undo/Redo.
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Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)

The chapter covers the special functions and procedures for the Piping discipline and is of
special interest to users creating Piping and Instrumentation diagrams.
5.1
Overview
The Diagrams application supports the creation of piping diagrams. This includes features
such as automatic management of the logical pipe model, dimensioning and automatic
specification search for components.
To create P&IDs, the Pipe mode should be used. This can be selected in the Tools > Mode
menu.
5.2
Creating Pipelines
Pipelines can be created using the Tools > Create Pipeline command.
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When the Create Pipeline dialogue is opened, a number of attributes will have values preset as follows. These are just default values and can be changed by the user.
Group will be set from the default group settings available in the Status Bar.
Primary System will be set from current system setting available in the Status Bar.
Pipe Specification will be set from the default value of the Primary system.
Insulation Specification will be set from the default value of the Primary system.
Tracing Specification will be set from the default value of the Primary system.
Fluid will be set from the default value of the Primary system.
The Type dropdown box will allow the user to create pipelines using derived UDET types.
The pipeline name can be automatically constructed by using the Autonaming function. In
order to provide feedback on the autonaming while the dialogue is open, a pipeline element
is actually created as the dialogue is opened. In case the user clicks Cancel, this pipeline
element will be removed again.
The pipeline will be created in the selected group (SCGROU) in the main hierarchy of the
schematic database.
It is also possible to move pipelines between schematic groups either by changing the
Group in the Pipeline Properties dialogue, or by using the Cut and Paste commands in
the Schematic Explorer.
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Note: That it is also possible to create pipelines by dropping a Pipeline shape onto the
drawing. This works more or less like a Branch shape with the difference that it also
creates a new pipeline (the Create Pipeline dialogue is automatically shown when
the pipeline shape is dropped onto the drawing). Pipeline shapes can be created by
using the Import Shape Wizard. See chapter Getting Started for further information.
5.3
Pipeline Properties
After a pipeline has been created, its properties can be viewed and changed by using the
Pipeline Properties command. This command is available through the right click menu in
the Explorer on pipelines and their members, as well as through the right click menu for
Inline Fittings in the drawing.
In case any branches have been created on diagram drawings, the dialogue will now also
show an additional tab, Diagram references, which contains a list of all diagrams/pages
that the pipeline is represented on.
5.4
Creating Branches
Before a branch can be created, the Current Pipeline must be selected. The Current
Pipeline can be viewed in the Status bar (please refer to Status Bar in Chapter Working with
Diagrams). To change the Current Pipeline, you can either select the pipeline or any item
below it in the explorer, or you can select a duct or an inline fitting in the drawing which
belongs to the desired pipeline.
Pipeline branches are then created by dragging and dropping a branch shape onto the
drawing area. The branch will be added to the Current Pipeline.
In addition to the branch element, the application will also create a Segment Element and a
Tube Element.
The purpose of the Segment Element is to provide a way to divide branches between
several pages or drawings using Off-page Connectors (please refer to Off-page Connectors
in Chapter Working with Diagrams). All in-line fittings in a branch belonging to a certain
drawing page will be grouped under the same segment in the hierarchy.
The tube element will be related with the tube shape in the drawing which was created when
the branch shape was dropped. In case UDETs are used, there is a possibility in the Import
Shape Wizard (refer to Import Shape Wizard in Chapter Getting Started) to set up which
UDET type of tube should be created when the shape is dropped (Denote to).
It is possible to move branches between pipelines by using the Cut and Paste commands in
the Schematic Explorer. However, please note that this will not re-apply any default values,
like pipe spec etc., from the receiving pipeline to the branch or its members.
In Diagrams Options > Element Options > Fitting Options > Default Options, the setting
Auto create branch on connect Tee will automatically add a new branch shape when a
Tee is dropped into a line.
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5.5
Adding Parts to a Branch
5.5.1
Overview
Valves, fittings and inline instruments can be members of a branch and are all considered
inline parts. These can be created by dragging and dropping shapes from the stencil onto
the drawing area. Inline parts can be added to a branch in different ways.
5.5.2
Arrive and Leave

Inline parts with 2 or more connections are using the Arrive and Leave attributes to relate
the main flow (design) direction to the connection points on the shape. When a shape is
created using MS Visio tools and subsequently added to a stencil using the Import Shape
Wizard, it is important that the connection points are added in the correct sequence. The
point added first will by default be related to Arrive, and the second will be related to Leave.
This can be seen as the default value of Arrive is 1 (referring to the first point) and Leave is
2 (referring to the second point).
Note: If the values of Arrive and Leave are changed, this will affect the applications
perception of what is the main flow, and therefore cause inconsistencies if not
properly applied.
5.5.3
Dropping and Connecting

When a shape is dragged and dropped onto the drawing, it will respond differently
depending on where it is dropped:
1. Dropped onto an empty space in the drawing: The shape will not be defined (refer to
Define / Undefine in Chapter Working with Diagrams) until it is subsequently connected
to a member of a branch.
2. Dropped onto a tube shape: The tube will be divided into two and the dropped shape
will be inserted in between and defined (Define / Undefine) in the database.
Note: This only happens if the connections points related with Arrive and Leave (point 1
and 2 in the shape) will both be in line with the tube shape. Also, Arrive and Leave
will if necessary also be automatically switched so that they will be consistent with
the flow direction of the branch that the shape is dropped into.
Note: If the connector has more than one angle and the connector style is set to Reroute
Freely, then each time when the user is trying to drop something on that connector
the line is immediately rerouted, avoiding the dropped shape. To prevent connector
reroute during that operation the user has to set the reroute style to Reroute on
Crossover or Never Reroute using the Layout & Routing toolbar.
3. Dropped onto a free end of a tube shape: By aligning one of the connection points of
the part and a free end of a tube when the shape is dropped, they will be connected
and the shape will be defined (Define / Undefine) and added to the branch.
When an inline component is connected to a branch, the Arrive and Leave will automatically
be set to follow the flow of the branch. However, the visual appearance of the shape will not
be changed. There are two ways to make sure that the shape gets the right direction in the
branch:
1. Drop the shape onto an empty area of the drawing, and use the rotation handle to
properly align it with the branch it should be connected to. Then connect it to the
branch end or drag it over a tube to insert it.
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2. Drop the shape into the branch (connect or split on drop), and if it gets the incorrect
orientation, use the Reverse Direction command.
When connecting a branch/tube to an item (valve, inline fitting, equipment, nozzle etc.),
which is a grouped shape, the connection points must be on the group and not on the
members of the group. Otherwise the connection operation will fail and the message Not a
valid pipe piece and/or pipe connection is shown.
It is not possible to directly connect tube/branch shapes to each other, a Visio 2D shape is
required in between. For example, to connect one branch to another, a fitting such as a Tee,
Olet or Coupling must be inserted, and the branches connected to this.
5.5.4
Using Tube Shapes

