Use the Symbol Explorer

The top section of the pane displays lists of both Project and Standard groups of symbols, for example, valves or nozzles. If a group of symbols is selected, the content of the group is displayed in the section below.

Note: The Standard node can be hidden if required using a user-defined directive, USER_HideStandardSymbolExplorerNode. Refer to the Miscellaneous Configuration Category - Settings Sub-Category of the AVEVA P&ID Administration program for details.
A project may be set up so that only project symbols located in a specific folder are available to a drawing, for example, a folder with the same name as the drawing’s "filter value". For details refer to Create Pipe Property, Symbol and DataSet Filters based on Drawing Attributes.

The content of a group may be displayed either as icons:

Or as details:

• Select the required format from this drop-down menu:

  

• When the pane is in Icons view mode, details of the currently selected symbol are displayed below the symbol icons. When the pane is in Details view mode, a preview image of the selected symbol is displayed below the symbol details.

• To refresh the images of symbols, for example, if a symbol has been edited or a new symbol has been created using the Symbol Editor, right-click and select the Refresh option.

  

• The Edit Symbol option opens the Symbol Editor for the symbol.

• The Delete Symbol option is used to delete a symbol. It is only enabled for Project symbols; it is disabled for Standard symbols.

• The Add to Favourites option is used to add a symbol to the Favourites tab.

  • If the Current User option is selected, the added favorite symbols are only visible to that user.

  • If the Project option is selected, the added favorite symbols are visible to all users of the project.

• Refresh and Refresh All options are also available on the right-click menu for the project.

  

• The Create Symbol option opens the Symbol Editor.

• The New option is used to add new sub-folders. The Rename and Delete options are used to perform these actions on sub-folders (the top-level project folder cannot be deleted or renamed).

• The Import Symbols from XML option is used to import symbols into a project from a Proteus Schema 4.0.1 XML file using the DEXPI import facility. Refer to DEXPI Import and Export User Guide for details.

• All ports valves on a drawing may be refreshed and updated in one go with changes made using the Symbol Editor. For example, extra ports may have been added, or the port number sequence changed.

  Right-click anywhere in the symbol display pane for Valves and select the Upgrade Ports option.

  

  All ports valves on the drawing are then updated with the latest symbol settings, without the user having to select and upgrade symbols one at a time using the Refresh option as described above.

  Note: This option will not be available if the USER_DISPLAY_UPGRADE_PORTS user-defined directive in the Miscellaneous – Settings Sub-Category of the AVEVA P&ID Project Administration program has been set to ‘No’.

• To search for a symbol, select

  The Symbol Search pane is then displayed:

  

  Enter all or part of the symbol name in the Find What field, and select either Symbol Name or Symbol Description from the Find In field. Press Enter. The first symbol that matches the search criteria is then highlighted in the Symbol Explorer. Select the button again to find additional matches.

  As the search criteria are being typed in, symbols descriptions that start with characters entered so far are automatically listed below the field. For example, if "GAT" is typed, "Gate Valve" will be listed, plus any other symbol descriptions that start with "GAT".

  To select a symbol description from the list, scroll to it using the up and down keyboard buttons and press Enter. The mouse cannot be used for this due to an AutoCAD limitation.

  Select again to close the Symbol Search pane.

• Once the required symbol has been selected it may be inserted by right-clicking on it, and selecting the Insert option, by double-clicking on it, or by dragging and dropping it from the Symbol Explorer onto the drawing page. See Inserting Symbols.

• Symbols may also be inserted as "unintelligent" AutoCAD blocks, instead of as intelligent AVEVA P&ID symbols, by right-clicking on the symbol in question and selecting Insert Block.

• When assemblies are created, refer to Create Assemblies, they are automatically placed in the Assemblies sub-folder of the Project folder.

• When symbols are exported from a drawing, refer Export Symbols, they are automatically placed in the ExportSymbols sub-folder of the Project folder.

Create and Edit Symbols

Symbols are created and edited using the Symbol Editor, which is accessed from the Create Symbol and Edit Symbol right-click menu options. Refer to Symbol Editor.