Getting Started

with AVEVA Plant

AVEVA Solutions Limited

Disclaimer
1.1 AVEVA does not warrant that the use of the AVEVA software will be uninterrupted, error-free or free from
viruses.

1.2 AVEVA shall not be liable for: loss of profits; loss of business; depletion of goodwill and/or similar losses; loss of
anticipated savings; loss of goods; loss of contract; loss of use; loss or corruption of data or information; any
special, indirect, consequential or pure economic loss, costs, damages, charges or expenses which may be
suffered by the user, including any loss suffered by the user resulting from the inaccuracy or invalidity of any data
created by the AVEVA software, irrespective of whether such losses are suffered directly or indirectly, or arise in
contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise.

1.3 AVEVA's total liability in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, arising in connection with the
performance of the AVEVA software shall be limited to 100% of the licence fees paid in the year in which the user's
claim is brought.

1.4 Clauses 1.1 to 1.3 shall apply to the fullest extent permissible at law.

1.5 In the event of any conflict between the above clauses and the analogous clauses in the software licence under
which the AVEVA software was purchased, the clauses in the software licence shall take precedence.

Copyright
Copyright and all other intellectual property rights in this manual and the associated software, and every part of it
(including source code, object code, any data contained in it, the manual and any other documentation supplied
with it) belongs to, or is validly licensed by, AVEVA Solutions Limited or its subsidiaries.

All rights are reserved to AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. The information contained in this document
is commercially sensitive, and shall not be copied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted without
the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Limited. Where such permission is granted, it expressly requires
that this copyright notice, and the above disclaimer, is prominently displayed at the beginning of every copy that is
made.

The manual and associated documentation may not be adapted, reproduced, or copied, in any material or
electronic form, without the prior written permission of AVEVA Solutions Limited. The user may not reverse
engineer, decompile, copy, or adapt the software. Neither the whole, nor part of the software described in this
publication may be incorporated into any third-party software, product, machine, or system without the prior written
permission of AVEVA Solutions Limited, save as permitted by law. Any such unauthorised action is strictly
prohibited, and may give rise to civil liabilities and criminal prosecution.

The AVEVA software described in this guide is to be installed and operated strictly in accordance with the terms
and conditions of the respective software licences, and in accordance with the relevant User Documentation.
Unauthorised or unlicensed use of the software is strictly prohibited.

© Copyright 1974 to current year. AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. AVEVA shall
not be liable for any breach or infringement of a third party's intellectual property rights where such breach results
from a user's modification of the AVEVA software or associated documentation.

AVEVA Solutions Limited, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HB, United Kingdom.

Trademark
AVEVA and Tribon are registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Limited or its subsidiaries. Unauthorised use of
the AVEVA or Tribon trademarks is strictly forbidden.

AVEVA product/software names are trademarks or registered trademarks of AVEVA Solutions Limited or its
subsidiaries, registered in the UK, Europe and other countries (worldwide).

The copyright, trademark rights, or other intellectual property rights in any other product or software, its name or
logo belongs to its respective owner.
Getting Started with Plant

Revision Sheet

Date Version Comments / Remarks

September 2011 12.1.1 Login GUI changes amended and Attributes Window
enhancements incorporated.
January 2012 Copyright added to all pages.
Getting Started with Plant
 Getting Started With Plant

Getting Started With Plant

Contents Page

Getting Started
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1
Guide Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:1

Plant Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:1

Using Plant in the Plant Design Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:2
Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:3
DESIGN Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:3
Drafting Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:4
Engineering Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:6
Catalogue and Specification Management Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:7
Project Administration Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:7

Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1
Database Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1
Project .............................................................. 3:1
DESIGN Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2
PADD Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2
ISOD Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2
SCHEMATIC Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2
ENGINEERING Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
CATALOGUE Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
DICTIONARY Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
PROPERTIES Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3

© Copyright 1974 to current year. i 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant

SYSTEM Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3

COMMS Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
MISC Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:4
TRANSACTION Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:4

How Plant Data is Stored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:1

DESIGN Database Element Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:2
WORLD .............................................................. 4:2
SITE .............................................................. 4:2
ZONE .............................................................. 4:2
EQUIPMENT (EQUI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:2
SUB-EQUIPMENT (SUBE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:3
PRIMITIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:4
STRUCTURES (STRU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:4
FRAMEWORK (FRMW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:4
SUB-FRAMEWORK (SBFR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:5
STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:5
PIPE .............................................................. 4:5
BRANCH (BRAN). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:6
PIPING COMPONENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:6
Attributes in Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:7
NAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:8
TYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:9
LOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:9
OWNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:9
POSITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:10
ORIENTATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:11
LEVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:11
OBSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:11
HEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12
DIAMETER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12
UDAs (User Defined Attributes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12
Pseudo-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12
Attributes Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12
Track CE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:13
Category Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:13
Attribute Type Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:13
Boolean Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15
Attributes with a List of Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15

© Copyright 1974 to current year. ii 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant

Hyperlink Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15

Attributes Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15
Navigate To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16
Set Attribute Value to CE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16
WRT World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16
Display P-Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16
Track CE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:17
Categorised/Alphabetical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:17
Expand/Collapse Nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:19
Modify Category Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:19
Manage Category Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:20
Display UDAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21
Display Standard Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21
Display Pseudo Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21
Display Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21
Display Data Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22
Suppress unset Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22
Suppress Nulref Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22
Export to Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22
Print Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22

Using Plant Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:1

Exit out of Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:7
On-Line Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:7
Internationalisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:9
Customisation Facilities; The Programmable Macro Language (PML). . . . . . 5:10

Basic GUI Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:1

Using the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:1
Using Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:1
Text Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Drop-down Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Option Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Check Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Scrollable Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:3
Action Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:3
Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4

© Copyright 1974 to current year. iii 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant

Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4

Respond to Alert Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:5
Dockable Forms, Toolbars and Menu Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:5
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:5
Menu Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:5
Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:6
Using Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:10
Why use Command Syntax? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:10
Command Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:10
Note on Filenames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:11

Basic Operations in PDMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:1

Querying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:1
Current Element and Current List Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2
Navigate to a Given Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:3
Design Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:4
Members List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:5
Other Explorers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:6
My Data .............................................................. 7:7
Modify the Content of a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:8
Drawlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:8
Change the Visual Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:10
Display of Graphical Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:11
Display of Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:11
Other Drawlist Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:11
PDMS Search Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:14
Saved Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:20
Create a Saved Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:20
Delete a Saved Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:20
Search Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:20
Functionality on the Search Output Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:21
GUI Grid Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:23
Move around the Grid using the Keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:24
Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:24
Grid Splitting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:26
Pin Rows and Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:26
Row and Column Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:27
Column Re-order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:27

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant

Column Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:28

Column Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:28
Numeric Data Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:31
Group Sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:32
Miscellaneous Grid Data Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:34
Reference List Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:34
Which Elements will be displayed in the Reference List? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:35
Using the Reference List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:35

Product Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:1

AVEVA Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:1
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:2
Manage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:3

Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:1

Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:1
Abbreviations and Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:5

Core Filters for Explorers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A:1

© Copyright 1974 to current year. v 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant

© Copyright 1974 to current year. vi 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Introduction

1 Introduction

Getting Started with AVEVA Plant provides an introduction to Plant as a system and
describes some functions which are common to several disciplines. The manual gives an
introduction to what the Plant suite of products do and how they do it, including introductions
to:
• the PDMS, Engineering and Diagrams modules and what they do
• the PDMS, Engineering and Diagrams databases
• the PDMS, Engineering and Diagrams user interface.
More detailed information, particularly on the PDMS modules and the databases they use,
can be found elsewhere in the PDMS User Documentation suite.

1.1 Assumptions
Getting Started with AVEVA Plant has been written for users new to 3D Design System or a
related 2D Plantproduct (Engineering or Diagrams)
It is assumed that:
• Users have a valid licenses and the software has been installed.
• Users know how to launch the modules.

1.2 Guide Structure

Getting Started With AVEVA Plant is divided into the following sections:

Plant Functions introduces the basic steps to be taken to design a Plant

using AVEVA Plant, and introduces the PDMS modules.

Databases and How Plant introduces the Plant databases and the way data in Plant
Data is Stored is structured and how it is stored.

Using Plant Products, describes how to get in to PDMS, Engineering and

Basic GUI Features and Diagrams and use it perform simple operations.
Basic Operations in PDMS

Product Range shows the AVEVA product ranges.

Glossary of Terms and is a glossary of Plant terms and abbreviations.

Abbreviations

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 Getting Started With Plant
Introduction

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 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

2 Plant Functions

PDMS (the Plant Design Management System) enables the user to design a 3D computer
model of a process plant. PDMS allows the user to see a full colour-shaded representation
of the plant model as the design progresses, adding an extremely impressive level of
realism to traditional drawing office techniques.
In the model the user can store huge amounts of data referring to position, size, part
numbers and geometric relationships for the various parts of the plant. The model becomes
a single source of engineering data for all of the sections and disciplines involved in a
design project.
PDMS is supported by the Plant Engineering and Diagrams products which enable the user
to create and/or import 2D design information in the form of schematic diagrams and
conventional engineering data which is used to support and inform the 3D design process.
All this information is stored in databases. There are many different output channels from
the databases through which information can be passed on. These range from reports on
data stored in the databases, fully annotated and dimensioned engineering drawings, to full
colour-shaded 3D walk-through capabilities which allow the user to visualise the complete
design model.

Even with the advanced features of PDMS, the main form of communication between the
plant designer and the fabricator remains the drawings. Without engineering drawings the
task of building a plant would be almost impossible. To meet this requirement, PDMS can

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

produce numerous types of drawing, ranging from complex 3D illustrations to fully

annotated and dimensioned arrangement drawings and piping isometrics.
All the data in a Plant design would be of little value without the ability to make sure that the
quality of the design information, PDMS, Engineering and Diagrams contributes to the
quality of the design in the following ways:
• Makes sure the component data is consistent and reliable.
In a design environment which uses only 2D drawing techniques, the size of each
fitting must be decided before it can be drawn, which is a time-consuming and error-
prone process, where often the design errors are only found during the erection stage
of the project. With PDMS, Engineering and Diagrams all piping component sizes and
geometry are predefined and stored in a catalogue, which cannot be changed by the
designer, which makes sure that all items are true to size and are consistent throughout
the design, no matter how many users there are on the project.
• Adheres to definable engineering specifications
Piping specifications and steelwork catalogues, stating precisely the components to be
used, are compiled for the purpose of ensuring consistent, safe and economic design.
Design applications for Piping, Hangers and Supports, HVAC, Cable trays and
Steelwork all use specifications to assist component selection.
• Makes sure that the geometry and connectivity are correct
There are many different ways of making design errors, such as incorrect fitting
lengths, incompatible flange ratings, or simple alignment errors. PDMS can check all of
these using data consistency procedures built into the system to check all or individual
parts of the design model.
• Avoids component interferences
Despite a wealth of skill and experience in plant design, traditional drawing office
techniques are still subject to human error. Laying out complex pipe runs and general
arrangements in confined areas using conventional 2D methods, inevitably leads to
clashes between elements, which are trying to share the same physical space. PDMS
enables user to avoid such problems in two ways:
1. By viewing the design interactively during the design process, allowing visual
checks on the model from different viewpoints. Potential problems can thus be
resolved as they arise.
2. By using the powerful clash checking facility within PDMS, which will detect clashes
anywhere in the plant. Clash checking can be done interactively or retrospectively.
• Annotation and dimensions obtained directly from the design database
Extracted information from the PDMS database, such as arrangement drawings, piping
isometrics and reports, will always be the latest available as it is stored only in one
source. Through the course of a project, information is constantly changing and
drawings need to be reissued. When this happens, drawings, reports etc can be
updated and reissued with the minimum of effort.

2.1 Using Plant in the Plant Design Process

The sequence of operations (greatly simplified) in a new plant design project would be:
• Create the project and set up administrative controls (using the PDMS ADMIN
module).
• Create the Catalogue and Specification data from which standard design Components
can be selected (using the PARAGON module).
• Optionally create or import 2D schematic diagrams and conventional engineering data
using the Diagrams, Schematic Model Manager and Tags modules.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

• Design the various parts of the plant, referencing items from the catalogues (using the
DESIGN module).
• Check the design for errors and inconsistencies (DESIGN module).
• Document the design in the form of drawings (general arrangement, construction,
assembly, and isometric), reports and material lists (DRAFT and ISODRAFT modules).
The user may also want to transfer design data to or from other systems at various stages.

2.2 Modules
Product Range describes the full range of products in the Plant suite. Modules is focussing
on PDMS, Engineering and Diagrams.
These products have a number of modules in common, namely Monitor, Admin, Lexicon,
Paragon, Propcon and Specon. In addition to these PDMS adds DESIGN, DRAFT, Isodraft
and Spooler. Engineering adds Schematic Model Manager and Tags to the common set.
Diagrams adds the Diagrams module.

2.2.1 DESIGN Modules

DESIGN
DESIGN is the main, graphically driven constructor module. It enables a full sized three-
dimensional model to be defined in the design database, with selected views of the current
state of the design shown on the graphics screen as the design progresses.
All parts of the design (including equipment, and piping and structural steelwork layouts) can
be created. Component selection is provided through Specifications that dictate which
Catalogue Components can be used. Each part of the design model can be displayed in
colour-shaded ‘solid’ colour-coded representations for ease of interpretation.
The DESIGN module can check for interferences (clashes) between items created in the
design. There is a very flexible reporting capability that can be used to produce a wide
variety of design documents - from bulk Material Take Off to detailed nozzle schedules.
Piping isometrics can be previewed in DESIGN (without having to switch to the Isometric
drawing generation module, ISODRAFT).

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 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

SPOOLER
SPOOLER is used for pipework spooling. It allows the designer to split the pipework design
into logical sections (spools) ready for fabrication. The spool data can then be output as
isometric drawings using ISODRAFT.
Refer to Pipework Design User Guide for further information.

