WO2011095980A1

WO2011095980A1 - Method and system for pipe routing and design including piping layout, isometrics, and bill of material

Info

Publication number: WO2011095980A1
Application number: PCT/IN2010/000087
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shreenivas Potnis
Original assignee: Shreenivas Potnis
Priority date: 2010-02-05
Filing date: 2010-02-16
Publication date: 2011-08-11

Abstract

This invention is based upon an improved and multifunctional method in the field of CAD based piping design that is extremely user friendly, flexible, convenient and time saving. The method is so designed that it forms an optimal balance between 2D and 3D working environment giving user most out of their CAD systems. The method is so developed that the model size (bytes) and drawing sizes are kept low as compared to equivalent models made in other CAD software. The method is so designed that it requires minimum hardware resources. The method is so designed that projects can be quickly completed using multi-user environment.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PIPE ROUTING AND DESIGN INCLUDING PIPING LAYOUT, ISOMETRICS, AND BILL OF MATERIAL

PREAMBLE OF INVENTION- This invention is particular described the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF INVENTION- The disclosure is directed to a method and system of simplifying pipe routing and plant design, reviewing the design and obtaining deliverables like piping layouts, section views, isometrics, stress isometrics, bill of materials and 3D - Model for review.

PRIOR ART-

In the existing system as given in United States Patent Application No. 20080275674 - Patent Application wherein a methods, systems, and apparatuses for automatically determining a object type in a computer automated design application, and more particularly to automatically determining and drawing the pipe type of a pipe in a sprinkler system CAD drawing. The invention allows a user to make various pipe parameter choices and decisions up front, and to then draw each individual pipe without having to each time make the numerous selections and decisions required to determine that pipe's proper type. The present invention may also be used to determine other component types in non-piping related CAD designs, such as electrical wiring, for example.

In the existing system as given in United States Patent Application No. US20090326876 - Patent Application, wherein the system, method, and computer program product for automated creation of collision-free paths for pipes and tubes in a CAD system. A method includes receiving inputs, in a data Processing system, defining at least a start point and destination point for a pipe in a CAD environment, and a diameter for the pipe. The method includes determining sample points between the start point and destination point. The method also includes building a graph including the sample points and the start point and the destination points as nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes. The method also includes computing a path through the graph between the start point and the destination point. The method also includes, for each node in the path, testing each edge connected to the node to determine if there is a collision along the edge between test object model and background model geometry in the CAD environment, and removing from the graph any edge that has a collision. If there is no collision along an edge of the path, then designating the path as a successful path and displaying the successful path to a user by the data Processing system. In the existing system as given in United States Application No. 20090119071- Patent application wherein said method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to update a slope of a run in a system in a computer drawing application. A system run (i.e., an interconnected series of objects) is selected in a computer drawing application. The objects in the interconnected series are part of the same system and the series has a starting point and an ending point. A property for a slope of the system run is specified. The slope of the system run is updated across all of the interconnected series of objects based on the specified property.

In the existing system as given in Indian Patent Application No. 1449/CHE/2008 - Patent Application wherein disclosure is directed to invention related to a computer-implemented Method for providing improved quality control of product designs. The Method comprises steps of determining types of errors of the design, categorizing number of errors based upon types of errors, assigning a first numerical value being defined as Severity Number to each error category based upon possible severity of failure, assigning a second numerical value being defined as Failure Effect number to each error category based upon weight age given to effect of failure of end product, determining a final score for each error category as a simple product of Severity Number and Failure Effect number; said final score being defined as End Effect Number, identifying said error categories with high End Effect Number as focus areas and providing corrective actions to focus

