Placing a Part

Place part places fittings and components included in the pipe specifications, that are not placed automatically with generating pipelines (e.g. valves, flowmeters, etc.).

The command can be launched in two different modes, depending on the selected pipeline path:

Pipeline path without generated pipeline:

If the pipeline path does not have generated pipeline (pipe specification is not specified), it is possible to place a component from any available pipe specification.
The selection then specifies the pipe specification (including the selected parameter values) for the pipeline path.

To automatically place the other components of the specified pipe specification to the pipeline path, it is not possible to use Generate pipeline. Recalculate pipeline must be used instead.

When Place part is launched in this mode, there are the following options available within the Select Fitting dialog:

• Divided - check if you want to divide pipes (straight and bent pipes separately). This is related only to angles different from the standard ones (174,375; 168,75; 165; 157,5; 150; 135; 120; 105; 93; 90 or 87 degree), for cases when the appropriate bend fitting is not defined in the selected pipe specification or when Do not place bends from pipe spec automatically is active within the pipe specification.
  

• Use favorites - check if you want to skip the prospective dialog for selecting non-unique fittings, i.e. to use favorites automatically.
  

• No flanges on connected ends - check if you do not want Piping to automatically place a flange on the pipeline path ends connected to some 3D geometry.
  

The above settings will be only effective in the future when generating (recalculating) or editing the pipeline.

Pipeline path with generated pipeline:

If there is already a pipeline generated on the selected pipeline path, it is only possible to select fittings from the respective pipe specification by default.

Allow access to other pipe specifications allows the selection of a part from any available pipe specification.

The part placed this way is handled like parts placed manually via standard parts provider or Microsoft Explorer.

That means, it will not be replaced with Edit pipeline, and not removed with Delete components, etc.

On the other hand, if you place a part with Allow access to an empty pipeline path, it will be then possible to generate a pipeline using any available pipe specification.

The Place part function should not be run in the EDIT 3D sketch mode.

How to place a part

Select the pipeline path you want to place a part on and select the Place part . Pipeline path(s) can be selected by clicking an item in Smap3D Piping. Selected items and pipeline paths are highlighted in the SOLIDWORKS Graphics area.
And 3D lines selected in SOLIDWORKS Graphic area are highlighted in Piping tree view.

Dialog for selecting part will appear.

Select a fitting and then OK.

The fitting will then appear in the Insert Component section of the feature manager from where it should be placed to the graphics area in standard way.

Now you should place the component to the pipeline path using the standard mate functions.

The placed part must be situated on a segment and its axes must be coincident with pipeline paths to be shown in the Piping tree view.

The manually placed part is represented in the Piping tree view with a special icon .

The fitting is saved to the clipboard and so can be placed again simply by using the Ctrl+V shortcut.