Guide

Version 7.2
M4 PLANT Administration
www.cad-schroer.com
All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any manner (print, photocopy or other) without the written
permission of CAD Schroer GmbH.
CAD Schroer GmbH has made its best effort to ensure that the information in this document is accurate and reliable, but cannot
guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, reliability or completeness of any of the information contained herein. CAD Schroer GmbH
will not make any warranty nor accept legal responsibility or liability of any kind for consequences resulting from errors or omis-
sions.

Registered Products and Trademarks of CAD Schroer GmbH:

MEDUSA, STHENO, M4, i4

Products and Trademarks of CAD Schroer GmbH:

MEDUSA4, STHENO/PRO, MEDEA, MPDS, MPDS4, M4 ISO, M4 P&ID FX, M4 ISO FX

Products and Trademarks of the Parametric Technology Corporation or its subsidaries in the USA and other countries:
PTC, PTC Creo, Pro/ENGINEER, Pro/DETAIL, Windchill PDMLink, PTC Mathcad und Pro/TOOLKIT.

All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

June 2022

Copyright © CAD Schroer GmbH

Germany

CAD Schroer GmbH

Fritz-Peters-Str. 11
47447 Moers

Tel. +49 2841 91 84 - 0

Fax +49 2841 91 84 - 44
e-mail: [email protected]
www.cad-schroer.de

2 © CAD Schroer GmbH

 M4 PLANT Administration

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 9
Overview of M4 PLANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The M4 PLANT 3D Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Integration with P&ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Customizing M4 PLANT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Product Directory Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Preparing to Start a New Design 17
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Stage 1 - Configuring a New M4 PLANT Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Stage 2 - Creating a New Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Stage 3 - Organizing the Different Versions of the Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Adapting the Standard Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Setting Up a Piping or Ducting Specification for the Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Drafting New Items of Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Adding Users and Assigning Their Authority Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Setting Up Systems and Subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Continuing to Make Changes as the Design Develops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Configuring a Project 31
Before You Start Configuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Creating a Product List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Starting Up MEDCONFIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Configuring the M4 and M4 PLANT Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Configuring a Workstation Using WSCONFIG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Saving the Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

© CAD Schroer GmbH 3

M4 PLANT Administration

Path Tokens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Customizing by Environment Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Using a Project for the First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Project Manager 47
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Creating a Batch File for Starting the Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
How to Run the Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Ribbon with Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Managing Users for the Project Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Managing Database Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
The Home Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
List of Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Status Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Organization of M4 PLANT Databases 75
Contents of an M4 PLANT Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Choosing a Database Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Database with Read-only Access to the Master Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Database Created with a Local Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Comparing Databases with Local and Master Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
How Version and User Access Types Affect Database Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
How the Read-only Master Catalogs Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Managing M4 PLANT Database Files 95
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Creating a New Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Copying a Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Backing Up a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Recovering a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Recompiling a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Archiving a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Restoring Project from Archive File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Moving a Database to a Different Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Upgrading a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
The Log File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

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About Versions 115

Advantages of Using Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
What is the Version Tree? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Sample Version Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Controlling the Development of a Design Using Versions 123
Preparing to Start the First Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Releasing a Design Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Alternative Methods of Building a Version Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Preparing for the Next Design Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Allowing for Alternative Design Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Working with Versions of a Design 133
The Version and Region Management Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Creating a New Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Changing Version Access to the Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Displaying Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Selecting and Viewing Versions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Inspecting Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Comparing Two Versions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Merging Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Deleting a Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Controlling Version Access to the Database 147
Defining Geometric Regions within the Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Adding a New Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Assigning a Region to a Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Modifying a Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Reporting on Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Removing Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Controlling Users' Access to
the Database 153
About Authority Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
About the ADMIN and PROJECT Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Adding Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Administering Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

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Adding Extra Information on Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Overview of Catalogs 163
The Standard Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Interactive Design and Catalog Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
What the Catalogs Contain 173
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Standard Piping Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Standard Piping Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Standard Piping Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Standard Ducting Geometry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Standard Ducting Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Standard Ducting Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Standard Electrical Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Standard Electrical Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Standard Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Standard Steel Sections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Stairway or Ladder Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Standard Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
M + AEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Changing the Catalogs 217
Starting the Catalog Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Creating New Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Updating the Catalogs from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Modifying Items in the Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Deleting Items in the Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Installing an Updated Master Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Exporting and Importing Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Importing Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Changing the M + AEC Catalog 245
Starting the Catalog Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Adding a New Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Creating a New Class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Defining a Class Label Routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

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Adding Class Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

Defining Query and Drawing Routine for an Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Creating a New Catalog Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Creating a New Item from an Existing One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Modifying an Existing Catalog Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Exporting Classes to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Importing Classes from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Compiling Routines into Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Manipulating Catalog Data in Excel 265
Exporting Catalog Data to Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Adding or Modifying Catalog Data in Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Importing Data from Excel into the Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Setting Up a Specification 271
Starting the Specification Management Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Displaying the Contents of a Specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Listing Items in a Specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Adding Items to a Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Adding a New Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Adding Items to a Specification in Bulk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Deleting Items from a Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Exporting a Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Hiding and Unhiding Records of a Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Installing a Master Specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Consistency Checks 289
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Piping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Ducting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Electrical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Working on Consistency Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Miscellaneous 297
Administrator Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
M4 PLANT Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

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Catalog Sheet Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Appendix Messages 309

Index 317

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INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces you to the 3D Applications and interfaces that make up the M4 PLANT
Design System.

• Overview of M4 PLANT ........................................................... 10

• The M4 PLANT 3D Applications .............................................. 11

• Integration with P&ID ............................................................... 15

• Customizing M4 PLANT........................................................... 15

• Product Directory Structures .................................................... 16

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Introduction

Overview of M4 PLANT

The following diagram shows the different applications and how they relate to one another.
Figure 1 Overview of M4 PLANT Applications

Engineering Review Component Designer

3D Hangers and Supports

Piping Steel Ducting Electrical M + AEC

Design Design Design Design Design

BOM
Assembly Manager Database

Bill of Materials
Auto Selection

Factory
2D Pipe ISO‘s P&ID Layout

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The M4 PLANT 3D Applications

The M4 PLANT 3D Applications

M4 PLANT consists of both 2D and 3D applications. The 2D application, P&ID (Process and
Instrumentation Diagrams), enables you to draft P&ID sheets, retrieve information on compo-
nents and instrumentation from a catalog and store the resulting design data in a database from
which you can prepare reports. You can use your P&ID sheets as the basis for three-dimen-
sional design work in Piping Design via auto-selection.
M4 PLANT consists of the following 3D applications:
• ”Assembly Manager”
• ”Piping Design”
• ”M4 ISO”
• ”ISOGEN Interface”
• ”Steel Design”
• ”Hangers and Supports”
• ”Ducting Design”
• ”Electrical Design”
• ”M + AEC Design”
• ”Factory Layout”
• ”Engineering Review”
• ”Component Designer”
Each of these are described in the following sections.
For more information on these items refer to the M4 PLANT User Guide.

Assembly Manager

The Assembly Manager is the base module for all of the M4 PLANT applications. It provides the
functions to manage your design, work with equipment, select and manipulate instances and
view objects as shaded solids (default) or wire frame.
It allows the user to work live within the design containing all of the instances added from the
applications described below. Users can for instance route pipe around equipment, ducting,
steel and machinery added by the applications. An application license is required to add/edit
instances, but only the assembly manager is required to view, plot and parts list the design.

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Introduction

Piping Design

This application contains all the tools required to design spec driven process piping. Piping
Equipment can be placed and then connected with pipework and inline components from the
extensive catalog. The catalog contains a wide selection of components from the ANSI, DIN,
EN and BS standards.
If you have a license for P&ID, you can transfer information from your P&ID sheets directly into
Piping Design using the Auto-Selection mechanism.

M4 ISO

You use M4 ISO for the automatic production of 2D unscaled Pipe Isometric drawings from 3D
Pipe geometry.

ISOGEN Interface

You can use the ISOGEN Interface to pass piping components from the M4 PLANT Design Sys-
tem to the ISOGEN product.

Steel Design

You use this application to design the layout of steel members, plates, ladders, stairs and hand-
rails in your design. It has an associated Steel catalog containing a selection of steel sections
meeting different standards.

Hangers and Supports

If you have both Piping Design and Steel Design you can specify and position the hangers and
supports for the pipework. This application has an associated Support catalog containing a
selection of British Standard pipe supports (BS3974, Parts 1, 2, and 3).

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The M4 PLANT 3D Applications

Ducting Design

You use this application to design ducting for heating, ventilation, or air conditioning. It has an
associated Ducting catalog containing a selection of ducting components.

Electrical Design

The Electrical discipline for M4 PLANT has been designed to manage items associated with
electrical and control systems engineering. The application and associated catalog allow for the
routing of Cable Ladders, Cable Trays and distribution trunking. There is also the possibility to
route power cables and distribution bus bars..

M + AEC Design

M + AEC Design is used for creating complete materials handling systems. It supports an intel-
ligent, catalog-based design process for quickly and easily connecting conveying and handling
components. M + AEC Design offers a large number of extensible libraries of catalog compo-
nents to a variety of industrial standards.

Factory Layout

The Factory Layout application turns 2D geometry into 3D, 2D symbols are used to place 3D
equipment and simple 2D building outlines become full 3D buildings with doors and windows.
Licenses for other disciplines are required to add instances into them.

Engineering Review

You can use Engineering Review to view the plant as though you are standing inside it. You can
stand still and look around, walk about, and look at specific objects. You do this by loading a
Reference Object and viewing the plant through its eyes.
You can use Engineering Review at any stage during the design process, and if required, you
can use it to aid the design process.

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Introduction

Component Designer

Component Designer is the graphical tool to generate drawing routines for new catalog compo-
nents for all catalogs.

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Integration with P&ID

Integration with P&ID

You can integrate Piping Design with P&ID if you have the license for this application. The link
between the two products is a process known as Auto-Selection and Logic Checking.

Customizing M4 PLANT

You can customize M4 PLANT on a variety of levels. For example, you can customize your:
• Workstation - The user can manipulate the user interface to personal taste
• Catalog (local or master) to typically add extra components and build specifications
• Application (Piping, Steel, Ducting, Electrical, M + AEC or Hangers and Supports) -
Typically customization would include modifying parts list formats, consistency checks
and combining commonly used functions to increase productivity
• Assembly Manager - Customizations at this level tend to be integrations with other sys-
tems e.g. MRP and document management

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Introduction

Product Directory Structures

This section is an overview of the product directory structures for M4 PLANT as shown in the
following figure. You may find this information useful when configuring projects.
Figure 2 M4 PLANT Products

M4 PLANT

more
AM Piping Autosel Ducting Steel Support Electrical
cvcat_cs ducat_cs sscat_cs spcat_cs elcat_cs

Catalog products consist of the following directories. The following figure shows the Steel cata-
log SSCAT_CS.
Figure 3 Catalog Product Structure

sscat_cs

mxe sscat ui

bacis db db_admin help template

The following figure shows the Piping product structure.

Figure 4 Piping Product Structure

piping

med mxe piping ui

bacis help template

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PREPARING TO START A NEW DESIGN

This chapter describes the stages that you might go through when preparing to start a new
design. A brief description of the procedure involved in carrying out each stage is given.

• Overview .................................................................................. 18

• Stage 1 - Configuring a New M4 PLANT Project ..................... 19

• Stage 2 - Creating a New Database ........................................ 19

• Stage 3 - Organizing the Different Versions of the Design....... 20

• Adapting the Standard Catalogs .............................................. 22

• Setting Up a Piping or Ducting Specification for the Design .... 24

• Drafting New Items of Equipment ............................................ 25

• Adding Users and Assigning Their Authority Levels ................ 28

• Setting Up Systems and Subsystems...................................... 29

• Continuing to Make Changes as the Design Develops............ 30

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Preparing to Start a New Design

Overview

This section summarizes the procedure that you might follow when preparing to start a new
design as illustrated in the following figure.
Figure 5 Summary Showing the Preparation Required at the Start of a New Design

STAGE1

In any order (after STAGE3):

Configure a project Allocate the different areas of the
with the required products design (region administration)

Define allowable piping and duct-

ing connections

STAGE2 Define one or more piping and

ducting specifications

Create a database Add new data to the standard cat-

alogs

Add the designers who will be

working on the project

STAGE3 Predefine the systems, subsys-

tems, pipes and ducts for use in
interactive design
Setup the version tree
(see note below) Draft the model files (equipment
or steelwork)

Note: The version tree can be used to organize alternative

designs for the plant, or different parts of the plant design,
or different disciplines (which are to be brought together).

Each stage is described in more detail in the following sections of this chapter.

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Stage 1 - Configuring a New M4 PLANT Project

Stage 1 - Configuring a New M4 PLANT Project

For information on configuring a project and starting M4 PLANT without a database, refer to
“Configuring a Project” on page 31.

Stage 2 - Creating a New Database

Before you create a new database, you need to consider:

• Whether you want the designers working on the project to have read-only or read-write
access to the Piping, Steel, Supports, and Ducting catalogs. See ”Organization of M4
PLANT Databases”, “Database with Read-only Access to the Master Catalogs” on
page 83 and “Database Created with a Local Catalog” on page 85.

Please note: This is also controlled by user authority levels.

• Whether you want some of the designers working on the project to have read-only or
read-write access to the Piping and Ducting specifications. Refer to ”Organization of
M4 PLANT Databases”, “Comparing Databases with Local and Master Specifications”
on page 87.

Please note: This is also controlled by user authority levels.

• Where you will locate the After-image Record (AIR) files on your system in order to
ensure that you can recover a corrupted database.
• What to name the database. The name also defines the design database directory in
which the database files are stored.
Each of these aspects is discussed in greater detail later in this manual.

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Preparing to Start a New Design

Stage 3 - Organizing the Different Versions of the Design

M4 PLANT allows designers to work simultaneously on different parts of the design or on alter-
native designs in the same database; each working in their own version. At the beginning of a
new project, you need to decide how you will organize and issue their work. The following figure
shows how a system of release, approval, and working designs are created using the Version
Administration.
Figure 6 Organizing Work on a Design Project

Master

This is a historical version Approve1 This is the issued stage and

it is used to produce reports
and plot drawings
This might be the as-built/ Approve2 Admin1
as-designed version

This version is prior to approval Combined

These are
Piping Steel Ducting Support
working versions

Pip1 Pip2 St1 St2 Duct1 Duct2 Supp1 Supp2

There is a version for each designer

administrative
version
working/leaf
version

The Version Tree

The version tree that you set up normally reflects your existing project control systems, and the
systems of approval and issue currently used. For example, if your current manual system
depends upon a single approval stage followed by an issued stage, the version tree (shown in
the previous figure) would be designed with a version level for each of these stages plus a
working version level.
The factors which you should consider when deciding how to organize the work are the:

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Stage 3 - Organizing the Different Versions of the Design

• Number of design alternatives or what if situations that you may want to explore
• Way in which you will manage the release of drawings.
• Way in which you will divide design work between designers
It is important to recognize that when you create a new version, you neither affect the directory
structure nor cause any copying of data. Rather, the design data is stored in the database,
tagged with information about which version it was created in.
For more information on version trees refer to “About Versions” on page 115 and following
chapters.

Region Administration

Once you have created the version tree you can determine the size and extent of each version
using Region Administration.
For more information on region management refer to “Controlling Version Access to the Data-
base” on page 147.

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Preparing to Start a New Design

Adapting the Standard Catalogs

M4 PLANT contains standard catalogs for each product. These are intended to enable design-
ers at your site to learn to use the system and to act as a basis for building your own catalogs.
Catalog Description
Piping Contains basic, commonly-used piping components, but only a few items of
equipment as these are likely to be items designed specifically for individual proj-
ects.
Steel Contains basic steel section types, plates, stairs, ladders and handrails.
Support Contains a set of commonly-used pipe support types.
Ducting Contains basic, commonly-used ducting components. Combination components,
such as bends with transitions and/or offsets are not included.
Electrical Contains Cable Ladders and Cable Trays of the most commonly used sizes,
Cable Trunking and Power Distribution Bus Bars. The catalog also allows the rep-
resentation of power cables.
M + AEC Contains generic components for various styles of conveyors, cranes, forklifts,
containers etc.

Please note: Provided that you choose to use read-only catalogs, the work that you carry out
on the catalog can be re-used in later projects. For information on read-only cata-
logs, see “Organization of M4 PLANT Databases” on page 75.

Transferring Data Between Catalogs of the Same Type

You can transfer data from one catalog to another, for example, by listing the catalog, or a part
of a catalog, to a file. This file then becomes an input file and you can load it into a different cat-
alog. For further information see ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a File”
on page 232.

Extending the Standard Catalogs

The following explanations are for piping, steel, support and hangars and ducting but the
method of extension is very similar and apply to all catalogs.
The items of equipment, piping components, steel sections, ducting components and hangers
and supports that you use come from two sources. Piping components, support types, ducting

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Adapting the Standard Catalogs

components, and steel sections are stored as parameterized drawing routines in catalogs, while
items of equipment are stored as model files.
There are two ways of changing the standard catalogs. You can:
• Extend the range of items available for existing piping components, steel sections,
ducting components, or hangers and supports (that is ratings, dimensions, and so on).
The Catalog Utility enable you to do this. You use existing drawing routines.
• Create new components which will require new drawing routines. To create new draw-
ing routines either program manually new Bacis2 procedures or use the Component
Designer product to create them graphically.
You do not need to delete items from the catalogs which are not required for a specific design,
as you can use the specifications to determine which components are suitable.

Modifying the Standard Catalogs

The standard catalogs can be extended as shown in the following tables.

Table 1 Adding Data to the Piping, Ducting and Electrical Catalog

Step Action See page

1 Add component data by defining the geometry. ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating
New Records” on page 220
2 Specify the materials for the new component data.
3 Create new component types.
4 Add new combinations of Geometry and Material to “Setting Up a Specification” on
Specifications to make available for use. page 271

Table 2 Adding Data to the Steel and Support Catalog

Step Action See page

1 Add additional records for existing types. ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220
2 Create new component types,.

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Preparing to Start a New Design

Setting Up a Piping or Ducting Specification for the Design

There are three stages to create a new specification as shown in the following figure. Notice
that you can create more than one Piping or Ducting specification.
Figure 7 Steps in Creating a Specification

STEP1

Specify the components, You could use one of the sample

materials and so on that specifications as a template for this
are required file (called the geometry input file)

STEP2
The specification definition file con-
tains a list of all suitable items in the
Search the catalog for catalog. You can edit the file to
suitable records remove any items that you do not
want.

STAGE3

Process the edited specification

Generate the specification definition file to create the current
specification.

These steps are explained in “Setting Up a Specification” on page 271:

1. Creating a file (the geometry input file) which specifies every kind of component that is
to be included in the specification.
2. Searching the catalog for components which meet the requirements for the design
(processing the geometry input file to create a specification definition file).
3. Generating the specification.

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Drafting New Items of Equipment

Drafting New Items of Equipment

Several models are supplied for use in the different disciplines. These are stored by default in
the directory <M4 install. dir.>\am\amlib\eqlib as model files. The following table shows some of
them:
compressor (Piping Design)
htank (Piping Design)
bedplate (Steel Design)
dbox (Ducting Design)
generic (Non-application specific)

You can use M4 2D Drafting to design new items of equipment and then generate a model file
for each using M4 3D Modeling. The definition sheets for the supplied models are stored in <M4
install. dir.>\am\amlib\defsheets. The following figure illustrates a bedplate shown at detail level 16.
Figure 8 Model of A bedplate Shown at Detail Level 16

When drafting items of equipment you need to be aware of the following points:
• Including connection points
• Defining each detail level required for viewing, plotting, and interference checking
• Including reconstructor texts if you wish to display the centerline of pipes, ducts and
members
Once you have created the model files, you copy them to the appropriate directory or directories
in the product structure. These directories are known as libraries. You can have separate librar-
ies for Piping, Ducting and Steel. The location of the libraries are defined when you configure
the project and stored in the DESIGN_INIT.BAC file.

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Preparing to Start a New Design

Detail Levels

You should define each detail level on the same definition sheet so that they are all defined in
the same model file. The detail level that each modeling line is to belong to is marked using a
detail text of type 3D View Specification of the format DETAIL <level> e.g. DETAIL 16 or the
user can specify the detail level using the link line dashboard. The following detail levels can be
used:
Level Defines
1 Soft interference boundary
2 Hard interference boundary
4 Simple view of the model
8 Elaborate view of the model
16 Very elaborate view of the model
32 Isometric drawing symbol

Connection Points

There is a standard set of connection point names (P1, P2, P3, and so on for Piping and Duct-
ing equipment).

Description Text

When loading equipment into M4 PLANT a description text field may be provided. For defining
the text in this field a text file has to exist in the same path as the model file. Its name has to be
the model name with extension txt. For example, for the model htank.mod the text file htank.txt
has to be in the directory <M4 install. dir.>\am\amlib\eqlib.

Please note: Consider that the last line of the text file has to have a carriage return otherwise
the last line will not be displayed.

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Drafting New Items of Equipment

Reconstruction Text

There are several standard user attributes for each discipline in M4 PLANT. To generate mod-
els containing user attributes such as the system name, pipe name, duct name, or subassembly
name, you must include certain reconstruction texts on your definition sheets.

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Preparing to Start a New Design

Adding Users and Assigning Their Authority Levels

Once you have created the empty database for the project, you need to assign a System
Administrator(s) for the design project, add the users who will be working on this project, and
assign an authority level appropriate to the type of tasks they will be undertaking in M4 PLANT.
Each user has:
• A user name used for logging into the system.
• A password which the System Administrator or other user with a sufficiently high
authority level may change.
• An authority level which determines which commands the user can access.
The commands in the Project Manager (see ”Project Manager”, “The Home Tab” on
page 58) or the Administrator options of M4 PLANT (see ”Miscellaneous”, “Administrator
Options” on page 298) are activated or deactivated according to the user's authority
level. A guide to authority levels in the 3D applications is available in ”Controlling
Users' Access to the Database”, “About Authority Level” on page 154.
• Access to certain types of 3D Applications data. How this type of access interacts with
version access is described in ”Controlling Users' Access to the Database”, “Interac-
tion Between User Access and Version Access” on page 158.
At this stage (or at a later stage, if you prefer) you can define additional categories of informa-
tion to be recorded for each user. For example, you may require the user's real name to be
recorded in the users' database rather than just their user name.
To set up users for the 3D Applications:
• Define any additional categories of information that you want to enter for each user
using the options on the Extra User Data menu. How to reach this menu and define
additional categories of information for users is explained in ”Controlling Users' Access
to the Database”, “Adding Extra Information on Users” on page 161.
• Give each user a user name and password. How to add users is explained in ”Con-
trolling Users' Access to the Database”, “Adding Users” on page 158.

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Setting Up Systems and Subsystems

Setting Up Systems and Subsystems

As the designers work in Piping, Ducting or Steel Design they are prompted to specify a system
and subsystem for each item of equipment, or steel member that they insert. For example:
Discipline System Subsystem
Piping Water Hot, Cold (equivalent to the pipe name)
Steel Floor2 Room201
Ducting Extraction Toxic, Non-toxic (equivalent to ductname)

These are not predefined but are created by the designers as they are working on the design. If
you want to specify the names to ensure consistency across all versions of the design, then you
need to log into the master version of the design and create the systems and subsystems in
Interactive Design itself. “About Versions” on page 115 explains how versions work.
Other examples of information categories for which you may require a standardized name are:
Category Description
Sets These normally link items logically.
Zones These link items geographically and are used to manipulate a volume in
the design. Zones are different to regions which are part of versions and
determine the size and extent of each version's access space. For further
information please read “About Versions” on page 115.

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Preparing to Start a New Design

Continuing to Make Changes as the Design Develops

With the exception of creating a new database, few of the decisions that you take when you
start a new design are irrevocable because M4 PLANT is designed to be flexible. In many
cases, you would not expect to complete these steps before work actually starts on the design.
For example, adapting catalogs, designing special items of equipment, and setting up drawing
routines for new piping components, ducting components, or steel sections can continue along-
side the development of the design. On the other hand, you will need to decide from the outset
how you will organize the management of designs and released drawings, as you cannot easily
change this once you have started work on the design.

Customizing Your Project

You can carry out customizations at almost any stage of a design, for example whenever you
perceive a need for something. However, it is advisable to carry out customizations in sets and
not one at a time.

Please note: It is advisable to have some experience of working with standard M4 PLANT be-
fore attempting to customize it.

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CONFIGURING A PROJECT

This chapter describes how to configure a project for M4 PLANT using MEDCONFIG. This
chapter does not give a complete description of the configuration process and assumes that
you have a basic understanding of the following:
• Creating directories and specifying pathnames on your hardware platform
• Product lists
• MEDCONFIG and its commands
• Obtaining online help on MEDCONFIG commands
• Configuring workstations and workstation colors
If you need information on these, refer to the M4 Administration Guide.

• Before You Start Configuring.................................................... 32

• Creating a Product List ............................................................ 34

• Starting Up MEDCONFIG ........................................................ 36

• Configuring the M4 and M4 PLANT Products.......................... 37

• Configuring a Workstation Using WSCONFIG......................... 40

• Saving the Configuration.......................................................... 41

• Path Tokens ............................................................................. 42

• Customizing by Environment Variables ................................... 46

• Using a Project for the First Time............................................. 46

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Configuring a Project

Before You Start Configuring

Before you start to configure a M4 PLANT project, you need to:

• Find out the products you need in the project and their pathnames
• Choose the catalogs required in your project
• Create a project directory and a product list within it (if you do not want to create a
product list within MEDCONFIG)

Prerequisite Products

M4 modules are licensed in product groups. The 2D licenses you require depend on the way in
which you need to configure a M4 PLANT project.
License Product Description
2D/Drafting, including: MEDSYS The system product
MED2D 2D Drafting
2D/Parametric Draft- MEDPARA The 2D/Parametrics license is required instead of the
ing, software as 2D/ 2D/Drafting license if you are using detail plotting on
Design, and also parametric sheets in the ducting application.
including:
2D/View-Only, uses The M4 2D View-only license activates the P&ID win-
software from the dow. (this allows simultaneous Piping Design and
MED2D directory. P&ID work in Auto-selection. However, the P&ID view-
port is captive, so all work is carried out in the Piping
Design process, and this is reflected in the P&ID view-
port). If you do not have this license then a MED2D
license is used instead.
3D/Modeler, including: MED3D 3D Modeling

The following modules may also be required:

Product Description
MEDPID and These are needed if you intend to use the auto-selection product.
MEDPDCAT_CSG
AUTOSEL Auto-selection is only required if Piping Design is to be used in con-
junction with the P&ID application.

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Before You Start Configuring

Finding Out the Product Pathnames

When you run MEDCONFIG to configure a project, you need to enter the exact pathnames of
the products you want to configure. To find out these names and pathnames, attach to your M4
and M4 PLANT product directories and list the contents of the directories. If you have any of the
interface products then these are installed inside the appropriate product directory. For informa-
tion on the product directory structure for M4 PLANT, refer to ”Introduction”, “Product Directory
Structures” on page 16.

Selecting Catalogs

The following list shows the catalogs distributed with M4 PLANT:

CVCAT_CS Piping Components meeting the DIN, ANSI and British
standards, metric and imperial
DUCAT_CS Ducting Components, metric and imperial
ELCAT_CS Electrical Components, metric and imperial
MHCAT_CS M + AEC Components, metric and imperial
SPCAT_CS Support and Hangar components, metric and imperial
SSCAT_CS Steel Members, metric and imperial

Please note: You only need to add a catalog to your product list if it contains the appropriate
application, for example, add CVCAT_CS if the product list contains Piping.

Creating a Project Directory

Create a new directory for the project giving the directory a suitable name.

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Configuring a Project

Creating a Product List

Experienced System Administrators may prefer to create a product list in a text editor before
starting the M4 configuration utility, MEDCONFIG, and this is described below. If you prefer to
create the product list within MEDCONFIG, skip this section and go to “Starting Up MEDCON-
FIG” on page 36.
To create a product list:
1. Create a file called product_list.dat within your project directory.
2. Type in the list of products you require in the project using a format similar to that
shown below and then save the file.

Please note: The prerequisite products are checked when you configure the project.

The product list you create should list the products in the following order:
• MEDSYS
• M4 products, such as MED2D and MED3D
• M4 PLANT products:
• The Assembly Manager
• 3D Applications (including application and catalog)
• Interfaces
• P&ID (MEDPID has to be the first P&ID product, followed by the catalog which is
MEDPDCAT_CSG by default)
• Plotter products
• User products
The following list shows an excerpt from the default product list in the master_mpds_project path
as an example. Products which are commented out are not listed. Use it as a guide to create
your own product list (<M4 install. dir.> represents the installation path):
--
-- med_sys_prod
<M4 install. dir.>\medsys
<M4 install. dir.>\med2d
<M4 install. dir.>\meddoc
<M4 install. dir.>\cadconvert
<M4 install. dir.>\medref
<M4 install. dir.>\mdbaccess
<M4 install. dir.>\medraster
<M4 install. dir.>\medmech
<M4 install. dir.>\medmech_demo
<M4 install. dir.>\mdbcustool
<M4 install. dir.>\medpara
<M4 install. dir.>\medparts

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 M4 PLANT Administration
Creating a Product List

<M4 install. dir.>\medtt

<M4 install. dir.>\medpid
<M4 install. dir.>\medpdcat_csg
<M4 install. dir.>\med3d
<M4 install. dir.>\med3dui
<M4 install. dir.>\med3dshrink
<M4 install. dir.>\med3dtran
<M4 install. dir.>\medshade
<M4 install. dir.>\meddtm
<M4 install. dir.>\medstl
<M4 install. dir.>\medstepiges
<M4 install. dir.>\medvrml
<M4 install. dir.>\medvda
<M4 install. dir.>\medplot
<M4 install. dir.>\medplot_qtplot
<M4 install. dir.>\medplot_qtraster
<M4 install. dir.>\medpro
<M4 install. dir.>\am
<M4 install. dir.>\ampm
<M4 install. dir.>\hoops
<M4 install. dir.>\piping
<M4 install. dir.>\cvcat_cs
<M4 install. dir.>\steel
<M4 install. dir.>\sscat_cs
<M4 install. dir.>\support
<M4 install. dir.>\spcat_cs
<M4 install. dir.>\ducting
<M4 install. dir.>\ducat_cs
<M4 install. dir.>\electrical
<M4 install. dir.>\elcat_cs
<M4 install. dir.>\mech_handling
<M4 install. dir.>\mhcat_cs
<M4 install. dir.>\med_factory
<M4 install. dir.>\cdcat
<M4 install. dir.>\m4iso

Unit Management

Internally M4 PLANT works with the Metric MM unit. The user may choose to work in Imperial
units, but the stored values, catalog dimensions etc are stored in MM. The piping catalog knows
about Metric and Imperial parts; e.g 100mm valve or a 4IN valve.

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M4 PLANT Administration
Configuring a Project

Starting Up MEDCONFIG

The following example shows how you create a project called c:\M4PLANT\project. This project
includes all the M4 PLANT products; you can also include any other M4 products that you need
for your project.

Please note: You should already have created a project directory.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Start a command prompt window and type in the following command line to add the M4
directories and products to the search path that you are using, so that you can access
MEDCONFIG:
<M4 install. dir.>\medsys\login.bat
2. Start up MEDCONFIG in Administration mode, and type in the project name when
prompted:
<current path> medconfig -admin

M4 Configuration Utility
------------------------------

Enter pathname of project <quit>: c:\M4PLANT\project

Project c:\M4PLANT\project is not configured

Do you want to configure it? <yes>:

If you created the product list before you started MEDCONFIG, confirm it by pressing Return
on your key board. The product list is read in and the pathnames for the products are checked.

Correcting the Product List

If there is a mistake in the product list, you are told where it is, and prompted to edit the product
list. You must correct the error before MEDCONFIG can continue, The following command line
is shown:

Input or Edit (using notepad) the product list, or Abort? (I/E/A)

If you enter Input, you have to enter the whole product list line by line in the command line
window. Therefore use Edit to correct the list more comfortable in notepad.
Having corrected the product list, you are asked to confirm the product list.

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Configuring the M4 and M4 PLANT Products

Confirming the Product List

Is this product list satisfactory? <yes>: y

If you answer no, you can enter the product list again. If you answer yes, the configuration is
continued. MEDCONFIG then starts to configure the products.

Configuring the M4 and M4 PLANT Products

This section describes the responses that you need to give as the M4 and M4 PLANT products
are configured.
For a general description of the configuration process, or for information on configuring prod-
ucts which are not prerequisites for M4 PLANT, see the M4 Administration Guide.
The following sub-sections explain:
• ”Configuring the Workspace Directory”
• “Entering the Model Files Directory” on page 38
• “Creating a Project Manager Control Database” on page 38
• “Specifying the Equipment Libraries” on page 39
• “What You Do Next” on page 39

Configuring the Workspace Directory

After configuring hoops, med_factory and the M4 System Product, medsys, you are
prompted to enter the temporary workspace directory for the project. For example:

Enter name of temporary workspace directory <c:\temp>:

Please note: You will need to create this directory before you configure the project.

Press Return to accept the default name in angled brackets, or type in the full pathname of
the directory you want to use. It is recommended that the temporary workspace is on a local
disk and has plenty of spare disk space. Any contents can safely be removed after a session is
complete. If you reconfigure the project, you will use the most recent entry for this directory as
the default.

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Configuring a Project

When you have specified the workspace directory, the M4 and M4 PLANT products are config-
ured in the order you entered them in the product list, and the necessary binary files are built.

Entering the Model Files Directory

Enter the pathname of the directory for the model files used in Piping, Steel, and Ducting
Design. You are prompted later for the default subdirectories (libraries) where you can select
from steel, ducting and piping equipment model files:
Enter name of model file directory
<M4 install. dir.\am\am\amlib\eqlib>:
You can accept the default directory, or type in the name of a different directory (which must
already exist).

Creating a Project Manager Control Database

The Project Manager (AMPM) Control Database holds login and permission information
required for running the Project Manager (see also chapter ”Project Manager”, “Prerequisites”
on page 48). When running MEDCONFIG you are asked to configure it:
Configuring product <M4 install. dir.>\ampm
Do you want to create a AMPM Control Database <yes>
Please enter the path name for the creation of the AMPM Control
Database:
Enter a directory name and confirm it with Return. If it does not exist, it will be created. By
default it will also contain any databases you create. Ensure that this location is regularly
backed up.