2.2.2 Drafting Modules

DRAFT
DRAFT enables dimensioned and annotated scale drawings of selected parts of the design
model to be produced. All information needed to create the drawing is accessible via a
single drawing database, which extracts data to be used for dimensioning directly from the
DESIGN database.
Annotation can be in the form of labels attached to DESIGN elements, or 2D annotation
such as drawing notes, or drawing frames, tables, lines etc.
Annotation attached to a design data element on the drawing will move if the 3D position of
the element changes. Dimensions are recalculated automatically every time the drawing is
updated.
A design model 3D view can be previewed in DRAFT to aid assembly of a drawing in the 2D
view.
Refer to the Draft User Guide for further information.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

ISODRAFT
ISODRAFT produces automatically annotated and dimensioned piping isometric drawings,
with associated material lists, of specified sections of the plant pipework. The content and
style of the drawings can be chosen to suit the needs of pipe fabricators and/or erectors and
can include a wide range of optional features to suit local requirements.
Other facilities include:
• Full material lists.
• Automatic spool identification.
• Automatic splitting of complex drawings.
• User-defined drawing sheets.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

Refer to the Isodraft User Guide for further information.

Diagrams
Diagrams supports the creation of cabling diagrams. The application is based on the AVEVA
Design Platform GUI and diagram layouts are created using an embedded Microsoft Office
Visio drawing control. All relevant data entered through the application is stored into the
Schematic Database.
Refer to the Diagrams User Guide for further information.

2.2.3 Engineering Modules

Schematic Model Manager

Schematic Model Manager is used to import P&ID data into Schematic databases and have
the ability to view and manage the data. The P&ID data is imported from a XML file, the
content of which complies to ISO15926.
Refer to Schematic Model Manager User Guide for further information.

Tags
Tags is used to create or import conventional engineering information into the design
together with the ability to view and manage this data.
Refer to the Tags User Guide for further information.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

2.2.4 Catalogue and Specification Management Modules

PARAGON
Used to generate and modify catalogues, with facilities for catalogue component
construction with visual control (including 3D colour-shaded representations of the item
being designed). The catalogues in PDMS serve a similar purpose to the manufacturers’
catalogues, which the user would refer to when using conventional design methods. The
PDMS component catalogue is used to specify the geometry, connection information,
obstruction and detailing data of steelwork, piping, and HVAC and cable tray components.
It should be noted that, whereas the design data is specific to a particular design,
catalogues and specifications may be specific to a company but general to a number of
projects in that company. For example, the same catalogue component may also appear in
other designs proceeding at the same time.

SPECON
Used by the administrator to create or modify the component specifications within the
catalogue database. Specifications define the suitability of catalogue components for
particular types of use.

PROPCON
Used by the administrator to create or modify the properties database, which holds details
of those properties of the components and materials which may be needed for stress
analysis or safety auditing of all or part of a design. It also includes data such as the material
densities needed by the DESIGN module structural applications for calculating weights and
centre of gravity of steelwork items.
Refer to the Catalogues and Specifications User Guide for further information.

2.2.5 Project Administration Modules

ADMIN
Large plants designed using PDMS will usually be broken down into individual areas (either
physical areas or design areas), depending on the physical size, complexity and
configuration of the plant. On a large project, the System Administrator will first agree with
Project and Design Management, the breakdown of the PDMS project into sections which:
• Are relevant to the needs of project reporting and control.
• Form reasonable design subdivisions with sensible match-lines and design content.
• Enable enough designers to work in parallel with simultaneous access to carry out their
design tasks.
In much the same way as in a design office (with its section leader, draftspeople, etc.),
PDMS has Teams, the members of which are called Users. These Teams can consist of
any number of Users and can be organised by discipline or physical work areas.
The main features are:
• Access Control (Teams and Users)
• Databases
• Multiple Databases (MDBs)
• Database management functionality

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 Getting Started With Plant
Plant Functions

ADMIN includes a database integrity checking utility, used to check for inconsistencies in
the contents of the databases and to derive statistical information about the use of the
database storage capacity.
ADMIN also allows the System Administrator to reconfigure a project, which may be
necessary to:
• compact databases at intervals, freeing disk space
• upgrade PDMS projects when the database structure changes
• compare the contents of two similar databases; for example, to create a modification
record
Refer to Administrator User Guide for further information.

LEXICON
LEXICON is supplied as a module within the AVEVA suite of products and allows the system
administrator to:
• Create and modify User Defined Attributes and User Defined Element Types.
• Group similar elements for administrative ease.
• Delete elements.
• View all available elements in a Explorer window.
• Create and modify Database Views.
• Create and modify the schema for distributed attributes.
Refer to the Lexicon User Guide for further information.

MONITOR
The MONITOR Module is commonly used to query the status of a projects users and access
rights. MONITOR allows basic querying of database information which normally can only be
obtained using the ADMIN Module (which can only be accessed by a Free user).
MONITOR can also be used to quickly change a password of the currently logged in user or
completely switch to another user (if the user credentials are known).
Depending on the user type (Free or General), MONITOR can be used to change access
rights and defer databases.
Batch processing and simply messaging can also be achieved.
If there is a problem with a project that inhibits another Plant module from loading, then the
software will automatically load the MONITOR Module allowing simple diagnostics to be
conducted via its command line interface.
Refer to the MONITOR Reference Manual for further information.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Databases

3 Databases

The overall purpose of PDMS is the controlled creation of a complete three-dimensional

process plant design model using computer-simulation techniques. The Engineering and
Diagrams products enable the creation and control of 2D schematic and conventional
engineering to support the 3D model. All information which exists about a design project,
whether administrative or technical, 3D or 2D is stored in a series of hierarchical databases.
Use of the various Plant modules allows the user to create, modify and extract information
from these databases.
The Databases section describes
• The purpose of each type of database
• How the detailed project information is held in each
• How the separate databases are related to each other

3.1 Database Types

3.1.1 Project
A Plant Project consists of the complete collection of information which relates to a single
design project. The project is identified by a name, allocated by the Project Administrator
when the project is first initiated. The project name is used to identify the project to the
system whenever the user wants to work in the project using Plant which allows access
rights and use of system resources to be monitored and controlled. For further details of
these functions, refer to the Administrator User Guide and Monitor Reference Manual.
There are 12 different types of database which can go to make up a complete Project:

Design and Drawing Databases:

• DESIGN database
• PADD (DRAFT) database
• ISOD (Spooler) database

2D Design Databases
• SCHEMATIC database
• ENGINEERING database

Reference Databases:
• CATALOGUE database
• LEXICON (Dictionary)
• PROPERTIES database

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 Getting Started With Plant
Databases

Administration Databases:
• SYSTEM database
• COMMS database
• MISC database
• TRANSACTION database
(Refer to the Administrator User Guide for further information on Reference databases).
Each Plant module requires access to one or more specific database types, and entry to the
module may be prevented if appropriate databases do not exist or if the user does not have
the appropriate access rights. New databases can only be created by the Project
Administrator. Refer to the Administrator User Guide for further information.
The functions of each type of database are summarised in the following subsections.

3.1.2 DESIGN Database

The DESIGN databases contain all information needed to create a full-scale three-
dimensional representation of the plant.
Each user is normally allowed to modify the DESIGN databases which relate to his function
in the plant design team, and will often have permission to look at other DESIGN databases
so that his work is compatible with that of other designers.
Typical design functions, each of which may use a different DESIGN database, include:
• Equipment design (process vessels, storage vessels, pumps, heat exchangers etc.)
• Pipework design (the interconnecting pipes between the various equipment items)
• Structural design (the columns, beams, walls, stairways etc. which support and give
access to the operational equipment and pipework)
• Hangers and Supports (specialised pipe support structures)
The compositions of the principal types of DESIGN element are described in the Data Model
Reference Manual.

3.1.3 PADD Database

The Production of Annotated and Dimensioned Drawings (PADD) database holds data
about both the pictorial content of drawings and about their annotation and dimensional
information. It therefore holds a complete specification of the contents of a drawing. Its use
is specific to the interactive drawing module DRAFT.
Refer to the DRAFT User Guide for further information.

3.1.4 ISOD Database

The ISOD database holds pipework spool drawings generated by the SPOOLER module.
See Pipework Design User Guide for more details of SPOOLER.

3.1.5 SCHEMATIC Database

The SCHEMATIC databases contain the data and connectivity information relating to the 2D
schematic model, together with cross-references to the schematic drawings related to this.
The schematic data is normally created and modified by direct graphical interaction with the
related schematic drawings.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Databases

3.1.6 ENGINEERING Database

The ENGINEERING databases contain the conventional engineering data pertinent to the
design.

3.1.7 CATALOGUE Database

The CATALOGUE database contains a catalogue of the standard components which the
user may select when designing pipework, ducting, hangers and supports or structural
steelwork. It includes:
• Dimensional details for each component
• Details of permissible connections between different components and of the bolts
needed to assemble flanged components
• Specifications of the components, which define the conditions of use for each type
(maximum pressure, temperature etc.)
A CATALOGUE database may contain a single ‘universal’ catalogue, but it will more
commonly contain a general catalogue plus one or more specialised catalogues specific to
particular design functions. For further information, see the Catalogues and Specifications
User Guide.

3.1.8 DICTIONARY Database

The DICTIONARY database holds the definitions of user defined attributes (UDA) and user
defined element types (UDET). User defined elements types allow objects in a database to
be given a user defined name to replace the generic name, for example an EQUI element
can be called a :PUMP or :VESSEL. Additional information can be stored in user defined
attributes assigned to database elements and extracted into drawings and reports.

3.1.9 PROPERTIES Database

The PROPERTIES is available for storing data about material properties, which may be
needed to supplement Catalogue and Specification data for some design functions such as
stress analysis. Its use is specialised and will not be described further in this manual.
For further information, see the PROPCON chapter in the Catalogues and Specifications
Reference Manual.

3.1.10 SYSTEM Database

There is only one SYSTEM database in each Project Folder. It holds administrative
information about the composition and use of the project, including the following:
• A list of databases of all categories which are usable in the project
• A list of all users, identified by name and password, who can legally access the
databases, and the operating team(s) to which they are assigned
• A list of PDMS modules available for use in the project
• Access control data, which defines those databases which are accessible to any
specific user and whether he may modify them or only look at them

3.1.11 COMMS Database

The COMMS database stores the information about who is using which module and which
databases are current. Each user has a separate area of the COMMS database, which can

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 Getting Started With Plant
Databases

be accessed in write mode, and so can record module changes etc. Each user has read
access to the other users’ areas, and so can find out about other users in the project.

3.1.12 MISC Database

The MISC database is used to store inter-user messages, and inter-database macros. The
MISC database can only be opened in write mode by one user at a time, but many users
can read from it. All users need to be able to write to this database, but only when they are
sending messages or writing inter-database macros, or deleting messages and macros. All
users can read from the database at any time.

3.1.13 TRANSACTION Database

To enable the System Administrator to monitor the progress of Global commands, PDMS
Global stores details of issued commands in a TRANSACTION database. Transaction
messages are generated in the database each time the progress of the command changes.
Transaction databases are only present when the Plant installation incorporates the Global
product. See Administrator Command Reference Manual for details of Global.

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 Getting Started With Plant
How Plant Data is Stored

4 How Plant Data is Stored

Despite the huge power and potential of PDMS, the database is structured in a very simple
and logical form. The database is hierarchical, a tree like structure, as illustrated below.

Note: The hierarchy below illustrates the (simplified) DESIGN database hierarchy, but the
SCHEMATIC, ENGINEERING, CATALOGUE, PADD, ISOD, LEXICON and
PROPERTIES databases also have a hierarchical structure.

In this hierarchical structure all the database elements are owned by other elements, with
the exception of the WORLD. Elements that are owned by another element, e.g. a ZONE is
owned by a SITE, are said to be members of the owning element, e.g. The ZONE is a
member of the SITE.

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 Getting Started With Plant
How Plant Data is Stored

4.1 DESIGN Database Element Types

4.1.1 WORLD
When the database is first built, it is empty except for a single element named the WORLD.
Every database has its own WORLD element as the first element in the hierarchy.

4.1.2 SITE
Below the WORLD, the second level of the hierarchy is the SITE. A SITE may be
considered as a significant collection of plant, whose size is not necessarily determined by
physical area, but by practical considerations. It may, for example be the whole project, or
one part of a large project. There can be as many SITEs within a PDMS project as required
for data organisation.

4.1.3 ZONE
The next level below a SITE is a ZONE. Again, a ZONE is not necessarily used to define a
physical area, it is more likely to store similar types of item for easy reference, such as a
piping system in one ZONE, related equipment in another, and so on. There can be as many
ZONEs owned by a site as required for data organisation.
Below ZONE level the hierarchy is discipline dependent, i.e. the elements depend on which
discipline the user is modelling.

4.1.4 EQUIPMENT (EQUI)

Equipment items are built up in PDMS using elements known as primitives. Each piece of
Equipment can comprise any number of primitive shapes positioned to form the item. The
primitives may be owned directly by the EQUI element or by a Sub-Equipment element. An
Equipment would typically be a Pump, or a Vessel. The Box and Cylinder primitives are
clearly visible in the Pump Equipment shown in figure below.

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 Getting Started With Plant
How Plant Data is Stored

4.1.5 SUB-EQUIPMENT (SUBE)

A SUBE is an optional element to further sub-divide an EQUI. The SUBE can also own
primitive elements.

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 Getting Started With Plant
How Plant Data is Stored

4.1.6 PRIMITIVES
Primitives are the basic building blocks of PDMS. They are used by other disciplines to
create catalogue components. There are many types of primitive, each with its own
features, which when combined with other primitives can represent complex shapes.
Examples of primitives are nozzle (NOZZ), box (BOX), cylinders (CYLI) and pyramids
(PYRA).

