Materials - Intergraph Smart Isometrics Material Editor - Help - Hexagon PPM

Material data contains all the description and dimensional information necessary for design, drawing generation, fabrication, erection, and procurement. You can view information about the materials in your database using the Materials tab on the Database window.

Viewing material data

The Materials tab displays all the materials in the database within the current group using the current filter. By default, the Materials tab is active whenever the software displays the Database window.

When the Materials tab is active, the Database window is divided into three sections: the main tree view (1), the material diagram control (2), and the material data tree view (3).

1 - Main Tree View

The main tree view displays all the material data within the current group and current filter in a tree view format. The top-most node in the tree view displays the name and type of database. In the example above, the Materials tab displays the CS150 specification.

• As in Windows Explorer, you click and to navigate through the tree view, expanding and closing nodes to show and hide material data.

• If the active database is a catalog, the software displays a light blue square beside the database name. If the database is a specification, the square is dark blue.

• The status bar displays property information about the active database, including the type of database you are viewing: specification or catalog

Materials are divided into item groups, such as Pipe, Flanges, Fittings, and so on. Each item group is further subdivided into component types. In the example below. the Valves item group consists of the following component types: Check Valve, Globe Valve, Butterfly Valve, and Angle Valve.

Expanding a component type node displays its item code information.

In the main tree view, item codes display with the icon. Component types display with the icon.

An item code defines a physical component. It can be unique to that component, or it can be bore dependent. Consider, for example, the item code VB101-6: 6 can uniquely define a 6-inch ball valve, whereas VB101 only defines ball valves in general; the additional information to indicate that it was placed in a 6" line is necessary to select a unique material from the specification.

Item codes are usually company specific. The catalog supports multiple different item codes applied to the same physical component. For example, engineering contractors frequently need to work with several different operating companies, each requiring a different set of item codes. The Text Maps tab allows you to switch between the available sets. For more information about text maps, read Text Maps.

You can use a single item code to cover a range of components. Many individual materials, each with its own bore size, weight, description, rating, schedule, and so on, can have the same item code. When item codes have different descriptions, the software displays them in different nodes with the description in parenthesis after the item code.

• The same item code can appear for different component types.

• You can have one size (material) per item code, or you can have many materials per item code.

Controlling the display of data

You can control which materials the Database window displays using the Material > Show > <ComponentType> command or by clicking the appropriate Show Only button on the toolbar. In the following illustration, Show All is active; as such, the main tree view is displaying all of the materials in the database.

To limit the view to display only valves, click Show Only Valves . The software updates the view accordingly.

The second panel in the Database window status bar indicates the group currently displayed. Refer to View database properties for information about other database properties that display in the status bar.

2 - Material Diagram Control

The Material Diagram Control provides a diagrammatic representation of the current material. When you select a component type or item code in the main tree view, the diagram control displays the appropriate material. Each of the horizontal tabs that run along the bottom of the diagram represents a different diagrammatic view of the component type.

A - Engineering Tab

The Engineering tab displays a detailed representation of the component type with dimensions and bores labeled and is most useful to piping engineers.

B - Stick Tab

The Stick tab displays a stick diagram of the internal representation of the component type used by Smart Isometrics. The stick diagram displays a series of nodes, referred to as keypoints, that are connected by lines, or sticks, referred to as legs. The following illustration shows the stick diagram for the butterfly valve selected in the main tree view:

In a stick diagram, the software displays all legs in green. External keypoints are displayed as solid red circles, and internal keypoints are displayed as solid cyan circles. When you select an item code in the main tree view, the stick diagram updates to display end preparations data.

You can use the stick diagram to define different end types for each keypoint. For more information, see Set different end preparations on a component.

C - SKEY Tab

The SKEY tab displays the isometric representation used by Isogen and Smart Isometrics. When you select a component type in the main tree view, the Material Diagram Control displays the default SKEY, or symbol key, for that component.

3 - Material Data Tree View

To the right of the main tree view and material diagram control is the material data tree view. When you select an item code in the main tree view, the material data tree view populates to display the related attribute data. The tree view organizes attributes into logical groupings. For easy identification, each attribute group has its own icon.

The top-most node in the material data tree view displays the item code of the material selected in the main tree view. The data that is displayed underneath is as follows:

• Instances where the sizes have different values defined for the same attribute, the software displays Multiple Values.

• Switching between Engineering and Stick modes impacts how data displays in the material data tree view for individual sizes.

Managing material data

The Database window only allows you to view the material data in your databases. To manage the materials you must use the Material Builder. The Material Builder enables you to create new materials and to edit existing material attributes, such as end preparation, bore, dimensions, and so on. You can also remove materials from the database if they are no longer needed. To open the Material Builder, click Insert New Material and Edit Material on the horizontal toolbar, or click Insert > New Material.

Adding materials to the database

The workflow for adding a new material to the active database includes the tasks listed below. The number next to each step corresponds to the section of the Material Builder in which the task is performed.

1 - Select the type of component to add. For more information, see Select a component type.

2 - Specify the item code, description, SKEY, and type of end preparation. After you specify the type of component to add, you must next define an item code and a description. You must also define an SKEY and, if needed an end preparation. Optionally, you can also define standard and user-defined material attributes. You can define item codes and descriptions using one of two methods: type the data in the relevant field in the Material Builder or use the Material Wizard. For more information, see Define item code and description data manually, Set different end preparations on a component, and Use the Material Wizard to define item code and description data.

3 - Add optional material attributes, including standard attributes, user-defined attributes and component attributes. Material attributes are optional information related to an item code, not an individual component. The component attributes displayed in the Sizes grid are related to individual components. For more information, see Define material attributes.

4 - Define the size range. You can define the size range by typing individual sizes one at a time directly into the appropriate cell or by using the Bore Sizes dialog box to create multiple sizes of same material simultaneously. For more information, see Define sizes one at a time and Define multiple sizes simultaneously.

The active tab in the material diagram controls the display of column headings for bores and legs in the Sizes grid.

• If there is more than one Bore column, you can define values for the first column only. During grid validation, the software applies the values specified in the first column to all subsequent columns.

• For materials that have more than one bore, you can use the Bore Sizes dialog box to specify a range of reducing bore. For more information, see Specify a range of reducing bore.

5 - Define dimensional data and optional component attributes. The number of dimensions is dependent upon the component type. For example, a flange requires one dimension (in-line length) and an elbow requires two dimensions (Leg 1 and Leg 2). You can use the Stick Diagram mode to view what dimensions are required. For more information, see Define dimensions and component attributes.

6 - Update the database with the new material.

Material Builder

Material Wizard

Bore Sizes Dialog Box

Modifier Builder

Auto Bolt Creation Dialog Box

Auto Support Creation Dialog Box

Auto Weld Creation Dialog Box

What do you want to do?

• Select material data

• Define item code and description data manually

• Set different end preparations on a component

• Use the Material Wizard to define item code and description data

• Define material attributes

• Define sizes one at a time

• Define multiple sizes simultaneously

• Specify a range of reducing bore

• Add an associated material to a component

• Add a new additional material to the database

• Edit material data

• Remove a material from the database

• Copy and paste materials between components

• Create a modifier definition

• Automatically create bolts

• Automatically create supports

• Automatically create welds