Entering the Database Search Paths to create a Project Manager Start File

The start file for the Project Manager startM4PLANT requires the search paths to the databases
you want to use (see also chapter ”Project Manager”, “Creating a Batch File for Starting the
Project Manager” on page 49). When running MEDCONFIG, the following prompt is presented:
Enter the list of DB search paths, one per line, quit with <cr>:
DB search path>
Having finished the list, the final search path have to be confirmed with yes.
Is DB search path correct <C:\M4PLANTDB;C:\M4PLANTDB2> y

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Configuring the M4 and M4 PLANT Products

Specifying the Equipment Libraries

You can specify separate directories for storing piping, steel, ducting, support, M + AEC and
electrical model files:
Configuring product <M4 install. dir.>\piping
Enter name of piping equipment directory <M4 install.
dir.\am\am\amlib\eqlib>:
The equipment directories default to the model file directory specified for the Assembly Man-
ager. You can either accept the default or specify an alternative directory or subdirectory. You
must ensure that the alternative directory or subdirectory exists before you attempt to store any
model files in it.

What You Do Next

When the product configuration is finished the following message is displayed:

Type 'help' for list of commands...
Enter command>
If required, the next step is to configure a workstation as described in the following section. Oth-
erwise go on with “Saving the Configuration” on page 41.

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Configuring a Project

Configuring a Workstation Using WSCONFIG

If you require further workstation definitions additionally to the default ones, this section tells you
how to configure a workstation for 2D work in M4 PLANT using the WSCONFIG command in
MEDCONFIG. There is normally no need to do this.
To configure a 2D workstation run the following process:
1. Type in the WSCONFIG command and the name at the MEDCONFIG prompt and press
Return.
Enter command> wsconfig col_ws
The configuration process continues showing following messages:

M4 Workstation Configuration
--------------------------------------------
Returning 11

Select graphic device from :-

1 VDU
2 Windows

Option required <none> : 2

2. Specify the workstation type by selecting the Windows graphic device number 2 and
press Return.

Configuring Windows ...

Select from :-
1 Monochrome
2 Color

Option required <none> : 2

3. Specify the workstation to be a color configuration by entering the number 2 and press-
ing Return.
You are prompted for the parameters that define how the workstation runs M4.

Parameter description Current Default Range or other options

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Hardware mouse pointer visible YES YES
2 Crosshair cursor visible YES YES
3 Number of tracked line segments 200 200 200 to 5000
4 Number of foreground colors 7 7 1 to 254
5 Retained windows YES YES
6 Hardware lines NO NO
7 Screen resolution medium medium high

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Saving the Configuration

Enter number of parameter to modify <none> (?=redisplay) :

4. Confirm the default settings by pressing Return.

The following messages are displayed depending on your workstation configuration:

Configuration written to file <project>\med\ws\col_ws\config.bin

1 file(s) copied.
Workstation configured
Enter command>

5. Extend the workstation configuration for use with M4 PLANT by entering following
command and pressing Return:

Enter command> amwsconfig col_ws

Workstation configured for Assembly Manager

Enter command>

Please note: Repeat these steps for every workstation type you need in the project.
You do not need to run the AMWSCONFIG command on the default TTY worksta-
tion created when setting up the project (see “Creating a Project Manager Control
Database” on page 38) as this is done automatically

Saving the Configuration

If you need to configure the project again, type reconfigure, otherwise the configuration pro-
cess is now complete. If the configuration is satisfactory, you can save all the configuration
information. To do this type quit and press Return:

Enter command> quit

Save environment? <yes>:y
Environment files written to c:\M4PLANT\project

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M4 PLANT Administration
Configuring a Project

Path Tokens

During the use of the M4 products, customers will very often have occasion to refer to certain
directories on their machine - for instance, to load sheets or symbols in drafting, or to load a
model file into M4 PLANT. Sometimes, the location of this directory (or pathname, in general), is
stored inside the M4 document (in the general sense of the term - it could be the database for
M4 PLANT, or the .she file for 2D, for instance).
This can cause a portability issue. In M4 PLANT, if you move the Database to a different
machine, the location of the Model files referenced may no longer be in the same place on a
new machine.
Accordingly, we have introduced a mechanism into M4, whereby it is possible to define virtual
locations of directories. These are called path tokens. Specifically, if a pathname is used inside
M4 which has the initial portion of the pathname enclosed in angle brackets, then this will be
treated as a path token by M4.
There is an API to operate on path tokens, but this section explains how path tokens are made
available for use by customers at the user interface level.

Definition of Tokens

Path tokens are defined for M4 in a file called directories.dat in the top level of the M4 project. A
portion of the default directories.dat file is shown below (<M4 install. dir.> represents the
installation path):

MEDSYS_PROD <M4 install. dir.>\medsys

M2D_PROD <M4 install. dir.>\med2d
...
M3D_PROD <M4 install. dir.>\med3d
...
MEDSTEPIGES_PROD <M4 install. dir.>\medstepiges
MEDVRML_PROD <M4 install. dir.>\medvrml
MEDVDA_PROD <M4 install. dir.>\medvda
...

-- medsys
MEDSYS_UICOMMON <MEDSYS_PROD>|ui|common

-- m2d
M2D_SHEETS <M2D_PROD>|sheet
M2D_SYMBOLS <M2D_PROD>|symbol

-- am

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Path Tokens

AMSYS <AM_PROD> -- an alias, to mirror the AMSYS

global variable
AMEQLIB <AMSYS>|am|amlib|eqlib
AMSHEETS <AMSYS>|am|sheets
AMTEXTURES <AMSYS>|am|textures
Each line in the file defines a path token: the text on the left defines the name of the token, and
the pathname on the right defines the name of the path. So, for instance, the first line in the file:

MEDSYS_PROD <M4 install. dir.>\medsys

defines a token called <MEDSYS_PROD> which, when used inside M4, will refer to the path:
c:\M4 install. dir.\medsys if you used c:\M4 install. dir. as installation path for M4.
Further on in the file, you see the line:

MEDSYS_UICOMMON <MEDSYS_PROD>|ui|common

This definition makes use of the previously defined <MEDSYS_PROD> token to define another
one <MEDSYS_UICOMMON> which, when expanded to its true pathname, will refer to:
c:\M4 install. dir.\medsys\ui\common if you used c:\M4 install. dir. as installation path for M4.

Directories.dat File Generation

The directories.dat file in the project area is generated automatically during project configuration.
The initial part of the file defines a token for each and every product in the product list. So, in the
preceding example we have <MEDSYS_PROD>, <M2D_PROD>, <M3D_PROD>, etc.
Additionally, each product in the product list can have its own directories.dat file (at the top level
in the product), which is copied into the project-level directories.dat. Usually, this will define other
path tokens using its product token. E.g. the m2d product defines a directories.dat as follows:
-- m2d
M2D_SHEETS <M2D_PROD>|sheet
M2D_SYMBOLS <M2D_PROD>|symbol
So, in this case <M2D_SHEETS> will expand to: c:\M4 install. dir.\\med2d\sheet.
The use of the "|" character is intended to allow pathnames to be defined independently of
which type of machine you are using; so on Windows it will expand to use the backslash-char-
acter ("\"), whereas on Unix-like systems it will use the forward-slash character ("/").

Format of directories.dat File

The format of the file is a series of lines of the form:

token white_space real_location
where white_space can be a series of space characters or tab characters.

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Configuring a Project

The real_location specifies a pathname, which, itself can make use of a path token as long
as the token has already been previously defined in the file. This is optional. Note also that once
the definition has been read, it does not remember how it was defined - it just stores an associ-
ation between the token, and the final path.
The real_location can also make use of a neutral path separator ("|"), rather than a
machine-specific one such as "\" or "/". This is an optional feature to make it easier to share
directory.dat files across different machine types.
The token itself is treated inside M4 as case-insensitive. (That is you can refer to <MEDSYS-
_PROD>, <medsys_prod> or <MEDSYS_prod> and they will work in all cases).

Directories.dat file for the Database Directory in M4 PLANT

As well as the directories.dat file in the project area which is read when the M4 application starts,
there is another directories.dat file which is stored in the Database directory for an M4 PLANT
database. This file is automatically created at database creation time (either in Project Manager
or M4 PLANT). An example directories.dat for a M4 PLANT database is as follows (<M4
install. dir.> represents the installation path):

DBDIR C:\M4PLANTDB\awdb21

-- c:\<M4 install. dir.>\AM\db_directories.dat

-- (DBDIR will get defined at DB creation time)
DB_EQLIB <DBDIR>|eqlib
DB_MODELSOUT <DBDIR>|models_out
DB_SHEETSOUT <DBDIR>|sheets_out
DB_ISOS <DBDIR>|isos
DB_TEMPLATES <DBDIR>|templates

It is created in a similar manner to the one created at project configuration time, but in the case
of M4 PLANT DB directories.dat, it searches for files called db_directories.dat in the product
areas, rather than directories.dat.
Once the Database is opened, the tokens defined in the directories.dat file in the DB area will be
defined.

Please note: This will only happen if the database directory is local to the machine. If M4 PLANT
is being run in client-server mode, this may not be the case.

Using Path Tokens

Path tokens are used in different places in M4. One of these is the Equipment Library dialog
inside M4 PLANT.

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 M4 PLANT Administration
Path Tokens

Figure 9 Equipment Library Dialog, compressor.mod

As can be seen, the tool tip on the path in the tree is displayed as <AMEQLIB>.
When you load such a model from a tokenised directory into the M4 PLANT Database,
M4 PLANT remembers the name of the token used (rather than the expanded name). So, if you
look at the properties of the Equipment, the location of the model is also displayed as
<AMEQLIB>. This means that if you subsequently relocate your database to a new machine,
you simply need to make sure that the <AMEQLIB> definition in your directories.dat area is cor-
rect, and M4 PLANT will then find the models correctly.

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M4 PLANT Administration
Configuring a Project

Customizing by Environment Variables

Controlling Where Equipment Models are Selected From

You can restrict where Equipment Model input files can be loaded from. If the environment vari-
able AM_MODEL_INDIRS is set then the user is only given an option to select equipment model
files in the list of directories (and their subdirectories) listed in the environment variable. The list
of paths format is the same as the PATH environment variable. So this can be set as follows:
set AM_MODEL_INDIRS=c:\temp;c:\proj\mymodels
To restrict creating of models to a subdirectory of the database directory add the following
Bacis2 command to the design_init.bac file of the database directory:
sys_setenv("AM_MODEL_INDIRS",vip_directory)

Please note: If you define a top level directory for AM_MODEL_INDIRS which contains a lot of
scanable data then this can slow the start performance of M4 PLANT.

Controlling Where Models Files Are Created

You can restrict where Model files (and Drawings) are created. If the environment variable
AM_MODEL_OUTDIRS is set then the user is only given an option to create model files in the list
of directories (and their subdirectories) listed in the environment variable. The list of paths for-
mat is the same as the PATH environment variable. So this can be set as follows:
set AM_MODEL_OUTDIRS=c:\temp;c:\proj\mymodels
To restrict creating of models to a subdirectory of the database directory add the following
Bacis2 command to the design_init.bac file of the database directory:
sys_setenv("AM_MODEL_OUTDIRS",vip_directory)

Using a Project for the First Time

To start M4 PLANT read either the chapter “Project Manager” on page 47 or “Multi-User Mode”
on page 185.

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PROJECT MANAGER

The M4 PLANT Project Manager is a stand-alone program to manage and monitor M4 PLANT
databases. These databases can be run with Single-User or Multi-User Access. Databases with
Multi-User Access are provided via a Database Server or the Database Controller (DBControl-
ler; for detailed information on DB Controller, please contact CAD Schroer).

• Prerequisites ............................................................................ 48

• Restrictions .............................................................................. 48

• Creating a Batch File for Starting the Project Manager............ 49

• How to Run the Project Manager............................................. 51

• Ribbon with Tabs...................................................................... 52

• Managing Users for the Project Manager ................................ 54

• Managing Database Directories............................................... 55

• The Home Tab ......................................................................... 58

• List of Databases ..................................................................... 65

• Status Area .............................................................................. 73

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M4 PLANT Administration
Project Manager

Prerequisites

Before you run the Project Manager

• you need to have a Project Manager Database which is an M4 PLANT Versions Data-
base. This database holds login and permissions information like username and pass-
word to run the Project Manager. You can either use an existing Versions Database or
create an empty one and then use the Project Manager to add users to it. The environ-
ment variable MEDUSA_AMPM_CONTROL_DB should be set to point to this database
before invoking the Project Manager.
• You also need to set the environment variable MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS to point to a
list of directories, separated by space, comma, or semicolon. If any of your directory
path contains a space in the name, then use one of the other separators.
• You need to have the M4 PLANT and the Project Manager products in the pro-
duct_list.dat file of the project.

Please note: During installation of M4 a default M4 PLANT project (master_mpds_project) is cre-

ated which fulfills all the conditions above. It contains the file startM4PLANT.bat in
which the environment variables are set and the M4 Project Manager is started. For
details see “Creating a Batch File for Starting the Project Manager” on page 49.

Restrictions

For naming database and backup directories some restrictions have to be considered. These
restrictions affect the tools Create, Copy and Restore a database.
For Database Directories the following has to be considered:
• If Database Directory is a sub-directory, the parent directory has to exist. If the sub-directory
is a new one, it will be created automatically.
• If Database Directory already exists, it has to be empty.
• The Database Directory name may have less than 10 characters.
• The Database Directory name may not start with a number.
• The Database Directory name may not contain blanks or special characters like under-
scores and hyphens. The parent directory may have these.
For Backup Directories the following has to be considered:
• The Backup Directory can be anywhere and can contain other files.
• The Backup Directory name may have less than 10 characters.
• The Backup Directory name may not start with a number.
• The Backup Directory name may not contain blanks or special characters like under-
scores and hyphens. The parent directory may have these.

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Creating a Batch File for Starting the Project Manager

Creating a Batch File for Starting the Project Manager

... while Installing M4

While installing M4 a batch file for starting the Project Manager is automatically created. During
the installation process a master_mpds_project will be created. The user will be asked for an
M4 PLANT database directory (MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS). Then the Project Manager control
database (MEDUSA_AMPM_CONTROL_DB=%MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS%\ampm) will be created
automatically. The environment variables MEDUSA_AMPM_CONTROL_DB and MEDUSA_AMP-
M_DB_DIRS are required to create the startM4PLANT script (for an example see below).

... with MEDCONFIG

MEDCONFIG will generate a startM4PLANT batch file when

• ampm is in the product_list.dat file and
• the environment variables MEDUSA_AMPM_CONTROL_DB and
MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS were set before running MEDCONFIG.
MEDCONFIG will automatically create a Project Manager control database if the database does
not already exist.
The startM4PLANT script runs ampm using the MEDUSA_AMPM_CONTROL_DB database.
M4 PLANT databases are located in the MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS directories.
Here is an example startM4PLANT.bat:
@echo off
call D:\M4_V7_0\master_mpds_project\login.bat
set MEDUSA_AMPM_CONTROL_DB=C:\M4PLANTDB\ampm
set MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS=C:\M4PLANTDB
call D:\M4_V7_0\master_mpds_project\am\command\ampm.bat %*

Using M4 Advanced

M4 Advanced provides additional 2D functionality such as:

• Smart Edit
• Bore Hole and Fit Tables

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M4 PLANT Administration
Project Manager

To use the Advanced functionality, the med2d_advanced license is required and the
ampm.bat command has to be enhanced. Here is an example:
call C:\M4_V7_0\master_mpds_project\am\command\ampm.bat %* -2dargs -advanced

Please note: While installing M4 Desktop shortcuts are created which contain the required pa-
rameters for running the Advanced functionality by default. Examples:
C:\M4_V7_0\master_project\startM4DRAFTING.exe -advanced
C:\M4_V7_0\master_mpds_project\startM4PLANT.exe -2dargs -advanced

Console Window

The console is hidden by default. To make it visible you need to set the environment variable
AMPM_CONSOLE to any value, e.g. set AMPM_CONSOLE=1.

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How to Run the Project Manager

How to Run the Project Manager

To run the Project Manager, use the batch file created in “Creating a Batch File for Starting the
Project Manager” on page 49. You also can open a command prompt window, run the login
script and then enter ampm (or ampm –un username –pw password if you wish to avoid inter-
active login). In both cases the M4 Project Manager dialog is displayed as shown in Figure 10.

Please note: To start M4 PLANT as administrator login with user name and password of the ad-
ministrator.

Figure 10 Project Manager Dialog

Ribbon
Ribbon with
with Tabs
Tabs

Properties, Details and

View Items tabs for
selected database

List of databases

Status Area

The dialog consists of four areas:

• Ribbon with tabs on top of the dialog (see “Ribbon with Tabs” on page 52). The Home
tab is the default containing the main tools of the M4 Project Manager as explained in
“The Home Tab” on page 58.
• List of databases (see “List of Databases” on page 65).
• Properties, Details and View Item tabs for the currently selected database on the right hand
side of the database list (see “List of Databases” on page 65).
• Status Area at the bottom of the dialog (see “Status Area” on page 73).

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Project Manager

Ribbon with Tabs

File

Figure 11 File Tab

The File tab provides access to the backstage area containing the buttons for managing users
(see “Managing Users for the Project Manager” on page 54) and database and backup directo-
ries (see “Managing Database Directories” on page 55).

Please note: Both buttons are only enabled when you are logged in as a user with Administrator
or Manager authority level (see ”Managing Users for the Project Manager”,
“Rights to use Tools” on page 54).

The Accelerator and Mapkeys button offers the possibility to set up keyboard shortcuts and mapkeys
for almost all functions and tools you can access. (See Drafting Manual, chapter Options, Accel-
erators and Mapkeys).
The Quit button exits the M4 Project Manager.

Home

Figure 12 Home Tab

The Home tab provides the database tools available in the M4 Project Manager which are described
in “The Home Tab” on page 58.

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Ribbon with Tabs

DB Controller

Figure 13 DB Controller Tab

The DB Controller is a program that helps managing databases running as servers. The tools
on the DB Controller tab are only available if you are logged in as administrator or user with spe-
cial rights.
If you want to have detailed information on the DB Controller, please contact CAD Schroer.

PDC Tab

Figure 14 PDC Tab

The tools in the PDC tab are only active if you run a PDC project. If you want to have detailed
information please read the M4 PLANT Project Data Control (PDC) Guide.

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Project Manager

Managing Users for the Project Manager

The Manage Users button on the File tab opens the User Administration (Project Manager) dialog. You need
user authority level Manager (60) or higher to get the Manage Users button enabled (see ”Rights to
use Tools” below). The dialog enables you to add, modify and remove users.
Once you have defined users, databases created subsequently get all the defined users
assigned. You can adjust the users for each database by selecting the database and then using
the User Manager button on the Home tab (see “User Manager” on page 62).
Figure 15 User Administration (Project Manager)

For further details please read also the chapter “Controlling Users' Access to the Database” on
page 153.

Rights to use Tools

The access to the tools in the Project Manager is managed by authority levels. The following
table gives an overview of the authority levels predefined by default:
Authority Level Display in UI What is allowed?
Administrator (100): Administrator All
Project Leader (60): Manager All except of the DUP button
Start DB, Recover, Backup, Archive,
User (30): Member
Restore, Load, Start M4 PLANT
Read-Only User (10): Readonly Search for DB

For further details please read ”Controlling Users' Access to the Database”, “About Authority
Level” on page 154.

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Managing Database Directories

Managing Database Directories

Database directories can be managed either ”In the UI” (see below) or by ”Using Environment
Variables” explained on page 56.

In the UI

The File tab provides the DB Directories button which opens the Manage Databases area.
Figure 16 Manage Databases

By default, only the database directory is displayed in the Database Directories area, which was
entered when you created the project. The Backup Directories area is empty.
You can add both database and backup directories. Open a browser window via the relevant
Add Directory button and choose the desired directory. An example is shown below.

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Figure 17 Added Database and Backup Directories

The directories are then listed in the pulldown menus, for example, in the Create Database dialog.
Figure 18 Create Database Dialog - Pulldown Menu

To remove a directory from the list click on the relevant Delete Directory button.
If you have defined directories using the environment variables as explained in “Prerequisites”
on page 48, these directories will be listed again after re-starting the M4 Project Manager.
Directories added in the Manage Directories area are also available.

Using Environment Variables

You can also specify database and backup directories by setting environment variables.

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Managing Database Directories

• MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS points to a list of directories separated by space, comma or

semicolon. If any of your directory path contains a space in the name, use one of the
other separators.
• MEDUSA_AMPM_BACKUP_DIRS points to a list of directories for database backups sep-
arated by space, comma or semicolon. If any of your directory path contains a space in
the name, use one of the other separators.
If MEDUSA_AMPM_BACKUP_DIRS is unset, the directories defined by the variable
MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS will be used as default for the backup folders.
The environment variable is usually set in the startM4PLANT.bat of the user project.
Figure 19 Example of startM4PLANT.bat with the Environment Variables

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Project Manager

The Home Tab

The Home tab provides the database tools available in the M4 Project Manager. This section shows
an overview of the tools, details to the tools are explained in “Managing M4 PLANT Database
Files” on page 95.
The Home tab contains the tool groups:
• Search for DB (”Search for DB Tool Group”)
• Manage DB‘s (“Search for DB Tool Group” on page 58)
• DB Utilities (“Manage DB‘s Tool Group” on page 59)
• User (“User Tool Group” on page 62)
• Recycle Bin (“Recycle Bin Tool Group” on page 63)
and the buttons:
• Open Database (”Open Database Button”)
• Start M4 DRAFTING (“Enter M4 2D” on page 64)

Search for DB Tool Group

Figure 20 M4 Project Manager - Search for DB Tool Group

The tool in this tool group controls the display of databases listed in the M4 Project Manager. You
can set several filters to limit the number of databases displayed in the list. Please read the sec-
tion ”List of Databases”, “Sorting and Filtering” on page 66 for details.

Open Database Button

The Open Database button opens a selected database. The icon indicates whether the database
runs in multi-user mode or single-user mode .

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The Home Tab

Manage DB‘s Tool Group

Figure 21 M4 Project Manager - Manage DB‘s Tool Group

Create a New Database

The Create tool opens the Create Database dialog which is used to define all settings for a new
database and start the creation process. These settings are the database name and directories,
descriptions of the database and settings for the catalogs which are used in the database.
For details see ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “Creating a New Database” on page 97.

Copy an Existing Database

M4 PLANT allows you to copy an existing database under a different name in different loca-
tions. The settings of the new database are the same as for the original database. Database
descriptions can later be changed directly in the Project Manager.
The Copy tool is enabled once you select a database in the list.
For details see ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “Copying a Database” on page 101

DB Utilities Tool Group

Figure 22 M4 Project Manager - DB Utilities Tool Group

Backup Database

The Backup tool backups the currently selected database. For detailed information read
chapter ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “Backing Up a Database” on page 102.

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Recover a Corrupt Database

The Recover tool is only activated if a corrupted database is selected. For detailed information
read chapter ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “Recovering a Database” on page 104.

Recompile a Relocated Database

The Recompile tool is used when you move a database or master catalog to a different loca-
tion on the disk, move a database or master catalog to a different disk, rename a database,
complete the installation of a master catalog or change the database backup directory. For
detailed information read chapter ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “Recompiling a Data-
base” on page 105.

Archive Database to File

The Archive tool allows to create an archive file of a selected database with extension .mpdb.
This archive file can later be restored to a desired directory.
You can specify if you want the database to be removed after archiving. Several Archive Modes
are available. For detailed information read chapter ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”,
“Archiving a Database” on page 107.

Restore Database from Archive File

The Restore tool allows to restore database files from an archived .mpdb file to desired direc-
tories. For detailed information read chapter ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “Restoring
Project from Archive File” on page 109.

Dump Database Records to a Text File

You can move M4 PLANT databases between different hardware platforms. For this, the Dump
tool and the Load tool are provided.
The Dump tool converts the database to an ASCII file, i.e. a text file. You can specify the dis-
cipline/s whose data are to be dumped. For detailed information read chapter ”Managing M4
PLANT Database Files”, ”Moving a Database to a Different Platform”, “Restoring a Database
from a Text File” on page 111.

Load Database Records from a Text File

The Load tool loads an ASCII file back into the database. For detailed information read ”Man-
aging M4 PLANT Database Files”, ”Moving a Database to a Different Platform”, “Restoring a
Database from a Text File” on page 111.

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The Home Tab

Upgrade an Old Format Database to Current Format

If you have databases made with older revisions of M4 PLANT, you can upgrade these data to
the current revision by using the Upgrade tool . For detailed information read chapter ”Manag-
ing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “Upgrading a Database” on page 113.

Database Utility Program

The Database Utility Program is the basic database administration tool which is run by the DUP
button. DUP is used to:
• translate the database description into a binary file
• create database files as empty database
• binary loading and unloading of databases
• administration for multi user database, (e.g. which user is logged in, etc.)

Update Paths

The Update Paths tool helps to re-organize the directory paths stored in an M4 PLANT database.

Please note: The Update Paths button is only enabled when you are logged in as a user with Ad-
ministrator or Manager authority level (see ”Managing Users for the Project Man-
ager”, “Rights to use Tools” on page 54).

Figure 23 M4 Project Manager - Modify paths in DB Dialog

• The left panel displays the directories stored in the M4 PLANT database and whether it
is visible and what it is been used for.
• The right panel shows what files are referenced by the selected directory.
• The two edit field at the bottom show the old directory and allow you to select or enter
a replacement directory location.
• The Write Log button creates a log file with the old directories in it, useful when there are
a large number of them and you don't have them visible on your system.

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User Tool Group

Figure 24 M4 Project Manager - Search for DB Tool Group

User Manager

The User Manager button opens the User Administration (Database) dialog which is used to add, mod-
ify and remove users for the selected Database. The button is only enabled if you are logged in as
user with a sufficient authority level (Administrator or Manager).
Figure 25 User Administration Dialog

If you want to manage users for all your databases, use the User Administration (Project Manager) dia-
log as described in “Managing Users for the Project Manager” on page 54. But consider that
adjustments for the Project Manager users are only applied to databases which are created
subsequently. User definitions for already existing databases are not affected.
Please read also the chapter “Controlling Users' Access to the Database” on page 153.

Login

The Login button opens the Login dialog for logging in to the M4 Project Manager with another
user name. The current user name is displayed in the status area.

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The Home Tab

Figure 26 Status Area displaying the Name of the User

Recycle Bin Tool Group

Figure 27 Recycle Bin Tool Group

Delete

The Delete tool moves the selected database to the Recycle Bin.
The tool is only enabled if you are logged in as user with sufficient rights.

Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin is used for buffering M4 PLANT databases chosen for deletion.
The Recycle Bin button opens the following dialog.
Figure 28 Recycle Bin Dialog

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On top of the dialog the directory of the Recycle Bin is displayed. It is built by the value of the envi-
ronment variable MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS plus mpdsbin. The list provides all databases which
are already in the Recycle Bin.
The buttons at the bottom are:
Restore
If an entry in the list is selected, this button is activated, for moving it back to the data-
base directory and making it available again in the Project Manager dialog.
Refresh
If the data in the Recycle Bin path were modified by another application than the Project
Manager while the dialog is open, e.g. any file browser, Refresh updates the dialogs con-
tents to the current state in the Recycle Bin directory.
Empty Bin
removes all listed databases from the Recycle Bin and deletes them definitely from the
hard disk, after a security query has been confirmed.

Enter M4 2D

This tool starts M4 DRAFTING.

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List of Databases

List of Databases

The list inside the Project Manager dialog lists all the databases found by scanning the directo-
ries defined by the environment variable MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS. For a directory to be
deemed a database it has to have the following files:
history.log
am.dbd
versions.dbd
The browser will list by default, for each database:
• database name
• project name if existing
• overall database status, possible values are:
• GOOD
• UPGRADE for a database of an older revision
• WRONG DIR for the case when the database directory name was changed.
• NOT USABLE
• BUSY for single user databases for indicating that another user works on it.
• SERVER for databases running as a server on the local machine.
Please note: It is possible that the database is open in multi user mode on a dif-
ferent machine in which case the database will be reported as NOT
USABLE.
• database directory
• DB Controller host name if any.
Figure 29 Project Manager Database List

To configure the table settings see “Setup Table Properties” on page 67.
To start M4 PLANT with a database, select a database in the list and then choose the Open Data-
basebutton from the Home tab or double click on a database.

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Sorting and Filtering

As the list of databases can be very long a filter function is available and also sorting of columns
(ascending and descending) is possible, see ”Project Manager”, “Sorting” on page 68.

Filtering

On top of the list a filter line is displayed where you can set filters for any column to reduce the
amount of list entries. Click on an arrow below a column header to open the relevant pulldown
menu and select the desired entry.
Figure 30 Filter line

Filter line

You can also type in a filter text and use the Enter key. Searching is case insensitive, the asterisk
* can be used as a wildcard.
To display all databases again, use the Scan button from the Search for DB tool group.

Sorting

With a click into the header row of each column, the column is sorted. The first click sorts
ascending, the second click sorts descending.
Figure 31 Sorting

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List of Databases

Setup Table Properties

The properties of the table with the Database information can be configured. To open the config-
uration dialog click with the RMB into the header of any column and a Setup button is displayed.

Push this button to open the setup dialog, it contains three tabs and some buttons:
• Ok:
Applies all changes that you made and closes the dialog.
• Save
Applies all changes that you made, the dialog remains open.
• Reset
All changes made in the dialog will be reset to the initial values.
• Close
The dialog is closed and all changes will be discarded.

General

Set the maximal length of rows that is displayed in the table. If the list of found databases
exceeds this limit a warning is displayed inside of the message area.

Fields

Select which columns are visible inside of the table. Use the arrow buttons in the middle
to move the selected value from invisible to visible and vice versa.

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To change the column position of the selected value use the arrow buttons on the right side.

Sorting

Choose which columns can be used for sorting.

Use the arrow buttons to move the selected value between visible / invisible or up and down.

Properties Tab

Database Description Area

On the right hand side of the database list the Properties tab contains the Database Description area
where you can add and modify information on the currently selected database. Click the Save
button to store modified data to the database.

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List of Databases

Figure 32 Properties - Database Description

The labels of the input fields shown in the figure above can be changed in the uid file
AMPM\UI\AMPM\dbbrowser.uid.
-- Customisable Customer Description --
ampm_descr_label1.label: ampm$proj_name
ampm_descr_label2.label: ampm$proj_manager
ampm_descr_label3.label: ampm$customer
ampm_descr_label4.label: ampm$delivery_date
ampm_descr_label5.label: ampm$description

Properties Area

Below the Database Description area of the Properties tab the properties area gives information about
backup, status and the catalogs that are included in the database. It also displays whether Cata-
log and Specification are master or local.

Figure 33, “Properties of selected Database Area” on page 70 shows an example:

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Figure 33 Properties of selected Database Area

Details Tab

The Details tab provides detailed information about the database, like the version, number of
instances and defined systems. If the selected database has versions, after clicking the Details
tab you are asked to select the version.
Figure 34 Select Version Dialog

The following figures show examples for the Version Information and the Details of selected Database:

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List of Databases

Figure 35 Version Information

Figure 36 Properties of selected Database Area

The values for the Target column can be easily changed. Just click into the table cell and change
the value. Click the Save button below the list of details to store modified data to the data-
base.

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View Items Tab

The View Items tab provides all kinds of files that can be easily viewed either by double clicking
the file name or by using the View Selected Item tool at the bottom of the tab.
Figure 37 View Items - Project Manager

Please note: The files in the list have to be in the database directory of the current selected da-
tabase. If they are not, no file is displayed.

To view items the path to the viewer has to be defined with the environment variable
MPDSREVIEW, otherwise you get an error message.

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Status Area

Example:
SET MPDSREVIEW=D:\M4_Review_7_0\m4review.bat
The following file types are supported:
File Extension Description
The database folder is scanned for all *.hsf files which can be
*.hsf
opened with M4 Review.
The database directories PID, GA, ISOS, SHEETS and all
subdirectories are scanned for sheets. Sheet files are opened
*.she
with your standard sheet viewer (M4 DRAFTING,
CSGJustView)
The database folder AMPM_VIEW_ITEMS is scanned for *.isox
*.isox
files. Such a file can be viewed with M4 ISO.
*.jpg, *.jpeg, *bmp, The database folder AMPM_VIEW_ITEMS is scanned for these
*.gif, *.tif, *.msp, file types. Such a file can be opened with the standard program
*.png, *pdf of your operating system.

Please note: If you do not have a standard program for the file extensions defined, the appro-
priate file will not be opened!

Status Area

At the bottom of the Project Manager is a status area, partitioned into browse text area and
message area. The Toggle visibility of output area tool opens the message area. If the message
area is open, the tool button closes it.
On the right hand side of the status area the Archive the selected database and send it via email button is
located which creates a temporary archive file of the currently selected database and sends it
as an attachment via email.
Figure 38 Status Area

Please note: To ensure that your e-mail program is opened, it has to be explicitly defined as the
default program for opening .eml files. You can reach the setting under Windows
via: Start > Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Select default app by file type > .eml.

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ORGANIZATION OF M4 PLANT DATABASES

This chapter describes the contents and organization of an M4 PLANT database. It looks at var-
ious configurations for databases running in multi-user mode. It briefly discusses the effect of
the user's authority level and access to data, and version access on the database configuration.
Finally, this chapter explains how the read-only master catalogs work.

• Contents of an M4 PLANT Database........................................... 76

• Choosing a Database Configuration ............................................ 79

• Database with Read-only Access to the Master Catalogs ........... 83

• Database Created with a Local Catalog ...................................... 85

• Comparing Databases with Local and Master Specifications ...... 87

• How Version and User Access Types Affect Database Access ... 89

• How the Read-only Master Catalogs Work .................................. 93

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Organization of M4 PLANT Databases

Contents of an M4 PLANT Database

When you create a new database, a directory is created which contains all or most of the ele-
ments of the M4 PLANT database. The following example shows the contents of a database
named DB100, created with master catalogs for the Piping, Steel, Ducting, Support, Electrical
and M + AEC disciplines. The backup files of the database are stored in a separate directory.
The files are described below.
The following table shows the files in the design database directory:
Table 3 Files in the Database Directory, Example

File Description
aknote.dbs Part of Piping catalog
am.dbd Design Database Binary Description file for the 3D Applications
am.ddf Database Description File (ASCII) for the 3D Applications database
am_server.bac Path to the database description file used by database server
amnoair.dbd Design Database Binary Description file, used for file recovery
cdcat.dbs Data of Component Designer
cvspec.dbs Piping specification
dbdescr.bin Database properties description
directories.dat Database specific path tokens
design_init.bac Contains information on the design environment and the default settings.
ducting.dbs Contains the Ducting Design data.
duspec.dbs Ducting specification.
electrical.dbs elspec.dbs
ga.dbs Definition of general attributes
history.log Records information on where the database was compiled and backed up.
See ”Managing M4 PLANT Database Files”, “The Log File” on page 114
initlib.bac Contains information which is read whenever you start M4 PLANT.
INITLIB.BIF Binary version of INITLIB.BAC.
mech_handling.dbs Contains the M + AEC Design data
piping.dbs Contains the Piping Design data.
platform.dbs Contains design data such as layout and associativity.
steel.dbs Contains the Steel Design data.
support.dbs Contains the Support data.
temporary.dbs For internal use

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Table 3 Files in the Database Directory, Example

File Description
version_server.bac Path to the version database description file used by database server
versions.dbd Database Binary Description file for the VERSIONS database.
versions.dbs Contains data on the different versions in the version tree. It sets flags mark-
ing which piece of design data belongs to which version.
versions.ddf Database Description File for the VERSIONS database (ASCII).