4.1.7 STRUCTURES (STRU)

STRU elements are administrative elements, i.e. they exist to own FRAMEWORK elements,
and allow the plant structures to be separated for ease of modelling and reporting.

4.1.8 FRAMEWORK (FRMW)

FRMW elements are used to store structural components in the model. A complex structure
can be divided into logical frameworks. Dividing the structure in this way allows structural
modelling, and also reporting, to be done more efficiently, e.g. by copying a complete
FRMW. Structural components may also be owned by a Sub-Framework element.

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 Getting Started With Plant
How Plant Data is Stored

4.1.9 SUB-FRAMEWORK (SBFR)

A SBFR is an optional element that can own structural components. Subframeworks are
used to further sub-divide complex projects or for modelling sub-assemblies within a
framework.

4.1.10 STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

Structural profiles are represented in PDMS by section (SCTN) elements. I-section profile
sizes are selected using a Section Specification that references standard catalogue data
for section sizes complying with various national standards. Plates are represented by panel
(PANE) elements and curved profiles are modelled using a general section (GENSEC)
component.

4.1.11 PIPE
Pipes may be considered like lines on a flowsheet. They may run between several end
connection points and are usually grouped by a common specification and process.

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4.1.12 BRANCH (BRAN)

Branch elements are sections of a pipe, which have known start and finish points. In PDMS
the start and finish points are called the Head and Tail. Heads and tails may be connected
to nozzles, tees or other Heads and tails, depending on the configuration of the pipe, or left
open ended.

4.1.13 PIPING COMPONENTS

A BRAN can own a wide variety of components such as gaskets (GASK), flanges (FLAN),
tees (TEE), valves (VALV), elbows (ELBO), etc. These form the shape and geometry of the
BRAN and ultimately the pipeline itself.
Piping components are selected using Piping Specifications that reference standard
catalogue data. For example, each time the user wants to use a 100mm bore elbow, PDMS
always accesses the data for it from the component catalogue. The data for this remains
constant no matter how many 100mm bore elbows are used in the design.

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 Getting Started With Plant
How Plant Data is Stored

4.2 Attributes in Plant

Every element in a Plant database has a fixed set of properties known as its attributes.
Some attributes are common throughout the range of elements while others differ according
to the type of element involved. For example, a cylinder (CYLI) has HEIGHT and
DIAMETER attributes whilst the size of a box (BOX) is determined by XLENGTH,
YLENGTH and ZLENGTH attributes, as illustrated below:

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When the user creates an element, a set of appropriate attributes are entered into the
database. The attributes will vary according to the type of element but essentially the
process is the same. For example, a cylinder has the following attributes:

Attribute Default Value

NAME Name if specified or hierarchy description
TYPE CYLI
LOCK false (the element is not locked)
OWNER the name of the owning element or its hierarchy description
POSITION N 0mm E 0mm U 0mm (relative to its owner)
ORIENTATION Y is N and Z is U (relative to its owner)
LEVEL 0 10 (this is a representation level setting)
OBSTRUCTION 2 (it is a solid hard element for clashing purposes)
DIAMETER 0 mm
HEIGHT 0 mm

4.2.1 NAME
Every element in Plant can be named. Whether named or not every element will have a
unique system-generated reference number. If a name is not specified, then a hierarchy
description will be displayed in the Design Explorer or Members List (see Navigate to a
Given Element). Internally Plant uses the reference number since this cannot change. A
table of names against reference numbers is maintained for this purpose.
All Plant names begin with a forward slash character (/), which is considered to be part of
the name. In order to save the user the effort of typing this, all of the forms the user

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 Getting Started With Plant
How Plant Data is Stored

encounters will add the forward slash for them when the user presses the Enter key after
typing a name. The forward slash character is not shown in the Design Explorer or Members
List. The WORLD has a special name in PDMS, /*.
Names cannot contain spaces and are case sensitive. For example, /E1302A is a different
name from /E1302a or /e1302A. Elements in a Plant database are unique, i.e. they cannot
have the same name or reference number.

4.2.2 TYPE
The TYPE attribute refers to the specific type of element it is, e.g. EQUI is an Equipment
type.

4.2.3 LOCK
The LOCK attribute determines if an element may be changed or not. If an element is
locked, its LOCK attribute is set to the value TRUE, preventing it from being modified until
unlocked. By default, LOCK is false.

4.2.4 OWNER
The different levels in the hierarchy are maintained by an Owner-Member relationship. An
EQUI will have ZONE as its owner, while a CYLI might well be one of the EQUI’s members.
The owner is that element which is directly related to the current element at the next level up
in the hierarchy, as shown in the diagram below:

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The element on the upper level is the Owner of those elements directly below it, e.g. the
equipment (EQUI) owns the primitive (CYLI). The lower level elements are Members of the
owning element, e.g. the EQUI is a member of the ZONE.

4.2.5 POSITION
Many items in a database have a POSITION attribute which is the position of the element in
relation to its owner. All primitives have a position attribute which relates to its point of origin.
As each primitive has a different Point of Origin changing the position attribute will have the
effect of moving the cylinder to some other position with its point of origin positioned on the
new co-ordinates.

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4.2.6 ORIENTATION
By default, a cylinder is created in a vertical direction; that is, with one of its ends facing up.
The orientation attribute allows this to be changed to any angle on any axis.

4.2.7 LEVEL
PDMS can produce different representations of an item, depending on how it has been
modelled and the representation levels used. The default level is 0 to 10 but levels can be
set beyond this range if needed.
For example, steelwork profiles can be represented by centreline (stick representation) only
or by the full detail of the section profile. By manipulating level settings it is, therefore,
possible to have simple or complex representation of elements for DESIGN display or
DRAFT drawings.

4.2.8 OBSTRUCTION
The OBSTRUCTION attribute is used to declare whether an element is solid or not.
Obstructions can be declared as Hard, Soft or No Obstruction, depending on the value of
the OBSTRUCTION attribute. The default value of 2 results in a Hard obstruction, 1 results
in a Soft obstruction (used for walkways, maintenance access etc.) and 0 is for No
Obstruction (used to save computing time when elements are enclosed in another element
which acts as an overall obstruction).

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4.2.9 HEIGHT
The height of the cylinder.

4.2.10 DIAMETER
The diameter of the cylinder.

4.3 UDAs (User Defined Attributes)

A UDA type of attribute is defined and assigned to elements using the LEXICON module by
the System or Project Administrator. A UDA is just like any other attribute but may be
specific to the company or the particular project. The setting of the UDA is up to the user,
although it may have been set to a default value. Changing this is the same as with all other
attributes. Their current values may be found by querying the items attributes. A UDA can
be recognised by the colon placed in front of it:

:COLOUR (User Defined Attribute)

:HEIGHT (Normal Attribute)

4.4 Pseudo-Attributes
These are attributes that are set by the system for a specific purpose, and cannot be
changed by the user.

4.5 Attributes Window

The Attributes window displays the attributes that have been specified for the current
selected element (CE), dependent upon the users access rights, some attributes can be
modified. Attributes can also be configured so that they are not displayed in the Attributes
window, for more information refer to the system administrator or the LEXICON User Guide.
To display the attributes for the currently selected database element, from the main menu
bar, select Display > Attributes. The Attributes window is displayed, this window can be
docked, resized or floating in the 3D view.

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How Plant Data is Stored

By default, the attributes are displayed in a tabular format, where the left hand column
displays the names of the attributes, the right hand column displays the values.
To display the attributes by categories (data types), for more information on categories refer
to Categorisation.

4.5.1 Track CE
Also, by default the Attributes window tracks the CE, that is, if the CE is changed in the
Design Explorer or 3D View, the attributes displayed in the window alter to reflect the
change in CE. To remove the tracking, click to clear the Track CE checkbox.

4.5.2 Category Filters

The Category Filters icon shows the user if a filter has been applied the Categories.

No filter has been applied to the categories

A filter has been applied to the categories

Clicking the Category Filters icon displays the Modify Category Filters window which allows
the user to change which categories are displayed.

4.5.3 Attribute Type Selection

The user can specify what attributes are displayed in the Attributes window, the types of
attributes selected remain the same even when the CE is changed. From the Attributes
window, click the Filter arrow to display the Filter window.

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By default, all of the attribute types checkboxes are selected in the Attributes window, to
specify what attribute types are displayed in the Attributes window, the user can select from
a list of available attribute types. From the Filter window, click to clear the checkbox for the
relevant attribute type.
The user can specify a custom filter, to do this from the Filter window, select Text Filters
then select from the list of available filters.

Irrelevant of which filter is selected, the Custom Filter window is always displayed:

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How Plant Data is Stored

Click OK to save any inputs and close the Custom Filter window, or click Cancel to discard
any inputs and close the Custom Filter window.

4.6 Boolean Attributes

To set Boolean attributes values for attributes, from the Values column of the Attributes
window.
Click to select the checkbox to define the boolean attribute as true, or click to clear the
checkbox to define the boolean attribute as false.

4.7 Attributes with a List of Values

Some attribute values which can be modified by the user, to do this: click the arrow
displayed next to the required attribute in the Values column of the Attributes window to
display the list of values available for selection.

4.8 Hyperlink Attributes

The user can open a URL, file or document associated with a hyperlink attribute to do this:
double-click the hyperlink to display the associated URL, file or document.

4.9 Attributes Menu

Dependant upon where in the Attributes window the user right-clicks determines which
options are available for selection.

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4.9.1 Navigate To
The Navigate To option of the Attributes menu is only available for use when reference
elements or hyperlink attributes are selected. The hyperlink can refer to a URL, file or
document held elsewhere in the system.
Select Navigate To from the Attributes menu, the URL, file or document is displayed in a
separate window.

4.9.2 Set Attribute Value to CE

Allows reference attributes to set the CE to the attribute value.

4.9.3 WRT World

By default, the position, orientation and direction attributes of the CE are displayed in the
Attributes window with respect to its owner. The user can change the element to which the
CE’s position, orientation and direction attributes.

4.9.4 Display P-Points

If the CE has P-Points, these can be displayed in the Attributes window, from the
Attributes menu, select Display P-Points. The P-Points attributes are displayed in the
Attributes window.

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4.9.5 Track CE
Tracks the CE, for more information on this option, refer to Track CE.

4.9.6 Categorised/Alphabetical
Attributes can be grouped according to the categorisations or displayed alphabetically.
Categorisations are set in LEXICON, for more information refer to the LEXICON User
Guide.

Categorisation
To display the attributes by categorisation, from the Attributes menu, select Categorised/
Alphabetical.

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The attributes in the Attributes window are now displayed by category and alphabetically.
If an attribute does not have a categorisation, then it is assigned an appropriate draft
categorisation in the Attribute window.
Default categories can be modified by the user in LEXICON, for more information refer to
the LEXICON User Guide.

Alphabetical
To display the attributes alphabetically, from the Attributes window, select Categorised/
Alphabetical, the attributes are displayed alphabetically in the Attributes window.

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4.9.7 Expand/Collapse Nodes

The user can expand or collapse all the nodes displayed in the Attributes window, by right
clicking from the Attributes window, select Expand Nodes, all nodes displayed in the
Attributes window are expanded, which is the equivalent to clicking on all the ‘+’ icons in
the Design Explorer.
To collapse all the nodes in the Attributes window, select Collapse Nodes, all the nodes
displayed in the Attributes window are collapsed, which is the equivalent to clicking on all
the ‘-’ icons in the Design Explorer.

4.9.8 Modify Category Filters

Which categories are displayed in the Attributes window can be specified by the user, from
the Attributes menu, select Modify Category Filters the Modify Category Filters window
is displayed.

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The user can choose one of the following options from the Modify Category Filters
window:
To display none of the categories in the Attributes window, select Uncheck all.
To display a selection of categories, from the list of categories displayed, click to clear the
attribute checkboxes.
To display all of the categories in the Attributes window, select Check all.
Click OK to modify the category filters and close the Modify Category Filters window, or
click Cancel to discard any inputs and close the Modify Category Filters window.
These user specified categories are retained for the current work session.

4.9.9 Manage Category Filters

The category filters which are used to determine which categories can be displayed in the
Attributes window can be managed by the user. From the Attributes menu, select Manage
Category Filters, the Manage Category Filters by Element Type window is displayed.

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How Plant Data is Stored

4.9.10 Display UDAs

The UDAs of all the attributes can be displayed in the Attributes window, from the
Attributes menu, select Display UDAs, the UDAs for each attribute is displayed in the
Attributes window. For more information on UDAs, refer to LEXICON User Guide.

4.9.11 Display Standard Attributes

Standard Attributes can be displayed in the Attributes window, from the Attributes menu,
select Display Standard Attributes.

4.9.12 Display Pseudo Attributes

The Pseudo attributes of all the attributes can be displayed in the Attributes window, from
the Attributes menu, select Display Pseudo Attributes, the pseudo attributes for each
attribute is displayed in the Attributes window. For more information on Pseudo Attributes,
refer to LEXICON User Guide.

4.9.13 Display Description

The description of all the attributes can be displayed in the Attributes window, from the
Attributes menu, select Columns > Description, a additional column displaying the
description for each attribute is displayed in the Attributes window.

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How Plant Data is Stored

4.9.14 Display Data Type

The data types of the attributes can be displayed in the Attributes window, from the
Attributes menu, select Columns > Data Type, a additional column displaying the data
type for each attribute is displayed in the Attributes window.

4.9.15 Suppress unset Values

The unset values of attributes can be displayed as blanks in the Values column of the
Attributes window, from the Attributes menu, select Settings > Suppress “unset”
values.

4.9.16 Suppress Nulref Values

The Nulref values of attributes can be displayed as blanks in the Values column of the
Attributes window, from the Attributes menu, select Settings > Suppress “Nulref”
values.

