Using the Isodraft GUI

Isodraft can be completely controlled from the application’s GUI. The information displayed on the isometrics is controlled by Options files, allowing you to produce drawings to your own standards. Some option files are supplied with the product: these can be modified, or new option files created, to suit your company standards and projects.

The basic procedure for producing an isometric using the GUI is:

1. Select the type of isometric you wish to produce (Standard or System/Trim).

2. Select the options file you wish to use.

3. Select the element you wish to process, from the members list, or assemble a detail list containing the elements.

4. Select the type of output required.

5. Detail the elements.

Select the Type of Isometric

To produce a Standard isometric, select Isometrics then Standard from the main menu bar. The Standard Isometric form is displayed.

Select the Options File

Options files can be created in three areas: Project, Company or Local. The files are accessed by selecting the required area from the Options drop-down list on the Standard Isometrics form. The names of the files in the area are displayed in the options scrollable list:

• The Project standards: the files containing standard settings for the project that you are in. There are some example files supplied with Isodraft.

• The Company standards: the files containing standard settings for your company. Two metric sample files (BASIC.MET and ADVANCED.MET) and two imperial sample files (BASIC.IMP and ADVANCED.IMP) are supplied with Isodraft.

• Local lists the contents of the current directory.

Click on the options file you wish to use, to select it.

Select the Elements

You can elect to process either the Current Element and its members, or the contents of the Detail List, by selecting Current Element or Detail List from the Detail drop-down list on the Standard Isometrics form.

If you select Current Element, you must select the CE in the Isodraft Explorer or the Isodraft Members list. If the CE is a Zone, Group or ISOREG, the owned (or grouped) Pipes or Spool Drawings are processed.

Assembling a ‘Detail List’ allows you to produce isometrics for several elements, which need not be in the same area of the database (or even in the same database), in one operation. To display the Isometric Detail List form, select Detail List from the Detail drop-down list.

Note: This replaces the normal Isodraft Members list.

The Isometric Detail List form contains two scrollable windows: one lists the Members in the selected database, in the same way as the Isodraft Members list; the other lists elements added to the Detail List.

To add an element to the Detail List, select it in the Members List and click the Add button.

Only Zones, Groups, Pipes, Branches, ISOREGs or Spool Drawings can be added. If the element is a Zone, Group or ISOREG, the owned (or grouped) Pipes or Spool Drawings are added rather than the element itself.

Select the Output

You can specify that an Isometric, Transfer file, Batch macro or Bolt report is produced. Select the required option from the Produce drop-down list on the Standard Isometrics form.

Detail the Elements

To detail the selected element(s), click the Apply button.

An PDMS plot file for the isometric will be created in the directory specified in the options file. A material list file will also be created if material list production is switched on in the options file.

When detailing is complete, the display will change to show the isometric displayed in the Display Isometric window. Two other forms, Isodraft Message and Display List, are also displayed.