Matt RandellLead Consultant (Digital) | @MatthewERandell

Pushing piping documentation into 2020 with computational design

About the speaker

Matthew RandellTrained as an architect (B.Arch (Hons))

Worked on World War One Aircraft

Works at Aurecon, Wellington, New Zealand

Lead Consultant (Digital), Computational Design

Has a 5 year old daughter

And then twins

What does computational design mean to us?

In the industrial piping design discipline, we are interested in the creation of solutions answering local problems of manufacturing process, distribution and utility supply. For this reason, computational design for piping might mean to

VALIDATE, INTEROPERATE AND VISUALISE DATA.MOST OF THE TIME, IT’S NOT GLAMOROUS.

https://youtu.be/C2sr1FS_UDU

Objectives

MODEL-BASED DEFINITION (3D DIMENSIONING, BUT FOR PIPES)

The production and management of interactive PDFs (portable document files) through the parsing of PCFs (piping component files) with Grasshopper

PLANT TO REVIT INTEROPSGetting started with access to the Plant 3D databases through the API (application programming interface), and why we would want to instantiate these in Revit

PROGRAMMATICALLY GENERATED SPECIFICATIONSAn example of pre-processing data from third party piping software in order to generate specifications and import legacy models into Plant 3D.

STRUCTURE, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTAND WHERE TO FROM HERE?

How we support the application and maintenance of tools on projects, some lessons and where we need to focus future efforts

Model Based Definition(3d Dimensioning, but for pipes)

Problem

Traditional piping isometrics, although useful in some situations, still:

• Take a long time to generate due to unforgiving rules, leading to them being left to the later stages of delivery.

• Are difficult to check against models when delivered in tandem.

• Leave a lot to be desired in terms of the basics of design communication. No context or feel for physical space, congestion or clashes.

Inspiration for solution

The Industrial Design industry, and its movement to model-authority platforms and workflows.

Model-based systems engineering & configuration management

Tool

Grasshopper + Rhinoceros3D is used to generate dimensions and annotations from PCFs.

Sliders and buttons enable the orientation of vertical dimensions and text objects to face a particular vewpoint.

DOCUMENT

COMPUTE

ANNOTATE & EXPORT

Process

MODEL

SPEC-DRIVEN PIPING

Proprietary automation is leveraged in Plant 3D, using specifications and compatible fittings. Validate against P&IDs and check discontinuities.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION

Exploit the ability to embed annotations through messages, manual dimensions, limits, penetrations, tie-ins as piping elements.

VISUAL SCRIPT

In our example, we leverage Grasshopper and the Elefront library to create dimension objects in 3d, organized into layers, named by linegroup.

PDF & MANAGE DELIVERY

Create the PDF output using Bluebeam, Navisworks & Adobe Acrobat. Create OCR metadata extraction in the CDE, in this example BIM360 Docs (next-gen).

COMPUTEPiping Component Files

An old, but neutral file format that is still very useful today (also used in objective #2 – spec generation)

• Used typically for pipe stress analysis

(Integraph Caesar, Bentley AutoPIPE)

• Sufficient to re-generate piping models

o Doesn’t include equipment, secondary supports and other structures

• Generated in parallel with isometrics

o Contains instructional data too (annotations, deliberate dimensions, continuations)

Retrieve PCFs

Load PCFs into Grasshopper, creating a large list to start operating on.

Through a search function, extract assets of interest. Separate data into streams, such as coordinate values.

Filter into asset categories

Build geometry and strings

Create internal geometry such as component start & end points. Send the nominal diameter value into a new text data type.

Append “ND” as text to the diameter value, and create a leader at the midpoint of the line created between the start and end points.

Create Leaders

Decision tree…

Once lines have been created, they are sorted into groups which correspond with the world x, y and z vectors.

This enables dimensions for each group to be treated differently. Lines close to x and y have dimensions which are extended vertically, whereas those on z lines face the front, back or sides may be spun to face the camera.