In the existing system as given in United States Patent Application No. 4181954 - Granted Patent, wherein the description is hereinafter had to a digital computer-aided graphics system for producing in a plane having two- dimensional coordinate axes a planar representation of a three-dimensional pipeline described in easy-to- understand coded input format as a series of work points paired into overlapping sets, each set containing a dominant and subservient point identified by relative three-dimensional coordinates. This system features automatic selection of valves and fittings for use within the pipeline in accordance with service requirements of the line; automatic calculation of all three-dimensional coordinates of work points as well as mating work points derived there from; automatic provision of isometric coordinates and generation of command signals to select the best view for plotting; automatic creation of lists of materials in easy-to-understand symbols; automatic monitoring of all material piping items of interest; automatic generation of up-to-date status reports; and automatic creation of purchase orders, as required.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Traditionally the know existing 3D modeling packages employ time consuming Method of placing 3D-piping components like pipes, elbows, branches, flanges gaskets one by one which is a time consuming Method. The present invention simplifies the piping design Method by allowing designers to represent the piping route by plain simple lines and then generate the 3D-model automatically by referring to the pre-defined piping specs. This invention has methods to extract piping drawings (piping layouts and isometrics) and bill-of-material. Object of this invention is to reduce the project completion time. STATEMENT OF INVENTION- The inventor has invented a multi functional method in the field of CAD based piping design that is extremely user friendly, flexible, convenient and time saving. The method is so designed that it forms an optimal balance between 2D and 3D working environment giving user most out of their CAD systems. The method is so developed that the model size (bytes) and drawing sizes are kept low as compared to equivalent models made in other CAD software. The method is so designed that it requires minimum hardware resources. The method is so designed that projects can be quickly completed using multi-user environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION-

Accordingly, in one aspect, this invention provides a multi functional user friendly procedure that provides simplest possible interface to define complex piping specifications as used in small & large petrochemical, chemical, power and other piping centric plants designs.

The invention provides simple interface for:

1. Defining dimension references (called as DimRefs) for various piping components.

2. Storing dimension references in form of libraries.

3. Selecting required set of dimension libraries from around 2500 dimension libraries provided as part of the simplified method.

The definition of DimRefs is done in two screens. The first screen defines the top-level entry that allows user to define, see, maintain and print the names of the DimRefs. The second screen is provided to add, view, edit and maintain components under these DimRef(s) along with their functional dimensions as required during the methods provided.

The invention provides simplified method of spec-definition that defines piping specifications as required by the user.

The invention runs a Method that makes this data available to other methods in the invention in order to reduce user inputs while routing the lines and placing elements such as valves etc.

Accordingly, in second aspect, this invention provides a multi functional user friendly procedure that provides simplest possible interface to designing piping routing as used in small and large petrochemical, chemical, power and other piping centric plants designs.

The invention further uses popular AutoCAD platform and offers novel, efficient methods that simplifies designing the piping way that has been used never before.

For this, the invention uses the powerful customization tools provided by the platform such as but not limiting to the ones stated below:

• Programming in Autolisp o Programming in VBA

• Macro-writing

• Data capturing in mechanisms such as:

o Block-attributes

o Layers

o Dictionaries

o Groups

o Xdata

• Menus such as:

o Pop-up menus

o Screen menus

o Icons

o Toolbars

o Ribbons

» Xref

• Workspaces

• Model-space

• Layout-space

The inventor has employed all these features of the developing platform to develop new methods which were not part of the standard AutoCAD (since 2003) by writing codes, creating menus and icons, logically grouping the icons and commands in toolbars to form convenient collection of these tools and grouping tools in menus to form logical sequence of operations for efficient working.

The invention addresses larger domain of piping design and does not restrict its scope to sprinklers. Invention is specifically designed to introduce methods those avoid parameter feeding while placing the components.

The design of the software purposefully avoids full-automation and does not include any method of automatic conflict resolution. This gives user better flexibility, ease and control over the complex task of decision making. However, methods are provided to detect clash and procedures to easily locate clashes of pipes with pipes, cable-trays, ducts and structures.

The invention provides methods to slope the lines rather than pipes and purposefully refrains from applying the slope to all connected lines as is in some of the prior inventions. This again is a purposeful design as in reality not all connecting lines are equally sloped. This invention has procedure of asking the user to select items to be sloped rather than applying slope to all the items automatically. Inventor thinks that his procedure gives user better control on the situation. Further the invention allows user to specify slope in three ways either by giving degree, or percentage of length in plan or ratio of dropping length and length in plan The novel method employed in the invention is unlike any other package where the pipe routing is designed by placing 3D-Pipes and 3D-elements like elbows, branches, flanges, gaskets, valves.

