Creating a Pipeline Path

A pipeline path is a fundamental part of Smap3D Piping. It is used for creating relationships for fittings and as a basis for generating pipes.

How to create a pipeline path

Using a Piping function Create route

This function allows to use SOLIDWORKS 3D sketch environment for drawing pipeline path.

It creates a new 3D sketch in a new subassembly or in the active assembly. 3D sketch will be in the Edit mode for the further work.

 

Create route in new subassembly

It creates a new sub assembly in SOLIDWORKS and a new 3D sketch feature in it.

 

Create route in active assembly

It creates a new 3D sketch feature in the active assembly.

 

 

The next step is to select Auto Route or Manual Route.

The Generate pipeline dialogue is displayed to select a pipe specification and a size for new pipeline. From this point we are able to start drawing the pipeline path.

 

The function Auto Route

Automatically creates a 3D sketch path between two points.

 

The function Manual Route

Allows you to draw a specific route manually.

 

Start drawing a pipeline path by the selected method.

If the Show pipe preview is checked in Plant Design Administrator, then an automatically generated pipeline preview will be shown during drawing.

When the 3D sketch is finished and closed, the pipeline path will be automatically generated. A basic engineering will be generated on the new pipeline path, too.

 

If Switch to detail engineering after finish route is checked in Plant Design Administrator the detailed engineering will be automatically generated instead of the basic engineering.

 

 

 

Using a 3D sketch

  1. Create a 3D sketch using Create Piping 3D sketch (available under Generate pipeline paths ) and draw a path using straight lines within.
    Finish editing (exit) the 3D sketch.

  2. Select the desired 3D sketch/es in Feature Manager.
    Selecting the sketch is not necessary when its name is set to Piping_xxx (where xxx is an integer number). The Generate pipeline paths generates pipeline paths automatically in such sketches. 

  3. Run Generate pipeline paths (available in the Pipeline paths menu).
    The 3D sketch is then renamed to Piping_XXX if needed.

 

 

Only straight lines can be used in Smap3D Piping. Circular arcs, sketch radius or splines are not supported, nor are closed loops.

 

For easier editing later, it is recommended to set dimensions and geometric mates to a drawn path before creating a pipeline path.

 

Before generating pipeline paths, Delete wrong line segments  (available in the Delete   drop-down of Smap3D Piping toolbar) can be performed. It deletes the line segments which are shorter than the set limit.

 

With launching the Generate pipeline paths function a detection of unsupported segment connections starts automatically. If there are some closed loops or overlaid lines drawn in the opened assembly, a warning message will appear and the problematic lines will be highlighted.