Valves, fittings and instruments are normally connected by tube elements. These can be
created by dragging and dropping in a similar manner as the parts described above. Tubes
are represented by Visio connector shapes, while all other inline parts are represented by
Visio 2D shapes. Please refer to the MS Visio documentation for more information about the
behaviour of connector shapes and 2D shapes.
The main difference between a branch shape and a tube shape is that while the branch will
create branch, segment and tube elements in one go, the tube will only create the tube
element and can thereby be used to extend an existing branch.
5.5.5
Connecting Fittings without a Tube in between

It is also possible to connect several inline parts in a sequence without having a tube in
between. This can for instance be used to attach a reducer directly to a valve, or to create a
sequence of valves without intermediate tubing. To achieve this, follow these steps:
1. Drag and drop the inline part to the drawing area.
2. Select the Visio Connection Point tool (available on the dropdown by the Connector
tool in the Standard toolbar).
3. Right-click on the connection point that you will be using to connect the new shape to
the existing one.
4. Select Outward from the right-click menu.
5. Change back to the Pointer tool (available in the Standard toolbar or press F8).
6. Position the mouse pointer close to the connection point that was just modified.
Important: If the mouse pointer is closer to another connection point or to the centre point
of the shape as the shape is dragged, it will not be possible to connect.
7. Drag the shape so that the connection point aligns with the connection point of the
existing shape.
5.6
Using Equipment and Subequipment

Equipment items can be created by dragging and dropping equipment shapes from the
stencil to the drawing area. The application includes support for Primary and Secondary
equipment items (refer to Primary / Secondary Shapes), meaning that a single equipment
item in the database can be represented by two or more shapes on the same or on different
drawings. For an equipment to be defined on drop, it is required that a default Group is set
up in the Default Groups dialogue that can be reached from the Status Bar.
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Subequipment items can also be created by dragging and dropping a subequipment shape
from a stencil onto the drawing. However, for the subequipment shape to be defined in the
database, it is required the equipment item to which is should belong is currently selected
when the drop takes place.
It is possible to add more connection points after an equipment, or sub-equipment, item is
dropped onto the drawing. To achieve this, select the Visio Connection Point tool and
Ctrl+Click to add points.
Sub-equipment items are not dependent on their parent equipment item being represented
on the same diagram. It is allowed to have the main equipment item on one diagram and the
subequipment item on another diagram, even if they are hierarchically linked in the
database. Likewise, when and if they appear on the same diagram, there are no layout
restrictions in terms of them having to be connected or close to each other in any way.
5.7
Using Nozzles
Nozzle shapes can be added to equipment items by dragging and dropping onto an
equipment item. They can be attached to a connection point on the equipment item (Glue to
connection point) or just to the geometry (Snap to Geometry). Nozzle items will then be
created under the equipment item in the DB. In case a nozzle shape is not connected to an
equipment item on drop, it can be connected later, but it will not be defined in the database
until it is connected to an equipment item.
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Note: When dragging a nozzle to connect to an equipment item, it is important that the
mouse pointer is close to the connection point on the nozzle that you want to connect
to it. Otherwise Visio will not find the correct connection.
The nozzle specification can be set by right-clicking on the nozzle shape and selecting the
Nozzle Specification command. This will bring up the Nozzle Specification dialogue.
In the Nozzle Specification dialogue, the Specification, Generic Type and Nominal bore
can be selected, and this will result in a specification reference. When the OK button is
clicked, the specification reference will be updated in the CATREF attribute of the nozzle.
Branches can now be created and connected to the nozzle.
5.8
Using Pipe Destination elements

For pipes that end without any connection to an equipment item, Pipe Destination elements
can be used. A Pipe Destination shape can be attached to the end of a branch, and can
contain a description of the nature of the branch end. This can for instance be Vent to
atmosphere, Overboard discharge etc.
Pipe Destination elements will also remove unnecessary information messages from the
consistency check result, such that the end of a branch is unconnected.
Pipe Destination shapes can be created using the Import Shape Wizard.
5.9
Grouped Shapes
It is possible to group together several shapes into a unit that can be added to a stencil. To
achieve this, start by building up the arrangement in the drawing in the normal way. Then
select the shapes that should form the group, undefine them (Define / Undefine in Chapter
Working with Diagrams), and drag them to the stencil. They will then be grouped
automatically.
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Figure 5:1.
Example of a group of shapes
This group can then be dragged and dropped onto a drawing, thereby adding an
arrangement of branches and inline fittings in a single operation. In case the arrangement
contains more than one branch, the user will have to select a part in each branch and issue
the Define branch command (Define / Undefine in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
Note: When a group of shapes is added to the drawing in the way described above, it is
recommended to ungroup it (Right click > Shape > Ungroup) before proceeding to
connect or modify. If this is not done, it can result in unexpected behaviour. For
instance that a tube within the group will not split into two when a new fitting is
dropped onto it.
5.10
Online Dimensioning and Specification Search
5.10.1
Overview
The Diagrams application supports a flexible approach to the handling of dimensioning and
spec search. The following levels of automation are supported:
No dimensioning.
Dimensioning without catalogue or spec search.
Dimensioning with manual catalogue selection.
Dimensioning with automatic spec search.
These methods can also be combined in various ways and allows for an incremental/
iterative workflow. It is for instance possible to start a diagram using dimensioning but no
catalogue or spec search. At a later time when a catalogue and specification has been
established, the spec search can be enabled and the selection of components be done
based on the previously entered dimensions.
If the automatic spec search is enabled, the manual catalogue search can not be done for
in-line parts, please refer to Manual Component Selection in Chapter Working with
Diagrams for more information about the Catalogue Search window.
The dimensioning is using the concepts of Fit and Size operations:
Refit means that the current component will obtain a new size from the upstream
component. When this will occur automatically, it is called Autofit.
Resize means that the user will manually select a new size to be applied to the
component. This only applies to branching and size-changing components such as
tees and reducers.
The dimensioning can work with varying degrees of propagation of dimension changes.
Propagation will always occur in a downstream direction (from head to tail).
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There are a number of default settings in Diagrams Options under General Options >
Pipe Dimensioning that control the way that the dimension and spec search is operating
(please refer to Defaults in Chapter Getting Started):
Default setting
Value
Description
Refit - Autofit on connect
True
The component will automatically obtain

the dimension from the upstream
component when connecting.
False
The component will not obtain any

dimension from the upstream component
when connecting.
True
The component following the one that is

being deleted will automatically obtain the
dimension from the upstream component.
False
The component following the one that is

being deleted will not obtain any dimension
from the upstream component.
True
Autofit should be propagated to

downstream components.
False
Autofit should not be propagated to

downstream components.
True
Autofit propagation will continue over

segment limits.
False
Autofit propagation will not continue over

segment limits.
True
Autofit propagation will continue over

branch limits.
False

branch limits.
True
Resize propagation will continue over

segment limits.
False
Resize propagation will not continue over

segment limits.
True
Resize propagation will continue over

branch limits.
False

branch limits.
True
The specification search will be used.
False
The specification will not be used.