Instead this invention provides means of designing the pipe routing by drafting simple lines in the 3D-coordinate system.

For making this task simple invention provides new methods to:

Control the co-ordinate systems by various ways as shown in Fig - 6

Draw lines as shown in Fig. 7

The invention provides method in which set of icons are made available on the screen to quickly set desired UCS, with minimum user interaction. The method includes setting WCS, changing origin, setting Plant-UCS, setting entity plane, 1-Lplane (with two variations), 2L plane, Turn UCS around X, Y & Z axis, Z-turn, setting vertical plane, left plane, right plane and top plane.

The invention provides a method called 2D-drcle that draws circle through a center point shown that passes through projected point corresponding to any point that might or might not be in the XY place passing through the center.

The invention provides method in which set of icons is made available on the screen to quickly draw lines, in the manner designer usually would like to have. These include 3-Line methods by showing two points or point and a line, X Y or Z lines in which lines are drawn in respective directions either by specifying distance or by showing two points, draw XY line (i.e. line parallel to current XY plane), radial line by showing the center point and then either delta-radius or by showing a point, nozzle line by showing a nozzle, rolled line connecting parallel lines by showing two parallel lines and asking the angle and line connecting to header by showing a branch line and the header, those are skew to each other.

The invention provides method to make these lines intelligent by assigning pre-defined line-numbers. Invention provides simple way to show the pre-defined line-list data that offers method to filter out the required line number. The filtering is done on one or more fields of the line-list as shown in Fig-8. On selecting the required line-number the same is then transferred to the lines drawn. Once the intelligence is transferred the lines represent pipes.

The invention provides methods to single two broken line and shoot line in which the lines can be shot up to a point.

Further, the invention employs layers property, provided by the developing platform AutoCAD, to store the piping information transferred by the above method. The intelligence is captured in a V delimitated text format, as a layer name. This innovative method of storing data in layers property has several benefits. This gives user the most sought control on visibility, selection, color setting etc. In order to make this simple for the designer, the invention provides powerful methods built into it so that it gives user excellent control to selectively act on objects pertaining to specified field-values.

Further, the invention employs layers property to classify non-piping items. Like piping information, this again as a layer name, in the '+' delimitated text format. The invention has powerful methods built into it so that it gives user the most sought advantage of controlled visibility, selection etc. based on the field values.

Invention provides simplest possible method to place elements. The methods differ from type of components. For elbows and branches the method provides just showing two pipes. Where as for inline components like valves, strainers etc. the method involves selecting type of component from the list and shows the pipe on which the element is to be placed. The method eliminates the traditional method of setting attributes and collects all the necessary information from the specs and scales the element and show designer the end- connections as per the specs.

Invention provides method to remove end-connections of elements with a single command. It also provides method to display the end-connections of the elements with a single command. These methods are provided as the invention provides a unique concept of stripping off the elements those can be dynamically derived. For this reason it also provides methods to dynamically derive the elbows and branches and remove them when not necessary. This has a great benefit of keeping the number of elements to a minimum and make things easy to handle. This especially becomes convenient while designing large plants with lots of piping.

Further, the invention offers a novel technique of defining and using a rotating 2D-Block, referred as GV-Block. This technique allows creating light weight, transparent representation of equipments in 3D.

GV name is derived from word Good-View. In spite of being a 2D-representation, the GV block rotate in such a fashion that it gives a feel of 3D-equipment. This is in contrast to traditional use of 3D-objects line solids and mesh, which were used traditionally to represent equipments. The traditional 3D objects make models heavy and difficult to handle and make models clumsy. The technique employed by the invention make the models light weight and transparent.

Further, the invention provides a method to convert this 2D-representation of equipment into a 3D-object that can be rendered. This is useful for 3D-review.

Further, the invention provides for the Method for auto-routing of lines/pipes. Two methods are provided. In the first method two points are specified by the user. In the second method a point and a pipe is specified. In both the cases, several optional paths are offered to the designer. One of the paths is accepted by the user.

Invention further provides various ways of filtering the piping objects and the layout objects. Various actions can then be taken on these objects as is desired by the user. The filtering can be done on one or combination of more than one field. Some of the actions are viewing, hiding and selecting. The filtering essentially manipulates the field data and then handles corresponding layers.

