Area Based ADP Grid Data

The Supports application contains functionality to include GRIDSY grids (available in Model) in the Area Based ADP (ABA) location plan. The use of SCTN based grid definitions is maintained. The functionality enables the use of multiple grid systems across the 3D model. Suitable grid systems are automatically selected in the ABA location plan during drawing generation.

Note:
The Supports ABA Grid Data window is not required for REFGRID grids, they take their tag format directly from the grid line data. In order to use REFGRID grids, the location plan task uses the mdsAbaLocPlanRefGrd function. An example can be seen in the AvevaPlantSample project task /mds_aba_location_plan_task.
If an attempt is made to include a REFGRID grid, an error message is displayed. This can be safely ignored.

In order to include a GRIDSY grid in AVEVA Catalog, it is first necessary to set up a grid in Model.

You can define the list of available grids, the pattern for tagging of gridlines (Programmable Macro Language (PML) expression) and origin of support coordinates that display on the drawing.

The administration data is stored in the MDSAPPDEFAULTS database below CATA MDS/ABAGRIDDATA/DEFAULTS.

The default values/settings indicated on the window are those that exist when the Supports application is first installed.

Changes made are only applied to the database when Apply is clicked. To keep the changes the Save Work operation must to be performed.

Click Cancel to close the window. If changes have been made, but not applied, a window displays asking if the changes are to be applied before exiting.

Gridline Tag Patterns

The gridline tag patterns allow you to customise the way in which grid data is tagged within the ABA location plan which is created in the Draw application. PML expressions can be input into the GRDLN Tag and SCTN Tag fields which are evaluated against the selected gridlines.

Expressions are evaluated against the X and Y gridlines that are automatically selected when generating the support, such expressions can therefore comprise of any of the gridline attributes or any attribute from the hierarchy above (provided that STRING output is maintained).

When the ABA location plan is created, the result is written into the ATEXT attribute of a SLAB. It can contain explicit sequences that have special meanings in Draw, for example '/#' which is interpreted as a newline character and splits the resulting text into two lines.

Support Datum Origin Coordinates

The support datum origin coordinates settings allow you to define the calculation process for the support datum dimensions used in the ABA location plan in the Draw application.

The Support Coordinates Origin drop-down list contains the following types of support datum calculation:

• Matching Grid - The origin of the selected grid is used.

• Zone, Site, World - The origin of the specified element in the hierarchy above the support is used.

• Named Item - The origin of the specified named item in the design database is used.

List of Valid Grids

You can define the available grid systems for use with the ABA location plan.

To add a grid to the list of valid grids, select the grid (GRIDSY, Structure (STRU) or Framework (FRMW) grid element) to be added on the Catalog Explorer and click ADD CE.

Click Remove Selected to delete the currently selected grid from the list of valid grids.