Export to AVEVA Bocad Steel

AVEVA Plant and Outfitting 12 Series

1. To export a steel structure to an AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface file, select Utilities > AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface > Export to AVEVA Bocad-3D to display the Export window.

   A Warning message may be displayed stating mapping files are not found. This is because local versions have not been set up. Use the default set provided with the product.

AVEVA Everything3D™

2. To export a steel structure to an ABS file, on the Sections, Plates or Stairs Ladders Handrails tab, in the ABSI group, click Export to display the Export window.

   

Mapping Files

3. Click Mapping files to display the Export mapping files window which contains information about the mapping files that are to be used in the Export process.

   

   The interface requires at least two external mapping tables to enable it to check that AVEVA Bocad Steel can accept the data. It also may use the Unicode mapping table if necessary. The main mapping tables are for the Profiles and Materials between base product and the neutral file. The Unicode mapping table is to translate the base product Unicode strings into ASCII strings. The section Customize Using PML Variables tells the user how to arrange these files on the file system and what format they are to be. The interface also needs to know where the external mapping files are located on the user’s computer network. For this, internal mapping tables are required. Refer to Internal Mapping Files which explains how to configure the interface to tell it where all the files are located.

   You may have a generic set of mapping tables to map between the base product and AVEVA Bocad Steel. Or you may have a set for a particular steel fabricator.

   The current file settings are indicated on this Export Target Information window. Do not be concerned that the path name may be truncated by the insertion of the ellipsis (…): it is modified only for display purposes on the window.

   The system also checks that these files are compatible with AVEVA Bocad Steel by checking only the identification line at the top of each mapping table. Refer to External Mapping Files for further information about the format of these mapping files.

   The two main options are System and Manual which are activated by selecting the appropriate radio button.

   System causes the interface to select automatically the mapping tables for AVEVA Bocad Steel according to the system configuration files.

   Manual activates other buttons, which are initially greyed out for the System option. Selecting this option changes the window to be similar to below.

   

4. You can select the file type using the Profiles, Materials or Unicode radio buttons and enter the full path name of the file in the data entry area. You can also include system environment variables in the path name as long as they are in the proper base product format, for example AVEVA Bocad Steel %ENVVAR% being the base product representation of the ENVVAR environment variable.

5. Click carriage return, the interface checks for existence of the file and compatibility with AVEVA Bocad Steel.

   Note:
   The check is only that the file applies to AVEVA Bocad Steel and not that it is a correct file type or that its contents are correctly formatted.

6. You can either choose by hand which mapping file to use by entering its name in the text data entry field, or by using the Browse option to bring up a File Browser. The user may use this browser to search for the relevant mapping file.

7. Once you have entered all the correct data on the Export Mapping Files window, click OK the interface variables are updated.

8. Click Cancel to close the window, leaving the original interface variables unchanged.

Error and Log File Messages

Export Information

9. Click Export Information to display the Export Information window which contains information about the export process.

   

10. You can either type the full folder path name of the output file, or click Browse to display a File Browser.

    The interface tests to see if the file exists and if it does, the user will be asked whether to overwrite it. If the file does exist and the user wants to overwrite it, the file mode beside Browse will change from WRITE to OVERWRITE. The output file is rechecked for write/overwrite status during the actual Export process. This is because the user can perform repeat Exports without changing the output file name.

    Note:
    If you don't enter the full path name and just a plain file name, the output file is created in the folder which started the base product. You may also include system environment variables in the path name as long as they are in the proper the base product format, for example: %ENVVAR% being the base product representation of the ENVVAR environment variable.

    The ABS file may have several sections: a header, a set of Linear Members, and a set of Plates and their holes. The header is compulsory: any other section is optional.

    Note:
    You can create and use any number of project header elements that are used to insert information into the transfer file. The interface assumes that there is a default one /FABGLOBAL. These zones are stored in the Application Data area. On export and import one can associate the project header details with the transfer file. This can include the model offset and orientation applied to the model.

    Different transfers can use different headers. The user can select the correct one, or create a new one in from the Project Header drop down list. It is up to the user to ensure that the correct header is used.

    

11. The user can view the information contained by the chosen header element by clicking Inspect which displays the Export File Header Details window.

    

    At first the entry fields are inactive so the user can just read the contents.

12. To modify the contents of the fields click Edit on the Export File Header Details window and the fields become active allowing the user to enter any revised data.

13. Click Apply and the data will be transferred back to the chosen header object, overwriting the original data.

14. Click Cancel to leave all the data unchanged.

    Note:
    The user cannot modify or delete /FABGLOBAL.

    

    With this window, the user can define a model offset and rotation for ease of use in Bocad.