4.9.17 Export to Excel

The user can export the attributes from the Attributes window to Excel, then save the file in
a specified location. From the Attributes menus, select Export to Excel.

4.9.18 Print Preview

The user can preview the print of the attributes window, from the Attributes menu, select
Print Preview, the Print Preview window is displayed.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Using Plant Products

5 Using Plant Products

Assuming the Plant product(s) have been correctly installed onto the users workstation, the
user can start any of them from the main Start menu. The user has the choice of starting
directly in a named module, or using the default entry point in the Monitor module. The
experience is slightly different depending which product the user enters and whether the
user enters via Monitor or directly.
The following description illustrates entering PDMS through the default (Monitor) module.
Direct Module Login and Logging into Engineering or Diagrams discuss the differences if
the user chooses to enter another module directly or if the user logins to Engineering or
Diagrams.
To enter PDMS through the default (Monitor) entry point, start PDMS by selecting Start > All
Programs > AVEVA Plant > Design > PDMS 12.1 (Monitor). Two command windows and
a splash screen will appear briefly. The Login form that appears requires the user to specify
a number of details at the outset of their session.

To enter PDMS, the user must first click on the Login form to make it active. The form
should be populated in the following order.

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Project
The Project field lists all available projects by their project identifier if one is defined, or by
the three letter project code if not.

Selecting a project will trigger re-population of the Username and MDB fields with the
relevant entries for that project.

Username
A username will have been allocated to the user by the System Administrator.
The Username field list all available usernames with any associated comment in braces. If
Windows authenticated users are in use with this project the list will be limited to those
available for the current Windows user.

Select the desired username from the list or begin to type it in the field - the list is
automatically filtered for names beginning with the typed characters.

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Password
A password will have been allocated to the user by the System Administrator. Passwords
are case sensitive, be sure to enter correctly.
If Windows authenticated users are in use with this project a password is not necessary and
this field will be greyed out.
The user can change their password as they enter PDMS. To do this check Change
Password on the login window then continue to login as normal. The user will be offered the
change password window after completing the login procedure. Refer to Options.

MDB
The MDB field list all available Multiple Databases with any associated comment in braces.

Select the desired MDB from the list or begin to type its name in the field, the list is
automatically filtered for names beginning with the typed characters.

Note: If data access licenses are not available, some databases in the MDB are not
opened. An error message window is displayed on startup.

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Module
From the drop-down menu select the PDMS Module to launch.

Options
In addition to the choice of module to enter, there are a number of other options available to
the user on entering PDMS. These are displayed as checkboxes on the Options panel.

Integrate Engineering and Schematics

The Integrate Engineering and Schematics setting is relevant when PDMS is being used
alongside Engineer and/or Diagrams, and it affects the visibility of Engineering and
Schematic data in the 3D PDMS modules. Engineering and Schematic data will be visible,
read-only, when this option is checked.

Open Read Only:

If this field is checked all databases will be opened read only on entry to PDMS. Make sure
that the Read Only checkbox is unchecked if the user wants to modify the database as they
work.

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Restore Views:
Some modules, notably DESIGN and DRAFT, can optionally restore the state of graphical
views from the previous run of the module. Check this option to restore the views.

Change Password:
The user can change their password as they enter PDMS. To do this check Change
Password then continue to login as normal. The user will be offered the Change Password
window after completing the login procedure.

Enter a new password and confirm the change. Remember that passwords are case
sensitive and should be no longer than 6 characters.

Note: The Change Password option will be greyed out and the user will not be able to
change their password on login if the System Administrator has set the
PASSWORDLOCK ON for this project. In this case the user must ask the System
Administrator to change the password.

A User Password Changed window is displayed if the change of password was

successful.

Restore Default Layout:

On entry to a PDMS module the layout of the main graphics windows and Explorers will
normally be restored as they appeared the last time the module was run. If the user does
not want this state restored but want to return to the default layout then check this option.
The state of the graphics layout is stored between runs in a pair of directories below
"Documents and Settings". The user will be prompted to confirm that they want to delete this
stored state after completing the login procedure.

Direct Module Login

If the user knows which PDMS module they want to work in the user can login to it directly
from the Start menu. Select from the individual modules listed under Start > All Programs >
AVEVA Plant > Design > PDMS 12.1. The login window displayed is slightly modified from
the default (Monitor) window. The following example is for the DESIGN module.

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There is a reduced set of options available. The fields and options that are present have the
same meaning and effect as previously described for the default (Monitor) login.

Logging into Engineering or Diagrams

The procedure and choices for logging into Engineering or Diagrams is similar. The user can
choose the default (Monitor) login or login to an individual module directly. The login
shortcuts are found on the Start menu selecting: Start > All Programs > AVEVA Plant >
Engineer > Engineering 12.1 or Start > All Programs > AVEVA Plant > Engineer > Diagrams
12.1 respectively. The following example is for the default (Monitor) login form for
Engineering.

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The main difference between this and the PDMS login window previously described is the
absence of the Integrate Engineering and Schematics checkbox which is not relevant
when working in Engineering or Diagrams products.

5.1 Exit out of Plant

The user will normally exit PDMS, Engineering or Diagrams directly from the application
module in which they are working. The user can either save all work done in the current
module before exiting or the user can exit directly without updating any databases.
Select Design > Exit:
If the user has made changes prior to selecting Exit and have not carried out a
SAVEWORK operation, the user will be asked if they want to save their changes to the
appropriate database:

Clicking YES at this point would be the equivalent of doing a SAVEWORK (and then a
QUIT). If the user has done a SAVEWORK (and made no subsequent changes), or if the
user has made no changes at all during the Design session, then Exit will display a
message asking the user to confirm that they want to leave DESIGN:

Whenever the user exits PDMS the user will be returned to the operating system at the point
from which they entered PDMS.

5.2 On-Line Help

The Help option on the main toolbar gives the user the following options.

Help > Contents

Selecting Help > Contents from the main toolbar displays the Help window with the
Contents tab selected. The user can navigate to the required topic from the contents list.

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Help > Search

Selecting Help > Search from the main toolbar displays the Help window with the Search
tab selected. The user can specify a keyword(s) and search for all instances where that
keyword is used within the documentation suite.

Help About
Selecting Help > About displays a window showing the current version of software installed
and who the product is licensed to.

Clicking Additional Info displays the Additional Information window which reports all the
details related to all the [Link] files which are located in the PMLLIB and PMLUI search
paths.

Copy Info, copies the information to the clipboard allowing the user to paste the information
into a file, which can then be saved.
Clicking Appware scans all the application appware to check if any have been changed. All
changes are displayed in the Appware Changes from Installed window.

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Copy Info, copies the information to the clipboard allowing the user to paste the information
into a file, which can then be saved.

5.3 Internationalisation
Microsoft produces many localised variants of Windows. AVEVA products are designed to
work in English on all of these, though they do not currently support the use of all the local
languages. At the time of writing, AVEVA provides limited facilities that vary somewhat
between products.
Users of Plant need to enter data (text and names) using their local language and output the
same onto deliverables such as drawings, reports etc. In some cases, there is also a need
to localise or translate the user interface. The same data are also required in other products
such as AVEVA Review.
By default, the project can use any language whose characters are contained within the
Latin-1 character set, comprising:

Danish Dutch English Faroese

Finnish French Icelandic Irish

Spanish German Norwegian Portuguese

Swedish Italian

Plant can also support the following groups of languages:

Far Eastern, comprising:

Japanese Simplified Chinese

Korean Traditional Chinese

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 Getting Started With Plant
Using Plant Products

Latin-2, comprising:

Albanian Czech English German

Hungarian Polish Rumanian

Serbo-Croatian Slovak Slovene

Latin-Cyrillic, comprising:

Bulgarian Byelorussian English

Macedonian Serbo-Croatian Ukrainian Russian

Plant does not support any other character set/language, nor does it support the mixing of
any of the above except the mixing of one Far Eastern language with English.
Plant must know if the user is using a non-Latin-1 language in order to display characters
correctly on drawings.
To use an alternative character set/language:
• The user must use an appropriate version of Windows and a suitable keyboard.

• The user must select the appropriate options from the Windows ,
Regional Options.
For further details, see the PDMS and Associated Products Installation Guide, also the
Administrator User Guide for details of font families.

5.4 Customisation Facilities; The Programmable Macro

Language (PML)
Most modules make use of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to drive the software. The
interfaces provided are designed to apply to a wide range of situations and business needs.
However, as the user become more experienced they may choose to design an interface
which is more closely related to their requirements. The user can do this using AVEVA’s
Programmable Macro Language (PML).
For full details of PML, refer to the Software Customisation Guide and the Software
Customisation Reference Manual.
Before the user can begin customising a GUI, the user must have a good working
knowledge of the command syntax for the module they are working with. The commands
are described in detail in the reference manuals for the modules.
The ability to customise individual Applications to suit the users own specific needs gives
the user great flexibility in the ways in which they use their system. But it also introduces the
risk that the users modified macros may not be compatible with future versions of the
software, since they are no longer under AVEVA’s control. The users own Applications may
diverge from future standard versions and may not take advantage of product
enhancements incorporated into the standard product. To minimise this risk, it is most
important that the users in-house customisation policies constrain any changes which the
user makes to the Applications so that they retain maximum compatibility with the standard
product at all times. Remember that AVEVA can give the user full technical support only for
products over which it has control. It cannot guarantee to solve problems caused by
software which the user has written.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Using Plant Products

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 Getting Started With Plant
Using Plant Products

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

6 Basic GUI Features

PDMS uses a Graphical User Interface (GUI) using forms (dialogue boxes) and menus
with which Microsoft Windows users should be familiar.

6.1 Using the Mouse

The user can use the mouse to steer the pointer around the screen and to select or pick
items by using the mouse buttons. The buttons perform different tasks depending on the
type of window, and the position within the window, where the pointer is positioned. The
appearance of the pointer changes according to the type of display item that is underneath
it.
The left-hand mouse button has three functions:
• On a graphical view, clicking the left-hand button with the pointer over a design element
results in that element becoming the current element (that is, the design item on which
the user wants to carry out the next operation).
• In a sequence of menus, dragging with the left-hand button activates the command
represented by the highlighted menu option when the button is released.
• On a form, the effect varies according to what the user selects.
The middle mouse button is used primarily to manipulate a graphical view. The right-hand
button is used to access the menu options specific to the graphical view window, or items
listed on a form.

6.2 Using Forms

Forms are used both to display information and to let the user enter new data. Forms
typically comprise an arrangement of buttons of various types, text-boxes, and scrollable
lists. Input to a form is usually via a combination of mouse and keyboard.
While the user has access to a form, the user can change a setting, return to the initial
values, accept and act on the current data, or cancel the form without applying any
changes, according to the nature of the form.
Forms can include any of the following:
• text boxes
• drop-down lists
• option buttons
• check boxes
• scrollable lists
• action buttons.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

6.2.1 Text Boxes

Text boxes are the areas where the user can type in alphanumeric data such as names or
dimensions. A text box will usually have a label to tell the user what to enter.
When the user first opens a form which contains text boxes, the first text-box on the form is
current and a text editing cursor (a vertical bar) is displayed in the box. A text-box often
contains a default entry (such as ‘unset’) when first displayed. Some text boxes accept only
text or only numeric data, and entries with the wrong type of data are not accepted.
To enter data into a text box:
• Click in the box to insert the text editing cursor.
• Type in the required data, editing any existing entry as necessary. (The user may need
to delete the existing entry first.)
• When the user has finished, confirm the entry by pressing the Enter (or Return) key.
Any text box with an unconfirmed setting is highlighted by a yellow background.

6.2.2 Drop-down Lists

Drop-down lists let the user choose one option from a multiple selection. The list will usually
have a label to tell the user what they are setting and will show the current selection.
They typically have the following appearance:

To change the setting, click on the down arrow or button face to reveal the full list of
available options, then pick the required option.

6.2.3 Option Buttons

Option buttons are used to select one option, from a group of options. The selection is
mutually exclusive, so that selecting one option deselects others in that group automatically.
They typically have the following appearance:

Option selected

Option not selected

To change the selected option button in a group, click the required button.

6.2.4 Check Boxes

Check boxes are used to switch an option between two states, typically set and unset.
Unlike option buttons, they do not interact, so that the user can set any combination of
checkboxes at the same time.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

They typically have the following appearance:

Set

Unset

6.2.5 Scrollable Lists

A scrollable list is displayed as a vertical list of options within a form, with vertical and
horizontal scroll bars along its sides. To select an option, click on a line. The selected line is
highlighted.
Some scrollable lists allow the user to make only a single selection, so that selecting any
option deselects all others automatically. Other lists allow the user to make multiple
selections, with all selected options highlighted simultaneously. The user can deselect a
highlighted option in a multiple-choice list, by clicking on it again (repeated clicks toggle a
selection).

6.2.6 Action Buttons

Most forms include one or more action buttons. The user use these to tell PDMS what to
do with the details they have entered in the form.
The common action buttons are:

Tells the system to accept the current form settings, and closes the
form.

Cancels any changes the user has made to the form, and closes the
form.

Tells the system to accept the current form settings, and leaves the
form displayed for further use.

Cancels any changes the user has made to the form, and leaves the
form displayed for further use.

Closes the form, keeping the current settings.

Some forms contain more specific types of control button which carry out particular
command options. The action is indicated by the name of the button (such Add or Remove).

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

6.3 Menus
Menu options in pull-down or pop-up menus can be in any of three formats:

Standalone options initiate an action immediately.

Options followed by three dots display a form.

Options followed by a pointer, display a subsidiary menu

that offers a further range of options.

