Modal Properties Dialogs

Modal Properties dialogs can be accessed in various ways. They can be opened by selecting an item on the drawing page or the Engineering Explorer, and then selecting the "Properties" options on the shortcut menu for the item. Alternatively, activate the labelling command first and then select an item to be labelled. Refer to Insert Symbols.

The modal Properties dialog for an item may also be displayed automatically when an item is placed on the drawing if "auto-labelling" is on for the category of item. For example, if auto-labelling is on for equipment, immediately after an equipment item is placed, the modal Properties dialog for the equipment opens automatically. Auto-labelling can be switched on and off using the facilities in the Pipeline group of the Home tab.

Modal Properties dialogs consist of three tabs. The Properties tab is used to enter the tag and other essential engineering data for the item.

It may also be used to change the layer that the item is located on.

If the item is placed on the lock layer, the item is locked and the user will not be able to modify the Properties values. If there are any inline components present on the pipe, they are also locked and placed on the lock. layer.

Items placed on the lock layer will be highlighted in the defined colour.

Note: For pipes, the component will be highlighted in the lock layer colour if the pipe style colour is set to be as Assume by Layer. For other components, the component item color should be set as Assume by Layer.

Copy, Move and Delete functionality is not available for locked items. If an attempt is made to copy, move or delete a locked item, the following message is displayed:

The line type and line type scale of the item symbol can also be selected.

The All Properties tab includes fields for entering all data relating to the item, for example, additional engineering data and the appearance of the item label, as well as the fields on the Properties tab.

Fields are grouped under headings into logical categories. The fields within a category can be hidden or revealed by using the +/- boxes at the left of each category heading.

Beneath the fields, tips on how to complete each individual field are displayed as each field is selected. A preview of how the item tag will appear on the P&ID is also displayed, as configured in the AVEVA P&ID Project Administration program.

Many of the fields on a modal Properties dialog can be completed by selecting from a drop-down list. These lists contain the values that are "allowed" for the particular field. List of values can be accessed by clicking the button at the right-hand side of the field. The lists of values display descriptions of each value.

When typing into a field that has a list of values, this list is displayed automatically after the first character is entered. You may then select the rest of the entry from the list, or continue to type it in. The permissible values comprising such lists are held in the validation lists for the project, refer to Validation. If an invalid entry is made, the field will replace the invalid value with a default value from the list.

Note: If the USER_DISABLE_LOV_FILTER user-defined directive on the Miscellaneous - Settings Sub-Category is set to 'Yes', this filtering is disabled for all the fields except instrument type and equipment, unless they have a list of values set up in the List of Values Configuration Category associated with them.

Click the Display /Hide tab to display the Attribute Settings dialog which includes check boxes to define the display of attributes on the Properties / All Properties tabs.

Check the required checkboxes to display the attributes in the dialog. Check the Select All checkbox to display all attributes in the dialog.

Click the Up and Down arrow buttons to change the position of the currently selected attribute group in the dialog.

After selecting the attributes, click OK to close the Attribute Settings dialog, the Properties dialog is automatically refreshed.

The project can be set-up so the last value entered in a Properties dialog field automatically populates that field that next time that Properties dialog is accessed for an unlabelled item of that item type. This is set up using the Pipes - Settings Sub-Category, Instruments - Settings Sub-Category, Equipment - Settings Sub-Category, Valves - Settings Sub-Category and Miscellaneous - Settings Sub-Category of the AVEVA P&ID Project Administration program.

User Defined Attributes (UDAs) may be defined for project items, refer to Add User-Defined Attributes. The Properties dialogs for these items will include the fields required to enter values for these attributes.

Note: In the rest of this document, modal Properties dialogs are simply referred to as "Properties dialogs".