Draw commands

Draw command icons are located on the left side of the screen and can also be accessed by typing r or R on your keyboard. After defining pipe property sets and structural members to be used in the model, click one of the Draw command icons in order to model. Draw commands snap to existing points/nodes, grid intersections, and global axes in both + and – directions.

If snapping to a global axis using the Draw Pipe command, move the cursor in the desired direction, then type the length of the pipe element in current units, and a box will appear where you see your input that you just typed. You can then press Enter to complete the Draw command, or before pressing enter, users can append their input with m, mm, cm, ‘, “, in, or ft to specify the unit of input. Architectural units are entered in calculator format. For example, type 12’+3”+3/16”  for 12’ 3 3/16”.

Pipe length will automatically be adjusted if one of the points that it’s drawn to or from converts to an elbow or a tee with the offset dimension then coming from or to the tangent intersection point (TIP) of the elbow or tee centerpoint.

If drawing valves, flanges, or expansion joint components, you will need to first import or define them using Define menu>Components where the length of the component is specified. Drawing those components at an existing point involves a single mouse click, and users will be presented with options to offset based on the component’s Starting point, Midpoint, or End point. Alternatively, users can move their cursor along an existing pipeline then type an offset distance and press Enter to draw a component.

Drawing pipe supports or points involves a single mouse click.

Below is a Draw pipe command example drawing a 17 ft. run of pipe in the -Y global direction from a grid intersection. Press Enter to complete the Draw command when snapping to global axes.