Exporting Pipe and Tube Data

You can export data to other piping applications or create bend data tables for route assemblies that use tubing or pipes with bends.

To export data or create bend tables:

  1. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click a route assembly and click Export pipe/tube data.
  2. Set options in the PropertyManager.
  3. Click .

Route Exports PropertyManager

The Route Exports PropertyManager appears when you export piping and tubing bend data. The PropertyManager controls these properties:

Route Assemblies

Select Route Assembly Components Select the route assembly for which you want to generate bend data tables.

Options

Start at origin Starts data with the first point (0, 0, 0) at the route assembly origin. When cleared, data starts with the first point (0, 0, 0) at the start of the tube.
Data format
  • Pipe data (pcf). Exports piping and tubing data as a PCF file, for use in other piping applications such as ISOGEN™. Select Millimeters or Inches for unit of measure.
  • For the PCF file to process correctly in ISOGEN™, fittings must have a custom property named IsogenSkey to define the fitting type. For example, FLWN for a weld-neck flange or FLSW for a socket-weld flange. See Adding Isogen Data to Fittings for a list of additional custom properties that you can optionally assign to fittings.
  • The SOLIDWORKS/ISOGEN interface does not support formed bends. Pipes and tubes containing formed bends are omitted from the PCF file, which might cause disconnect errors when read into ISOGEN.
  • Tube bend tables. Create bend data tables for route assemblies that use tubing or pipes with bends. Select Tangent points or Intersection points for points in the model to define the bends.

File Format (for bend tables only)

Select one:
  • Text only. An ASCII text file with a table of bend data.
  • Plain html. An html file with the bend data, plus an ASCII text file with the bend data.
  • Graphical html. An html file with a graphical header, plus an ASCII text file with the bend data.
Create header page Creates a file with data such as file name, units, intersection point data, and so on. Available for html files.
Create images Creates a .jpg image of the assembly. Available only for Graphical html file type.
Comma delimited Adds commas between values in the ASCII text file.

Files

Create Creates output files. The output file names display in the box. Click to view, copy, send, or zip the output files.
  • View Selected File(s). Opens html files in a browser window and ASCII text files in a Notepad window.
  • Copy All Files. Opens the Select Folder dialog box. Browse to a folder and click OK to copy the files to the folder.
  • Send Email Containing All Files. Zips the files and emails the zip file using your email application.
  • Create a ZIP Archive Containing All Files. Uses WinZip® to contain the files.
Overwrite existing files