Invention further provides a novel method of controlling object visibility of objects without switching-on or switching-off the layers. These methods are convenient to remove objects those obstruct the views. As the Method is independent of object layers, objects on the same layer can be selectively hidden while keeping rest visible. This is done by manipulating other properties of the objects (other than layers) those are provided by AutoCAD platform, to control visibility. The Method designed in the invention is called remove-obstruction.

The invention further offers a transparent mechanism by which shoe heights are read from Microsoft Excel table and used transparently by other processes of the invention. This is a very time saving feature.

The invention further provides methods those transparently refer to the specification data and provide necessary information to the users that can facilitate decision making. In this method various values such as but not limiting to pipe-radius, flange-radius, center-to-face dimensions, center-to-center dimensions, branch- elbow, branch-branch, elbow-elbow dimensions are provided to the user readily by referring to the piping- specifications. The invention further provides methods to transparently refer the piping specifications and work-out the bill-of-material. Invention further provides methods to refer to piping specifications and convert lines and other 2D-symbols of valves etc. into 3D. Invention further provides methods to transparently refer to the piping specifications and create readable orthographic piping layouts, section views, NTS isometrics and stress isometrics.

The invention further provides method in which the user selects the header-pipes those which are perpendicular to the X-axis. These headers are then automatically spaced considering flange-diameter, insulation-diameter, pipe-diameter. The method asks the users whether the user intends to stagger the flanges or not as shown in Fig-9.

The invention further provides method of placing pipes and other objects automatically to the desired level by specifying the either the center-line level, bottom-of-pipe level, bottom-of-insulation level, top-of-steel level, top-of-pipe level, top-of-insulation level or bottom-of-steel level. The actual levels are worked out referring to the spec-data transparently as shown in Fig- 10. The method asks for the pipes to be moved and type of level that user wants to specify.

The invention offers method to enquire line numbers, valve-tags, support-tags, instrument-tags etc. This information appears on the screen. The invention also provides method to print this information on the drawings.

The invention offers a simple Method of planning orthographic drawings. For this it provides a means of defining a volume of space that has to be considered for plotting. The Method is called placing a Plan-Block. Typically the Plan-Block is placed by showing diagonal points, lower level and either top-level or the height. The invention allows deciding direction of viewing. These Plan-Blocks are automatically saved in a particular folder. These are re-usable and it is not necessary to re-define these every time the drawing is to be extracted. Corresponding to each Plan-Block a view is generated.

The invention offers provide innovative methods to design composite-layout sheets. The Method uses the predefined name-plate drawings and the pre-defined Plan-Blocks. The Method allows user to select one Plan-Block at a time and the sheet in which he intends to fit the view. The method then allows to interactively deciding the scale of the view. On deciding the scale the Method allows to print this scale on the sheet for future reference. The invention then allows adding more views in the sheet to form a composite sheet. The invention further provides methods to extract views corresponding to the Plan-Blocks. The invention further provides tools for annotating and dimensioning the views. Methods are then provided to assemble these views into the earlier designed composite-sheet. Following sequence is used: X-RefPDs => Spread-out PDs=>Select Layout-Space=> ake-view-ports=> See Xref-Plan=> assign custom-scale to the view-ports.

Invention provides methods to quickly dimension the piping-layouts. The Method is named as Quick-Dim XI. For this method to work, control points are automatically inserted in the drawing during the processing phase. These control-points are then used to give dimensions. These control points are used for Auto-dimensioning or Interactive-dimensioning methods provided by the invention.

This invention provides unique method of updating the already processed drawings, as per the changes in the changes. The Method involves automatic comparing of the earlier model and the new model and deciding what is new and what is not. The new items are separately processed and patched-up on the already processed views. In the Method the annotations and the dimensions of unchanged items remains unchanged, while those for the changed items are erased automatically.

The invention offers simple Method of placing different bill-of-material files in different folders. A method is provided that relates the items in each file and works out the differential bill-of-material.

The invention offers simple Method of placing different bill-of-material files in one folder. A method is provided that combines the bill-of-material effortlessly.

