Label and Connect Pipe and Signal Line Off-Page Connectors

The procedure can be used to label off-page connectors (also known as offsheet connectors, page connectors and pipe flags) for pipes and signal lines, and to establish connections between connectors. Off-page connector labels display the drawing that the connection is to, and optionally the grid reference of the connection (another connector) on that drawing.

This topic also describes how to propagate changes made to the properties of pipes from one drawing to another via connected off-page connectors, and how to disconnect off-page connectors.

For details of the use of this procedure in the context of drawing P&IDs, refer to Label Offsheet Connectors.

Note: Details of a connector can be viewed by hovering the cursor over the connector symbol. Details are displayed on the tooltip. The STATUS: property indicates whether or not the connector is LINKED, in which the number of the connected drawing is also displayed, or UNLINKED.

If the symbol is displayed, this indicates that the connector is hyperlinked. Ctrl-clicking on it, or selecting the Open Target Drawing option from the connector’s right-click menu, will open the drawing on which connected offsheet connectors is located.

Associated Project Configuration Options

• Whether or not warnings are to be displayed on drawings which are opened with unconnected offsheet connectors on them is set in the Offsheet Connectors - Setting Sub-Category of the AVEVA P&ID Project Administration program.

• Specify the display format and position of connector labels in the Offsheet Connectors - Labels Sub-Category of the AVEVA P&ID Project Administration program.

• When defining connector label types in Offsheet Connectors - Labels Sub-Category, tag expressions defined in a specially set up dataset (see Define the Page Connector Labels Dataset) can be selected for both on and off connector labels.

• Whether or not changes to the properties of a pipe are automatically propagated to other pipes connected to it via an offsheet connector is controlled by the setting of the Automatic Propagation Setting for Connected Pipes checkbox in the Offsheet Connectors - Setting Sub-Category.

• Whether or not users are warned when pipe properties are going to propagated is controlled by the setting of the USER_PROPOGATEPIPEPROMPT user-defined directive in the Miscellaneous – Settings Sub-Category.

• Whether or not OPCLABELS dataset values for offsheet connectors are to be propagated and updated automatically from connected drawings when a drawing is opened is controlled by the setting of the USER_PROPOGATEPIPEPROMPT user-defined directive in the Miscellaneous – Settings Sub-Category

Procedure

Page connectors can be labelled, and connections to other connectors established using two procedures:

• Label and Connect using the Page Connector Properties dialog

• Label and Connect Offsheet Connectors using the P&ID Data Grid

Once pipes have been connected using offsheet connectors, changes made to the properties of pipes can be propagated to the properties of a connected pipes on other drawings:

• Propagate Changes to Pipe Properties

To disconnect connectors, use the following procedure:

• Disconnect Connectors

Label and Connect with the Page Connector Properties dialog

1. Start the procedure by either:

   • selecting the symbol to be labelled on The Drawing Page, then selecting Properties from the shortcut menu, or

   • selecting the Properties option in the Properties group of the Home tab.

     Note: Labels can also be viewed using the Non-Modal Properties Dialog, but tags cannot be directly entered into this dialog. Other details can be entered or changed however, and the drawing labelled with them.

2. If the first method of starting the procedure is followed, the AVEVA P&ID Page Connector Properties dialog for the symbol is then displayed.

   If the other method is followed, the Command prompt will display:

   Select Item to Label, or Label to Modify:

   Pick the connector to be labelled, or a connector label to be modified.

3. The AVEVA P&ID Page Connector Properties dialog is then displayed:

   

   If connecting to a connector that has already been labelled, select the drawing number of the project drawing that the connected connector is on.

   Note: The list of available drawings is restricted to those of unconnected connectors that match the properties and direction of the connection, for example:

   • destination connectors can only be connected to source connectors, and vice versa, and

   • the connected connector must share the same properties.

     Select the grid reference of the offsheet connectors on that drawing. The list of available grid references is restricted to those of unconnected connectors that match the drawing number and direction of the connection.

     If connecting to an offsheet connector that has not yet been drawn or labelled, enter a drawing number and grid reference as required. Sheet numbers may also be specified.

     If connecting to an offsheet connector that is positioned on a drawing from a different project on the same server or on a different server, click within the Target Database field. The Target Database dialog is then displayed:

     

     If connecting to an offsheet connector that is positioned on a drawing from a different project on the same server, select the Select database from same server radio button.

     If connecting to an offsheet connector that is positioned on a drawing from a different project on a different server, select the Select database from different server radio button. The Connect to Server dialog is then displayed:

     

     Connect to a valid SQL server and authenticate the connection. Click OK to return to the Target Database dialog.