The following table shows the files stored in the backup directory of the database.
Table 4 Backup and Air Files

File Description
aknote.dbx Backup copy of the aknote.dbs
cdcat.dbx Backup copy of the Component Designer data (cdcat.dbs)
cvspec.dbx Backup copy of the Piping specification
DB100.air log file for the AM database (only created once the database is opened)
DB100ver.air log file for the VERSIONS database (only created once the VERSIONS data-
base is opened)
ducting.dbx Backup copy of the Ducting Design data
duspec.dbx Backup copy of Ducting specification
electrical.dbx Backup copy of Electrical Design data
elspec.dbx Backup copy of Electrical specification
ga.dbx Backup of general attributes table
mech_handling.dbx Backup copy of the M + AEC Design data
piping.dbx Backup copy of the Piping Design data
platform.dbx Backup copy of platform.dbs
steel.dbx Backup copy of the Steel Design data
support.dbx Backup copy of support.dbs
temporary.dbx For internal use
versions.dbx Backup copy of versions.dbs

Air files report the activities preformed in a database after the creation or the last backup.

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Organization of M4 PLANT Databases

An M4 PLANT database may consist of the following database files. The content depends on
whether and which catalogs are used as master or local catalog.
Database Description
Catalog database files Contain the details of the standard (and customized) geome-
tries and materials used in M4 PLANT. The data for each prod-
uct in the system is stored in catalogs:
Piping catalog (cvcat.dbs and cvspec.dbs)
Steel catalog (sscat.dbs)
Ducting catalog (ducat.dbs and duspec.dbs)
Support catalog (spcat.dbs)
Electrical catalog (elcat.dbs and elspec.dbs)
M + AEC catalog (mhcat.dbs)
Versions database Keeps track of the different versions of the plant design and
records users' access rights, user names and passwords. It
controls access to the design database.
For details on Versions, see “About Versions” on page 115 and
following chapters.
Design database Holds the design layout including process equipment, piping,
structural steel, ducting, electrical and any supports. There is a
separate design database file for each discipline, these are:
platform.dbs
piping.dbs
steel.dbs
ducting.dbs
support.dbs
electrical.dbs
mech_handling.dbs

Please note: The design database is located in the design database directory which is created
when you create a new database, for example DB100.

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Choosing a Database Configuration

Choosing a Database Configuration

Projects and Databases

M4 PLANT may serve a large number of projects. Each project may be connected to several
databases corresponding to a number of different designs or to a single design which is divided
into a number of areas. The databases may be created with either master or local catalogs.

WARNING: It is important to choose the most appropriate configuration for the database from
the beginning, as the catalogs and specifications are linked to the database in a
particular way which prevents you from changing the configuration.

Databases Created with Master Catalogs

When you create a database with a master catalog, each database has its own design data-
base directory. Each database references the same master catalog in the installation directory
of the product. No catalog files are copied to the design database directory. This is illustrated in
the following figure.
Figure 39 Database Created with Master Catalog

Products specified for the project

Design database directory including master catalogs

Design database files am piping ducting steel support electrical mech_handling

& & & & & &
cvcat_cs ducat_cs sscat_cs spcat_cs elcat_cs elcat_cs

sscat_cs

mxe sscat ui

bacis db db_admin help template

contains the is used for
catalogs administration

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Organization of M4 PLANT Databases

The ability to share catalog data between databases is achieved by giving a database read-only
access to the master catalog, stored in the db directory, and by a special update procedure.
(See “How the Read-only Master Catalogs Work” on page 93)
Examples of databases created with master catalogs are shown later in this chapter.

Databases Created With a Local Catalog

If a design has special or unusual requirements, e.g. for piping components, materials, ducting
components and steel sections, you can create a copy of the relevant master catalogs in the
design database directory. The copies of the master catalogs become local to the database and
can only be used by this one database. You have to define this when you create the database.
The following figure illustrates this by the example of a local steel catalog.
Figure 40 Database Created with a Local Steel Catalog

Products specified for the project

Design database directory including master catalogs

am piping ducting steel support electrical mech_handling

Design database files
& & & & & &
including
cvcat_cs ducat_cs sscat_cs spcat_cs elcat_cs elcat_cs

sscat

mxe sscat ui

bacis db db_admin help template

cat.ddf cat_read_only.ddf The catalog files are copied to the

database directory and therefore the
sscat.dbs
database no longer references
the master catalogs for the project.

Examples of databases created with local catalogs are given later in this chapter.

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Choosing a Database Configuration

Points to Consider When Choosing a Configuration

You can organize the M4 PLANT database (or databases) in a number of ways depending on
your requirements. The type of configuration that you choose is determined by a variety of fac-
tors:
• The number of designers working on the design.
• The amount of disk space.
• Whether you want designers to be able to make changes to the catalogs which store
the information.
• How important it is to be able to maintain and update the information in the catalogs.
A large number of local catalogs in different design database directories are more diffi-
cult to maintain than a single master catalog.
• Whether the specifications that you need for Piping Design, Ducting Design and Elec-
trical Design are unique to a single database and unlikely to be used by other data-
bases later (local specifications) or whether you will be using them for several
databases (master specifications).
• Whether you want the designers to be able to modify the Piping, Ducting and Electrical
specifications directly as the design develops (local specifications) or whether you pre-
fer to update the Piping, Ducting and Electrical specifications centrally (master specifi-
cations).

Please note: There are no restrictions, within M4 PLANT, on the number of Piping, Ducting and
Electrical specifications that you can create in the master catalog database direc-
tory.

How Access to the Database is Controlled

You control access to the catalogs in the database by deciding whether you want to have read-
only access to the catalogs (single master catalog) or a user with sufficient privileges can mod-
ify the catalog (local catalog). Here are some examples:
• Read-only access to the master catalogs
In case of Piping, Ducting and Electrical this includes both the catalog and the specifi-
cation.
• Read-only access to the master catalogs (including Piping, Ducting and Electrical) and
local Piping, Ducting and Electrical specifications which can be modified. This is the
default configuration.

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Only the Piping, Ducting and Electrical specification database files are copied to the
design database directory (e.g. cvspec.dbs, duspec.dbs, elspec.dbs). These can therefore
be changed directly by any designers working on the design providing that they have
sufficient authority to use the administration system.
• A database with local catalogs and local Piping, Ducting and Electrical specifications.
Both the catalog and specification files are copied to the design database directory
from the master catalogs (e.g., cvcat.dbs and cvspec.dbs or ducat.dbs and duspec.dbs).
The designers working in the database can change catalogs and specifications directly
if they have sufficient privileges to use the administration system.

Please note: Ducting, Piping and Electrical applications are independent. For example, you can
set up a database with a local Piping specification and a master Ducting specifi-
cation. The specifications do not have to be set up in the same way, that is, both
local or both master.

Example Configurations

Some examples of possible configurations are shown on the following pages:

• Read-only access to the master catalogs: “Database with Read-only Access to the
Master Catalogs” on page 83
• Local catalog: “Database Created with a Local Catalog” on page 85
• Comparison of databases created with local and master specifications: “Comparing
Databases with Local and Master Specifications” on page 87

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Database with Read-only Access to the Master Catalogs

Database with Read-only Access to the Master Catalogs

The following figure shows the configuration of a database with read-only access to the cata-
logs held in the installation directory (here: the Ducting and Piping catalog). Nothing is copied to
the design database directory.
The designers working in this database are able to take information from the master catalogs
but they are not able to alter the information held in the catalogs.
Those designers working in Piping Design do not have direct access to the Piping catalog; they
can only use those items in the Piping catalog which are listed in the Piping specification. The
same applies to Ducting and Electrical Design. For details on specifications, see “Setting Up a
Specification” on page 271.
There are no restrictions on the number of databases which can share read-only access to the
catalogs. The master catalog database directory can also contain as many Piping, Ducting or
Electrical specifications as you want.
Figure 41 Database Created with Master Catalogs

Piping Piping
Catalog Specification

Ducting Ducting
Catalog Specification

Steel Catalog

Support Catalog

Master Catalog Database Directories

Design Data Version Data

Design Database Directory

Read-only Access
Read-write Access

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Updating Master Catalogs

In this configuration, either the System Administrator or a designer who has sufficient authority
to use the administrative system can make required changes. They have to be logged in as
Administrator.
The master catalogs and Piping and Ducting specifications are updated by using the Master
Catalog Utility which is accessible via File > Administration > Administrator > Catalog Utility > Master.

How the read-only system for master catalogs works is explained in detail in “How the Read-
only Master Catalogs Work” on page 93.

Additional Methods of Controlling Access

The example in Figure 41, “Database Created with Master Catalogs” on page 83 shows a data-
base running in multi-user mode. Access to the design data in a database running in multi-user
mode is controlled by the use of versions and user administration.
Versions Enable users to work on different versions of the same
design but in the same database.
User administration Gives each user, in addition to a user name and password,
access to certain design disciplines, and an authority level
which gives him or her access to the administration system.

How this affects access to the database is explained further in Figure 44, “Version and User
Access” on page 90.

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Database Created with a Local Catalog

Database Created with a Local Catalog

In the configuration shown in the following figure, the database has been created with read-only
access to the Piping catalog, Piping specification, Ducting catalog, Ducting specification and
Support catalog in the master catalog database directory, and with a local Steel catalog. The
local Steel catalog was automatically copied from the master catalog database directory into the
design database directory when the database was created.
Figure 42 Database Created with a Local Steel Catalog

Piping Piping
Catalog Specification

Ducting Ducting
Catalog Specification

Steel Catalog
X
Support Catalog

Master Catalog Database Directories

Steel Catalog

Design Data Version Data

Design Database Directory

Read-only Access
Read-write Access

The designers working in this database no longer have access to the master Steel catalog, so if
the System Administrator updates this catalog (as described in “Updating Master Catalogs” on
page 84), these designers will not have the most up-to-date information to work from.

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Updating a Local Catalog

In this configuration, the System Administrator must update each local catalog separately using
the Local Catalog Utility. This dialog is identical to the Master Catalog Utility but updates the catalog as
soon as you apply the changes. Using the Master Catalog Utility, the catalogs are only updated,
making the changes available to users, when you install the new data.
If users have sufficient privileges to use the administration system (and the database server is
not running), then they are able to alter the information in the local Steel catalog directly. The
changes that they make to the local Steel catalog will affect other steel designers working in this
database, but do not affect the master Steel catalog.

Reasons for Using a Local Catalog

A local catalog may be useful if the design requires unusual or non-standard items and you do
not want to include this information in your master catalog. However, note that if you do a lot of
work on a local catalog it will be difficult to re-use this information for other designs at a later
stage. If you anticipate having to update the Steel catalog frequently, this configuration is less
useful as the changes have to be made in each local Steel catalog. Also if the catalog is very
large then a lot of disk space may be used up unnecessarily.

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Comparing Databases with Local and Master Specifications

Comparing Databases with Local and Master Specifications

M4 PLANT may serve a large number of projects each having a different type(s) of database.
In Figure 43, the three databases all have read-only access to the master catalogs. However,
Database 1 and Database 2 have read-only access to the master Piping specification, Data-
base 3 has a local Piping specification in its own design database directory through which it
obtains information from the master Piping catalog.
Database 1, Database 2, and Database 3 have read-only access to the master Ducting specifi-
cation. No local Ducting specifications have been set up. Ducting and Piping specifications are
completely independent.

Reasons for Using a Master Specification

Master specifications can be used by a large number of projects and databases provided that
the specifications for Piping, Ducting and Electrical are the same. You could create more than
one master specification, if the specifications vary from one design to the next. Each master
specification is read-only.
Local specifications are specific to a single database and cannot be accessed by another data-
base later on, unlike a master specification.

Reasons for Using a Local Specification

The advantage of a local specification is that it can be adapted to the needs of the design by the
designers working on it as the requirements of the work become better known. Obviously you
can change a master specification as the design progresses but the procedure for doing so
requires that all users accessing this data close their databases before you can update the
specification. When you are using a local specification, you can control users' access to it by
setting an appropriate authority level for each user which determines which options they can
use in the Local Catalog Utility.

Please note: There is no simple way of re-using a local specification later on for another data-
base.

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Figure 43 Three Databases within the Same Project, One with a Local Piping Specification and Two with
Read-only Access to the Master Piping Specification

Piping Piping
Catalog Specification

Ducting Ducting
Catalog Specification

Steel Catalog

Support Catalog

Master Catalog Database Directories

Database 1
Design Data Version Data

Design Database Directory 1

Database 2
Design Data Version Data

Design Database Directory 2

Piping Specification

Database 3
Version Data
Design Data

Design Database Directory 3

Read-only Access
Read-write Access

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How Version and User Access Types Affect Database Access

How Version and User Access Types Affect Database Access

Although you do not have to make any decisions concerning the organization of the version tree
or the users of the system when you create a database, these two areas of system administra-
tion do affect your choice of database configuration as the different types of user and version
access modify the way in which the database functions. For example:
• When users log into M4 PLANT, their authority level is checked, as well as their access
rights to the VERSIONS database.
• When users open the design database, they are prompted to log into a version of the
design. The system checks the Version ID in the VERSIONS database to set the cor-
rect data access types.
You can use these facilities to restrict further the user's access to the database. In Figure 44, for
example, the access of the three users to the design data is determined by the type of data they
have access to as users, and the version of the design in which they are working.

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Figure 44 Version and User Access

Piping Piping
Catalog Specification

Ducting Ducting
Catalog Specification

Steel Catalog

Support Catalog User 1

Master Catalog Database Directories

has access to
Piping data
Version A
several users Database 1
can work in Version B User 2
Design Data
this database
Version C

Design Database Directory 1

has access to:

Piping data
Ducting data
Steel data

User 3

only one user Database 2 Version

can work in Design Data Data
this database

Design Database Directory 2 has access to

Steel data

Read-only Access
Read-write Access

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How Version and User Access Types Affect Database Access

Interaction of User and Version Access Rights

The following table shows how the user and version access interact with each other to deter-
mine the type of work that the designer can undertake.
Table 5 Combinations of User and Version Access

User Access Version Access To

To
Piping Steel Ducting Piping, steel, Piping, steel,
data data data ducting data ducting, supports data
Piping data Can View View Can work on pip- Can work on piping (provided
work on only only ing and view the that the changes do not
piping steel and ducting affect the supports) and view
design the steel, ducting, and sup-
ports design
Steel data View Can View Can work on Can work on steel (provided
only work on only steel and view that the changes do not
steel the piping and affect the supports) and view
ducting design the piping, ducting, and sup-
ports design
Ducting data View View Can Can work on Can work on ducting and
only only work on ducting and view view the piping, steel, and
ducting the piping and supports design
steel design
Piping, steel, Can Can Can Can work on pip- Can work on piping, steel,
ducting data work on work on work on ing, steel, and and ducting (provided that
piping steel ducting ducting the changes do not affect the
supports) and view the sup-
ports design
Piping, steel, Can Can Can Can work on pip- Can work on supports, pip-
ducting, work on work on work on ing, steel, and ing, steel, and ducting
supports data piping steel ducting ducting

Please note: You cannot give access to the support data only as access to piping and steel data
is prerequisite for this.

For example, User 1 in Figure 44, “Version and User Access” on page 90 is set up with access
to piping data. His or her access rights are determined each time this user logs into M4 PLANT.
User 1 can work in any version of the design that has access to piping data.
When User 1 opens a database he or she is prompted to log into a version. On doing so, the
access rights are checked against the access type of the version. If the version has access to
other disciplines of data (for example, steel data) then User 1 will only be able to view the data
(in this example, User 1 will only be able to view the steel part of the design).

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A user working on the supports for the piping requires access to both piping and steel data both
as a user and through the version in which he or she works. See the previous table. This is
because the Support designer needs to be able to add connection points to both the piping and
steel parts of the design.

Please note: How to set up and administer versions is described in “About Versions” on
page 115 and following chapters. For information on User Administration see
“Controlling Users' Access to the Database” on page 153.

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How the Read-only Master Catalogs Work

How the Read-only Master Catalogs Work

Each catalog product contains a directory named db with the master catalog (e.g. sscat.dbs, see
the following figure). A copy of the catalog is also located in the db_admin directory. As its direc-
tory name suggests, db_admin is used for administrative purposes.
Figure 45 Catalog Directory Structure

sscat_cs

mxe sscat ui

bacis db db_admin help template

sscat.dbs sscat.dbs

When you modify the data in the Master catalog (using the Catalog Utility dialog) you modify the
data stored in db_admin; this enables users to continue working without interruption (see the fol-
lowing figure).
Figure 46 Updating Read-only Master Catalogs

Read-only directory Administrative area used for maintaining

accessed by designers and updating the catalogs. The system
when working in administrator updates the read-only copy in
interactive design. the db directory by using the Master Catalog Utility.

db db_admin
directory directory

flow of data

Install Catalog
Interactive Master Utility
Design Catalog Functions
You can only update the information in the db directory by using the Install Master Catalog button in
the Master Catalog Utility which copies the catalog data from the db_admin directory to the db direc-
tory, when all users have logged out and the database servers are stopped.
If you create a database with a local catalog instead of a master catalog, the information in the
db directory is copied into your design database directory, and any changes that you make to it
are made directly in the local catalog.
The following diagram shows the coherences:

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Figure 47 How the Read-only Master Catalogs Work - Diagram

Master Catalog Edits Catalogs Databases

Master Catalog sscat

Utility
Catalog install copies .DBS DB1 DB2
from db_admin to db for db db_admin ... with with
each catalog. Local Master
used for used for catalog
catalogs Read Only
Restarting the databases databases maintenance catalogs
allows the new changes to
be seen. sscat.dbs sscat.dbs

copied once when database is created

used directly read only whenever database is created

cvcat

db db_admin ...
used for used for catalog
databases maintenance
cvcat.dbs cvcat.dbs

copied once when database is created

used directly read only whenever database is created

ducat

db db_admin ...
used for used for catalog
databases maintenance
ducat.dbs ducat.dbs

copied once when database is created

used directly read only whenever database is created

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MANAGING M4 PLANT DATABASE FILES

This chapter describes the database management tools which are provided on the Home tab of
the Project Manager and the way you should use these tools to make efficient use of the database
and ensure database integrity.

• Introduction .............................................................................. 96

• Creating a New Database........................................................ 97

• Copying a Database .............................................................. 101

• Backing Up a Database ......................................................... 102

• Recovering a Database ......................................................... 104

• Recompiling a Database........................................................ 105

• Archiving a Database............................................................. 107

• Restoring Project from Archive File ....................................... 109

• Moving a Database to a Different Platform ............................ 110

• Upgrading a Database ........................................................... 113

• The Log File ........................................................................... 114

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Managing M4 PLANT Database Files

Introduction

The tools in the Manage DB‘s and DB Utilities tool group on the Home tab enable you to monitor and
maintain all the database files.
Figure 48 Tools in the Manage DB‘s and DB Utilities Tool Group

You can:
• Create a new database (see page 97)
• Copy a database (see page 101)
• Back up the database (see page 102)
• Recover a database that may be corrupt (see page 104)
• Recompile a database if you have moved or renamed it, or if you have moved or
installed a master catalog (see page 105)
• Archive a database (see page 107)
• Restore a archived database (see page 109)
• Dump the database to an ASCII file, for example for global editing or moving to another
hardware platform (see page 110)
• Load the database from an ASCII file after moving it (see page 109)
• Upgrade the database from an older revision to the current one (see page 113)
• Start the Database Utility Program (DUP, only active if you are a user with Administra-
tor authority level, see ”Controlling Users' Access to the Database”, “About Authority
Level” on page 154)
• Start or stop the database server if this is a database running in multi-user mode

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Creating a New Database

Creating a New Database

Creating a new database is done in the Project Manager (Home > Manage DBs). You can create as
many databases as you require.

Overview on the Procedure

The steps to create a new database are:

1. Open the Create Database dialog (see ”Step 1 - Opening the Create Database Dialog”)
2. Enter the Database Name (see ”Step 2 - Entering the Database Name”).
3. Define the Database and Backup Directory (see ”Step 3 - Changing the Database and
Backup Directory”).
4. Enter Database Descriptions; this is optional (see ”Step 4 - Adding the Database Descrip-
tion”).
5. Specify the catalog settings (see ”Step 5 - Catalog Settings”).
6. Create the database (see ”Step 6 - Finishing the Database Creation”).
Details on the steps are explained in the following sub-sections.

Step 1 - Opening the Create Database Dialog

Click on the Create button to open the Create Database dialog.

Figure 49 Create Database Dialog

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Step 2 - Entering the Database Name

Figure 50 Database Name, Directory and Backup Directory

As you type in the Database Name, the Database Directory and Backup Directory entries are automatically
extended by this name.
The Database and Backup Directory fields already contain a path. This path is the first directory
defined in the M4 Project Manager > File > Database Directories (see ”Project Manager”, “Managing Data-
base Directories” on page 55) or in the environment variable MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS (see
”Project Manager”, “Prerequisites” on page 48).

Please note: The database and backup names may not exceed nine characters in length and
must not contain spaces or special characters like underscores (_) or dots (.).
They also may not start with a number.
If a directory already exists, the database is created within it. The directory may
not contain database files otherwise an error message is displayed.

The Create button is disabled if the Database Name does not fulfill all the restrictions.

Step 3 - Changing the Database and Backup Directory

This step is only required if you want to create the backup files on another hard disk than the
database files. This ensures that both the backup and the database files are not damaged if a
disk crashes. We recommend that the Backup and Database files are one different physical
disk if at all possible.

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Step 4 - Adding the Database Description

The input in the Database Description fields is optional.

Figure 51 Create Database Dialog - Database Description

If you enter a Project Name, this name appears in the Database Name column of the Project Manager
(default setting).
Figure 52 Project Manager Dialog - Database Name taken from Project Name

Step 5 - Catalog Settings

Specify the catalogs you require. Which catalogs are available depend on the licenses held at
your site and the products selected when the project was configured.
You can use some or all of the catalogs specified for your project.

Please note: The catalog settings can not be changed after having created the database.

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Figure 53 Create Database Dialog - Catalog Settings

Discipline
lists the available catalogs.
Catalog
specifies the type of access to the catalogs. The default is read-only access to the
master catalogs and local Piping, Ducting and Electrical specifications. If you want to
change the defaults, change the relevant check mark.
Specification
Master Specifications can be chosen for Piping, Ducting or Electrical. The catalogs can
be used then for several databases.
For details on master and local catalogs, please refer to “Choosing a Database Configuration”
on page 79.
Step 6 - Finishing the Database Creation
Click on the Create button to run the creation process.
The message area at the bottom left of the M4 Project Manager opens and displays a report of the
process. A message in the status area shows when the database was created successfully.
Figure 54 Message Area after Successful Creation of a Database

While creating the new database also a history.log file is generated. The first entries in this file
are statements on the location of the backup files. See “The Log File” on page 114 for an expla-
nation on the history.log file. Example:
2-JUL-2020 Database compiled in C:\M4PLANTDB\TestDB1
BACKUP C:\M4PLANTDB\bac1\TestDB1
All M4 PLANT databases can be used either in single or multi-user mode.
You can start M4 PLANT and open the database in single-user mode by typing:
assman workstation_name db_directory -s
where db_directory is the pathname of your database directory and the option -s specifies
the single user mode.
You can start M4 PLANT in multi-user mode by typing:

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Copying a Database

assman workstation_name db_directory db_server_node

where db_directory is the pathname of your database directory, and db_server_node is
the name of the database server machine. You do not need to specify the server name if you
are running M4 PLANT on the database server machine.
Figure 55 Create Database Dialog - Store in PDC Option

The Store the new Project to PDC option is only enabled, if your product list contains the PDC product.
If this option is marked, after creating the database the dialog for checking it in into PDC will be
opened.

Copying a Database

Copying an existing database is done in the Project Manager (Home > Manage DBs).
1. Select the database, which is to be copied, in the list of databases.
2. Click on the Copy button in the DB Utilities tool group to open the Copy Database dialog.
Figure 56 Copy Database Dialog

The Original Database field shows the full path of the database which is to be copied.
3. Enter a new name for the copied database in the New Database Name field.
Consider the restrictions, listed in “Step 2 - Entering the Database Name” on page 98.
4. Define the New Database Directory and the New Backup Directory.
If a New Database Name is entered, both directories are automatically expanded.
By default the M4 PLANT database directory is displayed (see ”Project Manager”,
“Prerequisites” on page 48).
You can change both by using the browse button . If you use the browse button ,
the appropriate directory browser opens with the M4 PLANT database directory stored
in the environment variable MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS.

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Figure 57 New Database Directories

5. Click OK to create the copy.

Backing Up a Database

When you create a new database, backup files are automatically created in the backup direc-
tory. One backup file is created for each database file, and has the suffix .dbx (see Table 4,
“Backup and Air Files” on page 77). Backing up your database regularly ensures that the air
files remain a reasonable size which will help save disk space and reduce the time taken to
recover after a database crash.
It is extremely important that database backups are performed regularly. The frequency of these
backups depends upon the quantity or work performed on the database and the time elapsed
since the last backup. You get information on the last backup date either in the history.log file or
in the Project Manager on the Properties tab > Properties of selected Database > Last Backup Date. The size of
the air file will help determine the quantity of work that has been done.
Before a database is backed up, you should ensure that all users are logged off, and all relevant
database servers are stopped. You should also ensure that the hard disk is regularly backed up.

WARNING: Only back up a database when you know that it was closed successfully, leaving
the database intact, and is not being accessed by another user through a data-
base server. The database server should not be running.
If you do not follow this rule, you are likely to back up a corrupt database with no
means of retrieving a good copy.

We also recommend to backup the database by separate packer tools because

if the database cannot be recovered, you then can unpack this backup into its orig-
inal directory for getting back a certain state of work.

The tool to back up databases is located in the DB Utilities tool group of the Home tab.

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Backing Up a Database

Database Running in Single-user Mode

To back up a database running in single-user mode:

1. Select the Database in the Project Manager.
2. Click on the Backup tool in the DB Utilities tool group.
The existing DBX (backup) files in the backup directory are automatically deleted and
the DBS files from the database directory are copied to the DBX files in the backup
directory. The after image record (AIR) files are also deleted. Copy the DBX files to
tape or make copies of these files on a separate disk.
The message line in the Project Manager indicates if the backup was successful.

Database Running in Multi-user Mode

You should only backup a database running in multi-user mode when there is no database
server running for this database. To back up a database running in multi-user mode:
1. Ensure that nobody is logged into the database, including yourself, by listing the ver-
sion tree.
2. Ensure that the database server is not running for a database running in multi-user
mode.
3. Carry out the backup as described in ”Database Running in Single-user Mode”.

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Recovering a Database

You may need to recover a database if the database was closed in an incomplete state and you
are unable to select certain options in the Project Manager or you are not able to open the data-
base.
When a database is recovered, M4 PLANT carries out the following operations:
• It attempts to open the database to discover whether the design (AM) or the VER-
SIONS database is corrupted.
• It deletes the crashed database dbs files.
• It copies the associated dbx backup file to a dbs equivalent.
• It attempts to open the database. This causes a roll-forward, using the current air files
(e.g. DB100.air or DB100versions.air) to recover all database operations since the last
backup and up until the database crash.

Prerequisites for Recovery

You can recover a crashed database provided that:

• The air file and dbx files are in the directory specified when the database was created.
• The air file is suitable for the dbx files being used .

How to Recover a Database

To recover a M4 PLANT database:

1. If the dbx files are held on tape or on a separate disk, copy them to the backup direc-
tory.
2. If the air files are not in the directory specified when the database was created, copy
them to the appropriate directory. Notice, however that the air files must be in the cor-
rect directory for the database to operate.
3. Ensure that for a database running in multi-user mode there is no database server run-
ning. See “Stopping Database Servers” on page 191.
4. Select the database which is to be recovered in the M4 Project Manager.
5. Click on the Recover button in the DB Utilities tool group.
While the recovery proceeds you will see messages in the message area.

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Recompiling a Database

Recompiling a Database

Use the Recompile option if you want to do one of the following tasks:
• Move a database or master catalog to a different location on the disk
• Move a database or master catalog to a different disk
• Rename a database
• Change the database backup directory
You need to recompile the database if you want to do any of these tasks, as all databases are
compiled in the current directory when first created. This effectively ties the directory name to
the database. Before attempting to move a database, you should back it up.
You need to recompile master catalogs after installing them, or moving them, to ensure that the
database files in the db_admin directory reflect the new disk names and directory structure.
Notice that you can recompile any catalog regardless of the M4 PLANT project you are logged
into. Once you have recompiled the master catalog(s), you need to copy the data to the db
directory as explained in “Installing an Updated Master Catalog” on page 239.
If you recompile design databases, all database files must be stored in the same directory; the
only exceptions are the dbx and air files (backup directory).
To recompile a M4 PLANT database:
1. Ensure that there is no database server running.
2. Ensure that the database can be opened.
3. Ensure that you have a backup copy of the files you want to move.
4. Create a new directory or rename the existing database directory.
5. Copy, move or rename the database files.
6. Select the database which is to be recompiled in the M4 Project Manager.
7. Choose the Recompile tool in the DB Utilities tool group.
This recompiles the database in the specified directory. The new database directory name and
the location of the backup dbx and air files are entered in the history.log file. See “The Log File”
on page 114.
Example:
1. Rename the database directory TESTDB1 to TESTDB1A.
2. Open the Project Manager.
The Status in the M4 Project Manager is indicated as shown below. The Recompile tool on the
ribbon is enabled.

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Figure 58 Example - Renamed Database TESTDB1 to TESTDB1A

3. Click on the Recompile tool .

The Recompile Database window opens. The Database directory field displays path and
modified database name.
Figure 59 Recompile Database Window - Define the Backup Directory

4. Choose the desired backup directory via browser and click on OK.
The recompile process runs and is reported in the message area of the M4 Project Man-
ager.

Figure 60 Message Area - Report of the Recompile Process

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Archiving a Database

If the recompile process was successfully, the Status of the renamed database changes
into GOOD.
Figure 61 Successfully Recompiled Database

Archiving a Database

You can create an archive file of a selected database with extension .mpdb. This archive file can
later be restored to a desired directory.
Click on the Archive button in the DB Utilities tool group to open the following dialog.
Figure 62 Database Archive dialog

Database Name
shows the full path of the currently selected database. This is the directory name on
the hard disk.
Please note, in the case that a database description exists, the Database Name listed in the
Project Manager might be different because it shows the Project Name.
Archive Name
shows the database directory name which can be modified if required. The file exten-
sion mpdb is added automatically.
Archive Directory
shows the path in which the selected database Archive Name is located. You can choose
any directory by using the file browser.

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Remove Database after Archiving

If this option is checked, the selected database is removed from the database directory
when archiving is finished.
Archive Mode
The following modes are available:
DB directory only portable
Model files which are not in the database directory, nor in the
AM_MODEL_INDIRS scope (see ”Configuring a Project”, “Customizing by Envi-
ronment Variables” on page 46) will be copied into a sub directory of the database
and their references changed to suit. Intended to people with a fixed model refer-
ence library location, but with all Project specific models held locally.
fully portable
All model files are copied into sub-directories of the database and all references
changed to suit. Intended to make a database portable to send to a remote loca-
tion.
unportable (default)
All model files are left in there original locations and no references are changed.
Intended for locations where databases reference many file locations and they
will never change.

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Restoring Project from Archive File

Restoring Project from Archive File

You can restore an archived database file (suffix .mpdb) to a desired directory.
Click on the Restore button in the DB Utilities tool group to open the following dialog.
Figure 63 Restore Database Dialog

Archive File
used to enter the archive file name which is to be restored. A valid archive file can be
entered either by typing its name with full path or by using the browse button which
opens a file selector dialog.
Database Name (to restore)
As you type in characters, the fields Database Directory and Backup Directory are filled auto-
matically, so consider the statements in ”Project Manager”, “Restrictions” on page 48.
Database Directory and Backup Directory
By default the M4 PLANT database directory (MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS) is displayed
(see ”Project Manager”, “Prerequisites” on page 48).
If Database Name is entered, both fields are automatically expanded. You can change both
by using the browse button .

Please note: If you use the browse button , the appropriate directory or file browser opens
with the M4 PLANT database directory stored in the environment variable
MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS.

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Managing M4 PLANT Database Files

Moving a Database to a Different Platform

M4 PLANT databases can be transferred to another platform by first dumping it into a text file,
then transferring this file to the other platform and finally load the text file into a new database.

Dumping and Moving a Database

To move an M4 PLANT database to the destination platform, proceed as follows:

1. Ensure that:
• there is no database server running for a database running in multi-user mode.
(See “Stopping Database Servers” on page 191).
• you have enough disk space
2. Select the database which is to be dumped in the Project Manager.
3. Click on the Dump tool in the DB Utilities tool group.
The Convert Database to ASCII dialog is displayed.
Figure 64 Convert Database to ASCII Dialog

Name and path of the database that you want to move is entered automatically in the
Database Directory field at the top of the dialog.

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Moving a Database to a Different Platform

4. Change the ASCII Dump File name if required.

5. Choose the discipline whose data are to be dumped into the ASCII file.
Once a discipline is chosen (e.g. STEEL) also all its tables are selected but each can be
switched off if it is not wanted in the ASCII file.
6. To start the conversion, press the OK button.
As the conversion takes place, status messages are output at each stage.
7. Transfer the output file to the destination platform.

Restoring a Database from a Text File

After dumping and moving the ASCII file of a database to a different platform, you can restore it
as follows:
1. Create a new database on the destination platform.
It can have the same name as the original database or a different name. See “Creating
a New Database” on page 97.
2. Select the new database in the Project Manager.
3. Choose the Load Database Records from a Text File tool to open the following dialog.
The Database Directory field contains the name and path of the selected database.
Figure 65 Convert ASCII to Database Format Dialog

4. Open the browser and select the ASCII file which contains the database or enter the
name and path of the file.
5. Keep the checkmark for Delete existing records.
This option causes the contents of the new database to be deleted before the new
records are added (but not the contents of any read-only tables). Notice that you can-
not load any of your data into a database until you have deleted the existing records. If
you attempt to do so you will see a warning message.
6. Click the OK button.