Dimensioning will be stored locally in each
inline part using the BOREARRAY attribute.
True
Specification search and component

selection will be triggered when a shape is
defined.
False
No spec search and automatic component

selection will be done when a shape is
defined.
Refit - Autofit on delete
Refit - Propagate autofit
Refit - Propagate at segment
Refit - Propagate at branch
Resize - Propagate at segment
Resize - Propagate at branch
Spec Search - Use Specification
Spec Search - Autoselect on

define
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5.10.2
No Dimensioning
To create a piping diagram without any dimensioning, all the settings described in the table
above should be set to False.
5.10.3
Dimensioning without Catalogue or Spec Search

If the Spec Search > Use Specification default setting is set to False, the specification will
not be used and all dimensioning will be handled through the BOREARRAY attribute on the
parts.
When a new branch is created, the boresize will be picked up from the default bore size that
is set up in the current pipeline.
When inline parts such as valves, reducers etc. are dropped into a branch, the bore will be
picked up from the upstream component.
In case a size-changing or branching component will be dropped, the system will prompt the
user for a Leave bore? or Branching bore?. In all other cases the system will automatically
pick up the bore size from the element it will be connected to.
Figure 5:2.
The bore-question dialogue.
The Resize and Refit operations and related propagation settings operates in the same way
for dimensioning with or without spec search.
5.10.4
Dimensioning with Manual Catalogue Selection

When the Spec Search > Use Specification default setting is set to False, it is possible to
manually select components from the catalogue for inline parts using the Catalogue Search
function (see Catalogue Search in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
5.10.5
Dimensioning with Automatic Spec Search

To use the automatic spec search, the Spec Search > Use Specification default setting
must be set to True.
A default pipe specification for a pipeline can be set up in the Create Pipeline dialogue
when the pipeline is created.
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The pipe specification works as a default value that is propagated to subordinate elements
such as branches and inline parts as these are created within the pipeline. It is possible to
subsequently change the specification reference for an individual fitting through the Custom
Properties window or Item List.
If the pipe spec is later changed in the pipeline properties dialogue, it will not affect existing
inline parts within the pipeline, it will only be applied to new inline parts as they are added.
When a new branch is created, the boresize will be picked up from the default bore size that
is set up in the current pipeline.
When inline parts such as valves, reducers etc. are dropped into a branch, the bore will be
picked up from the upstream component and a specification search will be performed,
provided that the Autoselect on Define default setting is set to True in Diagrams Options.
Figure 5:3.
Before valve is dropped
Figure 5:4.
After valve is dropped. The specification reference can be seen in the shape text, as this
has been set up to show [SPRE.NAME].
In case a size-changing or branching component will be dropped, the system will prompt the
user for a Leave bore? or Branching bore?. In all other cases the system will automatically
pick up the bore size from the element it will be connected to.
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The Bore-question dialogue will present a dropdown list of valid boresizes picked up from
the specification. In case a user will type in a bore size that does not match any of these, the
application will round it up to the next defined bore size.
The result of the specification search will be that the specification reference (SPREF) will
point to the matching SPCO element. In case no matching SPCO will be found, the SPREF
will not be set.
The operation of the spec search is highly dependant on how the spec is organized in terms
of the hierarchy of questions and answers. In case the spec search will not find the expected
SPCO, please review the structure of the spec and modify if necessary.
The progress of the spec search is also presented in the Message Log window (refer to
Message Log in Chapter Working with Diagrams). Successful spec search operations are
logged as informational messages, while unsuccessful ones are logged as warnings.
All elements affected by an automatic spec search can also be left highlighted, depending
on the value of the Keep highlight after dimensioning default setting.
Note: When the automatic spec search is enabled, it is not possible to manually set
catalogue references for the inline parts using the Catalogue Search function
(please refer to Catalogue Search in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
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5.10.6
Respec
Changing the specification of existing pipework can be done by first selecting all relevant
inline parts and then change the PSPEC attribute in the Custom Properties window. The
new spec will be applied to all the selected inline parts. After this, the spec selection process
will automatically be triggered and changes to Sprefs can be followed up by viewing the
Message Log.
Note: In order to get a good overview of what happens during the respec operation, it is
recommended to only respec a reasonable number of parts in the same operation.
This makes it easier to follow up and check any changes.
Note: To select, in the current drawing, all inline parts in a branch or a pipeline, it is possible
to right click on the branch or pipeline in the explorer and use the Select in Drawing
command.
In the case where a diagram has been created without using any specification, and you
subsequently want to apply a spec, the below procedure can be followed:
1. Go to the Diagrams Options dialogue and change the Use specification default
setting under General options > Pipe Dimensioning > Spec search to True.
2. Also make sure that any desired propagation settings such as Refit Propagate
Autofit, Refit Propagate at Segment and Refit Propagate at Branch are set to
True.
3. Close the Diagrams Options dialogue.
4. Click on the first tube/fitting in the branch you want to apply spec search to and select
pipeline properties.
5. In the Pipeline Properties dialogue, go to the Specification tab and select a Pipe
spec.
6. Click OK to close the dialogue.
7. Select the first tube or fitting in the branch, right click and choose Refit. The
specification search will now be carried out and propagated according to the
propagation settings.
5.10.7
Resize
In case the user would like to change the leave bore or branching bore on an existing
shape, the Resize command can be used. The Resize command is available on the main
Object menu as well as on the shape right-click menu. Whether the result of the Resize
operation should be propagated or not is controlled by the various propagation default
settings.
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In case specification search is used, the Bore size dialogue will contain a dropdown list
where valid boresizes can be selected. In case the user will key in a bore size, this will
automatically be rounded off to the nearest valid bore size.
In case specification search is not used, the dropdown list will not contain any predefined
values, and the rounding will not occur.
Note: Resize can only be done at the start of a branch, at branching components such as
tees and at size-changing components such as reducers. All other components will
obtain their size from upstream components in order to keep the dimensional
consistency of the data model.
There are cases when the resize will not provide any result from the spec search, such as
when an equal Tee is resized to be un-equal. The Diagrams application then provides a
fallback in form of a new spec search which will hopefully find a matching SPCO of the unequal type. In case this happens, it will be visible to the user in the way that the Bore
question dialogue will appear twice.
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5.10.8
Refit
In case a bore size inconsistency has occurred, the Refit function can be used. This can for
example happen when a reducer is inserted and the Propagate autofit setting is set to
False. In the example above, the reducer has an input bore size of 100 and output of 80
while the downstream valve has a bore size of 100. Such inconsistencies can be found by
using the Consistency Check function.
By using the refit function available on the shape right click menu, the specification
reference for the valve will be re-selected using the upstream bore size.
After the Refit command has been performed, the valve now has a correct bore size and
specification reference.
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Depending on the propagation settings, the action will propagate downstream to a varying
degree.
5.11
Reverse Direction
By using the Reverse Direction command, the direction of valves and fittings can be
changed.
Before Reverse Direction is performed, Arrive is 1 and Leave is 2. The Reverse Direction
command is available on the shape right-click menu.
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After Reverse Direction has been performed, the symbol has been reversed and Arrive
and Leave have been exchanged.
Note: Reverse Direction only works on valves and fittings, which are Visio 2D shapes. In
case the user wants to reverse the direction of a tube segment, which is a Visio
connector, the standard Visio Reverse Ends command can be used. This command
can be found in the Shape > Operation menu in the main menu bar. An important
difference between these commands is that Reverse Ends changes the flow
direction, while Reverse Direction does not.
5.12
Splitting Pipelines
One pipeline can be split into two by using the Pipe Splitter tool. This is available in the
Pipes sample stencil delivered with the system. Drag the Pipe Splitter and drop it onto the
position where the pipeline should be split.
The parts following the split point will now be re-organised into a new pipeline.
Note: If the Pipe Splitter will not split the line as it is being dropped, try to zoom in and make
sure that the hair cross is properly aligned with the line to be split.
If the Show property dialogue on split default setting is True, the application will
automatically show the pipeline properties dialogue for the newly created pipeline. This will
give the user the opportunity to change attributes as for instance the description of the new
pipeline.
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5.13
Joining Pipelines
To join two pipelines, first select the last part of a branch in the target pipeline, then
Ctrl+Click to also select the first part in the source pipeline. Next use the Join Pipelines
command to join the two pipelines together. All branches and inline parts will now be
transferred from the source pipeline to the target pipeline and the now empty source
pipeline will be deleted.
Note: That the Join Pipeline command requires that the branches are not connected at
the join point.
5.14
Consistency Check for Pipe

