When you first start SPOOLER or when you create a new 3D View , the display window is empty. You must set it up to show the elements and view you wish to see. This involves setting up 3 functions of the view:
View Function Menu Option View contents Drawlist
View limits Limits Type of view Look or Iso
The following sections describe how to set up these functions.
5.1.1 View Contents
The elements that are displayed in a 3D View window must first be added to the Drawlist. This can be done as follows:
• Select Display>Drawlist from the main menu bar, to display the Drawlist form and then add the required elements.
• Select the required element in the Members list and add them to the Drawlist, using the Drawlist options in the Spooler Members menu.
• Select the required element in the Members list and then click the Add CE button on the PDMS tool bar.
Note: Only one Drawlist can be defined, for all 3D View windows.
The elements are normally added to the Drawlist and displayed in the colour defined by the ‘Autocolour’ rules. These can be set up by your
system administrator. Alternatively, you can add elements using specific colours. This can be done by either clicking the Colour button on the
Drawlist form or by selecting Drawlist>Add CE with colour . This displays a standard colour selection form allowing you to select the required colour.
Additionally, you can apply a transparency factor to elements you are adding from the Drawlist form. This allows you to make buildings and other structures semi-transparent, so that you can see items inside or behind them. This can be done by selecting the required degree of transparency from the drop-down list beside the Colour button on the Drawlist form.
5.1.2 View Limits
How much of the Drawlist contents are actually shown in that window can be controlled by setting the view limits. This can be set from the Limits options on the 3D View menu. You can select anything from a single element up to the complete Drawlist or explicitly define a 3D box, by entering the co-ordinates of two opposite corners. Alternatively the limits can be set to the current element by clicking on the ‘CE Limits’ button
on the left of the 3D View window.
5.1.3 Type of View
The type of view for that window, orthogonal or isometric, can selected from the Look or ISO options on the 3D View menu. These allow you to select from a wide range of orthogonal and isometric views or define a particular view.
We will now set-up a view of the complete design model.
Exercise continues:
6. As the Fabrication database is empty at this time we need to switch to the Design database to add elements to the Drawlist.
• Select Control>Switch>Design from the menu bar at the top of the Spooler Members window.
This switches you to the World (/*) level in the Design DB.
• Select ‘SPOOLER-SITE’ in the Members list, by clicking on it.
A list of all its member ZONES is displayed.
• Click on the Limits CE button on the left of the view window, to set the view limits to enclose the complete site.
7. We will now add the base of the site to the Drawlist and display it.
• Before we display anything in the 3D View window we will maximise it within the application window, by clicking on the Control menu button (AVEVA Solutions Ltd logo) at the top left of the viewing window and selecting Maximise.
• Click on ‘SPOOLER-CIVIL’ to make it the CE and then select Drawlist>Add CE, from the Spooler Members form menu bar.
The base appears in the view window in the default colour and orthogonal view.
• Select ISO>Two from the 3D View menu to set the required viewing direction.
8. Now add the structures to the Drawlist using a different colour, to help differentiate between the types of element, and set a degree of transparency so that you can see other elements under and behind the structures.
• Navigate to the ‘SPOOLER-STRUC’ zone, by clicking on SPOOLER-SITE and then on SPOOLER-STRUC, making it the CE.
• Select Display>Drawlist from the main menu bar, to display the Drawlist form.
• Click on the Colour button to display a colour selection form and select a suitable colour (e.g. Dark Grey; top row, fourth from right) by clicking on it and then clicking Dismiss.
Note: By default, SPOOLER uses Cyan and Green to represent Spools and fields, respectively. So these colours should be avoided when adding elements.
• Set the transparency level by clicking on the drop-down list beside the Colour button and selecting 50%.
• Click the Add CE button, to add the structures to the display with the selected settings.
• Click Dismiss on the Drawlist form to close it.
9. You can now add the equipment (SPOOLER-EQUIP) and pipes (SPOOLER-PIPES) to the display in different colours, using the Drawlist>Add CE with colour option, from the Drawlist menu bar.
The complete site is now displayed in isometric view. The 3D View should now look something like Figure 5-2, which has the main equipment annotated.
Surface Condensor Heat
Exchanger
Surge Tank Condensate
Pumps
Centre Line Mounted Pumps
Figure 5-2 Isometric View of SPOOLER Sample Project