Throughout this guide, related selections from menus are abbreviated form using the >
symbol as a separator. For example:
Select Position>At>Explicit means:
1. Select Position from the bar menu.
2. Select At from the resulting pull-down menu
3. Move the pointer to the right and select Explicit from the resultant submenu.

6.4 Toolbars

Toolbars are displayed immediately below the main menu bar in the application window.
Some modules are provided with several toolbars. Toolbars contain a number of icon
buttons which allow the user to carry out common tasks without searching for the options in
the menus.
If the user hovers the cursor over a button, a tool-tip pop-up box will remind the user of the
function of the button. To activate a button click on it.

Note: Toolbars can be switched on or off by right-clicking on a toolbar or the menu bar. The
names of all the toolbars available for the module will then be listed. Toolbars
currently displayed will have a tick next to their names. Click on the name of a toolbar
to add or remove it from the display as required.

6.5 Status Bar

The status bar displays messages telling the user what actions the application is carrying
out. The user should refer to it frequently, especially if the system appears to be waiting for
the user to perform a task since it will always prompt the user for any input or action which is
required to carry out the next step of their current activity.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

If the prompt allows the user to repeat a task an unspecified number of times, such as
picking a selection of items using the cursor, the user must press the Esc key when the user
have finished to indicate that the user is ready to move to the next operation.

6.6 Respond to Alert Forms

Alert forms are used to display information such as error messages, prompts and requests
for confirmation of changes.

Click OK to close the Error window. Clicking Save Support Info opens a Save File window
which allows the user to save the extended message to a file.

6.7 Dockable Forms, Toolbars and Menu Bars

Certain key forms, for example Design Explorer and My Data, and all menu bars and
toolbars are provided with dockable functionality, which gives the user considerable control
over the layout of forms and other aspects of the graphical interface. The layout that the
user sets up is saved when the user ends a design session and restored when the user
begins a new session. As much as possible, layouts are also maintained when switching
between modules.
Forms, menu bars and toolbars may be docked to any edge of the application window;
forms and toolbars may be set to 'float' at any position on the screen.

6.7.1 Toolbars

To float a toolbar, either double left-click on its move handle , or circle the move handle
and drag the toolbar away from the side of the main application window it is docked at.
Once a toolbar is floating it will be displayed with a title bar. The user can then drag the title
bar to move the toolbar to a new location.
To dock a floating toolbar, drag its title bar to the top, bottom, left or right side of the
application window. Alternatively, double-click its title bar; the toolbar will return to its
previous docked position.

6.7.2 Menu Bars

Menu bars can be docked at any of the four sides of the application window, but they cannot

be floated. To deck a menu bar at a new position, click the move handle and drag the
menu bar to another side of the application window until it snaps into place.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

6.7.3 Forms
PDMS allows the user to choose where to put a form by using the mouse to drag it to a new
position. The following options are available:
• Floating on its own, in which case it can be resized to any size.
• Attached to any side of the main application window.
• Attached to any side of another form that is already docked.
• Attached in the same place as another docked form; tabs are used to switch between
the forms.
• AutoHide support, to maintain an uncluttered screen.
To undock a form (i.e. floating), select the title bar and drag it to a new position within the
application window.
To dock a form that is floating, or to re-locate a docked form to another side of the
application window, select and drag the title bar of the form. As the form is dragged the
Docking Tool will be displayed:

The Docking Tool indicates the positions where the form can be docked. While still holding
down the left mouse button, as the mouse pointer is moved over one of the allowable
positions, a translucent coloured rectangle is drawn to show the eventual position of the
form when the mouse button is released.

When moving the mouse pointer over a window that is already docked, the same Docking
Tool is displayed to allow docking on any side of that window:

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

If the mouse button is released while the mouse pointer is over the central part of the
Docking Tool, the form will be attached to the first one, with the same size and position.
Each form that is attached in this way will have a tab located at the bottom of the combined
form, to allow switching between the forms.
The figure below shows the Design Explorer from being docked in this way to the My Data
form:

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

When docking is complete, the display will be as shown below:

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

The tabbed form can be positioned and docked as for a normal (untabbed) form.
An AutoHide function is available for docked forms (including tabbed forms as described
above). To save space on the screen, a docked form can be unpinned (hidden) by clicking
the AutoHide icon on the title bar. The form is replaced by a tab, as shown below:

When the tab is clicked the form is displayed again.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

6.8 Using Commands

6.8.1 Why use Command Syntax?

For most purposes the user will want to use PDMS via the GUI. However, by using
commands the user can be able to streamline their methods of working and save time on
repeated tasks. In particular, the user may want to:
• Create macros to automate repetitive procedures (see the Software Customisation
Guide and Software Customisation Reference Manual)
• Design and create new forms and menus for their graphical user interface that match
their working needs precisely (see the Software Customisation Guide and Software
Customisation Reference Manual)
In some cases it can be slightly quicker to use commands rather than the GUI for simple
operations. For example:

Q MEM - list the members of the current element

Q ATT - list the attributes of the current element

Note: The user should always use the GUI to create elements.

6.8.2 Command Window

The Command Window is used to type is commands instead of using forms and menus. To
display the Command Window, select Display > Command Window from the main menu:

Type a command in the Command Window text box and press Enter to enter the
command. The scrollable list shows the previous commands entered and any resulting
output. The list will maintain approximately the last 1000 lines of output. The keyboard Up
and Down arrow keys can also be used to scroll through the history of entered commands.
Any line in the command window can be double-clicked to copy it as the active line.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

Clicking the right mouse button in the window displays a pop-up menu:

Copy Copies highlighted text in the command window.

Paste Pastes copied text into the command window. Macro text,
which has been copied from any source, can be submitted
for processing by pasting it into the Command Window.
The paste option will execute each line of the copied text as
a separate command as if they had been typed into the
Command Window.

Paste as Macro Paste as Macro first creates a temporary file containing the
copied macro commands and executes this as a macro.
For a large number of commands this gives better
performance.

Font Size Allows the user to select the font size for the text in the
Command Window. The choices are Large, Medium and
Small.

Clear Clears the Command Window.

Note: Macro files can also be dragged into the command window from their location in
Windows Explorer.

6.8.3 Note on Filenames

PDMS filenames can be up to 1024 characters long, and can include spaces. For example,
the following command can be used within PDMS:
SLIST ‘C:\Program files\Aveva\a temporary [Link]’.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic GUI Features

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

7 Basic Operations in PDMS

Work in any PDMS module is mostly about manipulating the elements and their attributes in
one or more databases; either to add, change, read or delete data. The user must therefore
be able to tell PDMS:
• which database(s) they want to access.
• which elements in the database hierarchy they want to access.
• what changes, if any, they want to make to the database’s contents.

7.1 Querying
The user will often find, when working in PDMS, that they need to check existing information
about some aspect of the program’s operations. For example, the user may need to find out
about any of the following:
• The current usage of the program in terms of users, modules and databases.
• The unique code which identifies the process the user is running and the station the
user is running it from (useful for generating unique work file names).
• The current setting of a command option.
• The contents of part of a particular database; for example, the current setting of an
attribute or the list of member elements owned by a specific element.
• The elements which match specific selection criteria entered by the user.
Each module incorporates a Query pull-down menu which allows the user to ask about
some of these topics, the scope of the facility being dependent upon the particular module
which the user is using. For example, the Query pull-down menu for DESIGN is:

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

Not all of the querying operations available from PDMS can be accessed using the GUI. For
these other (general) options, the QUERY command must be used.

7.2 Current Element and Current List Position

How Plant Data is Stored explained the principles of database structures and the concept of
owners and members.
When the user is working in any database, PDMS always considers the user to be located
at a specific element in that database, which is known as the Current Element.
The Member List of any element comprises a list of pointers to those elements directly
below it in the database hierarchy; that is, to those elements which it owns. These pointers
have a definite order, identified by numbered positions in the list. In addition to being
notionally at the Current Element, PDMS also considers the user to be at a specific pointer,
which is known as the Current List Position.

Pointer to
Current Element Current List Position

Members of
Current Element

1 2 3 4
List Position in Member List

As the user moves about within a database, the Current Element and Current List Position
are continuously updated so that PDMS always knows where the user is. As soon as the
user accesses a new element, this becomes the Current Element.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

To view the Current Element and its Member List (in numeric order) at any time, simply click
the box next to the desired current element in the Design Explorer (see Design
Explorer). The members of the current element will be shown. For example:

Alternatively, give the commands:

Q CE to display the current element

Q MEM to display the members list of the current element

7.3 Navigate to a Given Element

The user normally navigates to an element by means of the Design Explorer or the
Members List.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

7.3.1 Design Explorer

The Design Explorer provides an easy-to-use, graphical method of exploring the Design
Database. It has the following features:
• A Tree View display of DESIGN database elements (which can be expanded and
contracted by clicking the or icons) in the current MDB. The icons in the tree view
represent the different DESIGN database element types.
• navigation to database elements in DESIGN databases
• the ability to manage items in the display using the Drawlist (a separate window listing
the displayed items)
• the ability to query the attributes of, rename, delete, copy and paste DESIGN database
elements.
The current element can be identified in the Design Explorer as the highlighted item in the
tree view and is displayed in the History list in the main menu bar. The History list contains
a list of recently visited items.

Design Explorer replaces most of the functions of the Members List in PDMS DESIGN. The
Members List is still available from the Display menu.
The Design Explorer will be displayed on entry to DESIGN. If the user dismisses it, it can be
reinstated by selecting Display > Design Explorer from the main menu bar.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

7.3.2 Members List

As with the Design Explorer, the Members List displays the database elements in the
current MDB.

There are a number of ways to navigate from one item to another. The and arrows at
the top of the Members List allow navigation up and down the list at the level of the current
element. For example, if positioned at an EQUI element, selecting would move to the
next EQUI element in the list. Selecting would move back to the previous EQUI element.
The Goto menu at the top of the form can also be used. First select this menu, then select
the Owner option, this will navigate to the owner of the CE.
Choosing the Goto > Reference option will give a list of further options depending on the
Current Element. Goto > Reference at EQUI level will only navigate to its owner, i.e. a
ZONE. If the current element were a nozzle (NOZZ) then Goto > Reference would allow
navigation inside the catalogue database via the NOZZ’s Catref attribute.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

PDMS databases may contain many thousands of elements, however, only one element
can be accessed at a time. As all elements, with the exception of the WORLD, are owned by
another element, deleting, say, a ZONE would cause everything owned by that ZONE to be
deleted as well.

7.3.3 Other Explorers

Besides the Design Explorer (to navigate the DESIGN database), there are similar explorers
in DRAFT (to navigate the DRAFT database), SPOOLER and ISODRAFT (to navigate the
ISOD (spool drawings)) database and PARAGON (to navigate Paragon, Design and
Properties databases).

Explorer Filters
A predefined set of database filters are available to reduce the amount of information
presented in the Explorers. These are made up of a collection of core filters. Filters can be
selected and turned on and off from each Explorer. When filtering is off the complete
Database hierarchy is displayed in the Explorer. Only one system filter can be active at any
given time for each Explorer. Additional preset filters are available via the Explorer
Settings window for special case elements. Select Setting > Explorer from the main menu
bar to display the window. These filters can be toggled on/off regardless of whether the
system filters have been set.
The filters are composed of the following parts:
• Shows- Element types to display, along with ancestors
• Show Descendants- Element types to display along with descendants and ancestors
• Skips- Element types to skip (skips only that element, ancestors and descendants still
appear)
• Hides- Element types to hide along with descendants
• Hide Below- Element types to hide descendants
Precedence (lowest to highest)
• Show
• Show descendants
• Skip
• Hide below
• Hide

Piping Shows elements relevant to piping, refer to Core Filters for Explorers.
Structural Shows elements relevant to Structural, refer to Core Filters for Explorers.
Equipment Shows elements relevant to Equipment, refer to Core Filters for Explorers.
Administrator Shows elements relevant to Administration, refer to Core Filters for
Explorers.
Hangers and Shows elements relevant to Hangers & Supports, refer to Core Filters for
Supports Explorers.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

7.3.4 My Data

The My Data window is used to group data into collections. The user can then carry out
operations on all the items in a collection in one action. The My Data window is accessed by
selecting My Data from the Display menu.
Using the window, the user can generate collections of database elements which the user
may need to work on. Each time the user accesses the My Data window in any of the
modules that use it (DRAFT, DESIGN, SPOOLER, etc), the data collections generated will
be displayed, which enables elements to be easily transferred between these modules.
The contents of My Data persists between applications and module switching, as well as
between design sessions. The data stored is per user, per project in the PDMSUSER
directory, which means that, for example, in DESIGN the user could add elements to My
Data and then switch to DRAFT to use the same data.

Note: That is the PDMSUSER directory is shared between users, those users will see the
same data.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

7.4 Modify the Content of a Database

The user would normally create, modify or delete elements using the GUI, by means of the
Create, Modify and Delete pull-down menus. The options available depend on the module
that the user is in and the application that is loaded. For example, for the DESIGN module,
General Application:

7.5 Drawlist
To display the Drawlist, right-click on the Drawlist button and select Drawlist from the
pop-up menu:

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

The Drawlist form lists the names of items displayed in the 3D View. Adding an item to the
3D View (by dragging from the Design Explorer) automatically adds the item to the Drawlist.
Individual elements can be added, or an entire Zone or Site.
The visual properties of Drawlist members can be changed using the controls on the
Drawlist form.
A Drawlist member can also be added to the My Data form by dragging an item from the
Drawlist and dropping it into the My Data form.
The Drawlist can be organised in groups by dragging a column header to the indicated
position on the form. The gadgets at the top of the list can be used to filter the list by making
selections from the right-click pop-up menu.
Right-clicking on a Drawlist member gives the following shortcut menu:

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 Getting Started With Plant
Basic Operations in PDMS

The options are:

Navigate To - Makes the selected item the current element.