The invention unique method of extracting line-wise, service-wise, system-wise and unfiltered isometrics. In the Method the lines with piping information are processed and elbow & branch fittings are derived from as per the specs. The symbols those are already placed in the model are interpreted. The information is referred' from the piping specifications. The pipes and all the symbols are then drawn not-to-scale (NTS). The NTS- isometric is then dimensioned and bill-of-material is automatically worked out. The bill-of-material is then automatically typed-out in the drawing. The north-symbols are correctly placed referring to the directions declared in the project settings and those declared in the model. The invention further provides ways to split the isometric into number of sub-isometrics. It provides methods to combine multiple sub-isometrics. Further the invention provides tools for further fine-tuning of the isometrics.

The invention offers simple Method of tagging various items like valves, instruments and supports. The invention then reflects these tags in the drawings.

The invention provides a unique method of modeling a 3D-structural member. In this method a simple line is drawn. This line is then converted into a 3D-structual member by just selecting the type of member this line is supposed to represent. Further the invention provides interactive methods of altering the type of member, its length and orientation. Further the invention provides method to find out bill-of-material of the structural members. These methods are also used for Cable-trays, Ducts & Trenches. It also provides method to define structural member like beams, columns, ducts, cable trays by showing corner points. The invention provides a unique method to decide fitting-to-fitting arrangements. This reduces cumbersome procedure of finding out dimensions of each item, studying the end-connections, deciding the arrangement, working out the positions and placing the components. All this is handled by the method provided in the invention in which designer is asked to show two elements and the method finds related information from the specs and moves the items considering the additional elements, if any, by considering its end connections.

The invention provides a simple method to slope the lines. It asks user which items need to be included in the Method and direction in which these are to be sloped downwards. This method asks user the pipes to be sloped and allows specifying slope in form of degrees or percentage or ratio.

The invention provides innovative way of placing the cutout symbols on the floors and walls. It finds out the location where the pipes would cut the floor surface or wall surface. It places symbolic representation of the cutout, keeping the clearance. It asks whether flanges need to be considered. The invention also provides method to have combined cutout for multiple pipes. The cutout dimensions are rounded-off, in the Method. Further the methods are provided in the invention to create 3D-pockets at these locations.

The invention provides innovative way of creating isometrics with node markings. The Method creates neutral files which can be read by stress analysis programs.

The invention provides methods to find clash with pipes and structures. The method works out the enveloping dimensions an checks mathematically whether the two envelopes overlap. Incase the overlap is found a clash is reported. The method not only creates a report for the clashes but also marks the locations with a special mark. Method is provided to navigate from mark to mark so that each clash can be brought to screen and studied and resolved.

The invention provides methods very convenient way of working in a multi user environment. It has methods developed to handle different scenarios. In the simplest form each designer is provided with one folder and each one works in a different area. Methods are provided so that all designers can interact with each other and refer to other persons work.

In the more complex scenario a team of designers work in the same area. The model is cloned for each designer in which he works. Time and again the main model is updated and the updated clones are made available to all.

The invention provides methods converting plain simple lines those are made intelligent as pipes to be converted back and forth from solid pipes and plain simple lines. This method makes it convenient to review the models as and they are developed as and when required. Also this keeps overheads low and allows faster operations and greater flexibility when solid pipes are converted back to lines. In this method designer is asked to select the single-line representation of pipes. On doing so the method refers to all the relevant information and converts it into a solid pipe.

The invention provides methods whole set of copy-in copy-out options those are crafted for convenience. Copy out action is offered in different flavors viz. Simple copy-out, By-Reference copy-out and In-UCS copy-out. In the first case no reference point is asked where as in the other two methods a reference point is asked from the user. Each of the copy-out option has its own set of Copy-In methods. In the first case no point is requested and the objects are copied out at the very same coordinate as were at the time of copy-out. In copy-in commands corresponding to second and third method a reference point is asked where the earlier shown reference point placed. In the second method the objects are placed in the same orientation as they are originally. In the third method user is allowed to change the UCS and there-by allows user to alter the orientation as the objects are copied-in.