15. Using the toggles on the Export Information window, the user can select whether to export Straight or Curved members, and Plates, with the additional option of including their holes. The user is able to export Plates without their holes.

If the user has already selected something to Export, the Export Information window is updated to include the 3d world limit box of the export items.

Model Offsets and Orientations

If the user has already selected something to Export, the Export Information window is updated to include the 3d world limit box of the export items.

The user can see the limit box of the items to be exported in global terms, or in terms of the selected header element.

AVEVA Bocad Steel cannot handle such large coordinates as other AVEVA products, and here there is the opportunity to define in the file header a local origin, offset position and orientation in world coordinates. The model offset and orientation are used to translate the model in the ABS file. The East/North/Up position is entered in the fields indicated. It might take an iteration or two for the AVEVA model to be compatible with the AVEVA Bocad Steel model, such that the user of each system is happy with the Model Offset value. Once this is achieved, the Model Offset will be locked and it becomes fixed for future transfers. If the user later tries to modify these values, it must be an explicit decision. Refer to Managing the Model Limits and Offsets for further information.

The Model Offset values are stored in a system ZONE in the Application Data world /FABAPPDW. In case of emergency, using normal commands outside the interface, the ZONE can be locked or unlocked by hand.

Create a new header block

16. You can create a new header block by selecting New header… from the Project header drop down list.

    

    The ABSI - Export Header window is displayed, the user can populate the window with all the relevant details.

    Note:
    Remember to fill in the name to appear in the header drop down list. This must be the basis of a valid Dabacon element name.

    

    The Model Rotation is a rotation angle measured in degrees about the Z axis following the right hand screw rule. It is usually assumed that the header is locked to prevent accidental changes

This version of the interface allows the user to transfer up to 5 numerical values and 5 text values to AVEVA Bocad Steel. The data are associated with linear members or plates. There is the equivalent functionality in AVEVA Bocad Steel, but they operate in different ways.

Transfer User Data

This version of the interface allows the user to transfer up to 5 numerical values and 5 text values to AVEVA Bocad Steel. The data are associated with linear members or plates. There is the equivalent functionality in AVEVA Bocad Steel, but they operate in different ways.

If required, the user can transfer specific information about the model hierarchy to assist the AVEVA Bocad Steel user in managing the model in AVEVA Bocad Steel. This functionality is covered by user data, the interface comes with two sample configurations, but the user can create more.

17. Use the toggles to turn fields on and off.

    The user can then enter the Source type of element in the hierarchy above the element at which this data extraction is taking place. The user can even extract data at the GENSEC, PANE or SCTN level. The attribute is the PDMS attribute name or the name of a user defined function that can perform more complex operations to return the correct value. As with all equivalent customization functionality, it is up to the user to manage errors.

    By default the system is suppled with two configurations, ANY and HIERARCHY. When viewing the HIERARCHY, ABSI Export User Data Set window is populated as follows:

    

18. If the attribute value is not immediately available, the user can specify an alternative default attribute, function or value.

19. If required enter descriptive text.

    The data on the window is encoded and included in the transfer file for the AVEVA Bocad Steel user to see what has been transferred.

    

    This information is not stored in the database, but in the configuration file, which can be loaded by other projects. Refer to Customize Using PML Variables for further information.

    The interface checks that the user is attempting to Export something and will output a message if there is nothing to export.

    Once all the correct data has been entered on the Export Information window, click OK and the interface variables will be updated. Click Cancel to close the window, leaving the original interface variables unchanged.

Error and Log File Messages

Run Information

20. Click Run Information to display the Export window which allows the user to view the Log File after the export process is complete by clicking to select the Log File? check box.

    

21. Click the Brief or Verbose radio buttons, the user can choose which format messages are displayed.

    The Test Run? option allows the user to suppress the updating of all the Export flags. This is so that the user can see if there will be a successful Export of the model. The user may find that the Profile or Material mapping files are not quite up to date which might cause a failure in the Export process. Therefore, the user can select this option to define this as a test run.

    After the Export process has completed, Test Run? is reset to false. This is so that the user is forced to state categorically each time the model is Exported that the run is a trial.

22. Once all the correct data has been entered on the Run Information window, click OK and the interface variables will be updated.

23. Click Cancel to close the window, leaving the original interface variables unchanged.

Members and Export List

The Members pane allows the user to navigate around the database hierarchy.

The user must enter the elements to be exported, Linear Profile or Planar members. The interface will locate all SCTNs, GENSECs and PANEs contained in, or implied by, the Export list. If the user adds something to the Export list and has the item on display in a 3D Volume View it will be enhanced by changing its colour. The Export list is managed such that duplicate elements are removed and that items are exported only once.