The Consistency Check function can be used to check the consistency of the piping
arrangements (please refer to Consistency Check in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
5.15
Automatic Management of Logical Pipe Model

As the user is working with the diagram, creating/deleting and connecting/disconnecting
items, the application will attempt to keep a consistent data model. This includes the
following functions:
Automatic concatenation of branches. When the first or last element of a branch is

connected to the first or last element of another branch in the same pipeline, the
branches will be concatenated. This means that all inline fitting will be reorganized as
members of the first branch, and the second branch will be deleted.
When the last inline part within a segment is deleted, the segment will also be deleted.
The same goes for branches. Because of this, the user will not have to consider this
situation and there will never be any empty segments or branches left in the database.
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HVAC Diagrams
HVAC Diagrams
In this chapter the special functions and procedures for the HVAC discipline are covered
and it is of special interest to users creating HVAC diagrams.
6.1
Overview
The application supports the creation of HVAC diagrams. This has a lot in common with the
creation of piping diagrams, but with the following major differences:
The dimensioning considers the shape factor (Rectangular, Round, Oval).
There is no automatic spec search.
To create HVAC diagrams, the HVAC mode should be used. This can be selected in the
Tools > Mode menu.
Before reading the HVAC diagrams documentation, it is recommended that you read the
Pipe diagrams section. The documentation for HVAC diagrams primarily covers the
differences compared to the piping diagrams functionality.
6.2
Creating HVAC Lines

HVAC lines can be created by using the HVAC > Create HVAC line command in the main
menu.
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HVAC Diagrams
This dialogue is similar to the Create Pipeline dialogue, the most significant difference is in
the Default Dimension tab. In this tab the Shape setting is available as well as Width and
Height for using with the rectangular and oval shapes. For the circular shape, only the Width
is available, which then represents the diameter.
6.3
HVAC Line Properties

After a HVACline has been created, its properties can be viewed and changed by using the
HVACline Properties command. This command is available through the right click menu in
the explorer on HVAClines and their members, as well as through the right click menu for
inline fittings in the drawing.
6.4
Creating Branches and Adding Parts

Before a branch can be created, the Current HVACline must be selected. The Current
HVACline can be seen in the Status Bar. To change the current HVACline, you can either
select the HVACline or any item below it in the explorer, or you can select a duct or an inline
fitting in the drawing which belongs to the desired HVACline.
Parts are added in the same way as for piping, by dragging and dropping ducts and fittings
to the drawing and connecting it together.
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6.5
Dimensioning
The HVAC dimensioning considers the shape factor as well as the dimension. The shape
factor is stored in the Conarray attribute, and the dimension in Heightarray and Widtharray.
In case a circular shape is used, the diameter is stored in the Heightarray.
When a branch shape is dropped on a drawing, the dimension will be picked up from the
default dimensioning settings for the HVACline.
As HVAC fittings are added, they will pick up the dimension from the upstream component,
provided that the Autoselect on Define default setting is True.
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As can be seen in the picture above, the fittings will by default get the same dimension for
arrive and leave. Please note that the CON1 & CON2 annotations do not reflect arrive and
leave, but rather connection1 and connection2.
The behaviour of the dimensioning during the creation of HVAC diagrams can be controlled
through a number of default settings that can be found under General options > HVAC
Dimensioning:
Default setting
Value
Description
Miscellaneous Autoselect on define
True
The component will automatically obtain the

dimension from the upstream component when
defined (dropped onto a free connection).
False
The component will not obtain any dimension

from the upstream component when defining.
True
The component will automatically obtain the

dimension from the upstream component when
being connected.
False
The component will not obtain any dimension

from the upstream component when being
connected.
True
The component following the one that is being

deleted will automatically obtain the dimension
from the upstream component.
False
The component following the one that is being

deleted will not obtain any dimension from the
upstream component.
True
Autofit should be propagated to downstream

components.
False
Autofit should not be propagated to downstream

components.
Refit - Autofit on connect
Refit - Autofit on delete
Refit - Propagate autofit
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Refit - Propagate at
segment
Refit - Propagate at
branch
Resize - Propagate at
segment
Resize - Propagate at
branch
6.6
True
Autofit propagation will continue over segment

limits.
False

segment limits.
True
Autofit propagation will continue over branch

limits.
False
Autofit propagation will not continue over branch

limits.
True
Resize propagation will continue over segment

limits.
False

segment limits.
True
Resize propagation will continue over branch

limits.
False
Resize propagation will not continue over branch

limits.
Resize
The Resize command is available on the right click menu of the shape. It will bring up a
dialogue where the leave size, and if applicable also the branching size can be set. Whether
the result of the Resize operation should be propagated or not is controlled by the various
propagation default settings.
Figure 6:1.
Resize dialogue
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HVAC Diagrams
Figure 6:2.
6.7
After resizing
Refit
In case a size inconsistency has occurred, the Refit function can be used. This can for
instance happen when a dimension is changed and refit propagation is disabled (HVAC
Dimensioning > Refit options set to False). Such inconsistencies can be found by using
the Consistency Check function.
The Refit function is available on the shape right click menu and will apply the upstream
size to the current part.
6.8
Splitting and Joining HVAC Lines

HVAC lines can be split and joined in the same way as pipelines.
6.9
Consistency Check for HVAC

The Consistency Check function (please refer to Consistency Check in Chapter Working
with Diagrams) can be used to check the consistency of a HVAC diagram and will provide
messages for mismatches between diagrams against the database, dimensional
mismatches and unconnected ends etc.
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Cable Diagrams
Cable Diagrams
This chapter covers the special functions and procedures for the Cable discipline and is of
special interest for users creating single line and core connections diagrams.
7.1
Overview
The application supports the creation of single line cabling diagrams as well as core
connection diagrams.
7.2
Single Line Cabling Diagrams