Create dimension objects

Provide the Elefront dimension node with the start and end coordinates, the plane the dimension will be placed on (with a rotation slider), an offset value, and a dimension style.

The results of the vertical dimension and diameter leader for the series of PCF files loaded into Grasshopper.

Results

Example

A single interactive document with multiple pre-set views. AEC document control still operates through the presence of a traditional title block, which can drive metadata extraction in a construction CDE.

Recent project

A single 3D PDF with preset views and dimensioned lines, but this time with phase control featuring a segmented ‘reality capture’ mesh into new, demolished, existing views.

PROGRAMMATICALLY GENERATED SPECIFICATIONS

ProblemAt the start of brownfield projects, we might receive data in alternative piping design product format, such as CADWorx. Because of the expense of legacy effort, it is often assumed that starting with anything is better than starting with nothing.

How can we build Plant 3D data sets from legacy models?

PCF SPC ?

EXAMPLE:USE A CUSTOM APP +

PLANT 3D SPEC EDITORUSING LEGACY (CADWORX) SPECS

AND PCFS

WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TRYING TO DO?

The intention is to produce a series of the most common specification ‘loadsheets’. If CSV files are targeted, and allow the population of data from any source, this is the most scalable solution. In the Spec Editor, the process is to click File>Convert>CSV files.

Import a PCF

Using the PCF to Pipe command, attempt to import using the default “Placeholder” specification, selected automatically when the dialog reads ‘spec unavailable’.

No spec parts are found at all. Blocks which feature simple centerlines are inserted.

Worst case result

IMPORT

GENERATE

CHECK MAPS

AUTOMATE

USE CODING TO BUILD LOAD SHEETS

Build virtual tables which feature retrieved catalog data, given a legacy specification document.

ENSURE FIELDS EXIST IN SPEC GENERATOR

Make sure the sufficient fields are available for each item class, so Plant 3D spec editor can build the catalogs and specs without errors.

PUSH GO

Click Convert > CSV files Plant 3D spec editor. This will build your spreadsheets as PSPX and PSPC files.

USE PCF TO PIPE IN PLANT3D

Use the dialog to load the correct generated specification to build intelligent piping models with a high degree of conversion.

Generate the required specifications to enable the creation of intelligent models from PCFs

INTERPOLATETEXT-BASED SPECS WITH CATALOGSThe following pages will feature an example project, taking some old csv specifications. These describe the selection of ranges of data and instruct our program to retrieve the relevant data tables from a catalog file, which is the list of specific or unique component data values.

SPECIFICATION FILE – A1.csv

END TYPE FL_BAL_F_A1

The end type data table is retrieved by the code, and allows further relational retrievals to be made, such as the size table (right)

The size table provides a map between the nominal diameter value (for example 100, which then returns the value 114.3).

SIZE TABLE 0

FORMATTED OUTPUT FOR SPEC EDITOR

The resultant loadsheet that is automated from the program, once the catalog values have been interpolated from the initial specification CSV file input. Specific values such as the PIPE_OD_M are readily available to instruct the Plant 3D Specification Creator to create its own catalog components and ultimately its own specification file for modelling processes.

PROGRAM OUTPUT – BALL_VALVE.csv

CHECK MAPSENSURE FIELDS EXIST IN SPEC CREATOR

A minimal amount of new components needed to be created due to unusual end types, and each loadsheet value must be mapped to the Plant 3D Parameter Names, such as FLNG_TH_M <> B1.

AUTOMATE SHEETS

A recorded view of the loadsheet app. Key dialog is returned, such as the number of components being created (hundreds) as well as an estimate of how long this would have taken to be produced manually.

1655COMPONENTS

15SECONDS

DATA ENTRY EACH

15SECONDS

CHECKING EACH

13HOURS

AUTOMATION VALUE

GENERATE SPECS

A recording of the specification creator loading the sheets and producing the catalog elements and specification files.