Further copy-in as foreign option is provided in which the objects copied in are treated as foreign objects. Such objects are not considered in the BOM and can be removed single command. In case of copy-in commands corresponding to the second and third methods optional methods are provided in which user can specify reference points either by showing the points directly or by specifying grids. Further 2D-layout & 2D-section commands allows user to place all the objects being copied in on a single layer. Further the invention provides a Copy-out in file option that is associated with Copy-In from file option. Further a method is provided to Copy- In as foreign from the file.

The invention provides special methods to copy move and space the objects in X, Y and Z directions. These operate either by giving distance or by showing points. These commands are different from the copy and move commands those are provided by AutoCAD. Unlike standard commands these methods move only in X, Y or Z direction and do not move objects to the actual points shown. The spacing command asks for an anchor point with reference to which the objects are moved in X, Y or Z direction.

The invention provides special methods to move objects in radial direction. The method asks for delta distance by which the objects need to be shifted. Another powerful method is provided in which the points on old radius and new radius are asked. Another method is provided in which all the nozzles, legs can be moved in respective radial directions.

The invention provides method asks designer to select all headers parallel to each other. The invention provides unique method to adjust header spacing, with respect to each other by considering or excluding flanges and further considering whether these flanges need to be staggered or not. The invention also provides method for moving of the items along with the header.

This invention provides method allows designer to either enquire or use the calculation of various dimensions such as pipe, insulation and flange radii, two-elbow distances, branch-to-elbow distance, back-of-pipe distance and other.

The invention provides method that decides the distance and move pipe with respect to the other pipe such that the two crossing pipes are kept clear from each other. The method asks user to show the pipes. Depending on the option selected one of the pipe is moved in X or Z or perpendicular manner to clear the crossing.

The invention provides method that allows designer to move objects to absolute North/South and East/West coordinate. The method refers to the predefined North direction as defined in the project settings.

The invention provides method to rotate the viewing direction in horizontal or vertical plane. This method asks for the angle by which the viewing direction is required to be turned.

The invention provides method of marking the error locations while performing checks and while other commands. These marks can be filtered out or erased. Method is provided to navigate from one error mark to another. Method is also provided to write these error marks to a file and attach these with the attach method provided in the invention.

Invention provides method of defining line-number format, elevation format and equipment-tag format, valve- tag format and support-tag format while defining the project settings. It also provides method of printing the information as per the pre-decided format on the drawing either automatically or interactively.

Invention provides methods to find and print distances from nearest grids of any frozen point on the isometrics. It also provide method to remove un-wanted grid references.

Invention provides methods to allow defining required area-codes in an excel file. It provides methods to define north direction to each area-code. North of each area-code may be different from the project-north. It also provides defining separate set of grids for each area-code. It provides simple methods to manage these area- codes alter the north directions and switch between one area-code to another.

Invention provides simple method to set count/no-count status to any element. If set to no-count these then are excluded from the bill-of-material. It also provides method to set count/no-count to the sub-elements or the elements those are dynamically derived.

Invention provides methods to mark elements on hold. These elements are then separated in the bill-of-material so that hold items can be tracked. It also provide unmark the hold-status.

Claims

Claims:

1. Simplified Method of defining piping specifications by linking dimension-references, selecting end- connections and feeding other information like schedule, rating and material, and branch tables, which then can be transparently used by other methods in the invention in order to reduce user inputs while routing the pipes and placing the elements and then providing ways simplest possible way to decide and represent pipes, equipments structures, ducts and cable-trays and then obtaining bill-of-material, orthographic drawings, isometrics, stress-isometrics and rendered 3d-model for review.

2. Simplified Method for assigning piping-intelligence to simple lines, drawn in AutoCAD, so that they effectively represent pipes.

3. Method for storing the piping-intelligence in the form of layer-names and other data-capturing mechanisms provided by AutoCAD.

4. Simplified Method for assigning information to lines, circles, blocks and other objects by way of typing or by way of selecting the information so that these objects effectively represent equipments, nozzles, structural members, cable-trays, ducts, which form items in the plants.

5. Method for making an auto- rotating 2-D block to represent 3D-equipment.

6. Method of converting these 2D-blocks into 3D-equipments and vice-a-versa.

7. Method for auto-routing of lines/pipes, interactively, by showing one-point and one pipe.

8. Method for providing visual control to hide or view objects, by filtering one or more field-values, either by showing the objects having intelligence (piping, piping elements, structure etc) on the computer screen or by directly specifying the field-values, and then manipulating the related layers using on-off mechanism provided by AutoCAD.