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Updating the Location of Models and Sheet Files

Once you have moved a design database, you need to update the locations of the models and
sheets in the database. Follow this procedure:
1. Ensure that you are working in a database running in single-user mode.
2. Change to the database directory.
3. Start M4 PLANT as an ADMIN user.
4. Bring the command prompt window (MEDSCREEN) to the front of the graphics area.
5. Type moved_db() at the prompt and then press Return.
The old pathname for the model and sheet files is then displayed, followed by the new
pathname.
6. Accept the default pathname by pressing Return, or enter a different pathname for
the model and sheet files.
You may be prompted several times for new pathnames depending on where your
model and sheet files are located.
7. When you are finished, type quit.

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Upgrading a Database

Upgrading a Database

If you have databases made with older revisions of M4 PLANT (MPDS4), you can upgrade
these data to the current revision.
For upgrading:
1. Select the database which is to be upgraded.
2. Click on the Upgrade tool in the DB Utilities tool group to open the following dialog.
Figure 66 Database Upgrade Dialog

Database to upgrade
shows the full path of the currently selected database in the list.
Upgrade in same Directory
If you choose this option, the old database is overwritten with the upgraded one.
New Database Directory and Backup Directory
By default the fields are empty. You can change both by using the browse button .
If you use the browse button for New Database Directory, the Backup Directory field gets the
same directory.
3. Press the OK button.
The old database is upgraded and the upgrade version is stored in the new database
directory.
You can now start M4 PLANT using the new database.

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The Log File

The log file, history.log is created when the database is created. It records the history of the
database. For example, it tells you when the database was last backed up and where the data-
base was compiled; this is important if you need to recover a database.
For example, the file takes the following format:

10-MAR-2014 Database compiled in d:\proj\db

BACKUP d:\proj\db_backup
24-OCT-2014 Database backed up
25-OCT-2014 Database backed up
26-OCT-2014 Database backed up
27-OCT-2015 Database backed up
28-OCT-2015 Database backed up
29-OCT-2015 Database backed up
30-OCT-2016 Database backed up
15-MAR-2016 Database compiled in d:\proj2\db]
BACKUP d:\proj2\db_backup
15-Mar-2016 Database backed up >

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ABOUT VERSIONS

This chapter introduces versions which organize the work of designers within a database run-
ning in multi-user mode. It describes:

• Advantages of Using Versions ............................................... 116

• What is the Version Tree?...................................................... 117

• Sample Version Tree ............................................................. 121

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About Versions

Advantages of Using Versions

In M4 PLANT you use a database running in multi-user mode to enable several designers to
work in the same database simultaneously. This makes it possible for designers to work on dif-
ferent aspects of the plant design and in different disciplines within the same design database.
Each designer works within a different version.
Versions provide a method of organizing the designers' work and eliminating conflicts between
different versions of the same design. It also provides the following benefits:
Area Description
Discipline security You can prevent piping designers from modifying steelwork, and
vice-versa.
Design alternatives You can explore alternative solutions and what-if studies.
Phased release You can store data from each stage in the design process in a dis-
crete version and produce release drawings for that version.
Design segregation You can divide design work between designers in the way you find
most helpful.
Consistency checking You can check for consistency between any set of versions, even
though each designer works in his or her own version.
Change control You can list the changes made in an interactive design session.
Design approval You can check the results of design work for consistency, and
approve them, before incorporating them into the approved version.
Design history At the end of design work, the database contains a complete record
of the work at each stage in the design process.

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What is the Version Tree?

What is the Version Tree?

Versions are set up in a hierarchical structure known as the version tree. Each database consti-
tutes one design project and has one version tree. The following figure shows a simple exam-
ple. You might find it helpful to think of the version tree as a stack of transparent paper in which
each version is a separate sheet containing modifications on or variations on the design.

Divisions within the Version Tree

The simplest possible tree contains only one version. This version is always known as the mas-
ter version. You can create versions under the master version and also under those versions.
There is no limit to the number of levels you can create in a version tree. Versions with other
versions under them are known as branch nodes. Versions with no versions under them are
known as leaf nodes. Only leaf nodes can be worked on interactively. The following figure
shows a version tree with the branch and leaf nodes marked.
Each version has a status. This is one of the following:
Status Description
U (Unavailable) All branch nodes are unavailable for interactive design.
F (Free) A leaf node that is available for interactive design.
L (Logged in) A leaf node that is being accessed by another user.

Figure 67 Version Tree with Branches and Leaves Marked

Master The master version of the design

A1 Interim versions of the design,

used for administrative purposes
and not for interactive design

B1 B2

C1 C2

All work in interactive design is done in the

versions shown shaded in gray (the leaf nodes)

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About Versions

Viewing the Design

When you are working in a version, you can see everything that has been drawn in that particu-
lar version, in addition to everything in the versions between it and the master version that have
not been modified or deleted in your version.
If you move or delete an item that is in the master version, while working in your new version, a
record of your action is automatically made in your version. The operation is never performed
on the master version as shown in the following figure.
Figure 68 Changes to the Leaf Nodes (C1, C2) Do Not Affect the Design Stored in the Branch Node (B2)

The tanks in B2 are

not affected by any
work carried out in
either C1 or C2

B2

C1 C2
The tank is rotated in C1 The tank is deleted in C2
but not in B2 but not in B2
The master version is only affected when the new version is merged with the master version.
It is important to recognize that when you create a new version, you neither affect the directory
structure nor cause any copying of data. Rather, the data about the design is stored in the data-
base, tagged with information about which version it was created in. For example in the figure
above, the C1 version contains a record showing that a tank has been rotated, and the C2 ver-
sion contains a record that a tank has been deleted. The B2 version is only affected when you
choose to merge either the C1 or the C2 version up into it.

Version Paths

What you see in a particular version in the version tree is determined by the link between that
version and the master version. The link between the two is known as the version path.

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What is the Version Tree?

Figure 69 Version Tree with a Version Path Marked

Master The master version of the design

A1
(tank inserted) Administrative versions of the design

B1 B2
(tank deleted) (tank rotated)

C1 C2

All work in interactive design is done in the

user versions shown shaded in gray (the leaf nodes)

In the figure above, the version path from C1 is C1, B2, A1, MASTER; this is marked with a dot-
ted line. The designer working in C1 has no access to the information in B1 or C2, therefore he
or she can move the tank that was inserted in A1 even though it has been deleted in version B1.

Please note: To compare different versions in different version paths interactively, you need to
select the Inspect button from the Version and Region Management dialog.

Merging Versions

When work in a particular version has reached a stage at which it is ready to be merged, a num-
ber of reports can be run on it before it is merged up the version tree. These include consistency
and interference checks, and reports on the relevant versions. These checks may be run in
Inspect mode.
You can only merge a version with the version immediately above it in the version tree. It is pos-
sible to merge a subset of the work in a version, such as a system or discipline. You can then
delete the work left behind by deleting the version.

Importance of Resolving Version Conflicts Before Merging

Only if you have eliminated all relevant conflicts, you should merge a version. Failing to resolve
conflicts before merging one version into another (see example in the following figure) can lead
to a corrupted version.

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About Versions

Figure 70 Conflict between Versions Which Must Be Resolved Before Merging

A1
(beam inserted)

B1 B2
(support on beam) (beam deleted)

If you merge version B2 into version A1, without first resolving the conflict between B1 and B2,
you will corrupt B1 as this version will be left with a support in free space. To avoid this type of
problem arising, you run a report to compare B1 and B2 using the Report on Two Versions option.
The report lists the areas of conflict, for example giving you the instance and link records as a
reference. Using this information you can resolve the design conflicts before merging.

Please note: For further information on the Report on Two Versions option and the type of inconsis-
tencies which are highlighted in this report, see ”Working with Versions of a De-
sign”, “Comparing Two Versions” on page 143.

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Sample Version Tree

Sample Version Tree

The following figure is an example of how you might organize a version tree for a project includ-
ing Piping Design, Steel Design, Ducting Design, and Supports.
In the example in the following figure, each level of approval is represented by a version. There
is an administrative version under each of the approval level versions. All drawings must be
issued from these administrative versions which contain only the drawing control information
relating the model files and sheets to the instances contained in them. These versions cannot
be used for Interactive Design.
Figure 71 Example Version Tree for a Project

Master Administrative sets

not available for
design work or
Approve1 issuing drawings

Approve2 Admin1

Final Admin2

Combined Admin

Piping Steel Ducting Support

Pip1 Pip2 St1 St2 Duct1 Duct2 Supp1 Supp2

The version structure is created before any design work is done. Subsequently, each designer
works in one of the user versions at the bottom of the tree. As work progresses through its vari-
ous stages of approval, it is merged up the version tree one level at a time.
Version Description
Pip1 This is a version which is used for design work. It contains up-to-date informa-
Pip2 tion on this particular version or area of the piping design. The same applies
to Steel (ST1+2), Ducting (Duct1+2), and Support (Supp1+2).

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About Versions

Piping This is a working version which represents the current stage reached by the
piping design. It is not used for design work as it is not a leaf node (see “Divi-
sions within the Version Tree” on page 117). The piping design within it may
be derived from several different versions. The same applies to Steel, Duct-
ing, and Support.
Combined This is a working version which represents the current stage reached by the
plant design as a whole prior to approval. It is not used for design work as it is
not a leaf node (see “Divisions within the Version Tree” on page 117).The
design within it may be derived from several different disciplines and versions.
Final This is the most recently approved version of the design and might be the as-
designed/as-built version. Admin is created below Final as a control version
for issuing drawings and preparing reports as the Final version cannot be
accessed in order to prepare reports, issue drawings and so on.
Approve2 This is a historical version of the design and the second approved version of
the design.
Approve1 This is a historical version of the design and the first approved version of the
design.
Master This version is required by M4 PLANT.

In this particular example, the design work is only merged up the version tree to the appropriate
level of approval for that stage of the design process.

Please note: You do not have to merge the design work. The design work can continue quite
satisfactorily with unmerged data, but without the benefits of the work being visible
to the other lower-level versions.

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CONTROLLING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DESIGN

USING VERSIONS

This chapter provides guidance on how to organize your version tree effectively using an exam-
ple as the basis for designing the tree. The example is only intended to help you organize your
own version tree, and should not be regarded as a fixed tree structure.

• Preparing to Start the First Design......................................... 124

• Releasing a Design Phase..................................................... 126

• Alternative Methods of Building a Version Tree ..................... 129

• Preparing for the Next Design Phase .................................... 130

• Allowing for Alternative Design Strategies ............................. 131

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Preparing to Start the First Design

You should decide upon a structure which is best suited to your needs. Your version tree, and
the total number of levels in it, usually reflects your existing project control systems, and the
systems of approval and issue. For example, if your current manual system depends upon a
single approval stage followed by an issued stage, the version tree would be designed with a
version level for each of these stages plus a working version level.
Using the Version Administration facilities (which are described in “Working with Versions of a
Design” on page 133) you might create a version tree with the following levels:
• Master
• First level of approval
• Piping/Steel/Ducting/Supports working version level
• Working set level for each of the disciplines, that is Piping, Steel, Ducting and Supports
• User level for designers working in each of the disciplines
You can restrict access within each version. For example, you can authorize a version for work
on one discipline only; a user with authority to work on piping can modify the pipework, but can-
not change the other applications in any way. See ”Working with Versions of a Design”, “Creat-
ing a New Version” on page 136 and ”Controlling Users' Access to the Database”, “Adding
Users” on page 158 for information on how version access interacts with user access.
This structure is illustrated in the following figure.
Figure 72 Version Tree Created at the Start of a New Design Project

Master

Approval

Combined

Piping Steel Ducting Support

Pip1 Pip2 St1 St2 Duct1 Duct2 Supp1 Supp2

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Preparing to Start the First Design

The version tree contains versions at the following levels (the following description of the ver-
sion levels starts at the bottom of the tree):
Version Description
Piping The working set or active version for the Piping discipline below which
the user versions are created. All design work takes place in the user
versions. The same applies to Steel, Ducting and Support.
Combined The current active version for all design work in hand. It is used as a
design management level, not as a level for design work.
Approval The level at which you issue drawings and reports; no further design
work can be done.
Master If you wish to create system or subsystem names, for example, for use
by all designers, then you would define these in the Master version
before creating versions below it. See ”Preparing to Start a New
Design”, “Setting Up Systems and Subsystems” on page 29 for informa-
tion on systems and subsystems.

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Releasing a Design Phase

Throughout the life of a design project you need to release work from an active to an approved
status, or from approved to issued. This release process is done through the Version and Region
Management dialog, and is known as version merging.

What is Merging?

The action of merging consists of moving data from the appointed version to its parent version
at a higher level; a version can only be merged up one level at a time. You can either merge all
the data in a version or merge it selectively by choosing a discipline or a ssystem.
You should carry out the merge only after you have checked the design data for integrity and
compatibility with existing data. This checking process is done from the Version and Region Manage-
ment dialog using the Report on both the selected versions option.

Checking the Versions Before Merging a Design

In the example in Figure 72, “Version Tree Created at the Start of a New Design Project” on
page 124, you should merge the data required from the user levels to the associated parent
level, that is Piping or Steel or Ducting or Support; this can be done on part or all of the version.
You should first:
1. Check the data integrity and consistency from the user versions to be merged; both
visually and by running interference checks.
You do this by selecting the Inspect the selected version option from the Version and Region Man-
agement dialog. Information on inspecting versions is available in ”Working with Versions
of a Design”, “Inspecting Versions” on page 142.

Please note: You can also carry out consistency and interference checks in Interactive Design.

2. Carry out Interference checks and Consistency checks as described in the M4 PLANT
User Guide and make any necessary modifications to the designs in Interactive Design
until the results of these checks are satisfactory.
3. Check for discrepancies between versions (e.g. Pip1 and Pip2 in Figure 72, “Version
Tree Created at the Start of a New Design Project” on page 124), by selecting the Report
on Two Versions option. For example, as explained in ”Working with Versions of a Design”,
“Comparing Two Versions” on page 143.
You only need to compare versions in different version paths, since it is only between

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Releasing a Design Phase

these versions that potential design conflicts can occur. This is because versions in dif-
ferent version paths do not have a common design base from which to work, and could
therefore contain conflicts or ambiguities.
4. If all checks have been passed successfully you can merge the selected data with the
Quick Merge option, for example from Pip1 to Piping and from Pip2 to Piping in Figure 72,
“Version Tree Created at the Start of a New Design Project” on page 124. How to use
this option is explained in ”Working with Versions of a Design”, “Merging Versions” on
page 144.

Please note: You should not attempt to reinstate an instance where that instance was deleted
in the parent version. Attempts to do so will cause version merging problems.

Checking the Design After Merging Versions

To ensure that all the data merged from the user versions has been inherited, that is Pip1 and
Pip2, by the parent version, Piping, you should create an administration version below the par-
ent version. In this administrative version, you would then check the merged data and when sat-
isfied with it, you can, if required, delete the merged versions Pip1 and Pip2.

Please note: You need to create an administrative version as the checking can only be carried
out in a leaf version.

You would then continue merging, checking, and, if required, deleting merged versions until the
design is merged into the first approval level and you are left with the structure in the following
figure.
Figure 73 The Version Tree After Releasing a Version for Approval

Master

Approve1

Data is merged from the working user versions Admin1

up into Approve1. Admin1 is then created for
checking and issuing reports and drawings as
this can only be done in a leaf version.

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To achieve this you:

1. Merge the user versions for the other disciplines as described in “What is Merging?” on
page 126.
• Create an administration version after the merge.
• Make sure that merged data is available to the parent version.
• If the merge is successful, you can, if required, delete the user versions as
explained in ”Working with Versions of a Design”, “Deleting a Version” on page 146.
2. Merge the discipline versions (Piping, Steel, Ducting, and Support) up into their parent
version (Combined).
• Check the merged data in an administrative version which you create as explained
above. When satisfied with the data, you can, if required, delete the discipline ver-
sions.
3. Merge Combined up to the first approval level version.
4. Create an administrative level and check the data. When satisfied with the data, delete
the combined discipline version.

Please note: Remember, any work that has not been merged will be lost if the version is
deleted.

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Alternative Methods of Building a Version Tree

Alternative Methods of Building a Version Tree

The method described in this chapter assumes that the number of levels of approval is not
known at the start of the project, and the version structure will be built as the project progresses.
If this method is used, you need to delete the leaf versions (highlighted in gray in the figures in
this chapter) each time a merge is completed successfully so that you can add more approval
levels to the version tree.
If the number of approval levels required is known at the beginning of the project, it is more effi-
cient to build the version tree with all the approval and administrative versions at the start. The
structure of this type of version tree is in Figure 71, “Example Version Tree for a Project” on
page 121). You can then merge new work up to the level of approval required, and you will not
need to delete any versions.

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Preparing for the Next Design Phase

Having merged all design work from an active level to a first level of approval you can continue
to work on the design. Before you can start on the second phase, however, you need to:
1. Create a second level approval version in the version tree.
2. Rebuild the version tree that you originally had (as in the following figure) except that
the Admin1 version remains for reporting and issuing drawings.
Figure 74 Version Tree Created After the First Set of Designs are Issued

Master Administrative sets

not available for
design work or
Approve1 issuing drawings

Approve2 Admin1

Combined

Piping Steel Ducting Support

Pip1 Pip2 St1 St2 Duct1 Duct2 Supp1 Supp2

Releasing the Second Design Phase

To release the second design phase:

1. Create a second level administrative version for reporting and issuing drawings.
2. Merge the versions as explained earlier in this chapter (see “What is Merging?” on
page 126).
The process can be repeated for as many approval levels as you require.

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Allowing for Alternative Design Strategies

Allowing for Alternative Design Strategies

In many design projects it may be necessary to divide the various activities to explore design
alternatives. The version tree mechanism allows you to structure your design in such a way as
to be able to create these alternatives within the same design database.
You can achieve this by creating two versions below the same parent version and designing in
parallel in these versions. When these two designs have reached a satisfactory level for
assessment, you can merge them in full, or in part, up to the parent version. Alternatively, you
can merge a complete version up to the parent and discard the second.
In the example in Figure 72, “Version Tree Created at the Start of a New Design Project” on
page 124, Pip1 and Pip2 could be alternative designs, with Piping as the parent version into
which the accepted piping design will be merged.

Working with Piping, Steel, and Hangers and Supports

If you are planning to restrict the type of work that can be carried out within a version, for exam-
ple, by creating versions for just piping or just steel, then you should be aware that depending
on the type of support components used work on Hangers and Supports may require version
access to all three disciplines, and that where you have a design containing supports data you
may have to merge the data from all three disciplines; you cannot merge the data selectively.
This affects the way you create the versions and how you administer the users working on the
project. Examples of this are given in the following sections:

Developing Alternative Designs for Piping and Steel

This work can still be done in separate versions for each discipline if required. The designers
working on this stage of the design need only have access to the particular discipline in which
they are working. For example, a piping designer need only have access to piping data.

Creating a Combined Piping and Steel Design for Assessment

This is done in the usual way by merging the data from the different versions up into their parent
version, selectively if necessary. Further work could be done on the piping and steel design and
the designers need only have access to the data for their particular discipline; they are able to
see the work carried out in the other discipline but are not able to change it.

Incorporating Hangers and Supports

Once you start to work in the Support discipline, it is no longer possible to merge parts of the
data selectively up into the parent version. Any work carried out on the supports for the piping

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and steel may also require that the designers have access to all three disciplines. This is
because of the way in which supports data is linked to both the piping and steel data.
Once this design is merged up into the parent version, further work on either the piping or steel
parts of the designs requires that the designers have access to all sets of data, as a modifica-
tion made to a piping run or steel member may affect its support. The version in which they work
also has to have access to the data for all three disciplines. After this stage it is no longer possi-
ble to merge only the piping or steel discipline without first deleting the support data.

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WORKING WITH VERSIONS OF A DESIGN

This chapter explains how to use version administration. It assumes that you already under-
stand the principles of working with versions and that you have developed a strategy for orga-
nizing the version tree. If you need to know more about these topics, read “About Versions” on
page 115 and “Controlling the Development of a Design Using Versions” on page 123.

• The Version and Region Management Dialog ....................... 134

• Creating a New Version ......................................................... 136

• Changing Version Access to the Database............................ 137

• Displaying Zones ................................................................... 138

• Selecting and Viewing Versions............................................. 140

• Inspecting Versions................................................................ 142

• Comparing Two Versions ....................................................... 143

• Merging Versions ................................................................... 144

• Deleting a Version.................................................................. 146

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Working with Versions of a Design

The Version and Region Management Dialog

To work on the version tree, do the following steps:

1. Open M4 PLANT.
2. Choose File > Administration > Administrator > Admin Mode to activate the Administration mode.
3. Choose Version / Region in the Administration menu to open the Version and Region Management
dialog.
Figure 75 Version and Region Management Dialog

The Version and Region Management dialog allows you to perform the following tasks for the current
database:

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The Version and Region Management Dialog

• Create a new version for an area of the design or alternative design as explained in
“Creating a New Version” on page 136
• Change the type of data to which a version has access (see “Changing Version Access
to the Database” on page 137)
• View a zone of any version (see “Displaying Zones” on page 138)
• Select and view any version of the current database (see “Selecting and Viewing Ver-
sions” on page 140)
• View the effect of merging a version with another in Inspect Mode (see “Inspecting Ver-
sions” on page 142)
• Run a report on two versions before fully or partially combining them (see “Comparing
Two Versions” on page 143)
• Merge the selected data into the parent version (see “Merging Versions” on page 144)
• Delete a version and any data remaining in it (see “Deleting a Version” on page 146)
• Assign a region to a version (see “Controlling Version Access to the Database” on
page 147)

Please note: It is possible that not all items of any version are visible if you displayed just a part
of your design which does not cover the area of all your versions.
To make sure that all items of any version are visible, all versions have to cover
the same area. In the example pictures in “Displaying Zones” on page 138 and in
“Selecting and Viewing Versions” on page 140 this was reached by the LCAs.

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Creating a New Version

You can add a new version anywhere within the version tree, provided that no one is logged into
the version which you want to use as the parent version (see the following figure). The design in
the parent version is visible in any versions created below it, this includes any systems and sub-
systems created within the parent version.
Before adding a new version consider:
• The structure of the version tree.
For information on how to organize the version tree, see ”About Versions”, “Sample
Version Tree” on page 121 and ”Controlling the Development of a Design Using Ver-
sions”, “Preparing to Start the First Design” on page 124.
• The type of access required by the version.
The following figure shows an example:
Figure 76 Access to Data within Different Versions

Piping and Steel Parent version

The designer working in this The designer working in this

version can modify both the Piping, Steel Piping version can only modify the
piping and steel designs piping. The steel design of
the parent version is visible.
To add a new version to the tree:
1. Inside the Version and Region Management dialog type in the Leaf Name or Version ID of the ver-
sion you wish to create.
The name that you choose for the version may be any combination of characters, and
up to eight characters in length.
2. Type in the name of the Parent version.
The parent version has to exist inside the tree on the left hand side of the Version and
Region Management dialog and it is the MASTER version if this is the first version that you
are creating.
3. Specify whether the version is to have access to Piping, Steel, Support and/or other
data (depending on the way the project is configured) by clicking into the check box.
You can toggle between access and no access by clicking twice
When you give a version access to a particular data type, you are allowing the data to
be modified by any designer logged into the version (providing that the designer has
authority to work in the appropriate discipline).
4. Save the new version by pressing the icon Create a new version .

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Figure 77 Version and Region Management Dialog, Created First Version

The figure above represents the parent version of Figure 76, “Access to Data within Different
Versions” on page 136. To be conform with that example, add the versions in which the design-
ers work as shown in Figure 78 below (where STEEL allows to work on Piping and Steel).

Changing Version Access to the Database

To change the version access to types of data:

1. Open the Version and Region Management dialog.
2. Select the version whose access you want to change.
3. Make any changes that you require to the types of data access.
4. Change the version access by pressing the icon Modify the selected version .
Figure 78 Version and Region Management Dialog, Modify Version Access

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Displaying Zones

On top of the Version and Region Management dialog the field < zone > provides a list of zones defined in
any version of the database. Clicking the arrow on the right opens a pulldown list.
Figure 79 Version and Region Management Dialog, available zones in the database

The display in the drawing area changes depending on the selection in the pulldown list:
• If < zone > is selected, all components of the current version are displayed.
Figure 80 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for displaying all items of a version

• If a pulldown list entry marked by <current> is selected, all components covered by the
given zone in the current version are shown. The following figure shows an example:

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Displaying Zones

Figure 81 Version and Region Management Dialog, Displaying a zone of the current version

• If a zone is selected in the pulldown list entry which is not in the current version (like
( PIPING ) A in the pulldown list of Figure 79), only the appropriate zone box is shown in
the drawing area.
Figure 82 Version and Region Management Dialog, Displaying a zone of another version

Please note: If a zone is selected, merging (see “Merging Versions” on page 144) is restricted
to the elements in this zone.

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Selecting and Viewing Versions

Please note: The following explanations assume that <zone> is displayed on top of the Version and
Region Management dialog. If another entry is displayed in the zone line, viewing is re-
stricted to the selected zone.

This section explains selecting and viewing versions within the version tree of the Version and
Region Management dialog by the following example which has two versions, STEEL and PIPING,
where STEEL is the current one (meaning you started M4 PLANT with this version). The follow-
ing figure is shown if you select the STEEL version and click View from the popup menu.
Figure 83 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for the displayed structure

If you then select a node below the currently viewed version, for example the PUMP00, the item
is displayed highlighted as shown in the following figure:
Figure 84 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for a selected component

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Selecting and Viewing Versions

If you select a system or subsystem, all its elements are highlighted.

If you select nodes which do not belong to the current version, no component in the display area
is highlighted.
Figure 85 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for selecting items of another version

If you want to select and view elements belonging to another version, all you need to do is to
click the RMB and select View. The following figure shows an example. Current version is
STEEL. The PIPING version was selected and viewed:
Figure 86 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for viewing items of another version

No item of the STEEL version is visible.

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Inspecting Versions

Whilst version merging (see “Merging Versions” on page 144) the Inspect Mode is used to see
what other users have done in other versions. The Inspect Mode enables you to get consis-
tency and interference check reports from other versions than the one you started M4 PLANT
with. Otherwise you have to start and quit M4 PLANT with each version you want to inspect. So
it is a simple way to get reports on other versions than the current one.

Please note: Further background information is explained in ”Controlling the Development of a

Design Using Versions”, “Checking the Versions Before Merging a Design” on
page 126.

For example you could compare version C1 and C2 in the following figure and check to see
whether there are any conflicts between additions to the design (which is derived from B2).
Figure 87 Comparing Versions

Master

A1
(tank inserted)

B1 B2
(tank deleted) (tank rotated)

C1 C2 C3

To work in Inspect Mode, do the following steps:

1. Open the Version and Region Management dialog and select a version in the tree.
2. Select the Inspect the selected version icon on top of the Version and Region Management dialog.
In the header of the M4 PLANT main window the version path is displayed and an
information about being in Inspect Mode.

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Comparing Two Versions

Figure 88 M4 PLANT in Inspect Mode

3. You then carry out interference and consistency checks on the current version (C3 in
the figure above).

Please note: To make any changes to a version you need to be working in Interactive Design.
All tools and menu entries are available but you cannot change any element in In-
spect Mode.

4. Click the Exit Inspect Mode button to leave Inspect Mode.

You are returned to the Administration Mode and the Version and Region Management dialog
is displayed again.

Comparing Two Versions

Before merging a version with its parent you must identify and resolve any conflicts between
them. You do this using the reporting and Inspect options of the Version and Region Management dialog
which enable you to compare:
• A version and its parent
• Two versions already having the same parent (such as C1 and C2 in Figure 87, “Com-
paring Versions” on page 142)
• Two versions which will eventually have the same parent (such as B1 and C1 in
Figure 87, “Comparing Versions” on page 142)
To produce a report of any conflicts between versions:
1. Select two versions in the tree of the Version and Region Management dialog using the Ctrl
key of your keyboard.
2. Select the icon Report on both the selected version .
The default text editor of your operating system opens with the report on the selected
versions. For details on the report contents contact CAD Schroer.

Please note: You cannot go on working in M4 PLANT until the text editor is open.
If you want to continue to work, close the text editor first.

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Merging Versions

Before merging two versions, you should first compare them (see “Comparing Two Versions” on
page 143) and then test them for consistency. Consistency checking can be performed in
Inspect Mode or in Interactive Design (see “Inspecting Versions” on page 142). For background
information on merging versions, see ”Controlling the Development of a Design Using Ver-
sions”, “What is Merging?” on page 126.

Please note: Where a version has access to piping, steel, and support data, and the design in
this version contains work on Hangers and Supports, then you need to merge all
parts of the design.

You merge the two versions once all the conflicts are resolved. You can either merge all parts of
the design, or merge one discipline or system.

Please note: Merging is restricted to the elements of the current zone (see “Displaying Zones”
on page 138). If you want no restriction for merging, select <zone>.

This section explains the quick merge function by the following example.
Figure 89 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for the displayed structure

Merging is possible by simply clicking the RMB on the current node or selected nodes of the
version tree using the Quick merge option from the popup menu as shown in the following figure:

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Merging Versions

Figure 90 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for quick merging

The selected items are highlighted on the screen.

After merging a Merge conflict table is shown displaying all the information relevant to errors, should
any occur. As it can be seen on the below illustration, you can scroll through the version tree,
selecting nodes and by doing so, selecting corresponding rows in the error table. It is also pos-
sible to select an error in the table and then the appropriate item is selected in the structure tree
and the affected components are highlighted in the display area.
Figure 91 Version and Region Management Dialog, Example for quick merging resulting in errors

The error table constitutes seven columns and as many rows as errors. You can scroll through
this table to be able to investigate the type of error (column WARNING). In this example the warn-
ing with the value The same object name indicates that there are at least two versions that are using

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the same name for an instance. The column CONFILICTING_VERSION shows what version is in
conflict; ADVICE prompts you to follow action that potentially will lead to fixing the error – in this
case: Rename Object.

Please note: If you follow guidance, it will result in solving the problem, making it not necessary
for you to be informed about all the versions that use this same name.

Figure 92 Version and Region Management Dialog, Error Messages in Detail

Remaining columns are: NAME (name of an instance), SUBSYSTEM, SYSTEM, DISCIPLINE.

Deleting a Version

You can only delete leaf versions from the version tree. Leaf versions do not have any versions
created beneath them. For background information on the different types of versions, see
”About Versions”, “What is the Version Tree?” on page 117.

WARNING: Before you delete a leaf version, ensure that you no longer require this version,
and if you have merged data from it into the parent version, that you can read the
data in the parent version without any problems. For background information on
checking versions prior to deleting, see ”Controlling the Development of a Design
Using Versions”, “Releasing a Design Phase” on page 126.

To delete a leaf version from the version tree:

1. Select a leaf version in the tree of the Version and Region Management dialog.
2. Select the icon Remove the selected version .
The version is deleted immediately.

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CONTROLLING VERSION ACCESS TO THE

DATABASE

This chapter explains how you can restrict the access of a particular version of the design to a
geometric region or regions of the database. The design lying outside the legal region remains
visible to the designer working in that version.

• Defining Geometric Regions within the Database ................. 148

• Adding a New Region ............................................................ 149

• Assigning a Region to a Version ............................................ 150

• Modifying a Region ................................................................ 151

• Reporting on Regions ............................................................ 151

• Removing Regions................................................................. 152

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Defining Geometric Regions within the Database

The geographic extent of a version corresponds to the size of the world. You can however
restrict the size or extent of a version by defining geometric regions within the database for use
by designers working in Interactive Design. Each region can be linked to one or more versions
of a design. A version may also have access to several regions.
If the designer attempts to work outside the region then he or she will get the following error
message:
Illegal attempt to update data (outside legal region).
To open the Region Management dialog click the browse icon in the Region line of the Version and
Region Management dialog (see ”Working with Versions of a Design”, “The Version and Region
Management Dialog” on page 134). The options on the Region Management dialog shown in the fol-
lowing figure enable you to define and manipulate database regions.
Figure 93 Region Management Dialog

The units that you use to define the regions are the same units as are used in Interactive
Design.

Extent and Origin of the World

The extent of your world and the origin of the coordinate system is set at initialization (from the
defaults held in the file design_init.bac). The standard default size is based on a cube with a side
of 100 meters with a center or origin at 0, 0, 0. The designer uses the coordinate system in
order to move to and work within his or her region. For further information on this see the
M4 PLANT User Guide.

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Adding a New Region

Adding a New Region

You can define a new region for the current database by specifying the minimum and maximum
coordinates for the region.
To define a new region:
1. Select the browse icon in the Region line from the Version and Region Management dialog.
The Region Management dialog opens.
2. Type in a name for the region.
It can be up to 31 characters in length and may contain spaces.
3. Type in the minimum XYZ-coordinates (X1, Y1, Z1) defining the start point for the
region (the minima).
4. Type in the maximum XYZ-coordinates (X2, Y2, Z2) defining the dimensions of the
region (the maxima). This should be larger than the minima.
5. Create the region by pressing the Create new region icon .
Figure 94 Adding a New Region

6. The next step is to assign it to a version or versions as explained in the next section
”Assigning a Region to a Version”.

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Assigning a Region to a Version

To link a region which you have already defined to a version:

1. Select the version to which you want to assign a region from the tree in the Version and
Region Management dialog.
2. Select the arrow behind the text field of the Region line to open a pulldown menu provid-
ing all defined regions.
3. Select the required region which shall be assigned to the current version.
Figure 95 Assigning a Region to a Version

4. Assign the region to the version by pressing the icon Modify the selected version .

Please note: If you want to remove an assignment of a region to a version, select the empty
entry of the pulldown menu and then modify the selected version.

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Modifying a Region

Modifying a Region

To modify a region:
1. Select the browse icon in the Region line from the Version and Region Management dialog.
The Region Management dialog opens.
2. Select the region in the list.
The text fields below the list are filled with the values of the selected region.
3. Change the XYZ-coordinates.
4. Modify the region by pressing the Modify the extent of the selected region icon .
The coordinates of the region are modified and the list is updated.

Reporting on Regions

Select a region inside the Region Management dialog.

5. Choose the icon Report details of the selected region .
The following dialog opens displaying all the versions which use the selected region.
Figure 96 Versions which use the selected region

If no version is assigned, a dialog opens displays No versions use region

<regionname>.

