CADWorx User Blog and Webinar Series

Webinar, June 5th, 12:00pm CST: Spec Datafiles

with Rod Abbott, Mechanical Technologist, Wardrop Engineering

Register for this Webinar.

Learn what a data file is, how to manipulate the data, and use it in a spec.

Speaker bio:
Rod Abbott is an intermediate Mechanical Technologist with 8 years of engineering experience.  Rod has been with Wardrop Engineering for 5 years and is the Mechanical CAD Lead for the Thunder Bay office.  Since joining Wardrop, he has played a key role in implementing various 3D tools, including CADWorx and ISOGen.

Singapore CADWorx event, 27th May 2008.

Calling all CADWorx and other CAD users interested in offshore, oil & gas and other process plant design and modelling. IOCS invites you to a one-half day event on Tuesday morning, 27th May.

The agenda includes:

- what's coming in CADWorx 2009

- SE Asia launch of CMPIC - a cable management system for design, routing and installation of cabling

- world-wide launch of IOCS' FM2C2 - a link for taking Flowmaster pressure surge analysis results to CAESAR II for dynamic stress analysis

All attendees will receive a complimentary Paulin Research "B31.3 Checklist and Rules of Thumb" program and some other "goodies"

                                                Click here for details of the event.

Pipe Stress Engineering & Surge Flow Prediction

The ever-popular Pipe Stress course run by COADE's Dave Diehl will be run in Singapore: 12th - 17th May 2008. Five days for the Pipe Stress course and then the sixth day I do an introduction to Flowmaster's use for surge pressure prediction. This year we will debut IOCS' "FM2C2" which allows Flowmaster results to be imported to CAESARII for dynamic stress analysis.

Click here for details.

Singapore CADWorx Community Event

Singapore Users block Tuesday 27th May in your diaries; there will be a half-day event. Venue will be SWA/Waterhub, 80 Toh Guan Rd East.

Agenda will include a sneak preview of CADWorx 2009; and something for your Electrical/Cabling people. Watch this space for more details coming soon!

CAD Workstation recommendations

Hardware recommendations for a CAD Workstation that will utilize 3D Modeling in CADWorx Plant.

First off… if you plan on utilizing CADWorx in 3D, you need a system that won’t limit your creativity. Also, I recommend using dual screens.  You will need to get comfortable in using dual screens, preferably 19, or 20 inch LCD screens. (no widescreens)

That said...

If you run AutoCAD 2007, or 2008, you will notice the enormous amount of resources that AutoCAD demands of your system.  Here is my recommended list of the individual components that will meet or surpass the minimum requirements for AutoCAD and CADWorx.  I will list first, a system for a good budget, then one with no limit. (Dated: January, 2008)

• Processor – Dual Core 2 dou (E6850) 3.0ghz (supports 1333mhz FSB)
• Ram - 4gb (ddr3-1333)
• HDD – WD Raptor 150gb 10,000 rpm (SATA)
• Graphics Card – Nvidia Quadro FX1700
• CD/DVD – Liteon DVD/CD writer (SATA)
• MB – A motherboard that supports FSB of 1333mhz (ex.ASUS P5K64 WS)
• OS – Windows XP Pro (don’t trust Vista)
• Monitors - 19” or 20” that support DVI
• (Price range: $3,000 -$3,500)

• Processor – Xeon Quad Core 3.0ghz (supports 1333 FSB)
• Ram – 4gb (ddr3-1333)
• HDD -  WD Raptor 150gb 10,000 rpm (SATA)
• Graphics Card – Nvidia Quadro FX5600
• CD/DVD – Liteon DVD/CD writer (SATA)
• MB – A motherboard that supports FSB of 1333mhz and Quad Xeon (ex. SuperMicro X7DVL-L)
• OS – Windows XP Pro (again, don’t trust Vista)
• Monitors – 19” or 20” that support DVI
• (Price range: $5,000 - $8,000)

Steve Lozano

Sr. Piping Designer/Systems Administrator

Nicholas Consulting Group, Inc.

Microsoft Certified Professional

CompTIA A+ Certified IT Technician

CADWorx User Registration

The CADWorx user community is strong and vibrant. We want to make this community work for you by using it to inform and instruct. To do this we need some important information from you as a user of CADWorx. Many of you have registered online and are benefiting by receiving update notices, event news and have contributed by answering questionnaires. We want the rest of you to benefit as well so please take some time and register on line. It is easy and painless and the benefits are enormous. As a registered user you will have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming CADWorx 2009 beta program starting on March 31^st. Our first annual CADWorx User Conference will take place in October and all registered users will be invited. Again all registered users receive notification of updates as they become available.

Registration is easy, from the Plant Menu go to "About" and then "Register Online" or select this link CADWorx User Registration

Please take the time to register today and invite your entire CADWorx group to do the same.

How CADWorx uses the data file to draw shapes

CADWorx Plant ships with an Example.spc that has one entry for every component.  The data files used with the Example.spc are located in the ..\CADWorxPlant\LIB_I\EXA\ directory.