There are two types of cable elements:
Cables - connector shapes representing a single cable line.
Multi-cables - connector shapes representing a set of cables (please see Working with
Multi-cables for further information).
Both types listed above are created by dragging and dropping corresponding shapes from
the stencil. Cables and Multi-cables can be connected to equipment items in four different
ways:
Connected to the centre point of the equipment item. This means that the shape
representing the equipment item does not have to have any connection points defined.
Connected to a predefined connection point on the equipment item.
Connected to an electrical connection element on the equipment item.
By applying the Connection to Nested Symbol method (please see Connecting Cable
Elements to Nested Symbol for further information.
For renaming cables there is a special Rename Chain function in the Object > Naming >
Rename Elements function (refer to Rename Elements in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
Note: That you might have to refresh the shapes to update annotation etc. on the drawing,
after the Rename operation is complete.
Electrical equipment items can be created in the same way as other equipment items. See
the Using Equipment and Subequipment in Chapter Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams
(P&IDs). For cabling diagrams, electrical connection elements can be used. These behave
very much like piping nozzles, see Using Nozzles in Chapter Piping & Instrumentation
Diagrams (P&IDs).
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7.3
Working with Multi-cables

Multi-cable elements represent several cables with the same specification and are also
connected to/from the same database item. In database, cables represented by a multicable shape, are placed below the corresponding Multi-cable db element.
On the drawing, multi-cables are represented by single connector lines and can be created
by dragging and dropping Multi-cable shapes from a stencil. Dropping Multi-cable on a page
will result in creation of a new Multi-cable db element with a configurable number of db
cables placed below it.
The number of cables represented by Multi-cable is controlled via its SCQUAN attribute. It
can be set in the Shape Data window or directly on the command line. Connecting/
disconnecting Multi-cable shapes to/from different db elements (equipments, subequipments, electrical connections) will cause changing STAREF/ENDREF of Multi-cable
and all cables below it. Changes to Multi-cable attributes, except NAME, will override
changes to Cable attributes.
Changes made in Multi-cable are propagated to its cable members. It is possible to set
values of attributes of a particular cable by using the command line (except STAREF,
ENDREF, CATREF), but the values will be overridden each time the same attribute will
change on Multi-cable level.
Figure 7:1.
7.3.1
Example of using Multi-cable element
Naming Cables Owned by Multi-cable

Cables owned by Multi-cable are named automatically and the names can not be edited
directly. The names are consisting of three parts:
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Name of owning Multi-cable
Delimiter - configurable by SCDELIM attribute of Multi-cable
Ordinal character (numeric or alpha)
Ordinal character is controlled by SCALPHA and SCDIGITS attributes in the following way:
SCALPHA determines whether ordinal character should be numeric (SCAPHA=false) of
alphabetic (SCALPHA=true).
Example 1:
Attribute
Value
SCMCAB NAME
/XYZ
SCDELIM
'-'
SCALPHA
false
SCDIGITS
Result Cable names:

Element
Name
SCCAB1
/XYZ-01
SCCAB2
/XYZ-02
Example 2:
Attribute
Value
SCMCAB NAME
/XYZ_1
SCDELIM
Unset
SCALPHA
true
SCDIGITS
2 (ignored when SCALPHA=true)
Result Cable names:

Element
Name
SCCAB1
/XYZ_1A
SCCAB2
/XYZ_1B
Note: The names of cables owned by Multi-cable will be generated automatically only
when the name of the Multi-cable itself is set.
Note: Each time SCDELIM, SCALPHA or SCDIGITS (when SCAPHA=false) is changed,
the names of cables will be redefined.
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7.3.2
Presenting Multi-cables in Item List

As any schematic elements present on a drawing, the Multi-cables are shown in the Item
List. They are listed on a separate Multi-cables tab. Cable members can be shown on the
Cables tab depending on the Show Multi-cable Members setting, which can be defined in
the Diagrams Options window.
7.4
Connecting Cable Elements to Nested Symbol

One of the methods of connecting Cable or Multi-cable to equipment is connection using a
nested symbol. It can be established as follows:
By connecting the Cable element to a connection point on a symbol being part of

Equipment, Sub-equipment or Electrical Connection group.
By dragging a symbol that is already connected to a Cable element into Equipment,

Sub-equipment or Electrical connection group. To be able to use this option, the
behaviour of the Containing Group should be set to Accept dropped shapes and
nested symbol should be set to Add shape to group option.
Disconnecting a cable element from a symbol belonging to an equipment group, or dragging

a symbol connected to a cable element out of an equipment group, will result in
disconnection in db.
To achieve this functionality the Equipment, Sub-equipment or Electrical connection should
be converted to a group before importing a shape to the stencil.
7.5
Core Connections Definition Dialogue

By first selecting one or more cables, and then issuing the Cable > Define Core
Connections command, the core connections can be defined. In case other items than
cables have been selected, these will be ignored.
Note: To select all cables in a drawing or cables according to a certain criteria, the
Selection Toolbar can be used (refer to Find in Drawing Toolbar in Chapter Working
with Diagrams.
The Define Core Connections dialogue will contain one section for each cable. In the
middle is the cable with its cores and to the left and right are the connected equipment
items.
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7.5.1
Defining the Number of Cores

The number of cores for a cable is fetched from the catalogue. If the Spref is already set, the
correct number of rows will be shown for each cable, one for each core. In case the cable
does not have any Spref, the application will not know how many cores the cable has and
will therefore show a question mark in the Core column. It is possible to assign a Spref to a
cable in the core connections dialogue by right-clicking on the cable name and selecting Set
Catalogue Reference.
This will bring up a Catalogue Search dialogue, which works in the same way as the
general Catalogue Search function (Catalogue Search in Chapter Working with Diagrams).
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When a cable catalogue item has been selected, the Cable Core Connection Definition
dialogue will know how many cores the cable has got and will then show the corresponding
number of rows.
7.5.2
Selecting Equipment
In case the cable has already been connected to equipment items in the diagram, these
equipment items will be shown in the Equipment columns to the left and to the right in the
dialogue. If it has not been connected, it is possible to select an equipment item in the core
connections dialogue by clicking on the text box and using the
button.
This will bring up the standard Browse/Search dialogue (Standard DB Browse Dialogue in
Chapter Working with Diagrams) where an equipment item can be found and selected.
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The text box in the Equipment column also features a fill handle. By clicking and dragging
on the grey box in the lower right corner, the selected equipment can be applied to other
rows in the same way that the fill handle works in applications like MS Excel.
It is also possible to change the connected equipment item for a cable that has been
connected to an equipment shape in the diagram. Changing the equipment item in this
dialogue will only affect the core connections. The cable as such will still retain its
connection to the equipment item, as defined in the diagram, and will not be affected.
Theoretically it is possible to define all cores being connected to a different equipment item
than the one that the cable is connected to, in the single line diagram.
7.5.3
Selecting Electrical Connection