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Removing Regions

6. Select the region from the list which shall be removed.

7. Press the Remove icon .
The selected region is removed from the list immediately.

Please note: If the selected region is assigned to a version, it cannot be removed and an error
message is given. However, if you want to remove the region, first erase the as-
signment of the region from the version (see “Assigning a Region to a Version” on
page 150).

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CONTROLLING USERS' ACCESS TO

THE DATABASE

There are four types of user categories: the M4 PLANT Administrator, the Project Manager, the
Member user (designer) and the Read-only user. How you choose to use these categories will
depend entirely on how resources are organized at your site.
You can control the access that each user has to a particular project by following items:
• Each user gets a username and password.
• Each user gets a level of authority to determine the commands that a user can access
in the administration system. The user's level of authority is reflected in the range of
options available in the Project Manager and in the M4 PLANT File > Administration area.
• Each user gets access to one or all of the M4 PLANT disciplines, e.g. Piping Design.

• About Authority Level............................................................. 154

• About the ADMIN and PROJECT Users................................ 157

• Adding Users ......................................................................... 158

• Administering Users............................................................... 160

• Adding Extra Information on Users ........................................ 161

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About Authority Level

The authority level determines the range of options to which the user has access in the Project
Manager and in the Administration area of M4 PLANT.
Authority Level Available Tools in Project Manager Tools on the Administration
(internal number) Area in M4 PLANT
Administrator (100) All enabled
Project Manager (60) All except of the DUP button enabled
Open DB, Backup, Recover, Archive,
Member (30) disabled
Restore, Load, Start M4 DRAFTING
Search for DB and viewing details on
Read-Only User (10) a database like progress, drawings M4 PLANT cannot be started
and HSF files

The following figures show examples of the Home tab in the Project Manager for two different
users:
Figure 97 Project Manager Home Tab for a User with a Member Authority Level

Figure 98 Project Manager Home Tab for a User with a Project Manager Authority Level

The following tables show the authority levels required for the specified tasks. Notice that only
the minimum authority level is shown, higher levels also can perform the task.

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About Authority Level

System Administration Tasks

Task Authority level For details please read

Database Administration Manager (60) “Project Manager” on page 47
”Miscellaneous”, “Import and Model
Drawing Administration Member (30)
Load Options” on page 298
Setup System Administrator Administrator (100)
“Project Manager” on page 47
User Administration Manager (60)
Piping Administration Member (30)
Ducting Administration Member (30) ”Miscellaneous”, “Discipline
Electrical Administration Member (30) Administration” on page 300

Support Administration Member (30)

Catalog Administration Tasks

Task Authority level For details please read

Master Catalog Administration Manager (60)
Install Master Catalog Data Manager (60)
Master Specification Administration Manager (60) “Changing the Catalogs” on page 217
and “Changing the M + AEC Catalog”
Install Master Specification Data Manager (60) on page 245
Local Catalog Administration Member (30)
Local Specification Administration Member (30)

We also recommend to read the chapters “Overview of Catalogs” on page 163 and “What the
Catalogs Contain” on page 173.

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Version Administration Tasks

Task Authority level For details please read

Add a version Manager (60)
Merge version into Parent Manager (60)
Comparing two versions Member (30) “Working with Versions of a Design”
Remove a version Manager (60) on page 133

Inspect Member (30)

Modify Version Access Manager (60)
“Controlling Version Access to the
Region Administration Member (30)
Database” on page 147

We also recommend to read the chapters “About Versions” on page 115 and “Controlling the
Development of a Design Using Versions” on page 123.

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About the ADMIN and PROJECT Users

About the ADMIN and PROJECT Users

Having installed M4 PLANT, two default users are provided named ADMIN and PROJECT.
• The ADMIN user is part of M4 PLANT and cannot be changed. The ADMIN user has
the name admin and the corresponding password admin. The ADMIN user is not part
of the current project and therefore this user enables you to log into any project in your
M4 PLANT installation. You can use this user to set up the administrator for the project.
The default ADMIN user does not have any access to any discipline and for this reason
he cannot work in Interactive Design. The ADMIN user is intended to be used for
administrative tasks.
• The PROJECT user is part of the database which you create for the project. This user
has the name project and the corresponding password project. If your database
is running in multi user mode, you can only log in with this username when the data-
base is open.
The different categories of users are shown in the following figure.
Figure 99 Different Categories of Users

M4 PLANT Administrator for the installation

(User: admin)

Project1 Project2
Project Administrator (Manager) Project Administrator (Manager)
(User: project) (User: project)

Piping Steel Piping Ducting Piping and Piping

designer designer designer designer steel designer designer

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Adding Users

Each designer working on a particular project requires a username and password. Each
designer has a username and password for each database that he or she works in.

Interaction Between User Access and Version Access

In addition to the username and password, each designer is given access to data for a particu-
lar discipline. For example, users with access to piping data can modify piping designs but not
steel designs, although they can see the steel design, provided that the version in which they
are working contains a steel design in the version path. The following table shows how user
access combined with version access determines the type of work that the designer can under-
take.
Table 6 Combinations of User and Version Access

User Version access to

access
Piping Steel Ducting Piping, steel, Piping, steel,
to
data data data ducting data ducting, supports data
Piping Can work on Can work on piping (provided
data Can work piping and view that the changes do not affect
View only View only
on piping the steel and the supports) and view the steel,
ducting design ducting, and supports design
Steel Can work on Can work on steel (provided that
data Can work steel and view the changes do not affect the
View only View only.
on steel the piping and supports) and view the piping,
ducting design ducting, and supports design
Ducting Can work on
Can work on ducting and view
data Can work ducting and view
View only View only the piping, steel, and supports
on ducting the piping and
design
steel design
Piping, Can work on piping, steel, and
steel, Can work on ducting (provided that the
Can work Can work Can work
ducting piping, steel, changes do not affect the
on piping on steel on ducting
data and ducting supports) and view the supports
design
Piping,
steel, Can work on
Can work Can work Can work Can work on supports, piping,
ducting, piping, steel,
on piping on steel on ducting steel, and ducting
supports and ducting
data

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Adding Users

Procedure of Adding a User

Users are added in the Project Manager either for the Project Manager or for a single database:
• The Manage Users button on the File tab opens the User Administration (Project Manager) dia-
log. The dialog enables you to add, modify and remove users. Once you have defined
users, databases created subsequently get all the defined users assigned.
• The User Manager button in the User tool group on the Home tab opens the User Adminis-
tration (Database) dialog which is used to add, modify and remove users for the selected
database.

Please note: User authority level Manager (60) or higher is required to get the Manage Users and User
Manager buttons enabled (see “About Authority Level” on page 154).

The procedure for both tools is the same therefore we only explain how to add a user to the cur-
rent database:
1. Click on the User Manager button in the User tool group of the Project Manager Home
tab to open the following dialog.
The following figure shows an example for the database exampledb which already has
the default user PROJECT.
Figure 100 User Administration Dialog

2. Type in a new User Name.

3. Type in a Password.
You can use a maximum of 12 alphanumeric characters. The password is not dis-
played on the screen and it is not case-sensitive.

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4. Verify the password by re-typing it in Password Verify.

5. Choose an Authority Level from the pulldown menu.
The authority levels Administrator (100), Manager (60), Member (30) and Readonly (10) are
available. For details please read “About Authority Level” on page 154.
6. Specify whether the user has access to the different disciplines in Interactive Design
(check box marked), or not (check box empty). By default all disciplines are marked.
7. Enter the Department and Real Name. The input is optional.
8. If you are an Administrator user and if it is required, you can add additional user attributes
using the RMB option Manage Attributes over the empty field below the existing attributes
Department and Real Name.
This is explained in “Adding Extra Information on Users” on page 161.
9. Finally press the button to add the new user to the database.

Administering Users

You can modify any aspect of a user except the User Name or you can delete a user.

Changing a User's Details

1. Click on the User Manager button in the User tool group on the Home tab to open the User
Administration (DB) dialog.
2. Select a user name and display the user's details in the text fields below the list.
3. Change the user's details as required.
4. Press the Modify button to save the changes.

Deleting a User

1. Click on the User Manager button in the User tool group on the Home tab to open the User
Administration (DB) dialog.
2. Select a user name and display the user's details in the text fields below the list.
3. Select the Delete button .
The selected user is removed from the list immediately.

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Adding Extra Information on Users

Adding Extra Information on Users

M4 PLANT stores the following information about each user, User Name, Password, Authority
level, Department and Real name. However, you might want to store additional information for
each user, so called extra user data, such as the job title. Before you can assign additional data
for each user, you need to create the extra data categories.

Please note: Adding attributes to the User Administration dialog requires a login as Administrator
with the highest authority level.

1. Open the User Administration dialog.

The first available user is selected and its data are displayed as shown in Figure 101.
2. Click the RMB anywhere in the user attributes field of the dialog.
The Manage attributes option is displayed.
Figure 101 User Attributes Field in the User Administration Dialog

3. Click on the Manage attributes option to open the following dialog.

Figure 102 Dialog Extra User Data

4. Type in the name you wish to give to the extra data category inside the edit field below
the list, for example, Job Title.

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5. Create the extra data category by pressing the New button.

6. Repeat the steps for each extra data category you require.
7. Close the Extra User Data dialog once you are satisfied with adding attributes.
The new attributes are listed in the User Administration dialog.
Figure 103 Added Extra User Data

8. If you have already added users to the database before having added the new extra
attribute and if you want these users to make use of the new extra data categories, you
will need to select these users again in the User Administration dialog and edit their records
in the same way as shown in this example for the DESIGNER user.

Please note: The Del button on the Extra User Data dialog enables you to delete extra user data cat-
egories and the associated data.

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OVERVIEW OF CATALOGS

This chapter explains what a catalog is and gives a brief overview of the standard M4 PLANT
catalogs. A detailed description of the database tables which make up each catalog is the sub-
ject of “What the Catalogs Contain” on page 173.
• The Standard Catalogs .......................................................... 164
• The Standard Piping Catalog.............................................. 164
• The Standard Ducting Catalog ........................................... 166
• The Standard Electrical Catalog ......................................... 167
• The Standard Steel Catalog................................................ 168
• The Standard Support Catalog ........................................... 168
• M + AEC ............................................................................. 169
• Interactive Design and Catalog Databases............................ 170
• Selecting a Piping Component ........................................... 170
• Selecting a Ducting Component ......................................... 171
• Selecting a Steel Section.................................................... 172

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Overview of Catalogs

The Standard Catalogs

A catalog contains all the information on many of the elements that you use in Interactive
Design. The information is stored in database files which are divided into tables. The catalogs
shown in the following table are available:
Table 7 Standard Catalogs

Discipline Catalog name Description

Piping CVCAT_CS ANSI and DIN, Metric and Imperial Piping catalogs
Ducting DUCAT_CS Metric and Imperial Ducting catalog
Electrical ELCAT_CS Metric and Imperial Electrical catalog
Steel SSCAT_CS Euronorm, British, Canadian, Australian,
AISC standards
Support SPCAT_CS British standard and Carpenter & Paterson
M + AEC MHCAT_CS Classes for different M + AEC items

One or more of these catalogs may be available to you depending on the licenses held at your
site.

Please note: This note concerns users who are familiar with previous versions of M4 PLANT
(MPDS):

From MEDUSA4 version 6.1 all project databases are built with every catalog to
make databases compatible and portable. Access is controlled by license.

The Standard Piping Catalog

The standard Piping catalog stores information on the geometry of each piping component
(which is used to draw a component on the screen), on standard materials, and on Piping con-
nections.

Piping Component Geometry

Geometric information for each component is held in a Geometry table and comprises:
• Type of component
• Dimensioning standard
• Pressure rating (NSM for metric catalogs and PSI for imperial catalogs)
• Size of the primary and secondary bore

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• Connection types (used by the consistency checker to ensure that all connections are
compatible)
• Physical parameters and name of the drawing routine used to draw the component
• Units and Designation make mixed unit working possible

Piping Component Materials

Materials information is held in a Material table and comprises:

• Material name
• Schedule
• Description

Piping Specifications

Piping specifications are held in a Specify table and comprises:

• Link between allowable materials and component geometry, weight, and material thick-
ness

Connections Sets

Connections information is held in a Connections table and comprises:

• Bore sizes
• Connection types
• Operating temperature
• Material
• Rating
Information on the links between each connection set and the piping components is held sepa-
rately. This information comprises the connection set, the piping geometry, and the quantity of
fixings required.

On-The-Fly Translation
Type and Subtype in the CVCAT_CS catalog.can be translated to other languages than the ones in
which M4 PLANT can be installed (e.g. German). The procedure for doing that is called the On-
the-fly translation which is explained in detail in chapter ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Piping - On-
the-Fly-Translation” on page 221.

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Overview of Catalogs

The Standard Ducting Catalog

The standard Ducting catalog stores information on the geometry of each ducting component
(which is used to draw a component on the screen), on standard materials, and on Ducting con-
nections.

Ducting Component Geometry

Geometric information for each component is held in a Ductcomp table and comprises:
• Type of component
• Cross-section (rectangular or circular)
• Four sets of major and minor sizes (primary, secondary, and so on)
• Connection types (used by the consistency checker to ensure that all connections are
compatible)
• Physical parameters and name of the drawing routine used to draw the component

Ducting Component Materials

Materials information is held in a Ductmat table and comprises:

• Material name
• Thickness
• Finish
• Description

Ducting Specifications

Ducting specifications are held in a Ductspec table and comprises:

• Link between allowable materials and component geometry

Connections Sets

Connections information is held in a Ductconn table and comprises:

• Major and minor sizes (size1 through size4)
• Connection types
• Section code
• Operating temperature
• Material

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The Standard Catalogs

Information on the links between each connection set and the ducting components is held sep-
arately. This information comprises the connection set, the ducting geometry, and the quantity
of fixings required.

The Standard Electrical Catalog

The standard Electrical catalog stores information on the geometry of each electrical compo-
nent (which is used to draw a component on the screen), on standard materials, and on Electri-
cal connections.

Electrical Component Geometry

Geometric information for each component is held in a Elcomp table and comprises:
• Type of component
• Cross-section (rectangular or circular)
• Four sets of major and minor sizes (primary, secondary, and so on)
• Connection types (used by the consistency checker to ensure that all connections are
compatible)
• Physical parameters and name of the drawing routine used to draw the component

Electrical Component Materials

Materials information is held in a Elmat table and comprises:

• Material name
• Thickness
• Finish
• Description

Electrical Specifications

Electrical specifications are held in a Elspec table and contains links between allowable mate-
rials and component geometry.

Connections Sets

Connections information is held in a Elconn table and comprises:

• Major and minor sizes (size1 through size4)
• Connection types
• Section code

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Overview of Catalogs

• Operating temperature
• Material
Information on the links between each connection set and the electrical components is held
separately. This information comprises the connection set, the electrical geometry, and the
quantity of fixings required.

The Standard Steel Catalog

The Steel catalog contains geometric details of steel sections available for designing structures.
The system is supplied with five standard catalog types, which are all available within the same
catalog database. These types comprise:
• Type: I-beam, channel, equal, unequal angle, and tee
• Depth
• Flange width
• Weight
• Name
• Standard, one of Euronorm, British, Canadian, Australian, or AISC
• Drawing type and parameters

Please note: From MPDS4 2.2 there are typical catalog entries from Plates, Stiffeners, Square
and Rectangular hollow sections and Stairs and Ladders.

The Standard Support Catalog

The standard Support catalog contains details of hanger and support types. The information
comprises:

Support Components

The following information is held in an SP$TABLE.

• Type and subtype
• Size
• Material
• Minimum and maximum operating temperature

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The Standard Catalogs

Loadings

The following information is held in an SP$LOAD table:

• Loading
• Parameters

M + AEC

The M + AEC catalog is sub-divided into classes according to the different function and use of
components.
For each component following information is available:
• Type and subtype
• Sizes (e.g.start and end width and number of segments for a belt conveyor)
• Physical parameters and name of the drawing routine used to draw the component

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Overview of Catalogs

Interactive Design and Catalog Databases

This section describes what happens when you select an item from a catalog in Interactive
Design. The following figures show the interaction between Interactive Design and the catalog
database.

Selecting a Piping Component

What happens when a designer selects a piping component is shown in the following figure.
Figure 104 Selecting a Piping Component from the Catalog

In Interactive Design
the designer chooses a
piping component

Piping Catalog
is searched
Note:
If you are adding a tube, a list of
tube options is also displayed.

The
piping specification is
checked for the
component
The
catalog is searched
for geometric information
The drawing routine is found (by reference to a and the name of the
mapping between the geometry name and a drawing routine
drawing routine), the component is drawn on the
screen, and data is added to the database.

A Piping specification defines the subset of components in the Piping catalog that the designer
may use in a particular context. For example, if a particular specification allows the designer to
use flanges made of carbon steel to a predefined pressure rating, there would be a record in the
Piping specification linking each of those flanges with the material carbon steel.

Please note: Setting up and editing Piping specifications is described in “Setting Up a Specifi-
cation” on page 271.

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Interactive Design and Catalog Databases

Selecting a Ducting Component

What happens when a designer selects a ducting component is shown in the following figure.
Figure 105 Selecting a Ducting Component from the Catalog

In Interactive Design the

designer decides whether
to special a component

The designer chooses a

ducting component

Ducting catalog
is searched

The
ducting specification is
checked for the
component

The
catalog is searched
for geometric information
and the name of the
If the designer
drawing routine
has chosen to special
a component, a dialog is
The drawing routine is found (by reference to a displayed for editing, and
mapping between the geometry name and a modified parameters
drawing routine), the component is drawn on the are stored to the
screen, and data is added to the database. database

A Ducting specification defines the subset of components in the Ducting catalog that the
designer may use in a particular context.

Please note: Setting up and editing Ducting specifications is described in “Setting Up a Speci-
fication” on page 271.

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Selecting a Steel Section

What happens when a designer selects a steel section is shown in the following figure.
Figure 106 Selecting a Steel Section from the Catalog

In Interactive Design
the designer chooses a
section and specifies the
permitted size range

Steel Catalog is searched

for the specified section
The section is chosen from a
list of sections whose actual
depth lies within the bounds
of nominal depth plus or
Alternative sections,
minus the range.
satisfying the depth and
within the given range, For example, 305x165x54 UB
are displayed is of actual depth 310,9 mm,
so it is not given as possible
section if selection is based
upon a nominal depth 300
and range 10.
Designer selects one of
the sections displayed

The geometric information

held in the catalog is
referenced

Steel section is drawn on the screen and

data is added to the design database

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WHAT THE CATALOGS CONTAIN

This chapter describes the format of the data in the standard catalogs in M4 PLANT and the cat-
alog structure. As there are four Piping catalogs corresponding to different standards (each con-
taining slightly different information), this chapter describes the standard ANSI Piping catalog.

• Introduction ............................................................................ 174

• Standard Piping Geometry..................................................... 175

• Standard Piping Materials ...................................................... 181

• Standard Piping Specifications............................................... 184

• Standard Ducting Geometry................................................... 186

• Standard Ducting Geometry................................................... 186

• Standard Ducting Materials.................................................... 192

• Standard Ducting Specifications ............................................ 193

• Standard Electrical Geometry ................................................ 194

• Standard Electrical Materials ................................................. 199

• Standard Electrical Specifications .......................................... 200

• Standard Steel Sections......................................................... 201

• Stairway or Ladder Catalog.................................................... 207

• Standard Supports ................................................................. 212

• M + AEC ................................................................................ 215

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What the Catalogs Contain

Introduction

The standard catalogs consist of:

• Piping, Ducting and Electrical catalogs comprising:
• Geometric information about components
• Materials
• Specification which links material types with component geometry
• Steel catalog comprising information on steel section types
• Supports catalog comprising information on support types, minimum and maximum
operating temperatures, and maximum loads
• M + AEC subdivided into "Classes" for different M + AEC items which can be com-
bined in groups.
Modifying records in these catalogs is described in “Changing the Catalogs” on page 217 and
“Changing the M + AEC Catalog” on page 245.

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Standard Piping Geometry

Standard Piping Geometry

Information on piping geometry is stored in the Geometry table, part of the Piping catalog
(CVCAT_CS) which contains, for example, geometric information on components, details of
component type, rating, and dimension standard. The geometric details stored here are used to
draw a component on the screen. The following figure shows an example of a record from the
Geometry table.
Figure 107 Example of a Piping Geometry Record

The information held for each piping component is determined by the structure of the Geometry
table. Each record in this table consists of the fields, summarized in the following table.
Table 8 The Piping Geometry Table

Field Contents Description

Type 8 characters Name of the component
Subtype 32 characters Description

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Table 8 The Piping Geometry Table

Field Contents Description

dimbody 12 characters Names of Dimension Standard
Body(s), e.g. EN, DIN, ANSI, etc.
dimstd 12 characters Dimensioning standard, e.g. 10292
dimdate 12 characters Date of standard, e.g. 2012
Rating 8 characters Pressure Rating
PN for Metric, PSI for Imperial
Primary, Secondary and 1 real number each Bore sizes to the Designation
Nth size
Primary, Secondary and 8 characters each Types of connection points
Nth Connection Types
Drawing routine 32 characters Names the drawing routine which
draws the component.
Parameters 40 real numbers Contains the dimensions of the com-
ponent which are used by the draw-
ing routine.
Des1, Des2, Desn 4 characters The designation of the pipe system,
e.g. nb (nominal bore), DN, OD, etc.
Unit1, Unit2, Unitn 4 characters The units of the standard (MM or IN)
Wallthick1, 2 and n 1 real number each Some thinwall tubes and fittings
match by wall thickness rather than
Size and Rating

Please note: There is also a dimension key but this is reserved for internal use and should not
be changed.

You can add additional records to the Geometry table (shown in the above table). You do not
need to give all the information detailed below, but you may not be able to use the component in
Interactive Design if certain information is missing. Those parameters which are not essential
are indicated below.

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Standard Piping Geometry

Type and Subtype

Type and subtype are the names of the component type and are included for reporting pur-
poses. The types and subtypes which are included in the standard Piping catalog (ANSI) are
listed in the following table.
Table 9 Types and Subtypes in the Standard Piping Catalog

Type Subtypes
BOLT -
CAP FLAT
COUPLING FULL, HALF, REDUCING
ELBOW 45, 45LR, 90, 90LR, 90SR, 180LR, 180SR, RED-90LR
(where LR is long radius and SR is short radius)
FLANGE BLIND, SLIP-ON, WN
GASKET -
NIPPLE 4IN, LONG
NUT -
REDUCER CONCENTRIC, ECCENTRIC
SETIN -
SOCKOLET -
STUD -
TEE REDUCING, STRAIGHT
THRDOLET -
TUBE -
UNION -
VALVE ANGLE; BALL, BUTTERFLY, GATE, GLOBE, PLUG,
SWING-CHECK, WAFER-CHECK
WELDOLET -

Please note: It is not always necessary to specify the subtype when creating a new piping ge-
ometry record.

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Dimension Standard

The dimension standard is part of the catalog definition, that is ANSI, ISO, and so on. You do
not need to specify the dimension standard when creating a new piping geometry record.

Rating

Sets the pressure rating for the component which is used when selecting records and when
generating a Piping specification to meet a particular pressure rating. You do not need to spec-
ify the rating when creating a new piping geometry record.

Sizes

The primary and secondary sizes are the nominal, rather than the actual, bore sizes. These
sizes are used by the consistency checker in Interactive Design, although the designer may
override warnings concerning inconsistent bores. The sizes are specified to two decimal places
in metric catalogs and in the units determined by the catalog selected for the project.

Primary and Secondary Connection Types

Two codes denoting the type of connection on a component. For example, the following figure
shows the position of Connection 1 and Connection 2 on a flange.
Figure 108 Connection Points on a Component

Connection 2 Connection 1

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Standard Piping Geometry

The codes are used by the consistency checker to ensure that all connections are compatible.
The following codes, shown in the following table, are already included in the standard ANSI
Piping catalog.
Table 10 Standard Connection types

Code Connection type

BE Bevel end (used for tubes only)
BW Butt weld
FE Female end
FF Flat face (flanges)
FFG Flat face gasket type (gaskets)
GR Groove (flanges)
ME Male end
PLAIN Plain end (used for tubes only)
RF Raised face (flanges)
RFG Raised face gasket type (gaskets)
RJ Ring joint (flanges)
RJG Ring joint gasket type (gasket)
SO Slip on (flanges)
SC Screw
SCF Screw (female)
SCM Screw (male)
SW Socket weld
TG Tongue (flanges)
TGG Tongue gasket type (gaskets)

Drawing Routine

This field contains the code which identifies the name of the Bacis2 routine which draws the
component on the screen using the specified parameters and dimension standard.
The value of this field is either a short code which points to cv_r_table, defined in cv_.bam or
the name of the actual routine itself.

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Figure 109 Catalog Utility Dialog, Example of the Routine Field and the Pulldown Menu

Parameters

The drawing routine specified in the Drawing Routine field uses these parameters to dimension
the piping component.

Working on Piping Geometry Records

For information on:

• Adding a single piping geometry record: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.
• Adding several records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a
File” on page 232.
• Modifying piping geometry records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in
the Catalogs” on page 236.

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Standard Piping Materials

Standard Piping Materials

Information on piping materials is held in the Materials table. An example of a record which you
might add to this table is shown in the following figure.
Figure 110 Typical Record for a Material

The information held for piping materials is determined by the structure of the Materials table.

Please note: For some components, information on the material schedule is not necessary and
the Schedule field should be left blank. For example, the thickness of a flange is
effectively fixed by its rating in the Geometry Table.

The following information is included in the standard ANSI catalog:

"key,""material"",""schedule"",""description"",""status"",""f01"",""f02"",""
f03"",""f04"",""f05"","
"BC2L3T7C,""ASTM A105"","""",""Carbon
Steel"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LA1OI,""ASTM A106 GRB"",""SCH 10S"",""High temperature service carbon
steel"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LAIDT,""ASTM A106 GRB"",""SCH 40"",""High temperature service carbon
steel"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LB35W,""ASTM A106 GRB"",""SCH 80"",""HIGH TEMPERATURE SERVICE CARBON
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LBE34,""ASTM A106 GRB"",""SCH 160"",""High temperature service carbon
steel"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LDRQG,""ASTM A234 WPB"",""SCH 10S"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LE68I,""ASTM A234 WPB"",""SCH 40"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LEKG3,""ASTM A234 WPB"",""SCH 80"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","

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"BC2LEVKD,""ASTM A234 WPB"",""SCH 160"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","

"BC2LHSP0,""API 5L"",""SCH 10S"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LI0Q0,""API 5L"",""SCH 40"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LID9L,""API 5L"",""SCH 80"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LILOC,""API 5L"",""SCH 160"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LKZ5E,""ASBESTOS"",""1.0"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BC2LLCAG,""ASBESTOS"",""2.0"",""HISTORICAL USE
ONLY"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"BSHRYARO,""DIN 17200"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVULC8,""BS 1503-161 GR.28"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVULIC,""BS 1503-161 GR.26"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVULLY,""BS 1503-161 GR.32"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVULPU,""BS 1503-108"","""",""STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUM1Y,""BS 1503-304"","""",""STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUM6E,""BS 1503-304L"","""",""STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUMAK,""BS 1503-316"","""",""STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUMEQ,""BS 1503-316L"","""",""STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUMJ6,""BS 1503-801 GR.304"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUMNW,""BS 1503-801 GR.304L"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUMR8,""BS 1503-801 GR.316"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"DRTVUN2S,""BS 1503-801 GR.316L"","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT84R00,""ASTM A216 GRB"","""",""CARBON
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT87O00,""ASTM A217 GRB"","""",""HIGH TEMP CARBON
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT88E00,""ASTM A312 GR TP304"",""SCH 10S"",""AUSTENITIC STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT89700,""ASTM A312 GR TP304"",""SCH 40"",""AUSTENITIC STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT89F00,""ASTM A312 GR TP304"",""SCH 80"",""AUSTENITIC STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT89P00,""ASTM A312 GR TP304"",""SCH 160"",""AUSTENITIC STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8AF00,""ASTM A403 GR WP304"","""",""AUSTENITIC STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8AS00,""ASTM A182 GR F304"","""",""AUSTENITIC STAINLESS
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8BH00,""NON ASBESTOS SHEET"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8BR00,""EXPANDED GRAPHITE"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8C100,""SPIRAL METAL PTFE"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","

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"RJT8EG00,""CORK ELASTOMER"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8EP00,""PTFE"","""",""GASKET MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8F000,""NATURAL RUBBER NR"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8FE00,""NITRILE RUBBER NBR"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8FP00,""NEOPRENE CR"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT8ZY00,""BUTYL RUBBER IIR"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT90A00,""EPDM"","""",""GASKET MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJT90L00,""SILICONE MQ"","""",""GASKET
MATERIAL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJTFY600,""P235GH"","""",""HIGH TEMPERATURE CARBON
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJTG3D00,""P245GH"","""",""HIGH TEMPERATURE CARBON
STEEL"","""","""","""","""","""","""","
"RJVDDW00,""STEEL 8.8"","""",""BOLT MATERIAL
8.8"","""","""","""","""","""","""","

Working on Piping Materials

For information on:

• Adding a single material record: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.
• Adding several records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a
File” on page 232.
• Modifying materials records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in the
Catalogs” on page 236.

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What the Catalogs Contain

Standard Piping Specifications

In addition to the data on geometry contained in the Piping catalog, the M4 PLANT database
contains standard Piping specifications, these link piping components in the Geometry table
with the materials allowable for the current specification.
Figure 111 Catalog Selection - Piping Specification

Figure 112 Specification Management for Piping Spec Dialog

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Standard Piping Specifications

The standard Piping specifications are intended as examples which you can use to set up your
own Piping specification. You can create either a master or a local Piping specification. This is
described in “Setting Up a Specification” on page 271.
The information in the Piping specification is determined by the structure of the Specify table
shown in the following table.
Table 11 Specify Table

Field Contents Description

Geometry 8 characters Internal reference to Geometry table.
Material 8 characters Internal reference to Material table.
Name 8 characters Specification name, such as A3A.
Code 12 characters Reserved for future use.
Weight 1 real number Weight of the component.
Wallthick 1 real number Wall thickness.

You can add additional records to the Specify table shown above. This is described in “Setting
Up a Specification” on page 271.

Working on a Piping Specification

For information on:

• Adding a single record to a Piping specification: See ”Setting Up a Specification”, “Add-
ing Items to a Specification” on page 275.
• Adding several records: See ”Setting Up a Specification”, “Adding Items to a Specifica-
tion in Bulk” on page 277.

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Standard Ducting Geometry

Information on ducting geometry is stored in the Ductcomp table, part of the Ducting catalog
(DUCAT_CS) which contains, for example, geometric information on components, and details
of component type. The geometric details stored here are used to draw a component on the
screen. The following figure shows an example of a record from the Ductcomp table.
Figure 113 Example of a Ducting Geometry Record

The information held for each ducting component is determined by the structure of the Duct-
comp table. Each record in this table consists of the fields which are summarized in the follow-
ing table.
Table 12 The Ductcomp Table

Field Contents Description

Type 8 characters Name of the component.
Subtype 32 characters Description.
Section 1 integer Section code: rectangular or circular,
for example.
Major and minor sizes 1 real number each Major and minor sizes. There are
four sets of these.
Connection types 8 characters each Types of connection points. There
are four fields.

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Table 12 The Ductcomp Table

Field Contents Description

Drawing routine 8 characters Code mapping on to the drawing rou-
tine which draws the component.
Parameters 15 real numbers Contains the dimensions of the com-
ponent which are used by the draw-
ing routine.

Please note: There is also a key but this is reserved for internal use and should not be changed.

You can add additional records to the Ductcomp table (see the table above). You do not need
to give all the information detailed below, but you may not be able to use the component in Inter-
active Design if certain information is missing. Those parameters which are not essential are
indicated below.

Type and Subtype

Type and subtype describe the component and are included for reporting purposes. You do not
always need to specify the subtype when creating a new ducting geometry record. The types
and subtypes which are included in the standard Ducting catalog are listed in the following
table.
Table 13 Types and Subtypes in the Standard Metric Ducting Catalog

Types Subtypes
ARRESTOR FLAME
BELL
BEND LOBSTER, SWEPT, VANED (Radius, MAJ, MIN, CIR,
Angle); please, see Note to Bend Subtype on page
page 188
CAP
COIL COOLING
DAMPFER
DUCT FLEXIBLE, RIGID
FAN AXIAL, CENTRIFUGAL
FLANGE LOOSE, SLIP
GASKET FF

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Table 13 Types and Subtypes in the Standard Metric Ducting Catalog

Types Subtypes
GRILL
HEATER ELECTRIC, STEAM
SADDLE
SETIN CIRC-CIRC, CIRC-RECT, CIRC-RECT-TW, RECT-CIRC,
RECT-RECT,RECT-RECT-TW
SHOE CIRC-CIRC, RECT-CIRC, RECT-RECT, RECT-RECT-TW
TEE BREECHES, CURVED (Radius, MAJ, MIN, CIR, Angle)
SPLITTER, STRAIGHT, SWEPT (MAJ, MIN)
TRANS CIRC-CIRC, RECT-CIRC, RECT-RECT, RECT-RECT-TW
VALVE AUTO, LEVER OPERATED
WELDOLET CIRC-CIRC, CIRC-RECT, CIRC-RECT-TW, RECT-CIRC,
RECT-RECT, RECT-RECT-TW

Please note: It is not always necessary to specify the subtype when creating a new ducting ge-
ometry record.

Please note: The format of the subtype string must be of form:

<angle>-<bend axis>- <form>-<radius>

angle: default angle of bend

bend axis: is defined as CIR for circular components, MIN or MAJ for rectangu-
lar components.

form: The standard catalog contains bends of type LOBSTER, SWEPT and
VANED.

radius: The radius of the bend.

examples of valid subtype definitions are:

90-CIR-VANED-600
45-MIN-LOBSTER-1200

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Section

This field contains multi-digit section codes. The least significant digit (that is, the unit column)
represents the section code at P1, the most significant digit represents the section at Pn.
The designer uses single digit codes to select the cross section required. There are currently
two section codes available in the ducting application. Each of these is represented by a single
digit:
Digit Section code
1 Rectangular
2 Circular

For example:
Component Code
Damper, rect 11
Transition, rect-circ 21
Tee, rect 111

These codes are also used by the consistency checker in Interactive Design.

Major and Minor Sizes

There are four sets of major and minor sizes. On a rectangular component the major size is
always the longer measurement. On a circular component the minor size is zero and the major
size is the diameter of the component. These sizes are used by the consistency checker in
Interactive Design, although the designer may override warnings concerning inconsistent sizes.
The sizes are specified to two decimal places in metric catalogs and in the units determined by
the catalog selected for the project.