The ZIP EXE download link (http://www.coade.com/cadworx/examplefiles.exe) has an updated set of these files and includes a drawing for each data file.  Each drawing explains in more detail how the data file columns are used to generate the component graphics.

These drawings may help in understanding how CADWorx Plant uses the data file to draw the shape.

The ..\CADWorxPlant\Spec\DataFile.tbl file also has a listing of all data file columns used with different component type.

Eating the Competition

Here is a picture of CADWorx eating the competition.

Thanks to Andrew Taylor of Chempute Software for taking me on a little safari in South Africa. Shot from his car.

Best Regards,

Joseph Dixon

Product Manager - Plant Design Solutions
COADE Engineering Software

CDT 2008 Africa

We have just finished our 20^th CDT 2008 in South Africa with three events, two in Johannesburg and one in Durban. This was a great success with a good turnout of both users and prospective users. Most everyone left with something of benefit including me. Chempute, our Global Network Partner in Africa, did a fantastic job in putting on these events. So far we have met with hundreds of users throughout the world. The CDT 2008 is intended to instruct, inform and promote the use of CADWorx. It is also a forum for me to listen to the users and their needs and desires for improving CADWorx. We hope everyone will have an opportunity to attend one of these events. Several more are scheduled for South America, Spain, and Portugal. To register go to CDT 2008 Event Registration and select the event you wish to attend.

Best Regards,

Joseph Dixon

Product Manager - Plant Design Solutions
COADE Engineering Software

Readme.htm

Have you ever wondered how some people can find out the new commands so fast? Well, it's really no secret. Coade has always documented all the new features for each release and build in a file called Readme.htm. This file is always located in the root folder of the application. If CADWorx Plant 2008 is installed on your local C: drive then you will find the file in C:\CADWorx Plant 2008\readme.htm. Below is a cutout section of the readme file showing what was added and what's new in CADWorx Plant 2008 and its latest builds. Not only does the readme.htm document all the new features but, also, shows the new features added to previous releases.

CADWorx Discovery Tour a hit in Singapore

5th December 2007 witnessed about 75 CADWorx users and potentials coming together in Singapore. A full report and pictures can be found if you    click here.

Beginnings

From the immortal words of John Lennon we need to "Come Together Right Now". This is the beginning of our new CADWorx User Blog. This blog is dedicated to all the great designers out there who spend every day designing our world and making it run a little better. Enough of the mush, now down to the real meat of this blog. I want to make a place where you as designers can give feedback on the tools you use every day. Not just the CADWorx tools but any tools you may be using. This will be a great place to see new ideas coming out and make comments on them directly to the CADWorx design team here at COADE.

Joseph Dixon
Product Manager
Plant Design Solutions
COADE

One Full Year as PM

I have now been with COADE one full year and what an experience. I have been working in the petrochemical industry as a designer and manager for 21 years and felt I had a good grasp on what was required to design good plants. After traveling the world and enjoying great conversations with many of you I have discovered I have a lot more to learn. First thing I discovered is the world does not look to America for everything. Each region of the world has their own way of doing things and all are very good. Designing a plant in SE Asia or the Middle East although familiar is quite different to that of North America. I have also learned that CADWorx is not just for the petrochemical, oil and gas industries but is being used throughout all industries requiring piping design from water treatment to mining to pharmaceuticals. Thanks to many of you I have been able to open my mind a little more and see from a different perspective. As product manager of CADWorx I need your help and input to keep me focused on the big (World) picture. I commit to listen to your needs and try to understand your views as we work together to improve CADWorx for everyone. I look forward to meeting many more of you as we travel around the world. Thank you again for making the world a little better by all that you do.

Joseph Dixon
Product Manager
Plant Design Solutions
COADE Inc.

AutoCAD DISPSILH and ISOLINES Settings

The AutoCAD settings of DISPSILH and ISOLINES control the display of AutoCAD solids.  The ideal setting for viewing piping components is:  DISPSILH = 1 and ISOLINES = 0.  These values can be set at the AutoCAD command line or from the AutoCAD OPTIONS dialog.

Start CADWorx with Autodesk vertical product

To start CADWorx with Autodesk vertical product, follow the steps below:

Step 1:  Start Autodesk vertical product from the desktop icon or from the Windows Start Menu.
Step 2:  Add the CADWorx ..\Support\ directory to the Support File Search Path
Step 3:  Exit out of Autodesk vertical product.
Step 4:  Start Autodesk vertical product again from the same icon as Step 1.  CADWorx will now start with the Autodesk vertical product.

After installing or updating CADWorx, the pull-down menu is not visible

To re-load the "Plant" menu from CADWorx Plant Professional / CADWorx Plant, run the command LOADMENUPLANT

To re-load the "P&ID" menu from CADWorx P&ID Professional / CADWorx P&ID, run the command LOADMENUFLOW

To re-load the "Equipment" menu from CADWorx Equipment, run the command LOADMENUEQUIP

To re-load the "Steel" menu from CADWorx Steel Professional / CADWorx Steel, run the command LOADMENUSTEEL