Note:
Partial model transfers are supported by the interface, however, the user must be aware of how the Import process handles partial model transfers.

There are several methods of adding elements to the Export list:

You may find that items are shown in the Export list do not exist, or have been renamed. The Export process will determine all the valid entries in the Export list and prepare the data accordingly. Clearing the list, or removing individual items will be performed as expected.

Error and Log File Messages

Click Cancel to close the Export window.

Export executes the Export process. As it proceeds the user is kept informed of the progress by means of messages at the bottom of the main window as well as by windows and prompts.

Control

The Control drop-down menu has three options; Re-initialize, Configure and Exit. Changing any mapping files or any other variables:

• Re-initialize reloads files to save the user having to rebuild the whole user interface from scratch.

• Configure enables the user to define run parameters, model parameters, display colours and environment parameters. Refer to for further information.

• Exit removes all forms and menus and global variables associated with the interface.

The General drop-down menu has two options, Highlight and Clear ABSI History. Highlight displays the Highlighter window enabling the user to identify new, changed and deleted items in the model. This has more relevance to the Import process, refer to for further information. Clear ABSI History enables one to clear the import/export history on the current element and all elements below that have date and time UDAs that are relevant to the AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface.

The Export Process

Note:
Exporting from the base product all items are exported using millimeters as the distance units.

All reference data, such as any pre-existing reference model from the current session are removed before exporting anything. for further information on Importing and for further information about saving the reference model, refer to Additional Information for Import from AVEVA Bocad Steel.

Prior to any Export process, all fields are checked for validity.

• Is the output file named?

• Is anything going to be exported?

• Are the mapping tables compatible with AVEVA Bocad Steel?

• Is there a valid Steel Standard table?

In addition, there is an specific UDA, :FABEXCLUDE, attached to certain base product elements by which the user can define whether the item is to be exported or not. Setting this logical flag to true will exclude the item from the Export process. Refer to for further information.

Before continuing, the Export process polls all the Configuration objects for the high water mark on Transfer and Revision numbers. It then updates the object applicable to the current MDB and user to contain the latest Transfer value. The list of all items listed in the Export list is then stored on Header element.

After verifying that all the data is correct and valid, the external program is called. The interface waits for a certain time until the program is finished. This waiting time is user configurable. If there are errors raised by the external program the user is notified and more detailed information is placed in the log file. If the waiting period expires without the interface detecting that the external program has completed - it may have crashed, or even not exist, the user will be asked if to carry on waiting for another time unit.

Click Yes and the interface will wait for another period of time. Click No to stop the interface where it is. Finally the system will indicate its completion, whether successful or not. This completion message should be read in conjunction with the log file, if any errors are indicated.

The above indicates a successful completion, while the below represents some problem encountered in the external program.

On completion of the external program, the status file is inspected and, if the result is favourable, the user will then be asked whether or not to view the log file, if that option has been selected on the Run Information window.

To inspect the log file later, save it with the File > Save as option in the File Viewer window which will bring up a File Browser, or by clicking Save as to the suggested filename. Either way, if the file already exists, the user will be asked whether to overwrite it. The log file window may then be closed by clicking Cancel.

If the Brief mode has been chosen on the Run Information window for displaying the log file, the window displaying the log file will filter out all Warning messages, leaving only the Error messages. Saving the log file, however, all messages will be retained in the file.

Error and Log File Messages

Exporting Linear Members

A series of checks are made before a Linear Member is output.

• Is the SPRE set?

• Is it a zero length member?

• Does it have a valid material?

• Is the Justification Pline mappable to a Cardinal Point if it is not a Cardinal Point itself?

• Are the start and end points valid?

If any of the above criteria is not satisfied, the linear member does not even get exported to the output file.

Note:
This will have an effect on the subsequent import process as the member will appear to have been deleted by AVEVA Bocad Steel since its export. In fact, the linear member never made the transfer to there in the first place.

As has been indicated before, Linear Members can be transferred as either Straight or Curved. In the base product, curved members are modelled using GENSECs. However, GENSECs can be compound shapes with both straight and arc sections.

Once the Linear Member has been output, the relevant UDAs specific for the interface associated with Export are updated. These are principally the element's internal ID and UUID numbers and transfer and revision numbers. This is only as necessary to minimize core database changes that affect the modification dates and times.

The interface may not be able to update the export information on the elements. This would usually be because the database is read-only. If this is the case, a session related macro file is produced for execution immediately afterwards, or when one has write access to the database. This file is called updateVersionnos<export date/time>.mac and is stored in the user’s work folder.