Connection Types

Up to four codes denoting the type of connection on a component. For example, the following
figure shows the position of Connection 1 and Connection 2 on a flange.

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What the Catalogs Contain

Figure 114 Connection Points on a Component

Connection 2 Connection 1

The codes are used by the consistency checker to ensure that all connections are compatible.
The following table shows the codes which are already included in the standard Ducting cata-
log.
Table 14 Standard Connection types

Code Connection type

FF Flat face
FFG Flat face gasket type
PE Plain end
SJ Slip joint
BW Butt weld (for SETIN branches)

Drawing Routine

The code which identifies the name of the Bacis2 routine which draws the component on the
screen using the specified parameters.

Parameters

The drawing routine specified in the Drawing Routine field uses these parameters to dimension
the ducting component. There are fifteen parameters.

Working on Ducting Geometry Records

For information on:

• Adding a single ducting geometry record: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.

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• Adding several records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a
File” on page 232.
• Modifying geometry records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in the
Catalogs” on page 236.

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What the Catalogs Contain

Standard Ducting Materials

Information on ducting materials is held in the Ductmat table. An example of a record which
you might add to this table is shown in the following figure.
Figure 115 Typical Record for a Material

The information held for ducting materials is determined by the structure of the Ductmat table.
Each record contains four fields, as shown in the following table.
Table 15 The Ductmat Table

Field Contents Description

Material 20 characters Name of the material used in setting up specifications;
notice that as the material name is case sensitive, it is
not automatically converted into uppercase).
Thickness 8 characters Material thickness.
Finish 32 characters Material finish.
Description 60 characters Description of the material.

Working on Ducting Materials

For information on:

• Adding a single material record: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.
• Adding several records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a
File” on page 232.
• Modifying materials records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in the
Catalogs” on page 236.

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Standard Ducting Specifications

Standard Ducting Specifications

In addition to the data on geometry contained in the Ducting catalog, the M4 PLANT database
contains standard Ducting specifications, these link ducting components in the Ductcomp table
with the materials allowable for the current specification.
The standard Ducting specifications is intended as an example which you can use to set up
your own Ducting specification. You can create either a master or a local Ducting specification.
This is described in “Setting Up a Specification” on page 271.
The information in the Ducting specification is determined by the structure of the Ductspec
table shown in the following table.
Table 16 Ductspec Table

Field Contents Description

Ductcomp 8 characters Internal reference to Ductcomp table.
Ductmat 8 characters Internal reference to Ductmat table.
Name 8 characters Specification name, such as DU1.
Code 12 characters Reserved for future use.

You can add additional records to the Ductspec table shown in the table above. This is
described in “Setting Up a Specification” on page 271.

Working on a Ducting Specification

For information on:

• Adding a single record to a Ducting specification: See ”Setting Up a Specification”,
“Adding Items to a Specification” on page 275.
• Adding several records: See ”Setting Up a Specification”, “Adding Items to a Specifica-
tion in Bulk” on page 277.

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What the Catalogs Contain

Standard Electrical Geometry

Information on electrical geometry is stored in the Elcomp table, part of the Electrical catalog
(ELCAT_CS) which contains, for example, geometric information on components, and details of
component type. The geometric details stored here are used to draw a component on the
screen. The following figure shows an example of a record from the Elcomp table.
Figure 116 Example of a Electrical Geometry Record

The information held for each electrical component is determined by the structure of the
Elcomp table. Each record in this table consists of the fields shown in the following table.
Table 17 The Elcomp Table

Field Contents Description

Type 8 characters Name of the component.
Subtype 32 characters Description.
Section 1 integer Section code: rectangular or circular,
for example.
Major and minor sizes 1 real number each Major and minor sizes. There are
four sets of these.
Connection types 8 characters each Types of connection points. There
are four fields.

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Standard Electrical Geometry

Table 17 The Elcomp Table

Field Contents Description

Drawing routine 8 characters Code mapping on to the drawing rou-
tine which draws the component.
Parameters 15 real numbers Contains the dimensions of the com-
ponent which are used by the draw-
ing routine.

Type and Subtype

Type and subtype describe the component and are included for reporting purposes. You do not
always need to specify the subtype when creating a new electrical geometry record. The types
and subtypes which are included in the standard Electrical catalog are listed in the following
table:
Table 18 Types and Subtypes in the Standard Metric Electrical Catalog

Types Subtypes
BEND BUS BAR FLAT, CABLE LADDER, CABLE TRAY, TRUNKING
CABLE POWER
COUPLING CABLE TRAY, TRUNKING, BUS BAR
CROSS BUS BAR FLAT, CABLE LADDER, CABLE TRAY
ELBOW TRUNKING
END BUS BAR, CABLE LADDER, CABLE TRAY, TRUNKING
END FEED BUS BAR
END- BUSH TRUNKING
REDUCER CABLE LADDER, CABLE TRAY
RISER BUS BAR INSIDE, BUS BAR OUTSIDE, CABLE LADDER INSIDE, CABLE
LADDER OUTSIDE, CABLE TRAY INSIDE, CABLE TRAY OUTSIDE
STRAIGHT BUS BAR, CABLE LADDER, CABLE TRAY, TRUNKING
TAP OFF BUS BAR (100A FUSED), BUS BAR (200A MCCB)
TEE BUS BAR FLAT, CABLE LADDER, CABLE TRAY, TRUNKING

Please note: It is not always necessary to specify the subtype when creating a new electrical
geometry record.

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What the Catalogs Contain

Section

This field contains multi-digit section codes. The least significant digit (that is, the unit column)
represents the section code at P1, the most significant digit represents the section at Pn.
The designer uses single digit codes to select the cross section required. There are currently
five section codes available in the electrical application. Each of these is represented by a sin-
gle digit:
Digit Section code
2 CABLE
3 CABLE TRAY
4 BUS BAR
5 TRUNKING
6 CABLE LADDER

For example:
Component Code
CABLE, POWER 2
TEE, CABLE TRAY 333
END FEED, BUS BAR 24

These codes are also used by the consistency checker in Interactive Design.

Major and Minor Sizes

There are four sets of major and minor sizes. On a rectangular component the major size is
always the longer measurement. On a circular component the minor size is zero and the major
size is the diameter of the component. These sizes are used by the consistency checker in
Interactive Design, although the designer may override warnings concerning inconsistent sizes.
The sizes are specified to two decimal places in metric catalogs and in the units determined by
the catalog selected for the project.

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Standard Electrical Geometry

Connection Types

Up to four codes denoting the type of connection on a component. For example, the following
figure shows the position of Connection 1 and Connection 2 on a reducer.
Figure 117 Connection Points on a Component

Connection 2 Connection 1

The codes are used by the consistency checker to ensure that all connections are compatible.
The following table shows the codes which are already included in the standard Electrical cata-
log.
Table 19 Standard Connection types

Code Connection type

CL CABLE LADDER
CT CABLE TRAY
TK TRUNKING
BB BUS BAR
EP POWER (cables)

Drawing Routine

This field contains the code which identifies the name of the Bacis2 routine which draws the
component on the screen using the specified parameters.

Parameters

The drawing routine specified in the Drawing Routine field uses these parameters to dimension
the electrical component. There are fifteen parameters.

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Working on Electrical Geometry Records

Working on electrical geometry works the same way as explained for ducting.
For information on:
• Adding a single geometry record: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.
• Adding several records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a
File” on page 232.
• Modifying geometry records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in the
Catalogs” on page 236.

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Standard Electrical Materials

Standard Electrical Materials

Information on electrical materials is held in the Elmat table. An example of a record which you
might add to this table is shown in the following figure.
Figure 118 Typical Record for a Material

The information held for electrical materials is determined by the structure of the Elmat table.
Each record contains four fields, as shown in the following table.
Table 20 The Elmat Table

Field Contents Description

Material 20 characters Name of the material used in setting up specifications;
notice that as the material name is case sensitive, it is
not automatically converted into uppercase).
Thickness 8 characters Material thickness
Finish 32 characters Material finish
Description 60 characters Description of the material

Working on Electrical Materials

Working on electrical materials works the same way as explained for ducting.
For information on:
• Adding a single material record: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.
• Adding several records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a
File” on page 232.
• Modifying materials records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in the
Catalogs” on page 236.

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What the Catalogs Contain

Standard Electrical Specifications

In addition to the data on geometry contained in the electrical catalog, the M4 PLANT database
contains standard electrical specifications, these link electrical components in the elcomp table
with the materials allowable for the current specification.
The standard electrical specifications is intended as an example which you can use to set up
your own electrical specification. You can create either a master or a local electrical specifica-
tion. This is described in “Setting Up a Specification” on page 271.
The information in the electrical specification is determined by the structure of the elspec table
shown in the following table.
Table 21 Elspec Table

Field Contents Description

Elcomp 8 characters Internal reference to Elcomp table.
Elmat 8 characters Internal reference to Elmat table.
Name 8 characters Specification name, such as EL1.
Code 12 characters Reserved for future use.

Working on a Electrical Specification

Working on electrical specification works the same way as explained for ducting.
For information on:
• Adding a single record to a electrical specification: See ”Setting Up a Specification”,
“Adding Items to a Specification” on page 275.
• Adding several records: See ”Setting Up a Specification”, “Adding Items to a Specifica-
tion in Bulk” on page 277.

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Standard Steel Sections

Standard Steel Sections

Information on steel sections is contained in the Steel catalog (SSCAT_CS). An example of a

record in the Steel table is shown in the following figure.
Figure 119 A Typical Record in the Standard Steel Catalog

Each record in the Steel table consists of the fields which are shown in the following table.
Table 22 Steel Table

Field name Contents Description

Type 4 characters Sectional type.
Depth 1 real number Sectional depth.
Flange width 1 real number Width of flange of section.
Weight 1 real number Weight per unit length (or weight per unit area for a plate).
Name 16 characters Name of section.
Standard 4 characters Steel standard.
Section code 1 integer Internal type classification; used for drawing.
Parameters 12 real numbers Geometric parameters used to dimension the section.

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What the Catalogs Contain

You can add records to the Steel table (shown in the table above) using options on the Master
or Local Catalog Utility. You are required to give the information described in the following sub-
sections.

Type (Section Type)

The section type is classified by a code. The section type codes, already defined in the standard
Steel catalog are shown in the following table. The section type code should correspond with
the alphanumeric part of the name field, as it forms part of the name for the section, such as:
BRITCC200X100X100. This name indicates that the steel section is British Standard, has the
section code CC, and is an I-beam (see the following table). It has a depth of 200, a flange width
of 100, and a weight of 100.
Table 23 Section Types Sorted in Alphabetical Order

Section code Description Type code

C Channel 4
CC I-beam 1
CH Channel 4
CHS Circular Hollow Section 9
EA Equal angle 5
HE I-beam 2
HP I-beam 1
IPE I-beam 1
IPR I-beam 1
L Equal angle 5
M I-beam 1
MC Channel 4
RHS Rectangular Hollow Section 8
S I-beam 3
T Tee 7
TFB I-beam 3
U Channel 4
UA Unequal angle 6
UB I-beam 1
UBP I-beam 1

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Standard Steel Sections

Table 23 Section Types Sorted in Alphabetical Order

UC I-beam 1
W I-beam 1
WT Tee 7
WWF I-beam 1

Please note: Each section type corresponds to one of ten drawing types which are used in
drawing the steel section. See “Drawing Type Code” on page 204 for this.

Depth

Is the sectional depth of the steel section. The depth should correspond to parameter 2 in the
Parameters field. The depth of the steel section is used in Interactive Design.

Flange Width

Is the width of the flange of the steel section. The flange width should correspond to parameter
5 in the Parameters field. The flange width is used in Interactive Design.

Weight

Is the weight per unit area of the steel plate/stiffener, or per unit length for steel sections. The
weight should correspond to parameter 1 in the Parameters field. You do not need to enter this
information unless you intend to carry out pipe stressing.

Name

Is the name of the steel section. For example: ea102x102x10, that is section type, depth, flange
width, and weight.

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Standard

Specifies which units of weight, length, and area you use when modifying records of existing
steel sections, or creating new steel sections. The standards supported by the standard Steel
catalog are shown in the following table.
Table 24 Standards Used by the Steel Catalog

Code Standard Weight Length Area

BRIT BRITISH Kilograms mm mm2
AUST AUSTRALIAN Kilograms mm mm2
ENOR/EN EURONORM Kilograms mm mm2
CANAD CANADIAN Pounds mm mm2
AISC AMERICAN Pounds Inches Inches2

When adding new section types to the catalog, you should be aware of the units being used for
the particular standard..

Drawing Type Code

The drawing type codes identify the profile of the steel section. Each code references a drawing
routine which is used to draw the steel section on the screen (using the parameters specified in
“Parameters” on page 205). The different drawing types are shown in the following figure along
with their corresponding code.
Figure 120 Drawing Types for Steel Sections

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Standard Steel Sections

The steel section types which are provided in the standard Steel catalog fit into the drawing
types shown in the following table. Box, tubes, and plates or stiffeners (drawing types 8, 9, 10)
are undefined as they are not included in the standard catalog.
Table 25 Codes Identifying the Drawing Type and Steel Section Type

Section code Drawing type Steel section type

1 I-beam CC, HP, IPE, IPR, M, W, WWF, UB, UBP, UC
2 I-beam HE
3 I-beam S, TFB
4 Channel C, CH, MC, U
5 Equal angle EA, L
6 Unequal angle UA
7 Tee T, WT
8 Box RHS
9 Tubular CHS
10 Plate or stiffener PL

Please note: You cannot add further drawing types. When adding or modifying records the val-
ues in the type field should lie in the range 1 through 10.

Parameters

The parameters field defines the geometry of the steel sections. The parameters of each steel
section vary according to the drawing type and are used to define the steel section when draw-
ing it on the screen. The drawing type codes are explained in “Drawing Type Code” on
page 204.
I-beam, channel, equal angle, unequal angle types: These sections require the parameters
shown in the following table.
Table 26 Parameters for Drawing Type 1 through 7

Parameter Contents Description

1 Unit will depend on the standard. Weight per unit length
See “Standard” on page 204.
2 1 real number Depth of section
3 1 real number Flange thickness
4 1 real number Web thickness

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Table 26 Parameters for Drawing Type 1 through 7

Parameter Contents Description

5 1 real number Flange width
6 1 real number Root radius (not currently used)
7 - 12 - Not required

Box and tubular types: These sections require the parameters shown in the following table.
Table 27 Parameters for Drawing Type 8 through 9

Parameter Content Description

1 Unit depends on the standard, Weight per unit length
see “Standard” on page 204.
2 1 real number Depth of section (for tubes this
equals the width)
3 1 real number Material horizontal thickness (for
tubes this equals the material vertical
thickness)
4 1 real number Material vertical thickness (for tubes
this equals the material horizontal
thickness)
5 1 real number Width of section (for tubes this
equals the depth)
6 1 real number Root radius (not currently used)
7-12 - Not required

Steel plates and stiffeners: These sections require the parameters shown in the following table.
Table 28 Parameters for Drawing Type 10

Parameter Content Description

1 Unit will depend on the standard, Weight per unit length
see “Standard” on page 204.
2 1 real number Depth (plate thickness)
3- 12 - Not required

Working on Steel Data

For information on:

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Stairway or Ladder Catalog

• Adding a single Steel section record: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.
• Adding several records: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Updating the Catalogs from a
File” on page 232.
• Modifying Steel data: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in the Catalogs”
on page 236.

Stairway or Ladder Catalog

A stairway or ladder catalog enables you to specify the type, depth, flange width, and so on to
create a stairway or ladder. You can use the Steel catalog and add specifications for concrete
and steel stairways, companion ways, and ladders.
The different types of stairway or ladder provided in the distributed steel catalog are available in
the Catalog Utility dialog, in the Steelwork > Steel Geometry area shown in the following figure:
Figure 121 Catalog Utility Dialog: Stairways and Ladders

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What the Catalogs Contain

The following table explains the data and parameters for each stairway and ladder listed in the
figure above in detail:
Kind of Data Steel Stairs Concrete Stairs Companion Ladder Steel Ladder
Type SL SL SL SL
Depth Width of tread Width of tread Width of tread Width of tread
Flange Width Depth of stair/ Depth of stair/ Depth of stringer Depth of stringer
stringer stringer
Weight Weight Kg/m Weight Kg/m Weight Kg/m Weight Kg/m
Name Catalog name Catalog name Catalog name Catalog name
Standard CSG CSG CSG CSG
Section Code 81 82 83 84
Parameters
1 Angle (min) Angle (min) Angle (min) Angle (min)
2 Angle (max) Angle (max) Angle (max) Angle (max)
3 Stringer thickness Stringer thickness Stringer thickness
4 Going (min) Going (min) Rise (min) Rise (min)
5 Rise (max) Rise (max) Rise (max) Rise (max)
6 Clearance Clearance Clearance Clearance
7 Max steps per Max steps per Height (max) Height (max)
rise rise
8 Tread size Tread size Tread size
9 Handrail height Handrail height theoretical handrail height of handrail
height for 0 degree above top of ladder
10 change in handrail width between
height per degree handrails (and
diameter of hoops)
11 height to start of height from bottom
handrail of ladder to start of
hoops
12 R*G factor for R*G factor for
design (ideal rise design (ideal rise
* ideal going) * ideal going)

The following figures illustrate the data and parameters for the distributed stairs and ladders.

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Stairway or Ladder Catalog

Figure 122 Illustration of the Steel Ladder and Steel Stairs Data and Parameters

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Figure 123 Illustration of the Concrete Stairs Data and Parameters

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Stairway or Ladder Catalog

Figure 124 Illustration of the Companion Ladder Data and Parameters

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What the Catalogs Contain

Standard Supports

The Support catalog (SPCAT_CS) contains details of the standard supports available. An
example of a record in the Support catalog is shown in the following figure.
Figure 125 A Typical Record in the Standard Support Catalog

Each record in the Support catalog consists of the fields as shown in the following table.
Table 29 The Support and Loads Tables

Field Contents Description

Type 8 characters Support type
Subtype 8 characters Support subtype
Size 1 real number Support size of the connecting rod or nom-
inal size
Material 20 characters Support material
Parameters 10 real numbers Parameters used to dimension the support

You can add additional records to the Support catalog (shown in the table above). You are
required to give the information described in the following subsections.

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Standard Supports

Type and Subtype

The support types supplied within the Support catalog are shown in the following table.
Table 30 Standard Support Types and Subtypes

Type Subtype Description

ANGLE PSEUDO
BMATT BLT, HOL Beam attachment (bolt, hole)
BUCKLE TURN Turn buckle
JACK SADL Jack (saddle)
PCLIP SL, SH, LL, LH Pipe clip (light, heavy)
ROD HANGER, Hanger rod, thread rod, eye rod
FGEYE,FGEYE2,
FMEYE, FMEYE2
SLIDER TEE, PLATE
SHOE SS, LS, SG, LG Shoe (small, large, guides)
UBOLT GRP, NOGRP U bolt (gripped, no-gripped)
USTRAP OVER
VARSP PSEUDO

The ANGLE and VARSP types are pseudo supports and enable the designer to build assem-
blies without specifying which types the assemblies contain. There is no associated load and
temperature information.

Size

The size is determined by the pipe clips, U straps, jacks, U bolts or by the nominal pipe size, not
by the rod.

Material

This information is optional. You need this information if you want to include it in parts listings or
select components by material type.

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What the Catalogs Contain

Parameters

The parametric information for each component in the standard Support catalog conforms to the
British Standard. You can define additional components using other standards if required.

Minimum and Maximum Temperature

The minimum and maximum temperature define the range within which a support can be used.
Each support in the Support catalog is linked to particular operating temperature and load.
This information is not required for pseudo-supports.

Load

The load is linked to a particular temperature range. You can link supports in the Support cata-
log to a particular operating temperature and load.
This information is not required for pseudo-supports.

Working on Support Data

For information on:

• Adding a single support component: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Creating New
Records” on page 220.
• Modifying support data: See ”Changing the Catalogs”, “Modifying Items in the Cata-
logs” on page 236.

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M + AEC

M + AEC

M + AEC items are stored in the M + AEC Catalog (MHCAT_CS). Unlike other catalogs, the M +
AEC catalog is subdivided into "Classes" for different M + AEC items which can be grouped.
Typically a M + AEC catalog will contain such disparate classes as conveyors and containers,
robots and cranes, racking and fork lift trucks. The information represented in the catalog is not
standard for all M + AEC items.
Figure 126 Example of a M + AEC Geometry Record

Figure 126 shows the component details for an overhead conveyor.

There are three columns. These are:

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What the Catalogs Contain

• Class parameters
These are the same for all the items in the class. The default fields are:
Field Contents Description
Type 20 characters Name of unit
Subtype 20 Characters Description
8 fields These might have any
Sizes 1 real each
labels relevant to the class
Connector 8 characters each 4 fields
Names the drawing routine that
Routine 32 characters
draws the item

• Item parameters
There are 16 parameters available for each M + AEC item. They are all reals. The
default labels are Param 1, Param 2 but these might be redefined for the particular item
• Class Attributes
These are class related and defined in the database. They can be:
constrained or unconstrained
single values or lists
reals, integers or strings.

Please note: The size fields, items parameters and class attributes all vary according to the
class and item being represented. It is, therefore, not possible to document all the
possible uses here.

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CHANGING THE CATALOGS

This chapter describes how you can add new records to the catalogs whether single records or
batches of records (created using an input file). It also describes how to modify or remove exist-
ing records. If you are uncertain of the type and structure of the data in the catalogs, then it is
recommended that you read “What the Catalogs Contain” on page 173 before attempting to
modify the standard catalogs.
Changing the M + AEC catalog is described in “Changing the M + AEC Catalog” on page 245.

• Starting the Catalog Utility...................................................... 218

• Creating New Records........................................................... 220

• Hiding Records ...................................................................... 230

• Updating the Catalogs from a File ......................................... 232

• Modifying Items in the Catalogs............................................. 236

• Deleting Items in the Catalogs ............................................... 237

• Installing an Updated Master Catalog.................................... 239

• Exporting and Importing Records .......................................... 240

• Importing Packages ............................................................... 243

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Starting the Catalog Utility

To start the catalog utility do this:

1. Choose File > Administration.
2. Activate Admin Mode to enable the administration tools.
3. Select the Catalog Utility option Local or Master catalog.
4. Choose the Catalog Utility tool to open the catalog utility dialog.
Figure 127 Catalog Utility Dialog - Option: Master

The display in the Catalog Selection area depends on the settings for the catalogs when the data-
base is created (see “Choosing a Database Configuration” on page 79 et seq.). Icons indicate
whether it is a Master catalog or a Local catalog and whether a local catalog is allowed to be
modified. The figure below shows the display for the Master option on the left hand side and an
example of the display for option Local on the right.

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Figure 128 Catalog Utility, Catalog Selection Area for Master and Local Option

The icons indicate:

Master catalog Master catalog data can be changed.

Local catalog Local catalog does not exist.

Local catalog Local catalog exists and its data can be changed.

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Creating New Records

New geometry or material records can be created either for a local or master catalog. The pro-
cedure for creating new records is identical for the Catalog Selection items shown in the following
table:
Catalog Selection in Where to get information on type and structure
the Catalog Utility
Piping Geometry ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Piping Geometry” on page 175
Piping Materials ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Piping Materials” on page 181
Steel Geometry ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Steel Sections” on page 201 and
”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Stairway or Ladder Catalog” on page 207
Ducting Geometry ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Ducting Geometry” on page 186
Ducting Materials ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Ducting Materials” on page 192
Support Geometry ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Supports” on page 212
Electrical Geometry ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Electrical Geometry” on page 194
Electrical Materials ”What the Catalogs Contain”, “Standard Electrical Materials” on page 199

The following procedure shows how to create a new record:

1. Select an item specified in the table above, e.g. Piping Geometry, in the Catalog Selection
area.
2. Choose Scan Cat to display existing elements.
You also can restrict the number of displayed records by using the Filter line. If you
enter TEE in the Type field and press Scan Cat only tees are listed.
3. Select an entry inside the list (e.g. a TEE) in order to display Component Details which you
can use as template for your new component.
4. Change the entries as required.
You do not need to complete the Subtype, Dimension Standard (dimbody, dimstd, dimdate), or
Rating fields if information is not available because you can modify the record later.
Details on the Status entry are described in “Hiding Records” on page 230.
5. Save the record by pressing the New button.
If you are working on a local catalog then the record is added to the catalog immedi-
ately. If you are working on a master catalog then the record is added to the DB_AD-
MIN directory of the catalog; you then need to install the new data in the DB directory
of the catalog. How to do this is explained in “Installing an Updated Master Catalog” on
page 239.

Please note: To add a new component Type you just have to type in a new name in the Type field.

The following sub-sections show you what to consider for the specified elements.

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Piping - On-the-Fly-Translation

On-the-fly translation is for Type and Subtype in the CVCAT_CS catalog. The system works by
looking up the type/subtype in a translation table to find what should be displayed. If nothing is
found, then it displays the base language type/subtype. The translation table is loaded from a
standard message file.
Obviously the exact contents of a catalog is not fixed and may be extended by a customer. So a
way to extract all the base type/subtypes from a catalog in a form suitable for translation is
needed. This is the purpose of the Generate Message File button on the catalog utility; it generates a
template message file of all the type/subtypes in the catalog. Clearly it cannot actually do the
translation, so the template goes from the catalog base language to the catalog base language.
An edited copy with the messages translated into another language would be used.
A function cv_otft(word, reverse) provides on-the-fly translation of individual words in
either direction in the CVCAT_CS catalog. The function returns the translation for the word, or
the word itself if no translation can be found. It is used in cv_.bam, the dashboard and the select
component dialog to translate the type and subtype for display. Note that the dashboard code,
which is outside CVCAT_CS only uses the function if it exists, so still works with other catalogs.
When initialized, the mechanism loads a message system into a pair of internal hash tables.
The name of the message system is cv_otft_<base_language>_<display_language>,
where <base_language> is the base language of the catalog, defined by the value of
cv_catalogue_base_language in cv_.bam, and <display _language> is the language
shown in the UI, defined by the MED_LANG environment variable and defaults to the base lan-
guage. So, for example, the name of the message system when cv_catalogue_base_lan-
guage is !english and MED_LANG is ger is cv_otft_en_de (de=deutsch=german). No
translation is done if the base language is the same as the display language, or if the message
system does not exist.
The button labeled Generate Message File on the catalog utility offers the facility to generate a tem-
plate message file from the current catalog. It shows a file selector, and generates a message
file from all the type and subtype values in the catalog.
A few things to note about the message file:
1. The generated message file contains two subsystems - COMPONENT_TYPE and
COMPONENT_SUBTYPE. This is just for convenience as all the messages in the file
will be loaded.
2. Every message key and the associated translation must be unique, even in separate
subsystems. This is because the subsystems are ignored, and because the system
must be able to translate both ways to support the select component dialog can work.
3. Because the message keys have to be valid symbols, all dashes (-) are replaced by
underscores (_) and the prefix A$ will be added to any word that begins with a number.
These substitutions are reversed when the message file is loaded.

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4. Having translated the message file and renamed the message system appropriately,
the file should be copied a suitable messagesrc directory, say med\build\messagesrc in the
project, and the message files recompiled via medconfig. The on-the-fly-translation
should then work the next time M4 PLANT is restarted.

Example

Suppose the base language of the catalog is !english (It is set in the cv_.bam of CVCAT_CS).
An example generated message file could be:

-- C:\M4PLANT_proj\cv_otft_en_de.nem
--
-- Catalogue translation message file
-- Date generated: Montag 16-Jan-2017 11:25
-- Project: "c:\M4PLANT_proj"
-- Database: "dbadmin"
-- Catalogue: "cv"

---------------------------------------------------------------------
system CV_OTFT_EN_DE = COMPONENT_TYPE COMPONENT_SUBTYPE
---------------------------------------------------------------------
subsystem COMPONENT_TYPE

message TEE "TEE"

---------------------------------------------------------------------
subsystem COMPONENT_SUBTYPE

message REDUCING "REDUCING"

A suitable edited copy of the file for German would be named cv_otft_en_de.nem and could con-
tain the following:
--
-- C:\M4PLANT_proj\ cv_otft_en_de.nem
--
-- Catalogue translation message file
-- Date generated: Montag 16-Jan-2017 11:25
-- Project: "c:\M4PLANT_proj"
-- Database: "dbadmin"
-- Catalogue: "cv"

---------------------------------------------------------------------
system CV_OTFT_EN_DE = COMPONENT_TYPE COMPONENT_SUBTYPE
---------------------------------------------------------------------
subsystem COMPONENT_TYPE

message TEE "T-STÜCK"

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---------------------------------------------------------------------
subsystem COMPONENT_SUBTYPE

message REDUCING "REDUZIEREND"

Please note: In addition to the messages having been translated, the name of the file has been
changed from cv_otft_en_en.nem to cv_otft_en_de.nem and the message system
name has been changed from CV_OTFT_EN_EN to CV_OTFT_EN_DE. The
name changes are important as the system uses the name to find the appropriate
message file. This message file would be used if the catalog base language was
!english and the environment variable MED_LANG was set to ger.

The translated file needs to be put somewhere in the project where medconfig will find it and
compile it. Use, for example, med\build\messagesrc in the project, but any similar place in the
products should work. The message system will need to be compiled, which can be done by
reconfiguring the project. Having done this, the select component dialog will appear as follows if
M4 PLANT with the CVCAT_CS catalog is run from a project without a MED_LANG environ-
ment:
Figure 129 Dialog Select Piping Component, English

If the same project is run with the environment variable MED_LANG set to ger, the same dialog
will appear with German Type and Subtype.

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Figure 130 Dialog Select Piping Component, German

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Defining Pipes

When a designer (working in Interactive Piping Design) adds components to existing pipework,
the information required for each component is taken from the pipe without any further input
from the designer. If you wish, you can define the range of pipes available as part of the Piping
catalog.
You use the type TUBE and optionally the subtypes HEAVY or LIGHT. You specify the diameter
of the pipe in Diameter, as shown in the figure below.
Figure 131 Defining Pipes

Please note: If the Invisible field is empty (default), the component is displayed in the selection
dialog. If you enter any value, the component is not visible in the Select Piping Compo-
nent dialog.

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Defining Set-in Branches for Piping

If you wish to use set-in branches in M4 PLANT, you need to add the data for them to the Piping
catalog as shown in the figure below.
Figure 132 Defining Set-in Branches

The fields which require explanation are described below:

Type
The type for set-in branches is SETIN.
Routine
The drawing routine code for set-in branches is SEIN. This maps onto the drawing rou-
tine cv_setin as defined in the procedure cv_.bam in the bacis subdirectory of the cat-
alog.
Parameters
Two parameters are required.
Diameter is the bore size of the pipe to which the set-in branch is attached.
Minor Diameter is the bore size of the set-in branch.

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Defining Ducts

When a designer (working in Interactive Ducting Design) adds components to existing

ductwork, the information required for each component is taken from the duct without any fur-
ther input from the designer. If you wish, you can define the range of ducts available as part of
the Ducting catalog.
You use the type DUCT and the subtypes RIGID or FLEXIBLE and define the cross section.
You specify the size of the duct in the first parameter (circular ducts) or the first and second
parameters (major and minor sizes for rectangular ducts), as shown in the following figure.
Figure 133 Defining Ducts

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Defining Set-in Branches for Ducting

If you wish to use set-in branches in M4 PLANT, you need to add the data for them to the Duct-
ing catalog as shown in the following figure.
Figure 134 Defining Set-in Branches

Type The type of the set-in branches is SETIN.

Subtype The subtype is used to inform of any sectional change or twist of the component.
The conventions used are: RECT for rectangular, CIRC for circular and TW for twisted.
For more information on twisted components refer to the M4 PLANT User Guide.
Section The section code is three digits, the units column is the section at P1, the hundreds
column is the section at P3 (the open end of the set-in). The middle digit is not used,
and can therefore be set to any value. For more information refer to ”What the Cata-
logs Contain”, “Section” on page 189.
Primary and secondary sizes
The primary size is the size at the duct end (P1), the secondary size is the size at P3.

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Primary and tertiary connections

The primary connection must be SETIN. The tertiary connection is usually BW but it
can vary depending on the valid matching end types that have been set up.
Routine The drawing routine is RSET if P3 is rectangular, or CSET if P3 is circular (both are
irrespective of P1).
Parameters
The first and second parameters are the major and minor sizes at P1.
The third and fourth parameters are the major and minor sizes at P3.

Please note: If the set-in branch is twisted, the third and fourth parameters should contain the
minor and major sizes respectively (that is, parameter 3 should be smaller than
parameter 4). Shoes and weldolets use the same technique for twisted compo-
nents.

Stairways or Ladders

Stairways and Ladders are created in the Steelwork > Steel Geometry area of the Catalog Selection list.
Enter SL in the Type field of the Filter line and press Scan to display the distributed stairways and
ladders to use one of them as template for defining your own stairs or ladder. The following fig-
ure shows the Component Details for a new stairway which used STEEL STAIRS as template:
Figure 135 Catalog Utility Dialog: Component Details for New Stairs

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Hiding Records

The Hide Records functionality allows catalog records to be removed from user selection. The
records are only hidden but not deleted, so that existing databases will continue to draw and
parts list properly. The functionality is available for all catalogs.

Please note: The Hide Records functionality my require an upgrade of a database using the
Project Manager (see ”Project Manager”, “Upgrade an Old Format Database to
Current Format” on page 61).

The display of hidden records in the table of the Catalog Utility dialog can be controlled by the Show
option in the backstage area. By default this option is not activated, i. e., only
hidden records
records with Useable status are displayed, a hidden record is not visible.
Figure 136 File > Administration - Option to Display Hidden Records

If you want to display hidden records in the table of the Catalog Utility dialog:
1. Switch to File > Administration > Admin Mode > Catalog Utility (see page 298).
2. Set a check mark in the Show hidden records check box.

Example of Hiding a Piping Geometry Record

The Geometry, Material and Spec tables of all catalogs contain a Status field which indicates if a
record is hidden or useable. The following example shows how to hide a record of a Piping
Geometry.
Details on hiding specifications are explained in ”Setting Up a Specification”, “Hiding and Unhid-
ing Records of a Specification” on page 286.

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Figure 137 Catalog Utility Dialog - Example of Hiding a Piping Geometry Record

1. Select the record, which is to be hidden in the table.

2. Choose the HIDDEN option in the Status pulldown menu.
3. Press the Modify button to apply the changed status.
Figure 138 Status - Hidden

This record cannot be used any longer in a database. If the record was used before
hiding, it is still drawn in the database.
To make a hidden record useable again:
1. Choose USABLE in the Status pulldown menu (Figure 137).
2. Press the Modify button.
The Status field in the table changes from HIDDEN to USABLE.