9. Method for providing layer independent visual control to hide or view.

10. Method for using pre-defined shoe-height tables and line-list tables.

11. Method of referring piping specifications, dimension- tables, branch-tables, insulation-tables, line-lists etc transparently, to manipulate fittings such as but not limiting to elbows, branches, flanges, gaskets, couplings, nut-bolts and alike to automatically use in the pipe-routing, working out bill-of-material, bringing on screen whenever designer wants to view these items, either as symbolic 2D-representation or as 3D-solid objects and using these objects while creating piping drawings such as piping layouts, sectional-views and isometrics.

12. Method for auto-spacing the header-pipes considering information in the piping specs and the pipes and piping elements on levels specified by the users in terms of center-line elevations, BOP, BOI, TOS, ΤΟΡ, ΤΟΙ BOS etc.

13. Method for enquiring this information and automatically or semi-automatically printing this in drawings.

14. Method for planning and generating piping-layouts by providing handy method, in which the designer can mark a rectangular volume of area to be processed as a printable-view.

15. Method for designing composite layouts, comprising of several views, with provision to select views to be included and with provision to interactively decide scale and position of each view, within the sheet and decide the sheet-design.

16. Method for automatic & semi-automatic dimensioning and annotating drawings.

17. Method for updating the already finished layouts to reflect changes in the model and automatically marking the clouds where the changes were made.

18. Method for obtaining differential bill-of-material by comparing several revisions simultaneously.

19. Method for consolidating bill-of-materials of multiple areas.

20. Method for creating isometrics from the model.

21. Method for tagging the valves, supports, instrument-items and specialty items and further Method of enquiring and printing these automatically in the drawings.

22. Method for converting simple lines into 3D structural members such as beams, columns, angles, channels, I-beams, ducts, cable-trays and trenches by selecting the type of structural item from the library, unique methods to alter their length, orientation and types.

23. Method for defining structural member like beams, columns, ducts, cable trays by showing corner points.

24. Method for deciding fitting-to-fitting arrangements by considering the piping specs.

25. Method for giving slope to the pipes.

26. Method for marking the cutouts, where the pipes penetrate the floors or walls.

27. Method for obtaining node-marked isometrics along with neutral files for stress analysis.

28. Method for clash detection.

29. Method for working in multiple user environments.

30. Method for converting Single-line representation of pipes into 3D-pipes and vice-a-versa.

31. Methods for Copy-in and Copy-Out.

32. Method for Χ,Υ,Ζ copy, move and spacing.

33. Method to rotate the viewing direction in horizontal or vertical plane.

34. Method for radial move.

35. Method for Auto spacing of parallel the headers.

36. Method to use calculations like back of pipe, two elbow distance, branch to elbow.

37. Method of moving pipes to clear crossing.

38. The method that allows designer to move objects to absolute North/South and East/West co-ordinate.

39. The method that allows setting of lL-Plane and Plant-UCS.

40. The method simplifies X Y or Z lines in which lines are drawn in respective directions either by specifying distance or by showing two points, draw XY line, radial line, nozzle line, rolled line connecting parallel lines and line connecting to header.

41. Methods to single two broken line and shoot line in which the lines can be shot up to a point.

42. Method called 2D-Circle.

43. Method to place elements on pipes.

44. Method to remove the element's end-connections, elbows and branches and obtaining these dynamically on demand.

45. Method marking the error locations, filtering the error-marks and moving focus from one error mark to another and writing these error marks to a file that can be re-attached.

46. Method of defining line-number format, elevation format and equipment-tag format, valve-tag format and support-tag format and printing the information as per the pre-decided format.

47. Method of finding and printing distances from nearest grid.

48. Method to allow defining different area-codes, allocate different north directions to each area-code, different set of grids to each area-code, manage area-codes and switch from one area-code to another.

49. Method to set count/no-count status to any element or its sub-elements in order to reflect or exclude these in the bill-of-material.

50. Method to mark elements on hold so that these elements are separated in the bill-of-material.