Import Into Storage World

To import into an Application Data World (APPDWL) hierarchy, select the Import Into Storage World. If the project contains existing storage worlds, these are displayed in the Select Storage World pane.

Click on a storage world to display the world’s hierarchy in the tree below. If write access to a storage world in the list is enabled, it can be modified by clicking on the storage world and using the tasks beneath.

Right-clicking on elements in the tree displays functions that can be performed at that element.

Click Create New World to create a new model import storage world (an APPLDW element with purpose attribute = MIMP), an Application Data Area (APPDAR) and Application Data Group (APPLDA) which is the basic structure needed to import into.

To modify the model import storage world's attributes, select from the Select Storage World list and click Modify World Attributes.

Note: If the storage world is new the Modify Attributes fields are blank.

If required, the values in the fields can be modified then click Apply to store the new values in the database. The new values are displayed in the Select Storage World list. Click Back to cancel the changes and return to the original window.

To delete a storage world and all the imported models in that world, select the storage world from the Select Storage World list and click Delete World. A Confirm window displays requesting confirmation.

Select Yes to confirm the deletion or No to cancel the deletion and return to the MEI Import window.

Click Modify Hierarchy to display a list of tasks to modify the hierarchy of the storage world.

Tasks in the list are active depending on what is selected in the tree. To return to the Import file panel, click Back.

To select the file to be imported click Browse to display a file browser, navigate to the .stp file and select it. The selected file displays in the Import File field.

Once the location where the file is to be imported is highlighted in the tree and the Import File field have been populated, Import becomes active.

Note: If either the location or the Import File field are blank Import is greyed out and inactive.

Choose how the model data is imported by selecting either Equipment (EQUI), Volume Model (VOLM) or Subequipment from the Import model as drop-down menu.

If required, click to select the Create SUBE level check box to create a subequipment level in the MODEL hierarchy.

When re-importing the same model into the same area, the option to save any existing nozzles in that area is available, click to select the Save existing nozzles on import check box. If the Save existing nozzles on import check box is not selected, then any nozzles that exist are deleted. A warning message displays to confirm this.

When re-importing the same model into the same area, the option to save facet data along with a tolerance in that area is available, click to select the Save Facet Data check box and enter the required tolerance into the Tolerance (0.1 .. 20mm) field.

Click Import to begin the import process.

Note: The importing operation can take a long time if the models are particularly large and complex.

Modify

Imported VOLM and EQUI elements contain GENPRI and GENCUR elements. These are the imported solid and curve objects. GENPRI and GENCUR elements can be moved, rotated and deleted by using the same menu and Model Editor functions as other Equipment primitives. However, the geometry of the shape cannot be modified in Outfitting/Design. GENPRI and GENCUR elements cannot be modified with the Modify Properties utility. Use the Export MEI functionality to find and modify GENPRI and GENCUR elements.

The Find Elements to Modify pane of the MEI Import window provides access to the search criteria to find GENPRI and GENCUR elements to modify.

Use the In volume functionality to find all the elements (of type GENPRI, GENCUR, NOZZ, SUBE, BOX and CYLI) within a volume. Select an element in the Model Explorer, for example, the owning Equipment of an imported model, then press CE.

A bounding box is placed around the current element in the graphical view. The box's position and size and can be modified by using the Centre and Extent sliders. When Find is clicked, any elements found within the volume that belong to the current element are displayed in the grid.

Note: Elements that are within Application Data Worlds (APPDWL) are not found by this method as they are not part of the spatial map.

To find all elements (of type GENPRI, GENCUR, NOZZ, SUBE, BOX and CYLI) beneath the specified element. Select Beneath element then select an element in the Model Explorer, for example, the owning Equipment of an imported model, then press CE. When Find is pressed, any elements that are members of the specified element are displayed in the grid.

Click items on the grid to select them. Items can be multi-selected by using the Ctrl key and clicking on an item and dragging down. Select All selects all items in the grid and Deselect all deselects all items in the grid. The pop-up menu on the grid allows the user to Highlight, Unhighlight, Navigate To selected elements, Export to Excel or Print Preview.

The Display level and Obstruction level attributes displayed on the Representation pane are set to default values when the model is loaded. These values can be modified, by selecting items in the grid, then click Apply to store the new values in the database.

Box and Cylinder primitives can be generated from items in the grid. Select items from the grid and then choose the Primitive by selecting Box or Cylinder from the drop-down menu. Click Create to create either the boxes or cylinders.

GENPRI and GENCUR elements do not have P-points. Some facilities, such as dimensioning in Draft and Associations in Model, rely on having connection points to reference. Design points can be added to Equipment by using the Create > Points Equipment menu command. These behave like P-points belonging to the Equipment element.

Equipment elements and Volume Model elements containing GENPRI and GENCUR elements can be used to create Design Templates. GENPRI and GENCUR geometry cannot be changed, so it is not possible to parameterize these elements, or create Repeat Rules for these elements in a Design Template.

Standard Design primitives can be added to imported models by using the functionality available from the GUI, refer to Model Equipment for further information.

Nozzles and electrical components can be added to imported Equipment by using the Create Nozzles and Create Electrical Component options on the Create Connections pane of the MEI Import window. Refer to Nozzle and Electrical Component for further information.

Click Create Nozzle at Selected Element to display the Nozzle window.

Click Parameters to display a plot file as displayed on the Create Nozzle window after Create Nozzles is selected. Use the window to Name the nozzle, select a nozzle from the current MDB and enter various attribute details.