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Updating the Catalogs from a File

You can update the catalogs with the following types of information using an input file:
• Piping components
• Piping materials
• Ducting components
• Ducting materials
• Steel sections
• Support components and loadings
• Electrical components
• Electrical materials
When you create the input file, consider the following (the format of the input for each data type
is described in “Input File Formats” on page 233):
• You can use any text editor available on your hardware platform.
• You separate each piece of data from the next with a delimiter character (by default
this is a comma but you can use a different character provided that the character you
choose doesn't occur in the data).
• You can include comment lines if you precede them with two hyphens (--)
• You indicate empty fields using a delimiter character.

WARNING: You can use a space as a delimiter but you should be aware that some data such
as materials, may include spaces within their name (e.g. CARBON STEEL).

Creating an Input File from an Existing Catalog

We recommend to use the Export Records button from the Catalog Utility dialog on a selection and
then use the exported file as a template for similar items which then can be imported with Import
Records.

How to export and import records is explained in “Exporting and Importing Records” on
page 240. You should then edit the output file with a text editor.

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Input File Formats

The following format examples show the header and at least one element for the appropriate
data, e.g. Piping Geometry. As the number of data for each item is very long, a single line of the
CSV file is shown over several lines in this manual.
If you edit exported CSV files, consider the following:
• The header has to be maintained.
• The number of data per line may not be changed otherwise an error occurs when re-
importing edited data...

Piping Geometry

The format of the input file for piping geometry data is shown below:
"key","type","subtype","dimbody","dimstd","dimdate","rating","size#1"
,"unit#1","des#1","conn#1","wallthick#1","size#2","unit#2","des#2","c
onn#2","wallthick#2","size#n","unit#n","des#n","conn#n","wallthick#n"
,"routine","dimkey","status","f01","f02","f03","f04","f05","rec$origi
n","parameters1","parameters2","parameters3","parameters4","parameter
s5","parameters6","parameters7","parameters8","parameters9","paramete
rs10","parameters11","parameters12","parameters13","parameters14","pa
rameters15","parameters16","parameters17","parameters18","parameters1
9","parameters20","parameters21","parameters22","parameters23","param
eters24","parameters25","parameters26","parameters27","parameters28",
"parameters29","parameters30","parameters31","parameters32","paramete
rs33","parameters34","parameters35","parameters36","parameters37","pa
rameters38","parameters39","parameters40",

"P0XF5G07","THRDOLET","","ANSI","BONNEY.FORGE","","3000",
1.00,"IN","NB","", 0.00, 0.75,"IN","NB","SCF", 0.00,
0.00,"IN","NB","", 0.00,"TLET","","","","","","","","ANSI_I", 36.58,
30.23, 44.20, 26.92, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,
0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,
0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,
0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,

...<further items>
Notice the following points about this example:
• Empty fields are included in the input file and indicated with the use of commas. For
example there is no subtype for a THRDOLET.
• Where a parameter is not required you should type in 0.0, if this is the last parameter
used by the drawing routine then you don't need to type in subsequent 0.0s.
• The last field is the drawing routine; this is a four-character code representing the
drawing routine rather than the actual drawing routine name.

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Piping Material

The format of the input file for piping material data is shown below:
"key","material","schedule","description","status","f01","f02","f03",
"f04","f05",
"BC2L3T7C","ASTM A105","","Carbon Steel","","","","","","",

Ducting Geometry

The format of the input file for ducting geometry data is shown below:
"key","type","subtype","section","major1","minor1","major2","minor2",
"major3","minor3","major4","minor4","conn1","conn2","conn3","conn4","
routine","parameters1","parameters2","parameters3","parameters4","par
ameters5","parameters6","parameters7","parameters8","parameters9","pa
rameters10","parameters11","parameters12","parameters13","parameters1
4","parameters15",

"EW7EPX07","FLANGE","LOOSE",11, 6.00, 4.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,

0.00, 0.00, 0.00,"FF","SJ","","","RLFL", 6.00, 4.00, 2.00, 0.13,
0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,
0.00,

Ducting Material

The format of the input file for ducting material data is shown below:
"key","material","thickness","finish","description",
"ERFLY600","STEEL","4.0","GALVANIZED","Galvanized Steel Ducting",
"EW7EGK00","STEEL","0.125","GALVANIZED","galvanized steel",

Steel Data

The format of the input file for steel data is shown below:
"key","type","depth","flangewidth","weight","name","stand","typ","par
ams1","params2","params3","params4","params5","params6","params7","pa
rams8","params9","params10","params11","params12",

"BPG845AU","CC",152.40,152.40, 23.00,"CC152X152X23","BRIT",1,
23.00,152.40, 6.80, 6.10,152.40, 7.60, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,
0.00, 0.00,
Where parameters are not required you must type 0.0, if this is the last parameter required by
the drawing routine, then you do not need to type in subsequent 0.0s.

Support Data

The format of the input file for support data is shown below:
--
-- ****** List Master Support Catalog Data ******

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--
--Type Sub Size Material Parameters
-- JACK, SADL, 65.0,CARBON STEEL, 48.0, 50.0, 76.10, 184.0, 150.0,
398.0,1750.0, 10.0, 0.0
JACK, SADL, 80.0, CARBON STEEL, 48.0, 50.0, 88.90, 191.0, 150.0,
405.0,1750.0, 10.0, 0.0
JACK, SADL, 90.0, CARBON STEEL, 48.0, 80.0,101.60, 197.0, 200.0,
411.0,1750.0, 10.0, 0.0
JACK, SADL, 100.0, CARBON STEEL, 50.0, 80.0,114.30, 196.0, 200.0,
420.0,1750.0, 10.0, 0.0
JACK, SADL, 125.0, CARBON STEEL, 50.0, 80.0,139.70, 208.0, 200.0,
434.0,1750.0, 10.0, 0.0
Where parameters are not required you must type 0.0, if this is the last parameter required by
the drawing routine, then you do not need to type in subsequent 0.0s.

Electrical Geometry

The format of the input file for electrical geometry data is shown below:
"key","type","subtype","section","major1","minor1","major2","minor2",
"major3","minor3","major4","minor4","conn1","conn2","conn3","conn4","
routine","parameters1","parameters2","parameters3","parameters4","par
ameters5","parameters6","parameters7","parameters8","parameters9","pa
rameters10","parameters11","parameters12","parameters13","parameters1
4","parameters15",

"M3GZTW01","TEE","STRAIGHT-MAJ",111, 8.00, 6.00, 8.00, 4.00,

0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,"FF","FF","FF","","RSTA", 8.00, 6.00,
16.00, 8.00, 8.00, 4.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00,
0.00, 0.00, 0.00,

Electrical Material
The format of the input file for electrical material data is shown below:
"key","material","thickness","finish","description",
"M3GZQ300","STEEL","4.0","GALVANIZED","GALVANIZED STEEL ELECTRICAL",

Updating Catalogs from an Input File

To add data to a catalog from an input file use the Import Records button from the Catalog Utility
dialog, see “Exporting and Importing Records” on page 240.

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Modifying Items in the Catalogs

The procedure for modifying a record is similar for each catalog. To modify records:
1. Choose File > Administration.
2. Activate Admin Mode to enable the administration tools.
3. Select the Catalog Utility option Local or Master catalog.
4. Choose the Catalog Utility tool to open the catalog utility dialog.
5. Select an entry in the Catalog Selection area.
6. Set selection conditions in the Filter line.
7. Press the button Scan Cat to display the elements of the Catalog Selection.
The following figure shows the Catalog Utility dialog for piping TEEs where the first TEE
was selected in order to modify it.
Figure 139 Catalog Utility Dialog, Piping Geometry, Listed TEEs

8. Change the entries as required.

9. Save the record by pressing the Modify button.
If you are working on a local catalog then the record is added to the catalog immedi-
ately. If you are working on a master catalog then the record is added to the DB_AD-
MIN directory of the catalog; you then need to install the new data in the DB directory
of the catalog. How to do this is explained in “Installing an Updated Master Catalog” on
page 239.

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Deleting Items in the Catalogs

Deleting Items in the Catalogs

You can delete the following types of information from the catalogs:
Type Deletes...
Piping Geometry Record; the Piping, Ducting or Electrical component accessing
Ducting Geometry this record through the corresponding specification is no longer
Electrical Geometry available for use in Interactive Design.
Piping Material Record; this information will be missing from any reports which list
Ducting Material materials.
Electrical Material
Steel Geometry Record; the member accessing this record is no longer available
for use in Interactive Design.
Support Geometry Record; the support accessing this record is no longer available
for use in Interactive Design.

WARNING: Take care when deleting geometry or material records that you do not delete
something which is referenced by a Piping or Ducting specification.

It is not possible to delete records from a master Piping or Ducting specification.

The procedure for deleting records is similar for each catalog:

1. Choose File > Administration.
2. Activate Admin Mode to enable the administration tools.
3. Select the Catalog Utility option Local or Master catalog.
4. Choose the Catalog Utility tool to open the catalog utility dialog.
5. Select an entry in the Catalog Selection area.
6. Set selection conditions in the Filter line.
7. Press the button Scan Cat to display the elements of the Catalog Selection you want to
delete.
The following figure shows the Catalog Utility dialog for piping TEEs where the first TEE
was selected in order to delete it.

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Figure 140 Catalog Utility Dialog, Piping Geometry, Listed TEEs

8. Press the Delete button of the RMB Popup Menu to remove the currently selected
record.
If you are working on a local catalog then the record is deleted from the catalog imme-
diately. If you are working on a master catalog then the record is removed from the
DB_ADMIN directory of the catalog; you then need to install the new data in the DB
directory of the catalog. How to do this is explained in “Installing an Updated Master
Catalog” on page 239.

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Installing an Updated Master Catalog

You need to select the Install Master Catalog option in order to transfer new catalog data from the
administration area to the read-only area. This option will update the catalog read-only area, DB
directory, with data from the catalog administration area, the DB_ADMIN directory.
You should use this option after you have:
• Added any of the following to a master catalog:
• Piping geometry data
• Piping material data
• Ducting geometry data
• Ducting material data
• Electrical geometry data
• Electrical material data
• Steel data
• Support data
• Modified any of the records in a master catalog
• Removed any records from a master catalog

Please note: Piping, Ducting and Electrical geometry has to be added to a specification. There-
fore also the appropriate specification has to be installed. For details please read
“Setting Up a Specification” on page 271.

To install an updated catalog:

1. Ensure that all users accessing this master catalog have logged out.
2. Stop the database servers if you are using databases running in multi-user mode.
3. Start the catalog utility dialog as shown in “Starting the Catalog Utility” on page 218.
4. Select the Install Master Catalog option.
This option is only available when you have read/write access to the DB directory.
The old DBS (database storage) files in the DB directory, the read-only area in a mas-
ter catalog, are deleted and the new DBS files are copied from the DB_ADMIN direc-
tory, the administrative area.

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Exporting and Importing Records

The Export and Import Records functions are intended to allow manipulation of more than one
catalog record in a single session. It also allows for those people who want to use spreadsheets
as their primary tool for entering data. Both tools are context sensitive to the catalog table cur-
rently selected in the catalog tool tree e.g. Piping Geometry, Ducting Materials etc.

Please note: If a M + AEC Catalog Class is selected there are specific tools called to import and
export these classes, as previously defined. For details see ”Changing the M +
AEC Catalog”, “Exporting Classes to a File” on page 260 and “Importing Classes
from a File” on page 262.

For exporting and importing records two buttons are provided at the bottom of the Catalog Utility
dialog
• writes a CSV file, including the key, of any records currently displayed
in the catalog dialog. There is a single line of header info and n lines of data, all prop-
erly delimited and quote marked to use in most spreadsheet packages.
• prompts for a CSV file, of the same format as produced by Export.

Exporting Details

1. Select a catalog in the Catalog Selection area, e.g. Piping Geometry.

2. Press the button Export Records.
The file selector dialog opens.
3. Select a file in which the records will be stored and press OK.
A message displays the number of saved records.
Figure 141 Message after Exporting Records

The exported CSV file looks like in the following figure if opened with Microsoft Excel:

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Figure 142 Exported Records

Importing Details

1. Select a catalog in the Catalog Selection area, e.g. Piping Geometry.

2. Press the button Import Records.
The file selector dialog opens.
3. Select the file with the records which shall be loaded and press OK.
A message displays the number of loaded records ready to import into the database.
Figure 143 Message after Importing Records

The following dialog opens also:

Figure 144 Catalog Import Feedback Dialog

The Catalog Import Feedback Dialog provides following information:

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• The first column is a Key field; if the data is for new records, this should be blank and
new keys will be automatically be allocated when they are loaded.
• The following columns are type, subtype and dimension standard followed by multi
valued fields such as parameters.
The Import Records procedure performed following tasks:
• The Header is first parsed, to ensure that the file has the correct number and named
columns, any header problems and the whole file is rejected.
• Then each line of the file is checked, and the result written to the Catalog Import Feedback
Dialog. Any problems are noted on the line below the input line.
• Lines are also checked for the following possibilities:
If the key is present, you are allowed to update the parameters, but only if all the
other fields are identical.
If the key is not present it checks all fields (except parameters) to make sure there is
no duplicate identical entry.
Key or No Key, the record is unique and is valid for entry.
4. Check the Catalog Import Feedback Dialog contents.
5. Press the Confirm Import to DB button.

Please note: Importing into the database is not finished until you did not press the Confirm Import
to DB button.

The number of records imported is displayed in a notification dialog following import.

Figure 145 Message after Confirming Importing Records

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Importing Packages

Importing Packages

The catalog utility provides a tool to import packages of catalog data into M4 PLANT. These
packages are available for customers with maintenance contract, free of charge.
Procedure for importing a package:
1. Choose the button inside the catalog utility dialog to open the Select
Package file browser.
2. Select a package file to import.
3. Press the Open button.
The Password dialog is opened.
Figure 146 Password Dialog

4. Just press OK. No need to enter a Password!

If unpacking fails a message is written to the console and the tool exits.
If the package contains several CSV tables, a dialog with a list of them is displayed.
5. Choose one table and click OK to import it.
If the package contains only one table, an information of the number of records and the
Catalog Import Feedback Dialog with details is displayed as shown in the following figure:

Figure 147 Catalog Import Feedback Dialog and Information on the Number of Records

6. Click on Confirm Import to DB.

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CHANGING THE M + AEC CATALOG

This chapter describes how you can add new and modify or remove existing records.

• Starting the Catalog Utility...................................................... 246

• Adding a New Group.............................................................. 248

• Creating a New Class ............................................................ 249

• Defining a Class Label Routine.............................................. 251

• Adding Class Attributes.......................................................... 252

• Defining Query and Drawing Routine for an Item .................. 255

• Creating a New Catalog Item................................................. 257

• Creating a New Item from an Existing One............................ 258

• Modifying an Existing Catalog Item........................................ 259

• Exporting Classes to a File .................................................... 260

• Importing Classes from a File ................................................ 262

• Compiling Routines into Library ............................................. 263

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Starting the Catalog Utility

For changing the M + AEC catalog the catalog utility is used which is started as follows:
1. Choose File > Administration.
2. Activate Admin Mode to enable the administration tools.
3. Select the Catalog Utility option Local or Master catalog.
4. Choose the Catalog Utility tool to open the catalog utility dialog.
Figure 148 Catalog Utility Dialog

5. Select the M + AEC entry in the Catalog Selection area.

Figure 149 Dialog Catalog Utility, M + AEC

The Catalog Selection area shows the structure of the M + AEC catalog. It contains classes
which can be organized in groups (e.g. Conveyor). You can add, modify and delete
groups and classes. The eye symbol indicates if an item is visible or not. You can
determine whether a class will be displayed in the Select M + AEC Component dialog. Use

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the Toggle visibility option on the RMB popup menu to define a class or group to be visi-
ble or hidden. An open eye means that the group or class is visible, a crossed out eye
means hidden.

Please note: Some of the RMB popup menu entries are only activated if you are working in the
right kind of catalog. So, if you see deactivated popup menu entries, close the Cat-
alog Utility dialog and re-open it using Local if the database was created with a local
M + AEC catalog. Use Master if the database was created with a Master M + AEC
catalog.

Figure 150 Structure of the M + AEC Catalog

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Adding a New Group

Groups can be added at any level in the M + AEC tree but not on class names. The procedure
is as follows:
1. Click the RMB on either M + AEC or a group.
The relevant popup menu opens.
Figure 151 Popup Menus on M + AEC and on a Group

2. Click on Add group in the popup menu to open the Add group dialog.
Figure 152 Add Group Dialog

3. Enter a name for the new group and click on OK to create it.
The group is displayed in the structure tree. In our example we added Test_Group1.
Figure 153 New Group in the Catalog Selection

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Creating a New Class

Creating a New Class

1. Click the RMB on either M + AEC or a group, for example the just created Test_Group1.
The relevant popup menu opens.
Figure 154 Popup Menus on M + AEC and on a Group

2. Choose Manage Classes to open the M + AEC - Class Management dialog.

Figure 155 M + AEC - Class Management Dialog

3. Enter a new Class Name (mandatory) and a Class Description (optional).

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4. Select any Attributes that members of the class should have.

For details see “Adding Class Attributes” on page 252.
5. When the class definition is complete, press New.
The class is created immediately and it has no items.
6. If there are no more classes to define, press Cancel to quit the dialog.
Figure 156 Catalog Utility Dialog, 3 Example Classes and Class slot track Added

For creating new items see “Creating a New Catalog Item” on page 257.
The Component Details area displays properties and parameters of the currently selected catalog
item The area is divided into three columns:
• The labels for the first column (Type, Subtype etc.) are defined for the whole class. These
also appear on the filter bar at the bottom of the dialog. It is likely that the labels Siz Maj
1, Siz Min 1 etc. need to be redefined for the particular class. This is done by creating a
class routine described in “Defining a Class Label Routine” on page 251.
• The labels for the second column and the addition of a Component Picture (which can be
different for any class item) are shown in “Defining Query and Drawing Routine for an
Item” on page 255.
• The third column presents extra attributes and it is invisible by default. How to add
extra attributes is described in “Adding Class Attributes” on page 252.

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Defining a Class Label Routine

Defining a Class Label Routine

Having created a new catalog class, the values for common item labels have still the default
names like Siz Maj 1 and Siz Min 1. Because actually these are related to the start width and the
number of tracks at the start for example (see “Creating a New Catalog Item” on page 257), you
can rename the default names using an external file, located in:
<M4 install. dir.>\mhcat_cs\mhcat\bacis\mh_class_<classname>.bad
where <M4 install. dir.> is the M4 installation path and <classname> is the name of the class with
spaces replaced by underscores. The routine is !mh_class_<classname>__labels.
Example:

-- mh_class_slot_track routines relating to M + AEC class "slot_track"

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
define_constant(!mh_class_slot_track__labels, proc(labels)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- see !mh_get_type_dict in mh_.bam for all default values

-- labels[1] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_type) -- !type

-- labels[2] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_subtype) -- !subtype
labels[3] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_width_n, "1") -- !major1
labels[4] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_n_segs_n, "1") -- !minor1
labels[5] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_width_n, "2") -- !major2
labels[6] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_n_segs_n, "2") -- !minor2
labels[7] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_unused) -- !major3
labels[8] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_unused) -- !minor3
labels[9] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_unused) -- !major4
labels[10] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_unused) -- !minor4
-- labels[11] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_siz_con_n, "1") -- !conn1
-- labels[12] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_siz_con_n, "2") -- !conn2
-- labels[13] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_siz_con_n, "3") -- !conn3
-- labels[14] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_siz_con_n, "4") -- !conn4
-- labels[15] :- am_msgf_string(mech_handling_messages,!mhui,!mhcat_routine) -- !routine

endproc)

For using the routine in the current session, run the exec command in the console:
exec <M4 install. dir.>\mhcat\mhcat\bacis\mh_class_<classname>.bad
For the example above the <classname> is slot_track.
This file needs to be properly installed in the library if it is to be permanent (see “Compiling Rou-
tines into Library” on page 263). In the catalog utility dialog reselect the class to display the
changed labels.

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Adding Class Attributes

1. Select the new class slot track created in “Creating a New Class” on page 249 in the Cat-
alog Selection area of the catalog utility.
2. Choose Manage Classes from the RMB popup menu to open the Class Management dialog.
Figure 157 M + AEC - Class Management Dialog opened for the slot track Class

The slot track class not yet has any attribute assigned indicated by the empty Actual Attri-
butes list at the bottom right of the dialog. You can add any attribute displayed in the
Potential Attributes list by using the arrows. The arrows to the right add either all or only the
selected attributes. The arrows to the left remove attributes from the Actual Attributes list
back to the Potential Attributes one.
3. If you want to create a new attribute, press the Attributes button at the top of the dialog.
The Attribute Management dialog is opened.
Figure 158 M + AEC - Attribute Management Dialog

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Adding Class Attributes

4. Enter a new Attribute Name, e.g. track material.

5. Enter its type and accordant values.
Values are added with and deleted with .
6. If you have finished, press the New button at the top of the dialog.
The attribute is created immediately and it is added to the Attribute Selection list.
Figure 159 M + AEC - Attribute Management Dialog, Added New Item

In the Attribute Management dialog you can modify and remove attributes. Attribute Details can
only be changed if the attribute is still unused. Attributes used within classes cannot be
deleted. The available Attribute Types can restrict the possible entries the user can insert
or choose. For example, if you choose a constrained type, the user can only select avail-
able values from a pulldown list. If it is unconstrained the user can enter any value.
7. Click on Cancel to quit the Attribute Management dialog.In the Class Management dialog you can
add the new attribute to the list of Actual Attributes used within the current class using the
arrow buttons.

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Figure 160 M + AEC Dialog, Class Management

The upper arrow selects all potential attributes and puts them into the actual attributes
list. The lower buttons remove attributes from the actual attributes list.
8. Press Modify to confirm the changes.
The selected class provides the defined extra attributes for all its items now.
Figure 161 Catalog Utility Dialog, Added Extra Attribute

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Defining Query and Drawing Routine for an Item

Defining Query and Drawing Routine for an Item

Before creating a new component (see “Creating a New Catalog Item” on page 257) we need to
create a drawing routine. This is used in the M4 PLANT system to draw the component in
the graphics window and in the preview windows. Drawing routines can be created using
the Component Designer (if you have the appropriate license), or you can program them manu-
ally.
We also still have parameters like Param 1 and Param 2. These are defined in the query routine.
Both routines exist in the same file, for example located in:
<M4 install. dir.>\mhcat_cs\mhcat\bacis\mh_drg_<classname>_<itemname>.bad
where <M4 install. dir.> is the M4 installation path, <classname> is the name of the class and
<itemname> is the name of the item for which the routines will be defined.

Please note: The names of the routines must be exactly the same except that query_ has to
be between mh_ and drg in the query routine.

Example:

-- mh_drg_slot_track_straight, top level routine to draw a straight track

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
define_constant(!mh_query_drg_slot_track_straight, proc(oper,[args])
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
result :- unset
if oper .is !parameter_names then
result :- list_of(16, !mhcat_unused)
result [1] :- !mhcat_length
result [2] :- !mhcat_depth
endif
return result
endproc)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
define_constant(!mh_drg_slot_track_straight, proc(inst_rec,itemrec)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
-- Component desription routine for a straight track
--
width :- itemrec!major1
num_tracks :- itemrec!minor1
p :- itemrec!parameters[1;16]
length :- p[1] -- Default length of track
depth :- P[2] -- Depth of track
-- connection points

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am_detmod( 4063 )
--
p1_size :- p2_size :- fixed_string(width;0)[2;]><";"><fixed_string(num_tracks;0)[2;]><";1"
am_cnp( "P1"; 0; -length/2; 0; 0; 90; 0;
p1_size;
itemrec!conn3,inst_rec )
am_cnp( "P2"; 0; length/2; 0; 180; 90; 0;
p2_size;
itemrec!conn2,inst_rec )
push_tail()
-- draw the track
am_detmod( 31 )
-- a box
am_box (depth,width,length,0,0,0,0,0,0)
pop_tail()
endproc)

For using it in the current session, run following command in the console:
execute <M4 install.
dir.>\mhcat_cs\mhcat\bacis\mh_drg_<class>_<item>.bad
For the example above the <class> is slot_track and <item> is straight.
This file needs to be properly installed in the library if it is to be permanent (see “Compiling Rou-
tines into Library” on page 263).

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Creating a New Catalog Item

Creating a New Catalog Item

1. Select a class in the list Catalog Selection, for example the new slot track created in
Test_Group1 (see “Creating a New Class” on page 249).
2. Type new values for Type and Subtype and enter some values, e.g. start and end width
(which are the Width 1 and Width 2 values in the figure below).
Note that the parameters Length and Depth have to be greater than zero..
3. Press the New button.
Figure 162 Catalog Utility Dialog, New Item

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Creating a New Item from an Existing One

1. Select a Conveyor class in the Catalog Selection list, e.g. belt conveyors.
2. Choose Scan Cat for listing all components of the chosen class.
3. Select an item in the list at the bottom whose parameters are to be modified.
Figure 163 Dialog Catalog Utility, Item of M + AEC Class Belt Conveyors

4. Edit parameters of the selected item.

5. Type a new value for Type or Subtype to make the new item different from existing ones
(e.g. change the length of the straight conveyor and change the Subtype appropriately).
6. Press the button New.
The catalog item is being added at the end of the list at the bottom of the dialog.
Figure 164 Dialog Catalog Utility, New Item

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Modifying an Existing Catalog Item

Modifying an Existing Catalog Item

1. Select a M + AEC class in the Catalog Selection list, e.g. belt conveyors.
2. Choose Scan Cat for listing all components of the chosen class.
3. Select an item at the bottom list whose parameters are to be modified.
This will display all the item values and display a Component Picture if the drawing routine
creates appropriate geometry.
Figure 165 Dialog Catalog Utility, Item of M + AEC Class Belt Conveyors

4. Change any of the values for the Class parameters (column 1 in the Component Details
area), the item parameters (column 2) and attributes if available (column 3).
You also can change the tick boxes by allowing the relevant parameter to be changed
by the user when instancing such item. For example, if you want the length of legs to
be fixed to a certain value, switch off the tick boxes in front of the leg height parame-
ters.
5. When the changes have been made, press the button Modify.

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Exporting Classes to a File

You can export catalog data for transferring it to another catalog, fow example if you worked in a
local catalog you can transfer classes to a master catalog.
To export one or more M + AEC Classes:
1. Use the RMB on the M + AEC header or on a class to be exported (see figure below)
and then select Export Classes.
You also can use the Export Records button at the bottom of the dialog.
Figure 166 Popup Menu for M + AEC Classes, Export

You will see the MH Catalog Export dialog.

If you used the popup menu on a class, that class will be highlighted already.
The dialog shows the default file to be used to export the classes to.
Figure 167 Dialog for Exporting Classes

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2. Select the classes that are to be exported.

Clicking on an unselected entry will add it. Clicking on a selected one will deselect it.
3. If you wish to change the export filename, press the File Selector button.
The usual file selector dialog is displayed. You can select an existing file to overwrite or
enter your own filename.
Tip: If you are transferring these definitions to another person/computer, it is a good
idea to create a new directory to ensure that you are not passing on files you do not
intend to.
4. Press OK to complete the file selection.
You will be returned to the previous dialog (see Figure 167, “Dialog for Exporting
Classes” on page 260).
5. When you are sure that you have the correct classes selected and the required export
file, press Export.
The files will be exported to the given directory and file:
• *.csv is the file containing the database definitions.
• mh_drg_*.bad are the files containing the drawing routines for the items in the
exported classes.
• mh_class_* is the class file containing the names of the class parameters
An information dialog is displayed.
Figure 168 Message after Exporting Classes

6. Press OK to return to the Export dialog.

7. To exit, press Cancel.
Alternatively, you can repeat the process from Step 3 to export other classes.

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Importing Classes from a File

To import M + AEC Classes from a csv file:

1. Use the RMB on the M + AEC header or on any class in it and then select Import Classes.
You also can use the Import Records button at the bottom of the dialog.
You will see the MH Catalog Import file selector dialog.
2. Select a file and press OK.
You will see the MH Catalog Import dialog.
Figure 169 Dialog for Importing Classes

The dialog displays the classes contained in the selected file.

3. Select which class or classes you wish to import.
By default all classes are selected. Clicking on an entry deselects.
4. Press Import to import the selected classes.
An information dialog will be displayed to inform you how many records have been
imported.
Figure 170 Message after Importing Classes

5. Press OK to return to the Import dialog.

The Import dialog will display any classes that have not imported from the file.
6. Press Cancel to exit the dialog.
Alternatively, you can repeat from step 4 to import more classes from the same file. Or
you can use the File Selector button to choose another file to import classes from.

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Compiling Routines into Library

Compiling Routines into Library

If you have written the routines for defining class labels (see “Defining a Class Label Routine”
on page 251) and for the drawing and query routines (see “Defining Query and Drawing Routine
for an Item” on page 255), you may want to have them permanent in your database.
Steps for installing routines into library of MHCAT:
1. Copy the routine which shall be permanent in your database into the MHCAT Bacis
path, e.g. <M4 install. dir.>\mhcat_cs\mhcat\bacis
2. Open a command prompt window.
3. Change to the hard disk holding the MHCAT path.
4. Change into the MHCAT Bacis directory.
e.g. cd <M4 install. dir.>\mhcat_cs\mhcat\bacis
5. Run the login.bat file.
e.g. <M4 install. dir.>\master_mpds_project\login.bat
6. Enter bacis.
7. Enter compile_all_source_files() for compiling all source files (*.bam or *.bad)
in the current path to executable files (*.bif).
8. Enter library_create_index() for creating the library index.
9. Quit Bacis.
10.Exit the command prompt window.
11.Restart M4 PLANT.

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MANIPULATING CATALOG DATA IN EXCEL

The Catalog Utility tool allows the export of data to a CSV file in order to manipulate data in
Excel and import these data into your catalog. This function is available for piping geometry,
ducting geometry, electrical geometry and M + AEC.

• Exporting Catalog Data to Excel ............................................ 266

• Adding or Modifying Catalog Data in Excel............................ 268

• Importing Data from Excel into the Catalog ........................... 269

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Manipulating Catalog Data in Excel

Exporting Catalog Data to Excel

The procedure is explained by using an example of the Ducting geometry.

To export data to a CSV file proceed as follows:
1. Start the Catalog Utility tool.
a. Choose File > Administration and activate Admin Mode to enable the administration tools.
b. Select the Catalog Utility option Local or Master catalog.
c. Choose the Catalog Utility tool to open the catalog utility dialog.
2. Click on Ducting Geometry in the Catalog Selection area.
3. Choose Duct in the Type menu and RIGID in the Subtype menu to reduce the number of
records.
Figure 171 Catalog Utility Dialog

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Exporting Catalog Data to Excel

The table displays all components of type DUCT, subtype RIGID which are available in
the catalog. If the table does not update immediately while entering type or subtype,
press Scan Cat.
Figure 172 Display of Duct Geometry Components

4. Choose Export Records to copy all data of your selection to the CSV file.
5. After a successful export a message is displayed which shows how many entries were
exported.

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Adding or Modifying Catalog Data in Excel

You can now create new or modify existing records in the CSV file.
Figure 173 Example of the CSV File

Please note: Do not change the first column and the first two lines in the table. These are re-
quired to identify the table and the fields in the CSV file.

Adding Records

To add a new record, the key field must be empty. If no key string exists, the import function will
create a new key for the geometry.
You have the following possibilities:
a. Enter the desired data in a new line, leave the field in the key column empty and
save the file.
or
b. Change existing data as required, keep the data which you want to use, delete the
key entry in the relevant line and save the file.

Modifying Records

To change a record keep the key and modify the required data in the relevant line, then save the
file.

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Importing Data from Excel into the Catalog

Importing Data from Excel into the Catalog

To have the new/modified data in the catalog available, you have to import the CSV file.
6. Choose the button Import Records.
7. Two dialogs are displayed:
Figure 174 Confirm Import Dialogs

8. Confirm with Ok and Confirm Import to DB.

9. Refresh the display of the data in the table by selecting the relevant Type again.
The new/modified record is listed in the table.
Figure 175 Example of a New Record

In case of M + AEC the import code adds a new class node if the given class specified in the
imported file does not exist.

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SETTING UP A SPECIFICATION

Basic specifications are provided in Piping, Ducting and Electrical Design as examples which
you can use to create your own specifications. For piping, there are, for example, A2A and A3A
for the ANSI and DIN standards.

• Starting the Specification Management Dialog ...................... 272

• Displaying the Contents of a Specification............................. 274

• Listing Items in a Specification............................................... 274

• Adding Items to a Specification.............................................. 275

• Adding a New Specification ................................................... 276

• Adding Items to a Specification in Bulk .................................. 277

• Deleting Items from a Specification........................................ 284

• Exporting a Specification........................................................ 285

• Hiding and Unhiding Records of a Specification .................... 286

• Installing a Master Specification............................................. 287

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Setting Up a Specification

Starting the Specification Management Dialog

In principle all M4 PLANT specifications are the same. A specification identified by a name and
containing any number of pairs of geometry and material records. To administer specifications,
the Specification Management dialog is provided which is available via the catalog utility dialog.
To start the catalog utility:
1. Choose File > Administration.
2. Activate Admin Mode to enable the administration tools.
3. Select the Catalog Utility option Local or Master catalog.
4. Choose the Catalog Utility tool to open the catalog utility dialog.
The Catalog Selection area provides entries for accessing a specification as shown in the
following figure:
Figure 176 Catalog Selection Tree

5. Select the appropriate specification from the Catalog Selection tree.

The Catalog Spec Management Utility dialog opens consisting of the following three main
areas:
• Current Spec Admin
This area is used to display and manage the actual contents of a particular spec.

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• Select Material
In this area the user selects a single material for addition to the spec.
• Select Geometry
In this area the user selects geometry records for addition to the spec.
Figure 177 Specification Management Dialog for Piping Spec

How to use the dialog is described in the following.

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Setting Up a Specification

Displaying the Contents of a Specification

Select the Spec Name in the pull down menu in the Current Spec Admin area of the Catalog Spec
management Utility dialog. The display will update with the contents of the selected specification.
The table on the right side shows all records that belong to the chosen specification.
Figure 178 Catalog Spec management Utility Dialog - Example

Listing Items in a Specification

To do this, select a specification from the Spec Name pulldown menu in the Current Spec Admin area of
the Specification Management dialog. Use the pulldown menus in the filter line to reduce the
display to specific items. Press the Scan DB button to display all items of the selected spec.

