Routing pipelines in 3D???

[Command: Manick]

I am doing a piping arrangement drawing for a facility and I am having problems figuring out how to quickly route pipe along a path. I figured all I had to do was draw the centerlines, join them together, then fillet the corners for the 90 degree elbows, and then Sweep from one end to the other and be done. The problem, is that I cannot join together the centerlines if the route has to travel along all 3 axises in 3 dimensions. And unfortunately, autoCAD does not allow fillet to be used with 3d polylines. How else can I do this?

[kencaz]

you could explode the 3d polyline, do your fillet's, then sweep in sections. At least this will give you the curves in all 3 axis.

 

[JD Mather]

...unfortunately, autoCAD does not allow fillet to be used with 3d polylines. How else can I do this?

 

Inventor does allow 3D fillets.

[ReMark]

It would be helpful if AutoCAD allowed us to delineate our centerline, in any plane, then sweep or extrude our pipe diameter along that path. I'm curious. Does anyone know if this feature is present in AutoCAD P&ID or is that just wishful thinking?

[spittle]

If I remember rightly you can still sweep using you CL as a path but you have to run the command again at each bend. I found AutoCAD to be pretty poor for this kind of stuff so moved to Solidworks.

[tzframpton]

AutoCAD MEP does this extremely easy.

[OCD]

LDT & MEP can fillet 3D polylines...vanilla AutoCAD can't

Recommend exploding 3D polylines and filleting.

 

There is a lisp routine called "xpipe" that will extrude a user defined pipe size along a centerline (multiple/single lines, arcs, polylines, 3D ploylines...). It also gives an option to keep the centerline...I recommend keeping the centerrline. If you want a tube...then there is a lisp called "xtube". Came in handy when I need to do a quick 3D pipe drawing.

 

Xpipe/Xtube: http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5642&highlight=xpipe

[tzframpton]

LDT & MEP can fillet 3D polylines...vanilla AutoCAD can't

Recommend exploding 3D polylines and filleting.

 

There is a lisp routine called "xpipe" that will extrude a user defined pipe size along a centerline (multiple/single lines, arcs, polylines, 3D ploylines...). It also gives an option to keep the centerline...I recommend keeping the centerrline. If you want a tube...then there is a lisp called "xtube". Came in handy when I need to do a quick 3D pipe drawing.

From one of our own here on the boards, ASMI.

 

XPIPE.LSP

http://www.asmitools.com/Files/Lisps/Xpipe.html

 

XTUBE.LSP

http://www.asmitools.com/Files/Lisps/Xtube.html

[arjun_samar]

sweet video!!!!!!

 

how do you do that? how to upload video?

thanks in advance

[CADMASTER1128]

I have to say that is a very useful LISP. I created a pipe frame (used to my christmas light display). I have posted the original picture (Found on Planet Christmas Forums) and my 3D model using the LISP.

[tzframpton]

sweet video!!!!!!

 

how do you do that? how to upload video?

thanks in advance

It's a GIF image that I linked off of ASMI's website. :-)

[CADMASTER1128]

It's a GIF image that I linked off of ASMI's website. :-)

 

how do you get the gif file?

[tzframpton]

http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp

[CADMASTER1128]

Thanks for that!