     Note:
     If connecting offsheet connectors from different projects which are on the same database server, or on different database servers, the username, password and authentication mode must be the same.

     As required, check the Filter current project databases checkbox and make a selection from the Select target database menu. When the target database is confirmed. All available off page connectors can be selected from the Drawing menu:

     

     If label text and/or reference text is required to label the drawing, select Yes or No as required from the Drawing Annotation and Grid Reference Annotation Add Label fields.

     As required, enter additional information to label the flag in the Text fields.

     Click OK.

     Note: When connections between connectors are made using the Properties sheet, in order for the link between two connected connectors to be established, the drawings that the two ends of the connection are on must both be synchronised, refer to Export Data to a P&ID Reports Database). This is not necessary when connections are made using the P&ID Data Grid.

4. The Command prompt will then display:

   Position Label:

   Place the label centrally inside the connector.

5. If any additional label text was entered in the Text fields, the Command prompt will then display the following for each of the fields that was entered:

   Insertion point or select escape key:

   Place each piece of text as required.

   Depending on the Add Label settings, the user may also be promoted to place the connected drawing and grid reference text as well.

6. The Command prompt will display:

   Select Item to Label, or Label to Modify:

   Pick another connector to continue labelling, or press or select Enter to end the command.

   Note: If a connector label includes tag expressions, these will be populated with the appropriate data from the connected sheet when the P&ID Reports database is synchronised and consolidated, refer to Export Data to a P&ID Reports Database. These will also be updated automatically when a drawing is opened or refreshed.
   If a label includes a tag expression that retrieves the destination of a line (for example, it includes the Label_To or Label_From attribute), if the destination is equipment, the associated nozzle tag will not be included in the label.

Label and Connect Offsheet Connectors with the P&ID Data Grid

Note: Not applicable to signal line connectors.

7. Start the procedure by right-clicking on an unassigned connector under the Unassigned Page Connectors node of the P&ID Data Grid, and select the Connect option from the menu that is then displayed.

   

   The Off-page Reference dialog is then displayed:

   

   The Select Drawing No field displays the current drawing number.

8. To connect to a new pipe on the current drawing, select the New Pipe option. To connect to an existing pipe, select the Existing option.

9. If the connector symbol is to be hyperlinked, for example, Ctrl-clicking on it will open the drawing on which other end of the connector is located, check the Insert hyperlinks on symbol(s) checkbox.

10. Click OK.

11. If the New Pipe option is selected, the Drawing Pipes procedure is automatically started. Draw and label the new pipe in the normal way. The pipe connector flag will automatically be linked to the selected unassigned connector, and labelled accordingly. The unassigned connector is removed from under the Unassigned Page Connectors node.

12. If the Existing option is selected the Command prompt will display:

    Select Object:

    Select a connector on the drawing. The label is placed in the connector symbol and the unassigned connector is removed from under the Unassigned Page Connectors node. The selected connector must match the properties and direction of the connection, for example:

    • destination offsheet connectors can only be connected to source flags, and vice versa, and

    • the connected offsheet connectors must share the same pipe properties.

    If the selected connector does not meet these criteria, an error message is displayed, informing the user of this.

Propagate Changes to Pipe Properties

If the Auto Propagate pipes data across drawings checkbox in the Miscellaneous – Settings Sub-Category of the AVEVA P&ID Project Administration program is checked then modified pipe properties in a drawing are automatically propagated to connected drawings when opening them or navigating to them (if already opened).

However, if the USER_OPCAUTOTAGGING user-defined directive in the Miscellaneous – Settings Sub-Category is also set to "Yes", the user will receive a warning message that propagation is going to occur, and can cancel it if required.

If the checkbox is not checked, changes to properties can be propagated manually to a connected pipe as follows:

13. Select the appropriate connector symbol on The Drawing Page, then select Propagate from the shortcut menu.

14. The pipe properties are then propagated to the other drawing, which is automatically opened.

    If the connected drawing is already open, it will close and the re-open automatically, and the propagation will then take place.

    If the connected drawing is unavailable for editing, an error message is displayed and the propagation does not take place.

Disconnect Connectors

To disconnect an offsheet connectors select the connector symbol on The Drawing Page, then selecting Disconnect from the shortcut menu.

Note: If the properties of a pipe with a connected offsheet connector are changed, and those changes are not propagated to the offsheet connector on the other drawing, the offsheet connectors will automatically be disconnected the next time the drawings are synchronized.