Catalogs are reference databases that contain graphic and property information about the types of objects that you can place in your model. To use Intergraph Smart 3D to design process plants, ships, or offshore structures, you must have reference data. Reference data can be graphical or non-graphical in nature. For example, reference data includes graphical symbols that you can place in the model, such as equipment or piping components. Reference data also includes non-graphical, tabular data, such as specification data and rules. Reference data includes the parts that you place in the model, such as piping components and equipment. Specification data includes the rules that govern how those parts are placed and connected. The Catalog task allows you to view and edit this reference data. As in other Smart 3D environments, system administrators use permission groups to limit what users can and cannot do in terms of editing reference data. The information that appears in this task is pulled directly from the reference data in the Catalog database and is not affected by any filter you selected when you defined your workspace.
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In this release of the software, HVAC, Cables, Piping Manufacturing, Space Management, and Hangers and Supports reference data are read-only in the Catalog task. This reference data must be edited in the Microsoft Excel workbooks and bulk loaded into the catalog.
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Except for piping parts, piping specifications, piping rules, instruments, piping specialty data, conduit parts and specifications, cableway specifications, cabletray parts and specifications, there is no mechanism for exporting your reference data from the Catalog database back into a Microsoft Excel workbook. Consequently, if you intend to use the Bulkload Utility in tangent with the editing capabilities in the Catalog task, we recommend that you implement a workflow that keeps the data in the workbooks synchronized with the changes you make in the Catalog task. Place comments in the Revision History sheet of the workbook to track the changes that you make to a specific worksheet.
Under the reference data root, the database provides a high-level classification of the catalog (cables, piping, equipment, structure, and so forth). This catalog information is also user-customizable in terms of its data structure. You can organize the delivered reference data into groups in the way that makes sense for your company or project. For example, you can group the objects by type. These groups are often referred to as classes.
There are no software restrictions to prevent you from modifying a live catalog; however, we do not recommend this as you may be editing something that another user is accessing simultaneously. Ideally, all catalog changes should be made at the beginning of a project before modeling begins. Because this is not always possible, we recommend that you create a "live" and a "test" catalog database. You should make all changes in the test catalog and verify the changes in a test model. After the changes are verified, an administrator should select a convenient time to have all users stop modeling, create a backup, and then use copy and paste to move the changes from the test catalog to the live catalog. See Managing Catalog Changes.
The Catalog environment consists of a left window that displays a tree view of classification folders. The right window displays details about the items or contents within the folder. The interaction between the classification and content views operates similar to that of Windows Explorer. See Catalog Hierarchy.
You can start the Catalog task by clicking Tasks Menu > Catalog. The Catalog task has these task-specific commands:
Saves the active row to the Catalog database.
Inserts a blank row into the grid view.
Moves the select list entry up one in the editable grid.
Moves the select list entry down one in the editable grid.
Displays the Reference Data Properties Dialog from which you can view standard and custom properties for the selected classification, part class or object in the Catalog database.
Opens a bitmap file that was assigned to a part or part class in the reference data.
Filter data in the content view to quickly find what you are looking for.
Sort data in the content view by multiple columns to quickly find what you are looking for.
Customize Current View Command
Control which property columns display in the content view and in what order.
Displays the information in the content view in a list format.
Displays the information in the content view in a table format.
Highlights the last selected item or folder.
Advances the display forward to return the browser display to the last item that you selected before you used the Back Command.
Moves the focus up one level in the Catalog hierarchy.
Checks the consistency of the data in the grid against other data in the Catalog.
Ignored Inconsistencies Command
Restores inconsistencies that have previously been ignored when using the Check Data Command.
Creates new part classes in the Catalog hierarchy without having to bulkload.
Defines a new select list for use by the various Smart 3D environments. The New Item command is only available on the Catalog menu when the Select List folder is selected in the tree view.
Creates a new folder in the Catalog hierarchy without having to bulkload.
Verify Consistency Report Command
Compares piping specifications to Catalog data and verifies whether the piping commodities, piping specialties, and instruments in the Piping specification for a model are consistent with the data in the Catalog so that the required components can be created in the model. The Verify Consistency Report command is available only on the Tools menu.
Copy Filters from Catalog Command
Copies all filters from a user-specified Catalog database to the current active Catalog database. The Copy Filters from Catalog command is available only on the Tools Menu.
The Label Editor Command is only available on the Tools Menu.
Import Branch Fittings Command
Creates and updates branch-fitting entries in the piping commodity filter. The Import Branch Fittings command is available only on the Tools menu when you have a piping commodity filter node selected.
Sets system and user preference settings. The Options command is available only on the Tools Menu.
Add Range to Branch Table Command
Adds a new range of angles to the branch table. The Add Range to Branch Table command is available only on the Tools Menu.