IMPORT PCFS

The result of loading the PCF files with the correctly converted specification files available. Connections are retained and a high degree of conversion is achieved.

PLANT TO REVIT INTEROPS

ProblemPlant 3D is an old documentation product (AutoCAD). Even though it features the ability to generate orthographics, they still:

• Require a long time to process, especially with heavy context models.

• Have a low amount of automation available, particularly in regard to associated dimensions, related viewport titles and links

• Are ‘synched’ on an individual drawing basis (and by manual trigger), opening the team to errors.

• Difficult to coordinate site wide-documentation, especially when interacting with building (Revit) and detailed (Inventor) models

Current Practice

EXPORT

‘EXPORT TO AUTOCAD’

Export Plant 3D models. Explode all intelligence and block structure. Purge any hidden elements.

CREATE FAMILY

‘MODEL IN PLACE’ GENERIC FAMILY

Explode all intelligence and block structure. Purge any bad elements.

LINK AUTOCAD

LINK THE EXPORTED PLANT 3D FILE

Enable an ‘updateability’ in Revit with the exported model, though the model needs re-exporting and refreshing.

CREATE VIEWS

USE REVIT TO CUT SECTIONS, ELEVATIONS AND DETAILS

While the model is ‘sectionable’, the elements must be tagged manually.

New PracticeWe created a Revit plugin and Plant 3D *.NET library to automate this…

EXPORT

ITERATE OVER PLANT 3D PIPING HEIRARCHY

Export Plant 3D elements as files which match linegroup & inline tags

CREATE FAMILY

CREATE FAMILIES NAMED IDENTICALLY TO AUTOCAD

Match the Plant 3D model file structure & naming

IMPORT

IMPORT THE EXPORTED PLANT 3D FILES

Create RFA files matching the Plant 3D tags, created nested families which place inlinesinto linegroups

INSTANTIATE

PLACE THE CREATED RFAs IN SPACE

Place the nested families into the correct position in the RVT model

Data Map

LineGroup

Plant 3D

*.DWG

LineGroup

Inline Asset

Inline Asset

Inline Asset

*.DWG

Equipment Asset

EquipmentAsset

LineGroup(Family)

Revit

*.RVT

LineGroup(Family)

Inline(Nested Family)

Inline (Nested Family)

Inline(Nested Family)

Equipment Asset

(Family)

EquipmentAsset

(Family)

File

Major Asset

Minor Asset

Platform

IMPORT

A demonstration of the plugin in action. Revit retrieves the current Plant 3D model and builds its own nested family structure, complete with line group and inline asset tags.

ANNOTATE/CONSTRUCT VIEWS

The benefits of this workflow, shown by annotating the elements from internal tag data, as well as the obvious speed and linkage afforded through the simple use of Revit for documentation.

423RFAs

60PARENT FAMILIES

363NESTED FAMILIES

16MINUTES

STRUCTURE, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTand where to from here?

Traditional design team structure

OffshoreDraft

Project Leader

Mech Draft

Process Lead

DraftingLead

Leadership

Discipline Leads

Delivery Leads

Operators

Mechanical Lead

Structural Lead

ProjectManager

Electrical & Automation

Lead

Document Controller

Mech Engineer

StructuralDraft

Mech Draft

StructuralEngineer

Civil Lead

Mech Engineer

Process Engineer

E&I Engineer

HVEngineer

CivilDraft

OffshoreDraft

OffshoreDraft

CivilEngineer

Contemporary design team structure

ParallelProjects

• Computational designers are shared across multiple small projects

o Intermediate support is more dedicated

• Tools source controlled, packaged and deployed through file sharing tools

• Work in tandem with BIM & Information managers

• Development is agreed to by a steering group, and tracked through R&D projects

SPECS

P3D>RVT OTHER

• Bill of materials

• Automate view creation from Navisworks

MBD

• Import tagged equipment items

• BIM360 model validation using Asset module

Next

• Generate from PCF inputs ONLY!

• Complete pipe support integration

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