Hide - Temporarily removes selected items from the display.

Show - Shows items that were previously hidden.

Remove - Remove the selected item from the Drawlist. A similar operation
can be performed from within Design Explorer, or using the
Remove button.

Add to My Data - Adds the selected items to the My Data list. It is also possible to
drag and drop an item from the Drawlist into the My Data form.

Export to Excel - Exports the Drawlist in an Excel file format

Multiple elements in the Drawlist can be selected using the standard Microsoft Windows list
selection methods (using the mouse together with the Shift or Ctrl keys). Any changes made
to visual properties apply to all selected items.
The Add CE to drawlist button is used to add the current element to the Drawlist.
The Select CE in list button is used to add the current element to the Drawlist (if it has been
added to the list).
The Remove Selection button removes selected objects from the 3D View.

7.5.1 Change the Visual Properties

The Drawlist form allows the Colour, Edges and Translucency of displayed items to be
modified.
• Colour
The colour of all selected items in the Drawlist can be changed by selecting from a
colour palette; which is displayed when the Colour button is clicked.
• Edges
The Edges option can be used to display edges on the selected items, or to remove
edge display on selected items.

Note: The current element will be displayed in the current element colour and so will be
unaffected by colour changes until another element is made current.

When modifying the visual properties of a top-level element in the Drawlist, lower
level elements in the list owned by this element will also be modified.

• Translucency
Setting the translucency of displayed items allows the user to see through the
translucent items to items behind them in display. The degree of opaqueness can be
controlled selecting the required percentage translucency on the slider bar. On this
scale, 0% is a solid colour and 100% is completely transparent.

Note: The items drawn with translucent colour may appear to overlap with each other in
some view directions, which is not a problem, it is an effect of viewing one
translucent item through another. It is often better to draw translucent items with
edges shown for a clearer view of the item.

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7.5.2 Display of Graphical Selection

The Graphical Selection tab lists those objects in the current graphical selection. The
Display Settings can be modified for these objects in the same way as for the Drawlist tab.

7.5.3 Display of Primitives

When an object is displayed in the Drawlist tab, its primitives can be displayed in the
Primitives tab, which allows the control of the display for individual primitives.

7.5.4 Other Drawlist Functions

The Drawlist button on the 3D View toolbar has both a left-click and a right-click function,
described below.

Pick Object to Hide

In normal operation, the 3D view allows an object to be hidden with a right mouse click in the
graphical view. However during a multi-pick sequence, this function is not available. For

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 Getting Started With Plant
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example, when defining a clipping box by two picks, if the object of interest for the second
pick is obscured, it cannot be picked.

A left click on Drawlist sets the graphical view so that the next 3D object picked will be
hidden, which has the effect of temporarily suspending any current multi-pick sequence and
allowing the obscuring object to be picked. Doing this will cause the picked object to be
hidden whereupon the multi-pick sequence will be restored, allowing the user to complete
the sequence.

Show Hidden Objects

Once an object has been hidden in the graphical view, it can be reshown using either of
three menu options available with a right click on the Drawlist button.

The first option, Show Last Hidden Object(s) reshows the objects most recently hidden
during the current session, provided that they are still in the drawlist.
The second option, Show All Hidden Objects reshows all objects hidden during the current
session, provided that they are still in the drawlist.

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The third option, Show Hidden Objects displays a form allowing the user to select objects
to be reshown. The form lists all the objects in the drawlist for this view that are currently
hidden.

Local Views
When a graphical view is first displayed from the main DESIGN menu, it will display any
objects in the global drawlist. The Drawlist button right-click menu provides an option to
create a new local view of the graphical selection. The new view will be created with its own
drawlist containing only those objects in the graphical selection.

Clone Views
Drawlist also provides an option to create a clone of the current view. Doing this creates
another view using the same drawlist as the current view, which may be the global drawlist
or a local drawlist depending on how the current view itself was created.

Note: Undoing the deletion of an element will result in the element being added to the
global drawlist, but it will not be re-added to any local drawlist which contained the
deleted element.

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Representation
When a Drawlist is created, it inherits the current representation settings from the global
drawlist. A subset of these settings can then be controlled for a particular view by displaying
the Representation form using the Drawlist button.

7.6 PDMS Search Utility

The PDMS Search Facility enables the user to search for model items in all the graphical
applications and list the search results in a table. To display the Search form select:
Display > Search Utility.

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Name Contains The user can search for elements where name contains a
specified string. The search function is case-sensitive.

Element Type Once or more element types can be entered in this field,
separated by a space, comma or semi-colon such as:

EQUI PIPE, NOZZ; TEE

Selecting the [ALL] option from the drop-down list finds all
element types within the current scope. The field requires a
valid entry before the search process is initiated.

The history for the current session in the combo-box is remembered by the search tool and
can be cleared at any time by selecting the Clear History option from the drop-down list.
The New tab check box provides a selection capability which allows the user to control how
the search results are displayed either in the current search results grid or in a labelled tab
within the current search results grid.
By default the New tab check box is un-checked and a default tab Search Results 1 is
displayed in the Search Results window. Every search result will be displayed in the
Search Results 1 tab until the New tab check box is selected.

When the New tab check box is selected, each new search is displayed in a new numbered
tab, Search Results x, were x is substituted for the highest numbered tab plus 1.
When using Saved Searches, the search is displayed in the Search Results window in a
new tab using the saved search name as tab's title. If a tab for the same saved search
already exists that one is used.

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If the Location of a saved search is different from Local Settings then the tab's caption will
be Location/Name.

If a user has several searches open in separate tabs in the Search Results window and
then un-checks the New tab check box, all new search results will appear in the default tab,
named Search Results 1.
To close a tab on the Search Results window, right click on the tab and select Close Tab
from the sub-menu.

Note: The Search Result 1 tab cannot be closed.

To populate the Search window with all the parameters used to create a search result, right
click on the tab in the Search Results window and select Synchronise Search with Tab
from the sub-menu.

Display Search Results Opens the Search Results table.

Clicking the Search button starts the search process. Clicking Reset returns the Search
window back to the default settings.

Search Filters
Scopes for the search can be set in the Search Filters, Modified, Within Volume and
Attribute Filters sections of the Search form.

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Hierarchical Search beneath a Ceiling

When the search tool is first opened during a session, the default scope will have the world
element (/*) as the ceiling of the search within the current database (e.g. Design, if within the
Design application). To change this ceiling, select the Beneath Element checkbox combo-
box. Alternatively, click the CE button to set the current element as the Ceiling for the
search.
The databases listed in the In Database combo-box are those that are available to the user
and the combo-box will automatically update if the database item exists in any of those
databases. Similarly, if the user changes the database type in the combo-box then the
database item currently displayed will be checked, and if not found in that database, the
ceiling of the search scope will be reset to world.
The database items entered in the Beneath Element combo-box will be remembered
throughout the session. The history created can be cleared by selecting Clear History from
the pull-down list.

Element List
Checking the Element List check box allows the user select a predefined Element List from
the drop-down list. The options available in the drop-down list is dependant on which
module or application is user is working in.

Modified
Checking the Filter by modified date check box allows the user to filter the search by the
date modified. Checking the Show Modified Date on Output check box, displays the
modified date on the Search Results window.

Volumetric Search within an Existing Model Item or an Explicit Volume

To set the search scope for Volumetric Searching, select the In Volume check box to
activate the Of Element and Explicit Volume search scope approaches.
With the Of Element check box selected, enter a valid model element for the scope of the
search in the adjacent combo-box. Alternatively, click the CE button to enter the current
element in the combo-box. The elements found will reside within the volume of the specified
model element. A Clear History option is available from the drop-down list.
With the Explicit Volume check box selected, the user can specify the opposite 2 corners
of a 3D box in which to conduct a search by setting the appropriate coordinates in the X, Y
and Z boxes.
The Wholly within and Wholly & Partially within option buttons, which are applicable to
both volumetric search approaches, allow the user to specify whether the found elements
exist completely or partially within the specified volume.

Attribute Filters
The user can set one or more attribute filters for the search. The specified attributes will
apply to each element type listed. If there is more than one attribute filter specified then the
found elements will satisfy all of the attribute filters.

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To add an attribute filter, select the Add Filter action label and then enter a valid attribute in
the displayed field. Click in the Operator field and accept the suggested Operator or select
a different one from the drop-down list. With the Operator selected, click in the Value field
and enter an appropriate value. Accepting these settings enters them in the filter grid.

In the List Operator

The In the List Operator enables the user to specify a list of values (separated by spaces)
for the specified attribute value - these can be numeric or non-numeric, depending on the
type of the attribute. For example, Attribute=AREA, Operator="In the List", Value="0 1 3",
would find items which have AREA attribute equal to either 0 or 1 or 3.

In the Range Operator

The In the Range Operator enables the user to specify a range of 2 numeric values i.e. an
upper and a lower limit, inclusive. So, for example, Attribute=AREA, Operator="In the
range", Value="1 10", would find items which have AREA attribute equal to any numeric
value between and including 1 and 10.

If the attribute is changed once it is in the grid, then the Operator and Value fields will
update accordingly.

Delete Filter Selecting one or more rows and then clicking this action
label removes the appropriate attribute filters from the grid.

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7.6.1 Saved Searches

The user can save the searches that they have created, and these will be available in future
session of PDMS. The application the user is using will determine where they will be able to
save searches and which saved searches are available to the user for use. By default all
users will be able to save searches into the local settings directory of the local computer.
A saved search is composed of the criteria used to determine the search, together with the
columns which are to be output in the search results form.

In order to run a saved search the user can select a named search and press the search
button. The results will be output into the grid on the search results form. The main search
form will become populated with the search criteria.

7.6.2 Create a Saved Search

The user can save a search at any time by selecting Create "Saved Search" Based on
Current Search Criteria. Doing this will prompt for the name of the search and the location
on the hard drive of the users computer (this is determined by the application the user is
using).

7.6.3 Delete a Saved Search

Select Delete Selected Saved Search to delete the current saved search.

Note: The user can also delete the saved search from the location on their computer, and it
will not be loaded the next time they start PDMS.

Note: There is also a toolbar for saved searches, which allows the user to run and delete
saved searches without having to open the main Search form.

The bars can be interchanged by dragging and dropping one above or beneath the other.

7.6.4 Search Results

On completion of the search the Search Tool will automatically open the Search Results
table and populate the table with the search results.

Note: If the Search Results form is closed, then it can be opened at any time by selecting
the Display Search Results link label on the Search form, or selecting Display >
Search Results from the main menu from the Display toolbar menu.

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The Search Results form contains a grid control. The user can specify the columns that are
displayed - each column represents an attribute or a valid PDMS expression of an item in
the system.
The user can select either one or more rows in the Search Results form and perform
specified actions on this data. For example, within DESIGN, the user can drag & drop one or
more items into the 3D graphical view. All menu actions can be specified within the AVEVA
customizable menu builder application.
Search Results functionality is accessible through the right-click pop-up menus. Right-
clicking on the column titles shows the general functionality menu and right-clicking on
search results shows a menu of operations that can be performed on the selected items.

7.6.5 Functionality on the Search Output Form

Set Columns in the Search Results

Attribute columns can be created, modified and deleted with the Column settings function.
To access this function, select the Column Setup option from the white-space pop-up menu
to display the Column Setup form.
Clicking Add Standard Attributes allows the user to add all the standard attributes for the
current element. The Visible column allows the user to choose which columns to display or
hide. Check the required check boxes to display the columns in the grid.

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Note: One column must be left visible.

Using this form, the user can change the order of columns, as well as deleting and adding
columns.

Note: The changes to the order of the columns will not be shown until a new search is
initiated.

Clear the Search Results

The data in the Search Results form can be cleared by selecting a row, right-clicking on
any column title and selecting Clear Results from the list.

Search Results Form Settings

• Enable Group Sorting
• Enable Filtering
• Display Column Summaries
• Enable Column Sort
• Suppress "unset" values
• Suppress "Nulref" values

Interaction Mode
• Read Only
• Single Cell Edit
• Bulk Cell Edit

Feedback Colours
• Read Only Cell Colour
• Edit Success Colour
• Edit Fail Colour

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• Reset Default Feedback Colours

Reset Cell Feedback

Following cell editing operations the cell feedback (highlight colour and edit feedback tool
tip) can be cleared.

Refresh
All cell values are refreshed from the data source. Doing this refreshes the grid if the data
source and displayed information are out of synchronisation.

Export to Excel
The Export to Excel menu option enables the search results to be saved to a specified
Excel file (.xls).

Print Preview
Enables the search results to be previewed in a Print Preview window and then printed.

Row Selection Menus

The row selection menus are module dependent.

Drag & Drop

Selected rows can be dragged and dropped into an appropriate drag target - such as the
Design 3D View.

Adding to My Data
Selected rows in the Search Results can be added to My Data by drag and drop or through
the appropriate menu option.

Customisable Menus
See the Software Customisation Guide.

Filtering etc
See GUI Grid Data.

7.7 GUI Grid Data

Data that is presented on a grid on a form can be customised using the grid control
functionality. Each instance of the grid control will be utilised and customised in each
application in a different way. Not all of the available functionality described here will
necessarily be available on any particular instance of the data grid.
The following figure shows a typical data grid display, comprising PIPE and EQUI items.

Note: The attribute ‘POSITION’ is invalid in PIPE items, and is indicated by an appropriate
icon. Similarly, ‘PSPEC’ is invalid on EQUI items.

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Right-clicking on an item can display a pop-up menu with options to execute various
commands on these items.

7.7.1 Move around the Grid using the Keyboard

In single or bulk edit mode, use the Tab key to move form one cell to the next. Use Shift +
Tab to move to the previous cell.
In read-only mode, use the Tab key to move from one row to the next. Use Shift + Tab to
move to the previous row.
Both horizontal and vertical scroll bars are available in the grid.

