Standard Command Tools

Command Tool is a generic term covering command arguments (or atoms) and command parts. Both classes of command tool fit into ordinary commands and provide different ways of stating a particular requirement. Command tools may be PDMS-wide or module-specific. This section describes the standard Command Tools that may be used in PARAGON, SPECON or PROPCON. They may be one of the following:

• Standard Command Tools—which fit into ordinary commands

• External Macro Facilities—which can be used in a stored macro file and which control the behavior of the macro when it is executed

• Standard Concepts—which apply globally within PARAGON, SPECON or PROPCON

Some of the main command tools (or the PARAGON, SPECON or PROPCON variations of them) summarized for convenience:

Command Arguments

Command arguments are also called atoms because they cannot be broken down any further. They are individual units which PARAGON, SPECON or PROPCON can recognize as constituents of a complete command. They usually need to be separated by spaces so that they are individually distinguishable. Command arguments are distinguished from the other command parts by being written in lower case italics. The principal command arguments are:

Note: There must be a space before and after each of these command arguments.

Command Parts

Command parts are subsets of the general command syntax which are used frequently within other command sequences. The following command parts are summarized here:

Expressions

Any mathematical, logical or alphabetical expression whose result replaces it in the command syntax.

Dimensions

A physical dimension entered using default or explicit distance units.

Catalog Element Types

A word used to represent a specific type of element in the Catalog database hierarchy.

Element Identifiers

Methods for specifying which database element you want your next commend to act upon.

Cursor-picking Identifier (<sgid>)

This command part defines the most general method of identifying an Element. The command is completed by picking an element using the cursor in a graphical view.

Expressions (<eval>)

If a value given within a command needs to be calculated from other known values, you can enter an expression from which the required result is to be evaluated by PARAGON, SPECON or PROPCON as it executes the command. Such an expression must be enclosed between parentheses (...) to identify where it begins and ends.

Full details of the expression syntax are given in the PML 1 Expressions and PML Expressions, and are also available as on‑line help.

Dimensions (<uval>)

Once the working units have been specified, all dimensions input subsequently will be assumed to be in those units unless you override them. (Note that these are simply specific examples of the use of ‘real’ expressions. You can include explicit units of measurement when entering a value in any expression.)

Examples

Note: On output, values are rounded by default as follows:

• millimeters to the nearest millimeter

• inches to the nearest 1/32 or 0.1 inch.

• However, rounding on output may be controlled by using the PRECISION command. Within PARAGON, SPECON or PROPCON, values are stored as accurately as the host computer will allow.

Catalog Element Types (<snoun>)

This command part refers to an element type in the Catalog hierarchy.

Catalog administrative elements

Piping Components

Profile Components

Joint Components

Fitting Components

Note: FITTing number is not a valid option.

3D Geomset elements

Negative 3D Geomset elements

Structural Geomset elements

3D Pointset elements

Structural Pointset elements

Dataset elements

Detailing Text elements

Material Text elements

Bolt Table elements

Connection Table elements

Units elements

Group World elements

Part World elements

Specification World elements

Table World elements

Specific Element Identifier (<gid>)

This command part identifies a specific element either explicitly or by reference to its relative position in the database hierarchy.

Examples

Cursor-picking Identifier (<sgid>)

This command part defines the most general method of identifying an Element. The command is completed by picking an element using the cursor in a graphical view.

Examples