Error and Log File Messages

Exporting Plates

Panels in the base product are to be transferred as Plates. This covers stiffeners, floor and toe plates. Bent plates are also transferred if they are expressed as their component flat plates. If Bent Plates are to be treated as Angle linear members then they should be modelled as such.

If the base product’s penetration functionality is used to generate Catalog holes, the resultant holes, kicker plates and stiffeners are not exported because they are contained in a Catalog definition. Some holes and negative primitives can be exported. Refer to for further information.

The Description attribute will be used to store the flooring type, such as grating or chequer plate. This is passed as the type field (up to 24 characters).

The Material Grade transferred represents the material type. This is a text attribute, rather than the number field in the base product. Therefore a User Defined Attribute (UDA), :FABMGRADE, has been defined within the base product to store this information.

Note:
Any edge preparation details and modelling, such as grinding, will be lost in the transfer operation.

A basic series of tests is performed before the Plate is exported.

• Is there any geometry?

• Is the height valid?

• Is it justified correctly?

• Does it have a valid material?

• Are there enough vertices?

If any of the above criteria is not satisfied, the plate does not get exported in the output file.

Note:
This has an effect on the subsequent import process as the plate will appear to have been deleted by AVEVA Bocad Steel since its export. In fact, the plate never made the transfer in the first place.

Once the Plate has been output, the relevant UDAs specific for the interface associated with Export are updated. These are principally the element's internal ID and the UUID numbers and transfer and revision numbers.

Although both plates and holes are supposed to have a clockwise definition (right hand screw rule) for their boundaries in either the base product or in the file, the interface must be able to cope with either clockwise or anti clockwise directions. In exporting plates the vertex order is converted to satisfy the right-hand screw rule.

Note:
Importing a Plate previously defined in base product, the user may find the order of vertices to have been reversed.

Plates with curved and straight segments to their boundaries can be transferred both to and from the base product. Because of the difference between the base product and boundary definitions, vertices will stand a high chance of being created in different places. Further, in order to recreate the shape, there may be a different number of vertices in the boundary. This makes it very difficult to compare the boundaries, especially on import.

In order to assist the transfer of these complex shapes, the vertices are given a type code as a design parameter. The code indicates whether the following boundary segment is straight, an arc, or whether the vertex is a created one not contained in the AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface file.

Circular Plates

Circular plates in the base product are identified by the number of vertices, the geometry and possibly the vertex type codes. There is no short-hand definition of a circular plate in the base product. As a result, a certain amount of geometric testing is involved in identifying and exporting circular plates. The interface recognizes only 4 or 5 point circles, where the 5th point is a duplicate of the first point.

Error and Log File Messages

Transferring Holes

There is a limitation as to which holes are exported. Only secondary PLOO boundaries and NXTR elements can be handled. PLOOs are full depth penetrations: partial penetrations can be modelled using NXTR elements. Circular boundaries of holes and indentations can be imported and exported if recognized as such, by having 4 unique fillet vertices.

On import vertices in boundaries are given a DESP value according to the list below.

Using these values specific shapes, such as circles, ellipses, , can be detected.

A message is output when the export process ignores non loop-based negative primitives. This is because it is difficult to determine the geometric intersection with the PANEL, especially if the primitive axis is not perpendicular to the plate plane. In the future it may be possible to handle some of them, but only within tight geometrical constraints. Negative boxes and cylinders could be transferred only if a principal axis is parallel to the plate's normal. This means that the cylinder's Z-axis, and any of the box's X, Y or Z-axis must be parallel to the plate normal. We even have to limit NXTR elements those with an extrusion vector parallel to the panel plane normal. The following negatives are not exported:

Imported holes will be either NXTR or PLOO elements. A full penetration will be a PLOO, and a partial penetration will be an NXTR.

Any other negatives will not be compared or merged on import. Other pre-existing negatives will be just moved and updated to maintain their original position and orientation.

Use of SAVEWORK on Export and Import

In order for the AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface, and more specifically the AVEVA Bocad Steel program, to be able to detect model changes, the interface needs to manage modification dates and times. These values are stored in the database as text strings, based on the last recorded Dabacon model modification date and time. For us to then save these dates and times we need to lock the changes in with a SAVEWORK. This implies some significant time difference between setting a text string attribute and the SAVEWORK. This time difference is model size dependent. We compare the database modification times with the time stored on the attribute with a 5 minute time buffer in order to determine, to the best of our ability, whether an element has been changed.

Importing does not do a SAVEWORK by itself, but because of this, there can become some significant time difference between the import, modification and database dates and times. Import, creation and modification dates and times are passed through the ABS file, but these can be significantly different from the Dabacon date and time.

Overall, this will make it difficult to compare models purely on dates and times.