7.7.2 Selection
In read-only mode, click anywhere on a row to select it:

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In single edit mode, clicking on a cell places that cell in edit mode:

In bulk edit mode, double clicking on a cell places that cell in edit mode. A single click on a
cell selects the cell itself. Use the standard windows selection methods (left mouse click plus
Ctrl and Shift keys) to select multiple groups of cells. A left mouse key drag operation can
also be used to select multiple cells:

Right-clicking in bulk edit mode displays a pop-up menu with Fill Down, Fill Up, Copy and
Paste options. Operations will apply to all currently selected cells
To select an entire row in single or bulk edit mode, click on the row selector column at the
left of the grid:

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In both read-only and single or bulk edit modes, multiple rows are selected using the
standard windows selection methods (left mouse click plus Ctrl and Shift keys).

7.7.3 Grid Splitting

The grid can be split into any number of smaller grids, by clicking on the splitter bars and
dragging them to the required location. These are located at the top of the vertical scroll bar
and at the left of the horizontal scroll bars. The figure below shows the grid split into four
areas:

To return to the standard grid display, drag the splitter bars to the top and left of the grid to
remove them.

7.7.4 Pin Rows and Columns

These functions are useful when scrolling through large amounts of data.

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If the row selector column is displayed for a data grid, rows can be pinned (i.e. fixed to the
top of the grid) by clicking on their pin icons. Another click on the icon unpins that row.
Pinned rows are shown in yellow:

Similarly, columns can be pinned to the left of the grid by clicking on the pin icon in the
column header. Clicking again unpins the column.

7.7.5 Row and Column Size

The height of all rows can be changed by dragging a row separator in the row selector
column. All rows have the same height.
Individual column widths can be changed by dragging the column separator in the heading
area.
Column widths can be changed to the width of the widest entry in the column by double-
clicking on a column separator.

7.7.6 Column Re-order

The columns in a grid can be arranged in a different order by dragging and dropping a
column header to a different position, as shown below. The system assists the operation by
displaying arrows for valid drop points.

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7.7.7 Column Sort

The data in a column can be sorted alphabetically by clicking on a column header; a second
click will reverse the direction of the sort. An up or down arrow symbol at the right of the
column header indicates the sort direction. Only one column at a time can be sorted in this
way.

7.7.8 Column Filter

Column filters can be applied to grids so that the selected columns only show certain
records. The filters are applied using the facilities provided in the filtering row, which is
displayed under the column heading.

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To apply a filter, hover the cursor over the filter row field for the required column and click on
the down arrow that is displayed.

The filter window lists all the values in the column, plus All and Blanks. Next to each item in
the list is a checkbox. To filter out a value from the column, uncheck its checkbox. To
uncheck all values, uncheck the All checkbox. Check the All checkbox again to check all
the checkboxes.
If the Blanks checkbox is checked, rows without a value in the column are displayed when
the filter is applied.
When the required filter conditions have been selected, click OK to close the window and
apply the filter. The value that the column is being filtered by is displayed in the filtering row
field for the column.

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If the column is being filtered by multiple values or by and a text filter, Custom is displayed in
the filtering row field for the column.

To edit a filter, access the filter window again and change the filter criteria as required. To
clear the filter from a column, click Clear Filter to the right of the down arrow.

To clear the filters from all the columns, click Clear Filter to the left of the grid.

More advanced filters can be applied by clicking Text Filters. A list of text filtering criteria is
then displayed.

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Click on the required criterion to display the Custom Filter window with the selected
criterion populated.

The user must enter a value for the search criterion. Addition filters can be added by clicking
Add and removed by clicking Delete.
The user can select All or Any from the drop-down menu at the top of the window to filter on
All the selected conditions or Any of the selected conditions. When the required filter
conditions have been selected, click OK to close the window and apply the filter.

7.7.9 Numeric Data Functions

For columns which contain numeric data, several numeric operations are available, the
results being displayed at the foot of the column. The functionality is available by clicking on
the summation symbol in the header of the column.

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7.7.10 Group Sorting

Group Sorting allows the grid data to be shown in groups based on the data in the columns.
To display the data in groups, drag a column header into the Group Sort Area above the
grid data, as shown below:

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In the example below, the 'Type' column has been dragged into the Group Sort Area and
the data is therefore grouped according to 'Type':

To remove the group sorting, drag the tile from the Group Sort Area back into the heading
row.
Multiple group sortings are possible by dragging other column headers into the Group Sort
Area. The following figure shows a grid which is first ordered on 'Type', then on 'Area'.

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7.7.11 Miscellaneous Grid Data Functions

The following functions may be available on some forms (via a right-click menu), depending
on the application/utility.
• Export to Excel
Enables the grid data to be saved to an Excel file.
• Import from Excel
If this option is available, the Excel file must contain a set of column headings in the
first row of the file, followed by the data beneath the headings.
• Print Preview
Provides a facility to print preview the grid data, prior to printing it.

7.8 Reference List Window

The Reference List window is displayed when the user selects Display > Reference List
from the main menu.

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The Reference List window automatically lists the elements referenced by the CE. For
example, if the current element is an Equipment element, then the pipes connected to any
Nozzle belonging to that Equipment will be listed. If an individual Nozzle is then selected,
then the list will change to display the Pipe connected to that Nozzle. A detailed description
of how the reference list is constructed is displayed below.

7.8.1 Which Elements will be displayed in the Reference List?

The reference list will include elements referenced by the CE, according to the following
rules:
• Obvious "physical" connection references as described in the example above.
• Elements derived from the descendants of HREF, TREF and CREF attributes are
displayed.
• For Group elements, the Reference List will display the Group members.

7.8.2 Using the Reference List

Data is listed under the following headings: Name and Type. To sort the elements in the
reference list, click on any of these headings. For example, if Type is clicked on, the
elements in the reference list will then be sorted by type. To reverse the order in which
elements are sorted, click on a heading for a second time.
The sort options are also available by right-clicking in the Reference List window (in an
empty space, not an element), and selecting Arrange By from the menu that is then
displayed.
The data in the Name and Type columns is read only. If the cursor is hovered over a name,
the name, type and description of that element are displayed on the tooltip.
If the user right-clicks on an element, a menu will be displayed which includes the following
options:
• The Navigate To option will select the element in the Design Explorer, and make it the
current element.
• The 3D View option is only displayed for Design database elements. It is used to add
elements selected in the Reference List to the 3D View, which also results in them
being added to the Drawlist. From the 3D View option, the following sub-menu is
displayed:
• Add to add only the current element
• Add Connected to add the current element and all elements that it is connected to
• Add Within Volume to add the current element plus all elements that occupy the
same volume as the current element.
Individual and multiple Design database elements may also be dragged and dropped
into the 3D View.
• The Add To My Data option adds the selected elements to the My Data list. Elements
may also be added to the My Data list by dragging and dropping them into it from the
Drawlist.
Multiple elements can be selected by using standard Windows methods, i.e.: Ctrl+A to
select all, Shift+left mouse button clicks to select a block, Ctrl+left mouse button clicks to
select multiple elements not in a block. There is also a Select All option available from the
menu that is displayed by right-clicking in a empty area of the Reference List window.

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Basic Operations in PDMS

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 Getting Started With Plant
Product Range

8 Product Range

AVEVA Plant is a set of integrated plant design and engineering applications combined with
open and flexible lifecycle management solutions. It provides the fastest, most productive
and risk-free tool set to design, build and operate plant of any size and complexity.

8.1 AVEVA Engineer

AVEVA Engineer consists of schematic and engineering products which users can use to
create schematics, diagrams, datasheets, engineering lists and indexes.

AVEVA Diagrams
AVEVA Diagrams provides the means for creating and managing P&IDs and other 2D
diagrams in the schematic databases.

AVEVA Instrumentation
AVEVA Instrumentation’s four integrated program modules support the entire
Instrumentation and Control system lifecycle from engineering and design, through
installation, maintenance and modification.

AVEVA P&ID
AVEVA P&ID is an intelligent P&ID application, based on AutoCAD. Fully compatible with
VPE Workbench, with two-way synchronisation, the application enables smart on- and
offline database operation, with a full range of reports.

AVEVA Schematic 3D Integrator

AVEVA Schematic 3D Integrator provides an integration application that provides data
consistency between schematic diagrams and the AVEVA PDMS 3D model. It can be used
to build the 3D model from schematic data, or to associate and compare an existing 3D
model with a schematic.

AVEVA Schematic Model Manager

AVEVA Schematic Model Manager imports and consolidates P&IDs from any suitable ISO
15926 P&ID design program (eg AVEVA P&ID), into the schematic model. The schematic
model can also be checked for consistency with the instrument data held in AVEVA
Instrumentation or third-party instrumentation systems, and can be used with AVEVA
Schematic 3D Integrator to check consistency between P&ID and 3D design.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Product Range

AVEVA VPE Workbench

AVEVA VPE Workbench is an integrated engineering database which manages the evolving
engineering descriptions of all tagged items in a plant.

8.2 Design
AVEVA Design products focus on the layout and detail design by allowing the user to create
3D models and produce all associated deliverables.

AVEVA PDMS
AVEVA PDMS is a datacentric, multi-disciplinary design environment for the 3D modelling of
process plant. It has modules for the design of equipment, piping, HVAC, structure and
cable trays. Modelling is carried out using a customer-defined catalogue and specification,
in a full 3D environment, with the support of tools that make sure there is a clash-free
design. A full range of drawings and pipe isometrics can be produced automatically from the
model.

AVEVA Mechanical Equipment Interface

AVEVA Mechanical Equipment Interface is a STEP AP203-compliant, bi-directional
interface for the efficient exchange of 3D CAD models between AVEVA PDMS and leading
3D MCAD systems.

AVEVA Multi-Discipline Supports

AVEVA Multi-Discipline Supports is an additional application for PDMS that enables the
detailed design, material take off and automated drawing production of supports for piping,
ducting and cable trays. A comprehensive range of standards are included, in addition to
user-defined catalogue customisation.

AVEVA Cable Design

AVEVA Cable Design is an application for the design of cables, including their routing in
cableways and through penetrations. Output includes cable schedules with routes, cable
cutting lists and material take off.

AVEVA Laser Model Interface

AVEVA Laser Model Interface provides online verification of as-built 3D model data by
interfacing with point cloud data from leading laser scanning systems. The interface enables
revamps to be undertaken with confidence, using the measurement, modelling tools and
clash management functions of PDMS.

AVEVA Nuclear Concrete Design

AVEVA Nuclear Concrete Design is a highly productive, specialist add-on for AVEVA PDMS.
It provides PDMS designers with specialised functions for defining walls, floors, bases,
anchor plates and so on, and integrating these with the entire plant design.

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Product Range

AVEVA Nuclear Room Manager

AVEVA Nuclear Room Manager is a specialist add-on for AVEVA PDMS. It enables the
PDMS design of a nuclear plant on a per-Room basis.

AVEVA ISOMET
AVEVA ISOMET provides a complete piping management solution.

8.3 Manage
AVEVA Manage products assist the management of the design process. They enable global
work share, clash management and design review.

AVEVA Global
AVEVA Global allows users at multiple sites to work together online on the same project. It
controls the release of data to each site and makes sure that all sites and users have
access to the latest approved data, right down to attribute detail. Global operates across low
bandwidths and is tolerant of communication faults.

AVEVA Review
AVEVA Review is a powerful 3D visualisation tool for large, complex plant models. With
features such as walk-through, animation, and high-quality photo-realistic images, Review
allows the user to analyse designs and communicate complex ideas.

AVEVA ReviewShare
AVEVA ReviewShare brings together 3D design review, mark-up and collaboration using 3D
models, embedded screenshots, document views and hyperlinks, into one application.
ReviewShare works with a large number of 3D data formats, not just PDMS, with server-
based streaming technology or desktop model files.

AVEVA Model Management

A set of powerful model management tools to maximise design productivity and quality.
Functions include:
• Managing and reporting the progress, status and attributes of plant objects in PDMS
• Producing and controlling deliverables (isometrics, equipment drawings etc.)
• Populating a 3D PDMS model directly from VPE P&ID data
• Comprehensive clash management and resolution

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AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Product Range

© Copyright 1974 to current year. 8:4 12 Series

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

9 Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

The glossary comprises:

• Technical terms relevant to PDMS, with brief explanations of their meanings in the
context of AVEVA programs.
• Abbreviations and acronyms used throughout the PDMS documentation, with
expansions to their full derivations.
It does not list general process engineering terms, with which the user is assumed to be
familiar.

9.1 Definitions
Add-in
An add-in provides a means of adding functionality. An add-in application appears on
the applications menu, which provides a method of switching to it.

