General Information on Pipe Parts (PE)

Pipe parts are parts that you can integrate in a pipeline. They can be aligned and positioned with the help of guidelines.

Part insertion
Part insertion via P+ID
Further notes

Part insertion

Plant Engineering > New > Pipe parts

Use the icons shown in the upper section of the window to select a part type that you want to insert in your drawing.

Pipe part selection window (example)

If the guideline mode is switched off, the Type of insertion area of the selection window will not be displayed. If the guideline mode is activated, you can choose, depending on the selected part type, between several types of insertion in the lower area of the menu window. After confirming the type of insertion, you can still revoke your decision with a right-click. The following options are available for almost all part types:

In edge direction
In this case, HiCAD sets the origin of the local coordinate system on the start point of the selected guideline; the Z-axis has the same direction as the guideline. When you insert the part, it is transformed in such a way that the part coordinate system matches the local coordinate system. When setting a reference point, you can move it along the z-axis until it coincides with the fitting point.

In opposite edge direction
This option sets the origin of the local coordinate system on the end point of the selected guideline. The z-axis runs in the opposite direction to that of the guideline. When you insert the part, it is transformed in such a way that the part coordinate system matches the local coordinate system. When setting a reference point, you can move it along the z-axis until it coincides with the fitting point.

Connect
If you select this option, HiCAD transforms the inserted part in such a way that its connection surface joins the selected connection surface of a part set on the guideline of the active pipeline.

The Plant Engineering Settings specified on the Part search tab are taken into account for this type of insertion. The insertion type Connect automatically applies when placing straight pipes onto guidelines, filling the gaps between already inserted parts.

The selected insertion option remains valid until another part is selected. HiCAD then returns you automatically to the Part in edge direction option. Depending on the part and guideline mode selected, HiCAD offers further insertion options. In the following sections, we describe these options for individual part types.

Via the list of characteristics assigned to the type of part selected, HiCAD looks for the information of corresponding parts in the part data source (database or catalogue) and outputs a result list. The length of this list depends partly on respective selection sets.

Pre-selection can be based on pipe class settings and/or the content of the pre-selection mask. The type of pre-selection or whether pre-selections are made can be specified in the Plant Engineering Settings.

Please do not delete the result list for link sources via the context menu, as important VAA files would be lost as well as the records! The sub-chapter Variant AutoSync provides a detailed description of how to delete Variants from the database.

Part insertion via P+ID

Plant Engineering > New > Pipe parts >via P+ID

If the associated P+ID project is loaded when you process a Plant Engineering layout plan, you can specify a part with the appropriate P+ID symbol:

You need to activate the required pipeline before a pipe part can be inserted.
When you click the via P+ID option in the menu window, the sheet of the open P+ID appears on your screen. The symbols representing parts existing in the layout plan are highlighted.
Use the cursor to select the symbol to which the corresponding part should be assigned for insertion in the layout plan. Select END to cancel the function and return to the layout plan.
To check symbol data, respond with Yes to the query Do you want to see symbol data? HiCAD displays the content of the symbol data mask. If a part has been assigned to the symbol, you can click Part data to display the contents of the associated record. If no parts have been assigned, HiCAD issues an appropriate message.

If you click OK in the dialogue box showing dialogue data, or if you click No because you do not want to see symbol data, you are returned to the layout plan, whereby the part is now ready for insertion. If the part is already inserted, HiCAD issues an appropriate message, and highlights the part.

If no part has been assigned to the symbol, HiCAD looks for a suitable part. This search is based on the part ID contained in the symbol data mask, (in the case of pipe parts, it is also possible to find parts via the pipe class assigned to the pipeline and the nominal diameter), as well as the symbol name (if the appropriate setting has been made in the P+ID). You can then select the required part in the result list that appears on your screen.

When you insert the part, its item number is automatically entered in the data mask of the corresponding symbol in the P+ID, i.e. the P+ID symbol is assigned to the part.

When you insert parts via the P+ID, you can transfer P+ID symbol dialogue texts from the symbol data masks to assigned, user-definable system attributes of the 3-D part. This assignment is defined via the P+ID attribute assignment tab.

Further notes

HiCAD only recognises a pipe class assigned to the active pipeline as a pre-selection, if the pre-selection option Via pipe class or Via pipe class and pre-selection mask in the Part selection tab of the Plant Engineering Settings window have been set.

The Ignore nominal pipeline diameter,AutoFlange and AutoReducer options at the bottom of the dialogue box determine temporary Plant Engineering settings. Original Plant Engineering settings are re-activated when you exit the function.

Required reducers are fitted automatically if the following requirements are met:

The AutoReducer option is activated.
A nominal diameter has been assigned to the active pipeline, or a nominal diameter has been set for the guideline on which you want to place the part..
The Ignore nominal diameter option is activated...
You want to fit one single part (but no straight pipe) interactively, whose nominal diameter differs from the nominal diameter of the pipeline or the guideline, respectively.

AutoReducer does not apply to options within the Pipe parts function that can be used for automatic, multiple part insertion, e.g. T-piece, Set all.