Create a Multi Discipline Support

1. Select the Create pull-down menu.

   

2. Click on Multi Discipline Frame¼.

   A form similar to the example shown below is displayed, listing all the available supports for the MDS application.

   

   This form shows the framework types listed into groups as below:

   • L Brackets

   • Cantilevers/Posts

   • Pedestals

   • Frames

   • Braced Brackets

   • T Posts

   • Miscellaneous

     These groupings are set by the administrator. Refer to the MDS Structure Defaults form section in the MDS Administrator Guide for further information.

3. Select the type of framework required, for instance a pedestal; this then refreshes the form with the available pedestals available.

   

4. You can also create support groups using the icon.

   Group names are identified by the suffix, [1]. Hangers can be added to the main framework support group and detailed as one entire MDS support drawing.

   Any available support which requires a different description to be displayed, or requires a different name to the standard name supplied, can be modified using the MDS Structure Defaults form. Refer to the MDS Administrator Guide for further information.

   The icon allows you to create a Multi Discipline Framework from an existing Preliminary Support. Refer to Convert an Existing Preliminary Support into an MDS Support for further information.

   In the examples shown above, the prefix X has been added to all support default names.

5. Enter a name in one of the following two ways:

   • Enter the name of the support to be created.

     If you enter a legal name in the Name field then click the OK button, the form becomes active. Notice that in step 3 no name is specified and so the OK button is inactive.

   • Click on the AutoName icon at the top of the form.

     An automatically generated name is filled in and the OK button becomes active.

6. Click on the required support type.

   Note: Do not click on OK at this time.

   At any time when the Multi Discipline Frameworks form is displayed, you can click on the View button to see the engineering drawing corresponding to the selected support. See the example in the image below

   

7. Right-click on the AutoName icon and the button bar shown in Figure 2:21 is displayed.

   

8. Click on the Select Naming File¼ panel.

   The MDS AutoNaming File form (Figure 2:22) is displayed. This allows you to select:

   • a different AutoNaming file for the session, or

   • a different AutoNaming file set for the zone.

     Refer to the MDS Administrator Guide for further information.

     Note: The Multi Discipline Frameworks selection form remains displayed.

     

     You can also select a zone, which is used to create all the support structures, by clicking on the Default Creation Zone icon on the Multi Discipline Frameworks form.

9. Select the support type required.

10. Click on the OK button. The type is selected and the form closes. Refer to the MDS Administrator Guide for further information.

Example: Creating a support type

In this example you will create support type XFT09, using the name FT09

11. Click on the OK button on the Multi Discipline Frameworks form.

    The XFT09-MDS Framework form is displayed.

    

    See Modify a Support for a descriptive overview of the icon functions.

12. Make sure that the pipes, cable rack or HVAC you need to support are added to the Drawlist, along with any other elements needed to create the support.

    This may include steelwork and panels, depending on the creation mode that is to be used. They must be added to the graphical view to be identified.

13. Create the datum atta.

    This is the attachment on the first pipe that is associated with the support structure. This must be a pipe, not a cable rack or HVAC element.

    To support cable rack or HVAC using the datum atta Create HVAC… or Create Rack… from the Create pull-down menu, or the equivalent icon in the MDS toolbar must be used. Where cable rack was created by the Cabling System application (and so is made up of cable tray (CTRAY) elements), a cable tray support element (CTSUPP) is automatically used in place of a support attachment element (ATTA).

14. To create the datum atta select the Create datum support atta button at the top of the form.

    You are presented with the cursor so that you can identify a pipe. When you have done this, the Ancillary Selection form containing a filtered list of all the available ancillaries at the selected pipe bore, is displayed.

    

    These may be restricted for each framework type. for further information refer to the MDS Administrator Guide.

15. Select the ancillary XAT16 (Bolt on Shoe) from the form.

16. Click on the OK button.

    The application now creates the pipe shoe on the selected pipe and positions it at the previous component or branch start, with a graphical tag of Datum for easy recognition. The Create datum support atta button is deactivated.

17. Position the shoe on the pipe using:

    • The Distance button, with a distance value placed in the text field next to it, or

    • Any of the Through button available options. These include Through ID Cursor, Through Back Mark, and so on.

18. Continue to add all the pipes, HVAC and cable racks to the support.

    These can be added using the first three icons on the XFT09 form.

    The application now positions the new attachments with respect to the datum atta.

    The example in shows two pipes, HVAC and cable rack elements added to the support.

    

    Note: The HVAC and cable rack support attachments have a ‘lollipop’ representation. This is because the fixings to the steelwork are regarded as supplied by the HVAC and cable rack contractor; no allowance is made for the selection of different fixings in the MDS application. The ‘lollipop’ representation is removed when the support is completed, returning to its original drawing level before the support was created. There are no obstruction properties associated with the lollipop representation and no clashes are reported.

19. Select the Steelwork Size icon .

20. Select a template available from the list presented on the form (). The template list shows all available templates. For this exercise, choose the second option, 80x80x10 Angle, Internally Welded.

    

21. Click Dismiss to accept the selection and return to the XFT09 form ().

    There are three different options that you can use to create the steel framework:

    • Create by Cursor

    • Create by Clearance

    • Create by Dimensions

    You will now create the framework with all three options and see what differences they make.