Applicationware (‘Appware’)
A suite of forms and macros designed for use with a specific design task, for example
pipework design.
Attribute
A specific item of data which defines one of the properties of an element in a
database. An element is fully specified by combining all its attributes.
Batch Mode
A method of running a computer program without user intervention; for example,
overnight. The command inputs are stored in a file and then read sequentially into the
computer. The opposite is Interactive Mode.
Cancel
Removes a form without making any changes (To cancel a graphical selection
operation), press the Esc key.
Crosshairs
A crosshair cursor. A horizontal and a vertical line on a display screen whose
intersection represents the cursor position.
Current Element
The element in a database at which the user is notionally situated at a given stage of
database navigation.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Database
All information which exists about an AVEVA design project, whether administrative or
technical, is stored in a series of hierarchical databases.
Default
An option selected automatically if the user does not specify any particular choice
from an available range of commands or attribute settings.
Discipline
A branch of a project that is concerned with specific types of Plant items (e.g. HVAC,
Piping, Steelwork, Equipment) or a specific area of the design process (e.g. Model
Management, 2D drawing).
Docking/Dockable
Describes forms and menu bars that can be attached in appropriate places to the
frame of the main PDMS window.
Drag-and-drop
Select with mouse and then drag (holding the mouse button down) to a different place.
Element
A discrete item of data held in a database; identified by number and/or name and
defined by its attributes.
Expression
A mathematical or logical definition, the calculated result of which is to be used as a
command argument.
File
An identifiable part of the computer's memory used to store data. Data may be added
to and removed from a file, or may be manipulated as a whole by operations on the
complete file.
Filename
The name of a file in the computer's operating system. When referenced from within
PDMS the filename must be preceded by a / symbol, or in some contexts surround by
quotes. The symbol is not part of the filename as defined by the computer's operating
system.
Form (also referred to as a Dialogue Box)
That part of a graphical user interface screen into which the user can enter the
settings of parameters or command arguments, usually with prompting text which
shows the user what to enter at each location.
Graphics File
See Plotfile.
GROUP
A collective element which can be used to form temporary links between otherwise
unrelated elements in a database.
Head
The input end of a BRANCH (under normal flow conditions).
Hit Radius
The maximum acceptable error in identifying a point on a screen using a graphics
pointer. If the distance from the pointer position to the intended location is larger than
the hit radius, the location will not be identified.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Interactive Mode
The method of operation whereby the user performs an operation using the mouse
and/or keyboard and wait for PDMS to interpret and act upon it before the user
performs the next operation. The opposite is Batch Mode.
Level (drawing)
An attribute of an element in a Design database which defines whether or not the
corresponding item is to be shown when a drawing is plotted. The levels to be drawn
are specified as part of the plotting command.
Level (hierarchic)
The vertical position at which a given type of element is situated in a database
structure; analogous to a generation in a family tree.
Macro
A sequence of commands stored as a text file. When the macro is called from within
PDMS, the command processor reads each line of the file in turn and behaves as if
the commands were being directly entered.
Member (of an Element List)
A lower-level element linked immediately below another element (its owner) in a
database hierarchy. A Group Member is an exception in that it is linked only indirectly
to the GROUP, which is a parent but not its owner.
Member (of a Team)
A named PDMS user who is linked with other users (as a team) who share common
access rights to one or more databases.
Module
A subdivision of the overall PDMS program which is used to carry out a particular type
of operation on the databases. Each module has its own name within the program
suite.
Multiple Database (MDB)
A group of databases linked together administratively for a specific purpose. The user
can only access a database if the user has access rights to an MDB which contains it.
My Data
a storage area for remembering PDMS data for future use. Typically used to copy
collections of elements from one module to another.
Name
A name in PDMS is an element identifier which the user allocates to it. It is an
alphanumeric string prefixed by a / symbol. The identifier is always additional to the
element's reference number, which is allocated automatically by PDMS.
Offspring
A lower-level element linked anywhere below another element (one of its parents) in a
database hierarchy. A member is a special case of an offspring.
Owner
One higher-level element linked directly above another element (one of its members)
in a database hierarchy.
Parameter
A -variable item of information (value, text etc.) which must be defined before a
command can be executed unambiguously.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Parent
A higher-level element linked anywhere above another element (one of its offspring) in
a database hierarchy. An owner is a special case of a parent.
PIPE
An element, comprising an assembly of BRANCHes, which defines part of a complex
piping system. The term has a specific meaning in PDMS which may not correspond
with its usual engineering meaning.
Plotfile
A file which contains encoded graphics data. The file's contents can be unspooled to a
plotter or graphics screen when the corresponding drawing is to be generated.
Pointer (1)
An indicator (also referred to as the cursor) on a display screen which identifies one
of two types of location:
An alpha pointer (e.g. a flashing block or bar) shows where the next input
character will appear
A graphics pointer (e.g. an arrowhead) identifies a location or an element in the
depicted part of the design model.
Pointer (2)
A link between elements or attributes, indicating the path by which information is
transferred logically between the various parts of the databases.
P-point (Principal Point)
An imaginary location and direction used to manipulate and interconnect elements
which represent physical entities in the design model. A P-line is a p-point extruded in
a specific direction.
Primitive
A fundamental design shape (box, cylinder etc.) used to build up the design of a
physical entity in the design model or component catalogue.
Read-only
An access category that allows the user to look at the contents of a database or file
but not to modify them.
Read/Write
An access category that allows the user to look at the contents of a database or file
and to modify them.
Enter (key)
The carriage return key on the keyboard. Used to end each typed command line and
send its contents to the command processor. Also referred to as the Return key.
Selection
A selection of objects defined using the 3D graphical view.
Shortcut Menu
a context-sensitive menu activated by the secondary (usually right-hand) mouse
button.
Syntax (Of Commands)
the rules which define precisely how a command line must be entered so that PDMS
can interpret the instructions unambiguously. Syntax is usually specified by using
diagrams to show the valid command sequences.

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 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Tail
The output end of a BRANCH (under normal flow conditions).
Team
An administrative grouping of PDMS users who share common access rights to one or
more databases.
Textual Expression
An expression which manipulates text simply as strings of alphanumeric characters
without regard to their overall meaning.
Title bar
The top of a window, containing its title.
Toolbar
A collection of GUI icons, used to trigger the GUI actions.
Unspooler
A translation program which allows graphical output files (plotfiles) produced by a
computer program to be input to an offline plotter. Each combination of output format
and plotter type requires a specific unspooler.
User-Defined Attribute
A database attribute whose name and type of content are defined by the user rather
than by the default PDMS structure.
WORLD
The highest level element in any database; always allocated the symbol /* as its
PDMS name.

9.2 Abbreviations and Acronyms

Abbreviations which are thought to be self-explanatory, particularly those which are simply
the first few letters of an obvious word, are not listed.

ABA Area Based ADP

ADP Automatic Drawing Production

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange

API Application Programming Interface

CATREF Catalogue Reference

CE Current Element

CL Centreline

COCO Connection Compatibility

CPU Central Processor Unit

CREF Connection Reference

CTORU Circular (cross-section) Torus

DABACON Database Constructor

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 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

DAC Data Access Control

DB Database

DDL Data Definition Language

DXF Drawing Exchange Format (as used by AutoCAD®)

GTYP Generic Type

GUI Graphical User Interface

HPGL Hewlett Packard Graphics Language

I/O Input/Output

IGES International Graphics Exchange Specification

Iso ADP Isometric ADP

LJSE Lap Joint Stub End

MDB Multiple Database

MOM Model Object Manager

MDS Multi-Discipline Supports

OS Operating System

Pn P-point n (where n is an integer)

PA P-Arrive or Arrive P-point

PADD Production of Annotated and Dimensioned Drawings

PDMS Plant Design Management System

PH Pipe Head

P&ID Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

PID Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

PL P-Leave or Leave P-point

PML Programmable Macro Language

POHED Polyhedron

PT Pipe Tail

PTRANS Percent (%) Variable Translator

PVOL Preferred Volume or Penalty Volume

Q Query

Refno Reference Number (of an element in a database)

RTORU Rectangular (cross-section) Torus

SHU Standard Hookup

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 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

SKEY Symbol Key

SPCOM Specification Component

SPREF Specification Reference

STYP Symbol Type

UDA User-Defined Attribute

VDM View Definition Matrix

WN Weld Neck

2D or 3D Two- or Three-dimensional

@ Crosshair cursor location

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 Getting Started With Plant
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

© Copyright 1974 to current year. 9:8 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

A Core Filters for Explorers

The core filters available on Explorers are defined as follows:

Design: Design DB:

Piping Show Branch and descendants

Show RPLGroup
Show Framework
Show Nozzles
Show Hangers
Hide below Bound
Hide below Drawing
Hide below sections
Hide below Panels
Hide below Generic Sections
Hide Pnode
Hide Group world
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Skip Sub-Equipment
Skip Template
Structural Show Bound
Show Equipment
Show Pipe
Show Pipe Track
Show Pvolume
Show Drawing
Show Rplane
Show datum
Show Hvac
Show Restraint
Show Ground Model
Show Structure and descendants
Hide below Substructure
Hide below Pnode
Hide below Section
Hide below Panel
Hide below Generic Section

© Copyright 1974 to current year. A:1 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

Structural continued Hide Linkset

Hide Porset
Hide DPset
Hide Design Data Set
Hide Template
Hide Group world
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Hide Template World
Equipment Show Bound
Show Drawing
Show Ground Model
Show Pipe
Show Pipe Track
Show Pvolume
Show Datum
Show Rplane
Show Restraint
Show Section
Show Panel
Show Generic Section
Show Wall
Show Straight Wall
Show Gwall
Show Floor
Show Screed
Show Cwall
Show cfloor
Show Cscreed
Show Equipment and descendants
Hide Linkset
Hide Porset
Hide DPset
Hide Design Data Set
Hide Template
Hide Group World
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Hide Template World

© Copyright 1974 to current year. A:2 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

Hangers & Supports Show Bound

Show Equipment
Show Pipe Track
Show Pvolume
Show Drawing
Show Rplane
Show datum
Show Substructure
Show Panel
Show Attas
Show Hangers and descendants
Hide Linkset
Hide Porset
Hide DPset
Hide Design Data Set
Hide Template
Hide Group world
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Hide Template World

Draft: Design DB:

Piping Show Branch and descendants

Show RPLGroup
Show Framework
Show Nozzles
Show Hangers
Hide below Bound
Hide below Drawing
Hide below sections
Hide below Panels
Hide below Generic Sections
Hide Pnode
Hide Group world
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Skip Sub-Equipment
Skip Template

© Copyright 1974 to current year. A:3 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

Structural Show Bound

Show Equipment
Show Pipe
Show Pipe Track
Show Pvolume
Show Drawing
Show Rplane
Show datum
Show Hvac
Show Restraint
Show Ground Model
Show Structure and descendants
Hide below Substructure
Hide below Pnode
Hide below Section
Hide below Panel
Hide below Generic Section
Hide Linkset
Hide Porset
Hide DPset
Hide Design Data Set
Hide Template
Hide Group world
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Hide Template World

© Copyright 1974 to current year. A:4 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

Equipment Show Bound

Show Drawing
Show Ground Model
Show Pipe
Show Pipe Track
Show Pvolume
Show Datum
Show Rplane
Show Restraint
Show Section
Show Panel
Show Generic Section
Show Wall
Show Straight Wall
Show Gwall
Show Floor
Show Screed
Show Cwall
Show cfloor
Show Cscreed
Show Equipment and descendants
Hide Linkset
Hide Porset
Hide DPset
Hide Design Data Set
Hide Template
Hide Group World
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Hide Template World
Hangers & Supports Show Bound
Show Equipment
Show Pipe Track
Show Pvolume
Show Drawing
Show Rplane
Show datum
Show Substructure
Show Panel
Show Attas
Show Hangers and descendants
Hide Linkset
Hide Porset
Hide DPset
Hide Design Data Set
Hide Template
Hide Group world
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Hide Template World

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

Draft: PADD DB:

General User Show Drawing descendants

Hide tasks
Hide Library
Hide Plane library
Skip Registry
Administrator Show Label library descendants
Show Symbol library descendants
Show Special Label descendants
Show General Label descendants
Show Sheet library descendants
Show ID list library descendants
Show Plane library descendants
Show Tagging rule library descendants
Show Circulation list library descendants
Show Representation rule library descendants
Show Task library descendants
Show Drawing Template library descendants
Show Iso Symbol Template library descendants
Skip Registry
Skip Department

Spooler: Design DB:

Piping Show Branch and descendants

Show RPLGroup
Show Framework
Show Nozzles
Show Hangers
Hide below Bound
Hide below Drawing
Hide below sections
Hide below Panels
Hide below Generic Sections
Hide Pnode
Hide Group world
Hide Building World
Hide Rule World
Hide Docu world
Skip Sub-Equipment
Skip Template

Spooler: Fabrication DB
No filters available.

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

Isodraft: Design DB:

Pipe Show Branches

Isodraft: Fabrication DB:

No Filters available.

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AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant
Core Filters for Explorers

© Copyright 1974 to current year. A:8 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant

Index

A B
ADMIN module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:7 Button
Attributes control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:3
Boolean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15 radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Categorised/Alphabetical . . . . . . . . 4:17 toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Category Filters
Modify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:19 C
Description
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21 Check box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Expand/Collapse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:19 Command Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:10
Export to Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22 Control button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:3
Hyperlink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15 Current element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2
List of Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15 Current list position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2
Manage Filters
Element Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:20 D
Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:15
Nulref Values Data Type
Suppress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22
P-Points Database
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16 CATALOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
Print Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22 COMMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
Pseudo DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21 DICTIONARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
UDAs Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:21 hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2
Unset Values ISOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2
Suppress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:22 MISC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:4
WRT World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16 PADD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:2
Attributes Menu PROPERTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
Navigate To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:16 SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:3
Attributes Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12 TRANSACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:4
Attribute Type Selection . . . . . . . . . 4:13 DESIGN module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:3
Track CE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:13 Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:6
Dockable Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:5
DRAFT module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:4

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All rights reserved.
 Getting Started With Plant

Drawlist GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:8 Status bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4

Submenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4
E
T
Escape key/button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:5
Text box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
G Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4

Grid Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:23

I
ISODRAFT module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:5

L
LEXICON module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:8
List
scrollable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:3

M
Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2
(of element) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2
list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2
Menu
bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4
pull-down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4
MONITOR Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:8

O
Option button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2
Owner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:2

P
PARAGON module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:7
Product Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:1
Project Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:1
Prompts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4
PROPCON module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:7
Pull-down menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:4

R
Radio button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:2

S
Scrollable list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:3
Search Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:14
SPECON module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:7
SPOOLER module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:4

© Copyright 1974 to current year. Index page 2 12 Series

AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries.
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