By clicking at the Text box in the Electrical connection column, an electrical connection
(elconn) can be selected. The dropdown list will show all existing elconn elements for the
selected equipment item. In case the equipment item does not have any or too few elconns,
it is possible to add new ones by selecting the Add command.
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This will bring up the Create electrical connection dialogue, where the new electrical
connection can be created and its attributes set. The Catalogue reference is of special
importance as it will be used to determine how many terminals the elconn has.
The Electrical connection column also features a fill handle like the one described above for
the Equipment column.
7.5.4
Selecting the Terminal for Each Core

By clicking on the dropdown and using the fill handle in the terminal column, the actual core
connection can be defined.
7.5.5
Configuring the Dialogue

In the Diagrams Options, under the General Options > Dialogues, there are a number of
values that can be set up to control the initial layout of the dialogue columns. The numbers
are given as a percentage of the total dialogue width. By entering -1 as column width, the
column will automatically adjust to the free width.
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Here it is also possible to configure tooltips to be shown in the dialogue. This can for
instance be used to show the description of an equipment item when the mouse hovers over
the equipment name. The format of the tooltip definition follows the Attribute Presentation
Notation format, please refer to Attribute Presentation Notation in Chapter Appendices for
further information.
7.6
Generating Core Connection Diagrams

After the core connections have been established using the Cable Core Connection
Definition dialogue, the Generate Core Connections Diagram command can be used to
create the connection diagram layout. This will be created as a new diagram that can be
manually annotated, saved, printed etc.
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The Diagrams application is delivered with a standard core connections diagram layout
which can be considered a sample. As there is a wide variety of preferred layouts and many
companies have their own layout standards, the program source code for the Core
Connections diagram generation is provided on the support site (www.aveva.com/support).
It is therefore possible for customers to modify the layout by modifying the program code, or
to create totally different layouts by creating new code, perhaps with some inspiration from
the standard sample.
The program code is contained within the following c# source files:
CableInfo.cs
CoreInfo.cs
Commands.cs
CoreConnectionsDiagram.cs
CoreConnectionsDiagramAddin.cs
These can be found on the installation DVD in folder Manuals/Docs/Samples.zip.
Microsoft Visual Studio is required to modify and rebuild the Add-in.
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Reporting
Reporting
The Diagrams application offers different types of reports of schematic data for various
purposes. These are as follows:
Visio reports: This is the standard MS Visio report function and can be used to create
reports based on diagram document data. Please refer to the MS Visio documentation
for more information. This command is available in the Tools-Reporting > Visio
Reports menu.
Reports: This is the standard AVEVA reporting tool which can create reports from
database data and is also available in the other Outfitting applications. In the ToolsReporting > Reports sub-menu there are commands for running, creating, modifying
and deleting reports. Please refer to the General / Reporting Reference Manual for
more information on this reporting tool.
Quick Reports: This is the standard AVEVA quick reporting tool and is available in the
Tools > Reporting-Quick Reports menu. Please refer to the Catalogues and
Specifications User Guide / Quick Reports Form for more information.
Spreadsheet export: This is available on the right click menu in the Item List (please
refer to Item List in Chapter Working with Diagrams) and can be used to create
equipment lists, fitting lists, cable lists etc. from the current drawing. This is further
described in Export in Chapter Working with Diagrams.
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Reporting
Figure 8:1.
The reports menu
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Releasing Information for 3D

This chapter includes information about managing the relation with 3D data and is of interest
to most users when the link to 3D through the P&ID 3D Integrator is used.
9.1
Overview
To support the workflow between diagram designers and 3D model designers, Diagrams
includes some functions to manage the release of information to 3D. These are as follows:
Setting the Release Status.
Highlighting and Visualizing Release and Linked-to-3D status.
Warnings and Restrictions for Released and Linked-to-3D items.
Diagrams supports a Release status that can be set or re-set through the application and
serves as a flag to the 3D designers that the diagram data is now complete and approved
and can be used as a base for 3D modelling. When related 3D data is created through the
P&ID 3D Integrator, a link between 2D schematic items and corresponding 3D items will be
established in the database. These items are then considered to be linked, and this is
represented by a linked-to-3D status attribute. If items have been linked they can be
considered as being picked up and re-used by the 3D designers.
The release status can be set on database items in a flexible way, among these is to set the
release status for all items in a diagram. However, the diagram document as such does not
have a release status and will not be managed in this way.
The release status is represented by the RESTAT attribute in the database. A value of 1
means that the item is released, and a value of 0 means that it is not released.
The diagram documents are made available to 3D design users as CSV files. Each time a
diagram document is saved, a corresponding CSV file is created in addition to the Visio file.
This can then be used for viewing the diagram without the need for having MS Visio
installed. The SVG file name can be found by querying the NVIEWF pseudo attribute on the
SCDIAG element.
9.2
Setting the Release Status

Setting the release status can be done in different contexts and parts of the user interface
providing a flexible way of selecting the items to be released. The Set Release status is
available:
By right-clicking on items in the Schematic Explorer.
By right-clicking on items in the System Explorer.
By selecting one or more objects in the drawing and using the Object > Set Release
Status menu or using the shape right click menu.
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By right clicking on the drawing background (this will release all items on all pages in
the current drawing).
The release status can be set individually for:
Equipment
Subequipment
Cables
For piping and HVAC, the lowest level that can be released is a segment. Nozzles and
Elconns will be released together with their parent equipment/subequipment item.
When the Set Release Status command is issued, a dialogue will be shown to the user. In
this dialogue it is possible to see the current release status of the selected items as well as
set or reset the status of the selection or individual items.
When the dialogue is opened, the current release status is shown. If the item is already
released, you will see a green checkmark in the box in front of the item. For hierarchically
superior items, there is also a green checkmark if all subordinate items are released. If only
some of the subordinate items are released, there will instead be a green box shown.
After the type, name and description of the item, the date and user that released it is also
listed.
To set the release status, click the boxes. If a box on a high level is checked, all subordinate
items will also be checked, the same applies if you uncheck a box.
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As well as setting the release status, it is also possible to reset it here, simply by unchecking
the boxes. This means that items that were earlier released now no longer are released.
This enables the user to make changes to already released items and these changes can
be detected by the P&ID 3D integrator application. Once the changes are complete, the
release status can be set once again.
The dialogue also includes a Comment field which can be used to enter a release comment
to be applied to the items.
Depending on how the Set Release Status command was activated, the dialogue will show
a different hierarchy:
The picture above shows the Group Context window which will be displayed when a
schematic group has been selected in the explorer. The dialogue now shows the complete
hierarchy below the group node.
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The picture above shows the Objects Context window which will be displayed when one or
more objects have been selected in the explorer or in the drawing. The dialogue now only
shows parts of the hierarchy covering the selected items. If for instance a piping or HVAC
branch has been selected, the explorer only shows that branch, even if the pipeline might
have other branches.
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The picture above shows the Diagram Context window which will be displayed when the
user has right clicked an SCDIAG element in the explorer or on the drawing background.
The dialogue now shows all items in the current drawing. In case the drawing contains parts
of a pipeline (branches or segments) while other parts of the pipeline are represented in
other drawings, the explorer only shows the parts of the pipeline that are on the current
drawing.
9.3
Visualizing Release and Link to 3D Status

