Getting Started – Plant 3d administrator

I was asked a couple days what someone should read to get up to speed with some of the more advanced topics for configuring Plant 3D.

Resources

Watch the Getting Started videos here:

http://docs.autodesk.com/PLNT3D/2015/ENU/plant/pip//ap3d_movielist.htm

Read through the workflows here:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/PLNT3D/2016/ENU/?guid=GUID-DF3EDA04-9C16-4FE9-8346-75C5311A7D22

The most comprehensive reference manuals are here:

http://docs.autodesk.com/PLNT3D/2015/ENU/pdf/Tailoring_AutoCAD_PnID_and_Plant_3D.pdf

http://docs.autodesk.com/PLNT3D/2014/ENU/De-mystifying%20AutoCAD%20Plant%203D%20Isometrics.pdf

A key for getting your line numbers out correctly on isometrics. Note that it shows how to get it annotated along side the pipe, and into the title block (2 different steps).

http://www.pdoteam.com/2013/07/complex-line-numbers-in-isometrics/

Tips

And here’s our top tips for getting started (in no particular order).

1. Make sure you understand tagging.  This is probably the #1 thing we see wrong.  Read through the resource materials, and make sure that your tag works as expected all the way from P&IDs to isometrics.  Getting this wrong can mean double-data entry on your entire project.
2. Use out of the box classes for P&ID as much as possible. Creating new classes means you have to map the class properties on the 3d side as well, which adds another level of complication.
3. Don’t modify the stock catalogs. Copy one (like the ASME Valves) and then delete all the items. Copy components that you have to modify to the blank catalog and use that as a company catalog.
4. Fill out line group properties in the data manager for P&IDs and the 3d model.  Designer needs to adjust their workflows to doing this.
5. As much as possible, if you are going to make a new catalog part (3d), find the closest thing in the existing catalog and either copy that, or fill out your new part with similar property values.
6. Add tolerance to your connection configuration: http://www.pdoteam.com/2015/04/using-tolerances-in-plant-3d-2016/
7. Turn off PLANTDYNAMICTOOLPALETTE.  Train users to insert items from the spec viewer; they can pick the item with the reduction size that they want. The dynamic palette also generates a lot of resource files every time the spec changes or a project is opened.