After clicking Position Nozzle, the prompts to identify an edge for the nozzle face by picking two points on a circumference of the nozzle on the required GENPRI element are displayed.

Note: Due to the lack of data behind the imported files, two picks are required to constrain the position of the nozzle to the required accuracy.

Note: The two picks must lie on the same circumference and in the same plane.

Once two picks have been made, several aids are displayed indicating the selected nozzle centre. The aid sphere marks the centre point of the nozzle and represents P0 on the created nozzle. The plane indicates the position of the created nozzle face. The aid arrow represents the P1 direction of the created nozzle P1 direction.

Once the position has been selected, Create Nozzle and Flip Direction become activate. The measured diameter is also displayed under the Purpose field.

If the direction arrow is in the opposite direction to that required, click Flip Direction to reverse the direction and update the aids. The plane aid provides feedback if the edges picked are not in the same plane.

To create the nozzle, click Create Nozzle. The created nozzle is based on the picked position and orientation and the selected attributes. Once the nozzle has been created it displays in the graphical view and the Create Nozzle window is reset ready for the next nozzle pick.

Design Points, coupled with Create Nozzle, add some intelligence into the imported geometric model. Once positioned these design points can be selected in the same manner as conventional p-points can be in graphical selection modes and when drawing or annotating in draft.

Note: Design Points can only be created beneath an equipment element.

To create a Design Point, select the equipment element in the explorer and click Create Design Points to display the Create Design Point window.

The equipment element displays at the top of the Create Design Point window and can be changed by selecting a different equipment element in the explorer and clicking CE.

Each design point must have a unique positive number for each equipment item, enter a number in the Number text field. The number is validated by the system and changed to the next available number if it's found to be already in use. Or leave the Number field blank and click Next Available to let the system pick the next available number.

Add a Description, Function and Purpose to the created point. The Direction field sets the direction of the point. Once a value is entered, that value is checked to make sure it is a valid direction. Click Flip to reverse the direction and update the field.

The Piping Attributes for the Design Point can also be set.

Click Position Point to pick a position for the point using the standard positioning functionality.

Note: It is recommended that the standard positioning functionality is set to Graphics when picking GENPRI elements.

After clicking Centre Position, the prompts to pick two edges of a feature are displayed. The two edge picks are converted to a position at the centre of the picked feature with the direction normal to the plane on which the two points are picked. To create the Design Point, click Create Point.

Command Window

AP203 files can be imported to Model by using the IMP command. The IMP command can be used in command macro files to automate the loading of AP203 files.

The IMP command has the following options:

IMP <Root Directory or File Name> [TO <id>] [AS <EQUI or VOLM>] [VALIDATE] [LOG <log filename>]

Note: The command options shown inside square brackets [] are optional.

Examples

IMP /C:\AP203Models\model.stp TO /IMPORTAREA AS VOLM

Imports model.stp found under the directory C:\AP203Models to a SITE or APPLDA element called /IMPORTAREA. A ZONE element is created and a VOLM element is created for the *.stp file.

IMP /C:\AP203Models\model.stp

Imports model.stp found under the directory C:\AP203Models to the current element, which must be a SITE or APPLDA type element. A ZONE element is created and a VOLM element is created for the *.stp file.

IMP /C:\AP203Equipment AS EQUI

Import all .stp files found under root directory C:\AP203Equipment to the current element. A ZONE element is created for each folder in the C:\ AP203Equipment hierarchy. Within each ZONE, an EQUI element is created for each .stp file in the corresponding folder.

Naming

When models are imported, the ZONE and EQUI or VOLM elements are named automatically. The name used is based on the folder name and the .stp filename. If a model is imported more than once, a suffix is added to the filename so that the names of new elements remain unique.

Using Imported Models in the Design Model

Imported Equipment and Volume Model elements stored in an Application Data World are not considered to be part of the Design model. Application Data Worlds are a repository for models that can be copied into the Design Model where they can be positioned and modified to meet Design requirements. Application Data Worlds differ from Design Templates because models stored in an Application Data World are not selected using a catalogue Specification or Selection Table, and consequently no link is maintained between the original imported model and copies of that model in the Design world.

Imported models can be copied from an Application Data World into the Design model by using standard copy commands. Imported models can be found using the standard search tool.

Use the Copy Model to Equipment window to navigate to imported models and copying selected models to Equipment elements in the Design model.

Enter a Name explicitly, or (if autonaming rules have been set up) use the Autoname option.

If the project has been configured with User Defined Element Types based on Equipment, they appear in the User Defined Type list. When the equipment element is created, it is created as the User Defined Type selected from this list.

From the Model Import Storage Area options, select the storage area from which to select an imported model. The storage area hierarchy displays the in the explorer view.

Navigate to the required import model using the Explorer and click Apply. A Positioning Control window is displayed, use the facilities provided by this window to pick the position of the equipment's origin and complete the creation process. Refer to COMMON FUNC GUIDE.

Import of Coordinate System Entities

A STEP file may include coordinate system entities that specify locations and orientations in three-dimensional space. Coordinate systems are normally used to define connection points, placement of assemblies, or to define any other positions and orientations that the exporting system has decided to include in the STEP file.

These coordinate systems entities are imported and stored in the database together with the imported geometry. All the coordinate systems that are found in the owning assembly hierarchy in the STEP file, are stored beneath the GENPRI element that receives the geometry. A CDSE element defines a coordinate system entry in the database and the following attributes are set from the STEP file:

These attributes can be accessed directly or indirectly via P-point attributes.

To store coordinate system entities in the database an upgrade to the database is required. After performing an upgrade, the database is no longer compatible with previous versions of the software.