By using the Tools > Visualize Release and Link to 3D Status command, the items in the
current drawing page can be highlighted or selected.
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9.4
Warnings and Restrictions

In case the user will try to modify or delete an item that has been released or associated,
messages will be shown and restrictions can apply.
9.4.1
Released but not Linked Items
The dialogue above will be shown when an item which is released but not linked is modified.
If the user clicks OK, the modification will be applied to the item and the release status will
be reset. If the user wants to release the item to 3D again, he/she will have to use the Set
Release Status function again. If the Cancel button is clicked, any changes will be undone.
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If the user tries to delete one or more items that are released but not linked, the dialogue
above will be shown. If the user clicks OK, the item(s) will be deleted, otherwise the user
should click Cancel.
Also if the user opens the Pipeline Properties / HVACline Properties dialogues, a warning
will be issued.
9.4.2
Released and Linked Items

For items that are released AND linked, similar dialogues as above will be shown. However,
depending on the value of the Allow changes to linked with 3D default setting, changes
and deletions will be either allowed or not.
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Utilities
10
Utilities
This chapter describes miscellaneous utilities that can be useful to most users.
10.1
Batch Job
By using the Batch Job function, a selection of diagrams can be checked and printed in one
operation.
To the left, the contents of the database can be navigated using the Database Tree tab and
searched using the Search tab. This part of the dialogue behaves more or less like the
general Browse Dialogue (please refer to the Standard DB Browse Dialogue in Chapter
Working with Diagrams), with the difference that it contains checkboxes for multiple
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Utilities
selection in the tree view. In the search view, multiple diagrams can be selected by using
normal Shift+Click and Ctrl+Click.
Items can be added to the selection in the right side of the dialogue by using the Add button
and removed using the Remove button.
The selected diagrams can then be consistency checked and printed by using the buttons at
the bottom of the dialogue.
In case the Refresh before processing checkbox is checked, each diagram will be
refreshed before it is checked or printed (please refer to Refresh in Chapter Working with
Diagrams for more information).
10.1.1
Batch Consistency Check

The Consistency Check function will go through each of the selected diagrams and run a
consistency check on them.
The result summary for each diagram is reported in the Errors, Warnings and Informational
columns, as well as represented by the icon before the diagram name. The progress for
each diagram can be seen in the progress bar as well as in the status text below it.
By using the Stop button, the Check function can be cancelled.
In case the user wants to further investigate any of the issues found in a diagram, it is
possible to select the diagram and use the Open Diagram button. The diagram will then be
opened in the background, and after the dialogue is closed, the Consistency Check
function can be used to create a detailed report of the issues with that diagram.
10.1.2
Batch Print
By clicking the Print button in the batch job dialogue, a Print dialogue will be shown.
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Utilities
In the Print dialogue it is possible to select the following:
Which printer to use
Number of copies
Print colour as black
Printer paper size and aspect
Zoom settings
When the OK button is clicked, all pages of all selected diagrams will be printed on the
selected printer.
10.2
Project Maintenance
10.2.1
Clean Old Session Files

The Diagrams application provides a tool for removing old document session files from a
project. It is available from the menu Tools > Utilities > Project Maintenance and can be
used when the Keep session files setting (KEEP_SESSION_FILES) in Diagrams Options
is set to False. After selecting it from the menu, the dialogue window is opened and provides
the possibility to select the document types to clean:
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Utilities
After clicking OK the following confirmation dialogue is displayed:
After clicking the Yes button all old session files connected with DB elements (of selected
types) existing in the current MDB are removed. Files that are not connected with any
SCDIAG, SCTEMP or SCSTEN from the current MDB are not considered to avoid
accidental deleting of important files.
Note: Cleaning old session files allows saving disc space in the case that there is no need
to keep previous documents versions, but after performing the operation it will not be
possible to restore earlier sessions including the corresponding diagram file
versions.
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Schematic Model Viewer
11
11.1
Overview
The Schematic Model Viewer allows users to view the contents of the schematic model
database independently of diagram layouts. It provides a continuous navigable view of
equipment items and the interconnecting piping networks, independently of which system
they belong to or which P&ID they have been drafted on. In the current release, it only
shows piping connections. Cable and HVAC will be added later.
The Schematic Model Viewer is implemented as a CAF Add-In, meaning that it can be
hosted by different applications. The viewer will also require access to a SCHE DB as part
of the current MDB.
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To start the viewer, the user will have to select an equipment item. This item will be placed at
the centre of the generated view and the system will automatically find all connections in the
database and display each connection as a graphical sub tree. Each subtler is traversed
through all branches until other equipment items or branch ends are encountered.
Branching points (such as Tees, Owlets or 3-way valves) are represented by a generic
branching point symbol. The initially generated view will not extend beyond the equipment
items encountered at the end of the branches, but it is possible for the user to manually
expand and continue exploring along the schematic network. Equipment items are
displayed using different icons, selected by a set of customer definable rules.
The viewer also comes with its own toolbar, which contains the following buttons:
11.2
New Schematic Model View
Save as Visio drawing
Print
Centre item
Expand
Collapse
Show inline items
Settings
Starting the Viewer

The viewer can be started in a few different ways, depending on the possibilities of the
hosting application:
Start method
Available in
Click the New Schematic Model View

button in the Schematic Model Viewer
toolbar.
All hosting applications where the

Schematic Model Viewer is available.
Select an equipment item in the explorer,

right click and choose the Create
Schematic Model View command.
All applications where the schematic

explorer is used.
Select an equipment item in the Diagram

Drawing, right click and choose the Create
Schematic Model View command.
Diagrams application only.
When using the New Schematic Model View command in the toolbar, a Select Equipment
dialogue will be shown where the equipment item can be selected.
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11.3
Navigation
11.3.1
Zooming, Panning etc.

The viewer is using a MS Office Visio drawing control component to generate the view,
please see the related Microsoft documentation for a full description on how to navigate in a
MS Visio view. A few navigating functions especially worth mentioning are the following.
11.3.2
Command
Result
Ctrl+Shift+Left mouse button click
Zoom in
Ctrl+Shift+Right mouse button click
Zoom out
Ctrl+Shift+Right mouse button drag
Pan
Navigating Along the Pipeline Network

After the initial view has been created, it is possible to navigate around it in different ways.
Expand
By selecting an item and using the Expand command (available in the

toolbar and in the right click menu), all connections to that item will be
traversed and expanded. This will generate a new view.
Collapse
Items that have previously been expanded can also be collapsed,

restoring the previous state.
Centre Item
By selecting a particular equipment item (except the one in the centre)

and using the Centre Item command, a new view will be generated with
item in the centre. This will in essence be the same as making a New
Schematic Model View command for that item.
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When items are selected in the viewer, the CE will also change accordingly. This means that
if the schematic explorer is visible, the currently selected item in the drawing will also be
selected in the explorer. In case this is not desired, it can be turned off by changing the
Follow CE setting in the Settings dialogue.
11.4
Re-arranging the Layout

The automatically generated layout can be re-arranged by the user, simply by dragging the
icons around. The Settings dialogue also contains settings that affect the way the layout is
initially generated.
Note: Certain operations such as Expand, Centre Item etc., will re-generate the layout and
therefore manual adjustments done by the user will be lost.
11.5
Viewing Inline Items

By selecting the View Inline Items command, the viewer will change into a mode where all
inline fittings are shown. These will be placed along the lines between the branching points,
like knots on a piece of string. The branching points will also be illustrated by an icon
representing the kind of fitting it is, rather than the generic branching point icon used when
inline fittings are not shown.
In case the view will become too cluttered when viewing inline fittings, it can either be
manually re-arranged or the layout settings can be changed.
11.6
Viewing Attributes
By right clicking on an item and selecting the View Attributes command, an attributes pane
will be shown. This the standard MS Visio attributes pane which is labelled Custom
properties. This pane can be resized, moved and docked in various ways, please refer to
the MS Visio documentation for more information.
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11.7
Settings
By selecting the Settings command in the toolbar, the Settings dialogue will be shown. It
contains the following settings and options:
Setting / Option
Description
Follow CE
When this checkbox is checked, selecting items in the view

will also change CE (Current Element) to the current item.
Show Inline Items
This is the same as the Show Inline Items command on the

toolbar.
Show Instruments
This only applicable when the Show Inline Items setting is

enabled, and determines whether instruments should be
shown or not.
Show available GTypes
By clicking on this button, a separate panel is displayed,

where it is possible to select the GTypes to be shown in the
Show Inline Fittings mode.
Spacing between
equipment items
By dragging the sliders, the amount of space allocated

between each equipment item in the layout can be changed.
This can be done separately for X and Y directions.
By clicking the Apply button, the settings can be applied to the view without closing the
dialogue.
11.8
Icons
The icons used to represent the equipment items, generic branch points as well as inline
fittings is determined by a set of user configurable rules. These rules are stored in an XML
file, called ScheModViewConfig.XML which resides in the main installation directory.
Below can be seen an example of this file. By changing the file, it is possible to apply
different rules for the selection of icons. The icon files are by default stored in the
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%PMLLIB%\icons\SchematicModelViewer\ directory. New icons can be added by

customers to this locations, and it is also possible to modify or replace the existing ones if so
desired.
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Appendices
Appendices
A.1
Attribute Presentation Notation

Through the Attribute Presentation format notation, attribute information can be collected
from the DB element that corresponds to the shape as well as from hierarchically superior
elements and referenced elements. It can also be combined with literals in an arbitrary way.
The notation uses square brackets for attribute references that should be evaluated before
presentation. All characters outside the brackets are considered as literals and will be
presented as-is. Referenced attributes can be referred by a dot notation
(reference.attribute). References can be in several steps, in that case the reference chain
will be followed to resolve the expression and find the attribute value. An arbitrary number of
literals and attribute references can be combined to form advanced attribute presentation
and annotation strings.
The attribute presentation notation can be applied to the following:
Attribute Presentation Setup (In Diagrams Options and in Import Shape Wizard)
Shape Text attribute
Label annotation fields
Here follows a few examples:

[scplin.bore]
Will fetch the default bore attribute from the pipeline element
that owns the current hierarchically subordinate element, for
example a valve
[owner.owner.owner.bore]
Will provide the same result as above for a valve. The owner
of a valve is the SCSEG element, the owner.owner is the
SCBRAN element, and the owner.owner.owner is the
SCPLIN element.
[name]-[spref.name]
Will display the name of the current element, a literal (in this
case a "-"), and the name of the related catalogue element.
To get a particular element from an attribute of array type, use a (num) notation. Example:
Owner.Diaref(1). The enumeration of elements is 1-based. The (0) string will give all
elements.
A.2
Pseudo Attributes
The table below describes a few pseudo attributes that can be useful for attribute
presentation, annotation etc.
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Appendices
Attribute
Element
Description
HBOR
SCBRAN
Head bore for the branch
TBOR
SCBRAN
Tail bore for the branch
ABOR
SCVALV, SCFITT, SCINST
Arrival bore
LBOR
Leave bore
PPBO(n)
Bore of connection point n, for example,

PPBO1 returns the bore
A.3
Customisation
A.3.1
Overview
The Diagrams application provides significant built-in customisation capabilities through
XML menus, default settings, UDETs and UDAs, autonaming, attribute presentation notation
etc. For more extensive customisation it is also possible for customers to develop new
program functions and routines.
Diagrams is based on the AVEVA Design Platform, and thereby includes all of the
customisation and development possibilities provided by that platform. Examples of this are
the database.Net API (AVEVA.Pdms.Database) as well as other.Net APIs. CAF Add-ins can
be created and PML can be used to the same extent as in the Design (General) module.
In addition to this, the actual Microsoft Visio Drawing Control used by Diagrams is also
accessible, giving the user full access to the extensive toolbox that MS Visio provides. A
good example of how this works is the CoreConnectionsDiagramAddin, which is a sample
Addin shipped with the product to create core connection diagrams. The addin is delivered
with source code for the user to use as template when creating their own addins to support
their particular needs.
A.3.2
Using the Visio Drawing Control

The Visio Drawing Control can be accessed in different ways. By using reflection, it is
possible to invoke GetCurrentVisio method which will return an instance of Visio.Application
associated with currently active drawing.
See example in the following file: DrawingControlExample1.htm
Another approach is to use the
AVEVA.ApplicationFramework.Presentation.WindowManager and iterate through the
windows looking for an active Drawing Control.
See example in the following file: DrawingControlExample2.htm
When the Visio.Application instance is obtained from the Drawing Control it is possible to
invoke any of the Visio API methods available to customize the drawing.
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Index
Index page 1
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Diagrams User Guide

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Diagrams

AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Application Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:5

Copying Data between Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:6

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:9

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Select a Default System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:11

Application Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:12

Migration of Data from Tribon M3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:17

Creating Shapes and Adding to Stencils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:18

Working with Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:39

Standard MS Visio Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:54

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Application Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:57

Define / Undefine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:71

Consistency Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:72

Off-page Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:77

Copying/Pasting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:90

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Deleting Primary/Secondary Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:97

Using Background Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:97

Changing Symbols for Existing Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:98

Setting System Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:101

Undo and Redo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:106

Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:107

Using Equipment and Subequipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:111

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Using Nozzles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:112

Reverse Direction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:122

HVAC Diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:125

Splitting and Joining HVAC Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:130

Cable Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:131

Connecting Cable Elements to Nested Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:134

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Core Connections Definition Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:134

Generating Core Connection Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:139

Project Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:153

Schematic Model Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:155

Re-arranging the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:158

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Attribute Presentation Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A:1

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Database principles, such as MDBs, sessions, DB elements, attributes, references etc.

Using the command line

Handling of the Application framework GUI, with docking windows etc.

General Microsoft Visio knowledge.

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

The Diagrams Application

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Main Operating Principles

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Document Files, Sessions etc.

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

If this setting is True, the SVG file will always be created.

Copying Data between Databases

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

It is recommended to keep the System Hierarchy in a separate DESI DB to make

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd

Starting the Application

Making settings for the program session

2007 AVEVA Solutions Ltd