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Adding Items to a Specification

Adding Items to a Specification

1. Select the specification to which items are to be added in the Spec Name pulldown menu.
2. Use the Select Material area to display materials and select one record.
3. Use the Select Geometry area to display some suitable geometry records and select one
or more items.
4. Click on the Add to Spec button.
The Catalog Spec Confirmation dialog is displayed.
Figure 179 Catalog Spec Confirmation Dialog - Adding Records to an existing Specification

5. Click on the Add to Spec button in the dialog.

Now the chosen specification contains the new records, they are displayed in the table.

Please note: Material / Geometry combinations which already exist will not be added.
In this case a message appears.

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Setting Up a Specification

Adding a New Specification

Adding a new specification is similar to adding items to an existing specification as described

before (”Adding Items to a Specification”).
1. To add a new specification, type the Spec Name into the combo box, e. g. NEW_SPEC.
The Add to Spec button is disabled at this stage.
Figure 180

2. Use the Select Material area to display materials and select one record.
3. Use the Select Geometry area to display suitable geometry records and select one or
more items.
The Add to Spec button becomes available.
4. Click on the Add to Spec button.
The Catalog Spec Confirmation dialog is displayed.
Figure 181 Catalog Spec Confirmation Dialog - Adding a new Specification

5. Click on the Add to Spec button in the dialog.

The new specification is added to the list and the contained records are displayed in the table.

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Adding Items to a Specification in Bulk

Adding Items to a Specification in Bulk

There are three stages to adding to a specification by bulk as shown in the figure that follows:
1. Create a file detailing every kind of component that is to be included in the specifica-
tion. This file is known as the geometry input file. For piping, it can contain details of
each component's type, dimension standard, rating, material, and so on. The format of
the piping file is described in the following sub-section ”The Piping Geometry Input
File”, the format of the ducting file is described in “The Ducting Geometry Input File” on
page 280. How to create a geometry input file is explained in “Creating the Geometry
Input File” on page 281.
2. Process the geometry input file, using the Create import file from Macro button from the Pre-
pare and Bulk Load Spec Data dialog. This searches through the catalog producing a list of all
the components specified. The output file is known as the specification definition file.
You can edit this file to remove any items you do not require in the specification. This
step is described in “Creating the Specification Data” on page 282.
3. Process the edited version of the specification definition file, using the Load Bulk Spec File
button from the Prepare and Bulk Load Spec Data dialog. This adds the components to the
specification, creating records in the correct format. This step is described in “Creating
the Specification Data” on page 282.

The Piping Geometry Input File

You can use the commands described in this section to select: material types and schedules,
component types and subtypes, bore size(s), connection types, dimension standards, and rat-
ings within the geometry input file. A short example of a geometry input file is given in “Example
of a Piping Geometry Input File” on page 279.
You can separate each group of commands from the next one by using either the NEW or SIZ1
commands.
Command Description
-- Precedes a comment line which is ignored by the program.
CON1 Selects the primary connection type.
CON2 Selects the secondary connection type.
DIMS Selects the dimension standard.
END Closes the geometry input file. (The use of this command is optional.)
MAT Selects the material type. (The values for the MAT command are case
sensitive unlike the other commands.)

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Command Description
NEXT Processes the last group of commands read, but does not re-initialize
the values such that one or more of the values may be overwritten. The
following example adds all reducing tees with a bore size of 10 mm
through 25 mm, and a bore size of 40 mm through 80 mm:
MAT ASTM A106 GRB
TYPE TEE
STYP REDUCING
DIMS B16.11
CON1 SC
CON2 SC
SIZ1 10-15
NEXT
SIZ1 40-80
NEW Processes the data for the previous group of commands and resets the
values of all fields to undefined.
NOT Specifies an exclusion value for SIZ1, or a range. For example NOT 50
excludes all components with a primary bore size of 50. NOT 51 99
excludes all components with a size in the range 51 through 99. SIZ1
would be set to a range wider than this, such as SIZ1 25 150.
SIZ1 Selects the size of primary bore and processes the data for the previous
group of commands. You can also select a range of primary bores by
using a hyphen. For example:
SIZ1 1 - 2000
Note: SIZ1 must always be the last field in the group as this command
causes the program to search the catalog for matches. The number of
matches found is reported and written to the geometry output file.
SIZ2 Selects the size of the secondary bore or a range of sizes. If the sec-
ondary bore is not specified, the program selects all the components
that satisfy the specification of the primary bore.
STYP Selects the component subtype.
RATE Selects the pressure rating.
SCHE Selects the material schedule. (You could also type THIC.)
TYPE Selects the component type.
DIMB Selects the Dimension standards body DIN EN BS
UNIT1 Selects the Units of Connection Point 1, typically IN or MM
UNIT2 Selects the Units of Connection Point 2, typically IN or MM

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Example of a Piping Geometry Input File

This example specifies three types of valves:

--get all ball valves with a primary bore greater than 25 and
--less than 250 with following values
mat ASTM A105
type valve
styp ball
dims b16.10
rate 150
con1 ff
con2 ff
siz1 25-250
--
--Get all globe valves with primary bore in the range 25 through 250,
-- other values match ball valves
--
styp globe
siz1 25-250
--
--Get all swing-check valves with primary bore in range 25 through 250
--(excluding those in the range 51-99), other values match ball valves
--
styp swing-check
not 51 99
siz1 25-250
--
new
--
--Get ball valves with new set of specifications
--
mat ASTM A106 GRB
thic SCH 10S
type valve
styp ball
dims b16.10
rate 300
con1 rf
con2 rf
siz2 80-130
siz1 100-150
--
end

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The Ducting Geometry Input File

You can use the commands described in this section to select: material types and thickness,
component types and subtypes, section code, size(s), and connection types within the geome-
try input file.
Command Description
MAT Sets material (for example: STEEL).
THIC Sets material thickness.
TYPE Sets component type.
STYP Sets component subtype.
SECT Sets section code.
MAJ1 Sets primary major size (one argument) or inclusive range of sizes
(two, space-separated arguments). Also: MAJ2, MAJ3, MAJ4.
NOTMAJ1 Sets primary major size to exclude (one argument) or range of sizes
to exclude (two, space-separated arguments). Also: NOTMAJ2,
NOTMAJ3, NOTMAJ4.
MIN1 Sets primary minor size or inclusive range of sizes. Also: MIN2,
MIN3, MIN4.
NOTMIN1 Sets primary minor size to exclude or range of sizes to exclude. Also:
NOTMIN2, NOTMIN3, NOTMIN4.
CON1 Sets end type code for connection 1. Also: CON2, CON3, CON4.
SUBMIT Builds condition buffers from defaults set up by previous commands,
and selects all matching components. Subsequent commands that
"set" field values override previous defaults: all other defaults remain
active at the next SUBMIT.
NEW Clears all defaults.
END Optional end-of-file marker command.

Example of a Ducting Geometry Input File

-- Select all rectangular valves of material steel, type valve,

-- major size 600, and connection FF
--
mat STEEL
type VALVE
maj1 600
sect 11

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con1 FF
submit
--
-- Select all bends with the same defaults
--
type BEND
submit
--
-- Select all loose flanges with the same defaults
--
type FLANGE
styp LOOSE
submit
--
-- Reset defaults
new
--
-- Select all steel gaskets
--
mat steel
type GASKET
submit
--
-- Select all steel nuts
--
type NUT
submit
--
-- Select all steel bolts
--
type BOLT
submit
--
end

Creating the Geometry Input File

You create the geometry input file using a text editor. To create a geometry input file specify the
data you require using the commands described in “The Piping Geometry Input File” on
page 277. For guidance on the format of the file, refer to the examples given in “Example of a
Piping Geometry Input File” on page 279 and “Example of a Ducting Geometry Input File” on
page 280. Save the file in the usual way.
Once you have created the geometry input file you need to process it to create a specification
definition file as shown below in ”Creating the Specification Data”.

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Setting Up a Specification

Creating the Specification Data

Once you have created the geometry input file you need to process it. This searches the cata-
logs for suitable data and creates a specification definition file. Finally you create a specification
from the specification definition file. The following dialog supports you.
Press the Bulk Load into Spec button on the Specification Management for Piping or Ducting Spec dialog to dis-
play the Prepare and Bulk Load Spec Data dialog.
Figure 182 Catalog Spec Confirmation Dialog

Bulk Spec Macro File

is a Spec input macro (e.g. for importing all flanges of certain type into spec) as speci-
fied in “Creating the Geometry Input File” on page 281. Example:
MAT ASTM A105
TYPE FLANGE
STYP WN
SIZ1 1-300
Bulk Spec Import File
is the bulk Spec Import file which will be created by the Create import file from Macro button.
Once you entered a Bulk Spec Macro File, this field is entered with the same file name
using the extension dat.
Create import file from Macro
Press this button to produce a bulk Spec Import file (at the specified location) with one
line per pair of records to be added to the spec. Here are the last few lines in a piping
specification definition file:
BSFGCZ2I BC2L3T7C FLANGE WN DIN DIN2638
160 25 25 TF BW
B9PU3ZP0 BC2L3T7C FLANGE WN ANSI B16.5
600 25 25 TG BW
B9PU3XDW BC2L3T7C FLANGE WN ANSI B16.5
900 25 25 TG BW
--
-- TABLE OF MATERIALS
-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- KEY MATERIAL SCHEDULE
-- BC2L3T7C ASTM A105

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Please note: The first column contains the component keys and the second column contains
the key to the Table of Materials. You should not change these.

Load Bulk Spec File

This button loads the above file into the spec selected in the Specification Management dia-
log. Duplicate entries are not imported.

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Setting Up a Specification

Deleting Items from a Specification

Items can be deleted from a local catalog but not from a master catalog, The delete function
does not delete records referenced by components in the design.
1. Select the specification from which items are to be deleted in the Spec Name pulldown
menu.
2. Select items in the list.
3. Click the Delete button.
A dialog is displayed showing the number of records to be deleted.
4. Press Yes to run deletion or No to abort it.
Figure 183 Specification Management Dialog, Deleting Items

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Exporting a Specification

Exporting a Specification

1. Select the specification which is to be exported in the Spec Name pulldown menu.
Figure 184 Specification Management Dialog, Specification Name Pulldown Menu

2. Click the Unload button.

The Unload File Selector dialog is opened. The specification can now be exported. The file
type pulldown menu provides two formats:
• The inp-file format contains a compressed description of the specification in the form
of a macro that can be re-imported using bulk input functionality (see “Adding Items
to a Specification in Bulk” on page 277). The function does not guarantee that the
dat file generated with this macro contains exactly the components of the specifica-
tion, which was exported. The user must check the result in the dat file for correct-
ness. But the macro is a good point to start in case of defining a similar
specification.
• The dat-file is the format, which generates the bulk input from the macro file
described above. This file contains exactly the components, which are in the specifi-
cation, which was exported, due to each line contains the unique identifier of the
component in the first column. This file format is a CSV file format and can be
imported in Excel.
3. Enter a file name in the Unload File Selector dialog and press the Save button.
The actual format is determined by the file extension of the selected filename.

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Setting Up a Specification

Hiding and Unhiding Records of a Specification

The Hide Records functionality allows to remove records of a specification similar to the Hide
Records functionality for Geometry or Material catalog records (see ”Changing the Catalogs”,
“Hiding Records” on page 230). The records are removed in the table of the Current Spec Admin
area, but retained for existing databases. The records are only hidden but not deleted and they
can be displayed again.
As the specification consists of links between the material and geometry records in the catalog,
rather than actual records, hiding an item of a specification means that you remove the link
between the two records and not the data itself.
The status of a record is indicated in the Status (S) field of the table in the Current Spec Admin area.
Two statuses are possible: HIDDEN and USEABLE.
Figure 185 Indication of the Record Status in the Current Spec Admin Table

The display of hidden records in the Current Spec Admin table is controlled by the Show hidden records
option in the backstage area. By default this option is not activated, i. e. only records with USE-
ABLE status are displayed in the table, hidden records are not visible.

Figure 186 File > Administration - Option to Display Hidden Records

If you want to display hidden records in the Current Spec Admin table:
1. Switch to File > Administration > Admin Mode > Catalog Utility (see page 298).
2. Set a check mark in the Show hidden records check box.

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Installing a Master Specification

Hiding Records

To hide one or several records of a specification proceed as follows:

1. Choose the specification of which a record is to be hidden in the pulldown menu of the
Current Spec Admin area to display the records.
2. Select the record/s which you want to hide.
3. Press the Hide button (see Figure 185).
The selected record/s is/are removed from the table or, if the option is activated in the
backstage area (see Figure 186), indicated with status Hidden.

Unhiding Records

Hidden records can be made useable again.

1. Select the hidden record which is to be made useable in the Current Spec Admin table.
Consider that the Show hidden records option (see Figure 186) has to be checked to see
hidden records.
2. Press the UnHide button (see Figure 185).

Please note: You can change the status of several specification records at one time.
The selection of records can be done in the usual way:
Clicking on a first record and then on a second while pressing the STRG key,
selects the single records.
Click on a first record and then on a second anywhere in the table while pressing
the SHIFT key, selects all records between first and second selection.

Installing a Master Specification

If you are working on a master specification then you need to install the data into the read-only
area of the database. To do this, select the Install Master Spec button from the Specification Man-
agement dialog.
The installation starts as soon as you select the option.

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CONSISTENCY CHECKS

This chapter explains how to add and remove consistency checks from the current database for
use in Piping Design, Ducting Design, Electrical and Hangers and Supports.

• General .................................................................................. 290

• Piping ..................................................................................... 291

• Ducting................................................................................... 292

• Electrical ................................................................................ 293

• Support .................................................................................. 294

• Working on Consistency Checks ........................................... 295

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Consistency Checks

General

M4 PLANT allows you to add, remove, and modify standard and user-defined consistency
checks.
To administer consistency checks activate the Admin Mode in the File tab to enable the Administrator
menu containing the Discipline Administration.
Figure 187 Discipline Administration

When a designer selects consistency checking in Interactive Design, the Interference Checker
looks for:
• Incompatible bores
• Cases where the radius of a bend is too small for the diameter of the pipe
• Cases where a tube or instance is misaligned with a connection point
• Cases where the component and end types are inconsistent
The standard checks are in certain files, e.g. cclink.bif, which are located in PIPING, DUCTING,
ELECTRICAL or SUPPORT subdirectories of the BACIS directory of the appropriate product, e.g.
<M4 install. dir.>\piping\piping\bacis\piping\cclink.bif.

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Piping

Piping

Choose Piping from the Discipline Administration area and then click the button to open the follow-
ing dialog:
Figure 188 Piping Administration Dialog

The standard checks are defined in the following files:

Table 31 Piping

ccinst.bad Checks the specified instances for the correct bore size, fit of adjacent
components (without tubes), and for matching end types. It ignores
tubes with olets.
cclink.bad Checks the specified links for incompatible bore sizes, matching end
types, minimum bend radius, minimum length, and the off-orthogonal
tolerance at connection points.

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Consistency Checks

Ducting

Choose Ducting from the Discipline Administration area and then click the button to open the fol-
lowing dialog:
Figure 189 Ducting Administration Dialog

The standard checks are defined in the following files:

Table 32 Ducting

ducting_ccinst.bad Checks the specified instances for the correct size, section code,
fit of adjacent components, and for matching end types. It
ignores ducts with olets and other similar components.
ducting_cclink.bad Checks the specified links for incompatible sizes, matching end
types, section code, minimum length, the off-orthogonal toler-
ance at connection points and twist.

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Electrical

Electrical

Choose Electrical from the Discipline Administration area and then click the button to open the fol-
lowing dialog:
Figure 190 Electrical Administration Dialog

The standard checks are defined in the following files:

Table 33 Electrical

electrical_ccinst.bad Checks the specified instances for the correct size, section code,
fit of adjacent components, and for matching end types.
electrical_cclink.bad Checks the specified links for incompatible sizes, matching end
types, section code, minimum length, the off-orthogonal toler-
ance at connection points and twist.

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Support

Choose Support from the Discipline Administration area and then click the button to open the fol-
lowing dialog:
Figure 191 Support Administration Dialog

The standard check is defined in the following file:

Table 34 Supports

sup_geom_ccheck.bad Checks whether supports are connected correctly to pipe

geometry.
sup_temp_ccheck.bad Checks that the temperature of the specified pipe compares
with the data in the support load table.

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Working on Consistency Checks

Working on Consistency Checks

Inside the administration dialogs given on the previous pages you can define consistency check
procedures but you cannot work on the procedure’s contents. If you want to work on the con-
tents, you have to edit the appropriate procedure inside a text editor.

Adding a New Consistency Check

To add a new consistency check to the current database:

1. Select a discipline option from the Discipline Administration area.
2. Press the button.
3. Type in a Name of the new check procedure.
This should correspond to the name of the Bacis2 procedure which defines it, although
the procedure does not need to exist at this stage.
4. Type in a brief description of the check procedure.
5. Press the New button to add it to the current database.
The new procedure is added immediately to the list and to the database.

Modifying a Consistency Check Description

To modify a check procedure’s Description:

1. Select a discipline option from the Discipline Administration area.
2. Press the button.
3. Select the Name from the list.
4. Modify the Description.
5. Press the Modify button.
The selected procedure is modified immediately. The entry inside the list and inside the
database is updated.

Removing a Consistency Check

To remove a check procedure from the database (but not delete the check procedure):
1. Select a discipline option from the Discipline Administration area.
2. Press the button.
3. Select the Name from the list.
4. Press the Remove button.
The selected procedure is removed immediately from the list and from the database.

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MISCELLANEOUS

This chapter contains miscellaneous Administration tasks which were not explained in previous
chapters.

• Administrator Options ............................................................ 298

• M4 PLANT Colors .................................................................. 304

• Catalog Sheet Tool................................................................. 307

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Miscellaneous

Administrator Options

Choose File > Administration > Administrator to display the Administrator options.
Admin Mode must be switched on to enable all Administrator options.

Figure 192 File Tab > Administration > Administrator

Import and Model Load Options

For loading equipment the Administrator can give the user several rights. The Import and Model
Load Options apply to the Equipment Library dialog which is explained in the M4 PLANT Guide,
chapter “Equipment - Home Tab, section Equipment Library Dialog“.

Import Options

Figure 193 Import Options.

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Administrator Options

Allow adding colors

enables the Color Mapping icon in the Import Options dialog used for importing STEP files.
Allow modification of Equipment Description
enables the button for opening the default text editor for adding or modifying the
description text file whose contents are displayed in the Equipment Description field of the
Equipment Library dialog.

By default both options are off. To activate an option set a check mark in the relevant box.

Model Load Options

Figure 194 Model Load Options

The Model Load Options define which color will be used as default when loading a model. They
apply to the Model Color Settings on the Settings tab of the Equipment Library dialog. Each option refers
to the color modes explained on page 304.
Subsystem
uses the color defined for the selected subsystem (mode 0).
M4 PLANT colormap
uses the colors of the color map of M4 PLANT (mode 1).
Mapping table
uses the colors of the color map of M4 2D/3D (mode 2).

Catalog Utility

Figure 195 Catalog Utility

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Miscellaneous

The Catalog Utility options are used to add, edit and remove catalog items and setting up specifi-
cations either in the Master or Local catalog. The button opens the Catalog Utility dialog. For
details on the dialog read the chapter “Changing the Catalogs” on page 217 and “Changing the
M + AEC Catalog” on page 245. If you want to set up a specification, please read “Setting Up a
Specification” on page 271.

Discipline Administration

Figure 196 Discipline Administration

The button opens the Administration dialog for the selected discipline. You can add, remove
and modify standard and user-defined consistency checks. For details on the dialog read the
chapter “Consistency Checks” on page 289.

Texture Administration

Figure 197 Texture Administration

The Add, delete or modify textures button opens the Texture Administration dialog displaying all valid
files which can be used as textures. Valid files are of type "gif", "jpg", "jpeg" from all folders
<product>\ am\textures\.

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Administrator Options

Figure 198 Texture Administration Dialog

Name, Width and Height

can be modified via this dialog, Name is limited to 8 characters and needs to be unique.
Keep Ratio
keeps the ratio between Width and Height.
Browse opens a file browser for "gif", "jpg", "jpeg" files. Once you have selected a file in the
browser, you have to Add it to use it as texture.
Add copies the selected file in the Browser into the last <product>\ am\textures\ folder of the
product list which is a customer product in most cases.
Modify saves changes of Name, Width and Height.
Delete deletes the file selected in the list from the folder and the dialog.

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Miscellaneous

Version / Region

File > Administration > Version / Region opens the Version and Region Management dialog.
Figure 199 Version and Region Management Dialog

The example above shows the dialog displaying data of the exampledb.
The dialog is used to administrate database versions. For details on versions read “About
Versions” on page 115 and the following chapters.

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Administrator Options

JDBC Source

File > Administration > JDBC Source opens the JDBC Source Configuration dialog.
Figure 200 JDBC Source Configuration Dialog

For details on the JDBC Interface read the “API Guide, chapter JDBC Interface. Additional infor-
mation is described in the M4 PLANT Guide, chapter JDBC Interface“.

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Miscellaneous

M4 PLANT Colors

M4 PLANT uses another mapping table for colors than M4 2D and 3D. Because colors are
assigned internally using a color number, M4 and M4 PLANT colors can look different for the
same number.
In order to display models with the right color M4 PLANT provides different color modes defin-
ing to display equipment colors according to the used subsystem, the M4 PLANT color map or
the M4 color map. The color mode can be defined individually for any loaded model.

Color Modes

M4 PLANT equipment can be displayed using three different color modes:

• mode 0 - display with the color defined for the subsystem
• mode 1 - display with the color defined for the M4 PLANT color map, see below ”Set-
ting up M4 PLANT Color Table”
• mode 2 - display with the color defined for M4 2D and 3D, explained in the “M4 Admin-
istration Guide, chapter Administration, section Setting up Standard Colors“.
For defining the default mode see ”Administrator Options”, “Model Load Options” on page 299.
Inside M4 PLANT the mode is defined by the user when loading a model. For details see the
“M4 PLANT Guide, chapter Equipment - Home Tab, section Equipment Library Dialog, sub-sec-
tion Settings Tab“. The color mode number is displayed in the Instance Properties dialog, explained
in the “M4 PLANT Guide, chapter Instance Properties“.

Setting up M4 PLANT Color Table

M4 PLANT Model Colors

The M4 PLANT color table is defined in the file am_ws_init.bac in the project directory for the cur-
rently used workstation (e.g. <project>\med\ws\ws_default\). Inside this file all M4 PLANT colors
are defined inside the procedure am_set_colours using the following syntax:
am_colour (index, val1, val2, val3)
index is the color number. Possible values are 1 to 256.
val1, val2, val3 are values between 0.0 and 1.0 and represent the RGB val-
ues (1.0 equates to 255).
Inside the procedure am_set_colours you can add and modify colors as required.

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M4 PLANT Colors

Please note: If you change or add values in the file am_ws_init.bac for your workstation consider
that any reconfiguration will create a new file and your changes will be lost.
So we recommend to copy the file am_ws_init.bac into your custom product, add
or change colors there and then copy it back to your project.

The following example shows the default settings in ws_default:

am_set_colours:-proc()
am_colour( 0;0.25;0.63;0.75) -- Background colour (Sky Blue)
am_colour( 1;1.00,1.00,1.00) -- Default colour (White)
am_colour( 2;1.00,1.00,0.00) -- Yellow (is also tail colour)
am_colour( 3;0.00;0.50;0.00) -- Dark Green
am_colour( 4;0.00;0.00;0.50) -- Dark Blue (is also cage colour)
am_colour( 5;0.80;0.00;0.00) -- Light Red (is highlight colour)
am_colour( 6;0.50;1.00;0.00) -- Light Green
am_colour( 7;0.00;0.87;1.00) -- Light Blue
am_colour( 8;0.90;0.90;0.90) -- Steel
... (further colors)
endproc

M4 PLANT Background Color

The background color of the display area is also defined in the file am_ws_init.bac. You can
switch between backgrounds in the General Options area of the Defaults dialog (see the “M4 PLANT
Guide, chapter Defaults, section General Options“).

am_set_colours:-proc()
... (M4 PLANT colors)
... (M4 colors)

-- Default background color

am_colour(10000; 0.27; 0.43; 0.65)
am_colour(10001; 0.95; 0.95; 0.91)
-- Background1: grey background gradient
am_colour(10002; 0.62; 0.608; 0.568)
am_colour(10003; 0.953; 0.95; 0.906)
-- Background2: dark blue gradient
am_colour(10004, 0.0, 0.0, 0.6)
am_colour(10005, 0.0, 0.0, 0.1)
-- Background3: the old one
am_colour(10006, 0.247, 0.631, 0.749)
am_colour(10007, 0.247, 0.631, 0.749)
endproc

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Miscellaneous

M4 Colors

Because M4 PLANT cannot access the standard M4 2D/3D color mapping table,
M4 colors have to be also defined inside the M4 PLANT color table.
The index numbers for M4 colors are defined as M4 PLANT index + 256, e.g. M4 PLANT
color 2, yellow, is M4 color 258. The M4 color index can get values between 256 and 384.
If M4 colors are not defined in the M4 PLANT color map, in case of loading a model using color
mode 2 - display with the color defined for M4 2D and 3D - the appropriate M4 PLANT color will
be used.
The example below gives the default settings in ws_default. It is inside the same procedure
am_set_colours as given in “M4 PLANT Model Colors” on page 304.

am_set_colours:-proc()
... (M4 PLANT colors)
-- M4 colours
am_colour(256, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00)
am_colour(257, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00)
am_colour(258, 0.00, 0.80, 0.00)
am_colour(259, 0.00, 0.00, 0.80)
am_colour(260, 0.00, 0.70, 0.70)
am_colour(261, 0.56, 0.49, 0.33)
am_colour(262, 0.82, 0.46, 0.37)
am_colour(263, 0.82, 0.80, 0.21)
am_colour(264, 0.00, 0.00, 1.00)
... (further colors)
endproc

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Catalog Sheet Tool

Catalog Sheet Tool

The Catalog Sheet tool is for administrators to create documentation for their own routines, so that
people adding new routines to their catalog have a visual reference for what the parameters you
enter into the catalog tool change. The tool is available in the Misc tab > Utilities tool group and it
is disabled as long as no single catalog component is selected; it works with all catalogs except
steel, which works quite differently.
Figure 201 Miscellaneous Tab, Utilities Tool Group

To use the tool, single select a catalog component in M4 PLANT and press the tool button.
A M4 DRAFTING sheet with views of the component at each detail level and a list of the param-
eter descriptions is immediately created. The sheet is stored automatically in the <Cata-
log>\<catalog>\bacis\doc directory using the name of the routine as the file name (e.g. cv_balv
gives cv_balv.she as shown in Figure 202, “Resulting Documentation Sheet for a Ball Valve” on
page 308). The following list shows the paths in detail in which documentation sheets are
saved:
cvcat_cs\cvcat\bacis\doc
mhcat_cs\mhcat\bacis\doc
elcat_cs\elcat\bacis\doc
ducat_cs\ducat\bacis\doc
If there is an existing sheet in the doc directory then it is called up and the graphic is replaced. If
no sheet is present then the <catalog>_routine_template.she from the doc directory is used to cre-
ate a new one.

Please note: If a sheet already exists, only the lines for the component are replaced. Other el-
ements of the documentation sheet like dimensions and texts are not affected and
have to be corrected manually in M4 2D.

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Miscellaneous

Figure 202 Resulting Documentation Sheet for a Ball Valve

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APPENDIX MESSAGES

#1 is not a valid database directory

You are trying to start M4 PLANT by specifying a directory which is not an M4 PLANT
database.

Authority level must be between #1 and #2

You do not have the sufficient authority to do this operation.

Backed out of update block - Table

Error adding data to the database. All earlier modifications have been removed

Bad line in file at line #1

There is a problem with line #1 in your catalog data input file.

Cannot delete #1 #2 - not created in this version

If you want to delete this object you must delete it in the version in which it was cre-
ated.

Cannot delete specification record in master catalog.

You cannot delete an item from a master Piping specification as it is not possible for
M4 PLANT to verify whether the item is used in any of the databases created for other
projects which reference this specification.

Cannot open AM database

If this is a multi-user database, then you need to start the database server. If this is a
single-user database, then the database may be corrupt; try recovering it using the
Recover option on the Home tab of the Project Manager.

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Appendix Messages

Cannot open ascii dump file

The specified ASCII dump file cannot be found.

Cannot open database

The database may be corrupted; try recovering it using the Recover option on the Home
tab of the Project Manager.

Cannot open VERSIONS database

The VERSIONS database may be corrupted; try recovering it using the Recover option
on the Home tab of the Project Manager.

Cannot write to batch directory #1

The batch directory does not exist or is not in the expected location.

Catalog #1 does not exist

The catalog directory does not exist or is not in the expected location.

Catalog installation failed

It is not possible to install the catalog in the DB directory, the read-only area of the
master catalog. Check the file protections and ownership in the installed area.

Could not find catalog #1

The catalog directory does not exist or is not in the expected location.

Could not find version's parent

Could not find the version's parent for the merge. Try recovering the VERSIONS data-
base using the Recover option on the Home tab of the Project Manager.

Could not recover - exiting

The database could not be recovered; install your backup copy.

Database is locked by another user

Someone else is using the database. You cannot access this database until this other
user is no longer using it.

Discipline #1 does not exist

Your project is not configured for this application (discipline).

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Error calling routine #1

The required drawing routine could not be found.

Error detected whilst attempting to insert record

Error detected whilst attempting to modify record
Error detected whilst attempting to remove record
Check that the required operation has been carried out.

Error generating GFS database... check error

Likely causes are access rights, or failure to open and close the new GFS database.

Error generating model - task aborted

There is a problem with the design data which you are trying to model.

Error occurred: Region #1 may not have been added

Error occurred: Region #1 may not have been deleted
Error occurred: Region #1 may not have been modified
Check that the required operation has been carried out.

Error opening AM database - possibly in use!!

Check no-one else is using the AM database. If anyone is using the AM database, ask
them to log out. Alternatively, the AM database is corrupted and needs to be recovered
using the Recover option on the Home tab of the Project Manager, or the database is non-
existent.

Error opening master database #1

The database may be corrupted; try recovering it using the Recover option on the Home
tab of the Project Manager.

Error reading input file at line #1

There is a problem reading the geometry input file at line #1.

Failed to Open Generic File Server Database...

The GFS database may be corrupted, or in use. If it is corrupted try using the Recover
option on the Home tab of the Project Manager. If it is in use, log the users out.

GFS pathname #1 too long for GFS correspondence database

You should reduce the pathname declaration in the GFS.INF file to conform with the
definition in the GFS.DDF file.

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Appendix Messages

Illegal attempt to update #1 data

You do not have authority to update this type of data (in Interactive Design). If neces-
sary change the version or user access rights.

Illegal attempt to update data (outside legal region)

You do not have authority to work (in Interactive Design) outside the region defined for
this version. If necessary change the region size.

Illegal pen definition - all values must be integers or reals

Use only numbers: letters are not acceptable.

Invalid GFS transfer type #1. Line number #2

Valid GFS transfer types are manual or nfs.

Line number #1 has insufficient data for the GFS correspondence data-
base
There is less than three substrings on line #1 in the GFS.INF file.

Line number #1 has more data than the GFS correspondence database is
designed for
There are more than three substrings on line #1 in the GFS.INF file.

Material #1 not found at line #2

The material specified at line #2 in the geometry input file was not found in the catalog.
Check that you have entered the material correctly in the geometry input file.

Model #1 is not in the database

The model file reference is not in the database.

Model file #1 does not exist

The model file is not available.

Name #1 used in both versions

There is a duplicate name in one of the versions that you are trying to merge. Change
one of the names.

No catalog administration module found

The project is configured for this catalog but the BACIS directory cannot be found;
check its location.

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No disciplines are currently defined

The current combination of user and version access rights does not give you access to
any of the disciplines (Piping, Steel, Ducting, or Supports).

No file chosen
No file name has been supplied. You should enter something other than "" as a file
name.

Not a Bacis File

The file your attempting to store is not a recognized Bacis file (.bac).

Not a leaf
You can only work in Interactive Design or in Drawing Administration, when you are
logged in to a leaf version; the current version is a branch.

Not a valid MEDUSA option #1

Chosen M4 option does not exist. Choose another one.

Only system administration access permitted

The database is closed. You need to start the database server if you want to carry out
other types of tasks.

Project has not been configured with MED3D product

MED3D product is missing from the product list; you need to reconfigure the project.
See ”Configuring a Project”, “Creating a Product List” on page 34 for an example of a
product list containing MED3D.

Specification Definition File #1 cannot be read

Cannot read from requested Specification Definition file. You should check the location
of the file or the filename.

Specification Definition File #1 cannot be written

Cannot write to requested Specification Definition file. You should check the protec-
tions and ownership of the directory that you are attached to or of the directory contain-
ing file #1.

String too long!! Line Number #1

Line #1 is too long to store in the table BACODE$. You should shorten it (break it into
two or more lines) and re-run the option you have chosen.

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Appendix Messages

The database directory already contains database files

You are attempting to create a database in a database directory which already con-
tains M4 PLANT database files. Specify a different pathname for the database direc-
tory.

The database is only partially converted

The conversion was only partially successful, perhaps through insufficient disk space.
Delete all the new database files and try again.

The database is only partially generated

The database is only partially created, perhaps through insufficient disk space. Delete
all the new database files and try again.

The database is only partially recompiled

The database could not be recompiled; install your backup copy.

There are no consistency check procedures defined in the database

For information on adding consistency checks, see “Consistency Checks” on
page 289.

There are no free leaf versions available for removal

All leaf versions are in use; you need to wait until a user logs out and a leaf version
becomes available.

There are no free leaf versions available; login is impossible.

All leaf versions are in use; you need to wait until a user logs out and a leaf version
becomes available.

Unable to find catalog record for line #1

The geometry record referred to at line #1 in the geometry input file is not in the cata-
log. Check that you have entered the component details correctly.

Unable to open base sheet file #1

There is a problem with the base sheet file as used for batch plotting.

Unable to open master catalog database, #1

The master catalog database is corrupted in which case use the Recover option, or it is
not in its expected location.

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Unable to read file #1

The database #1 does not exist. You should create it.

Unable to write into AM database that GFS database exists

Cannot write into BACODE$ table. You should check access rights.

Unknown field #1
Field #1 declared in the GFS.DDF file is invalid.

Unknown version merging option

The option you entered is not a valid version merging option. You can select from the
All, Zone, Discipline, System, Subsystem, or Set options.

Version #1 is not a leaf

You cannot use this version for design work, as it is an administration version only.

WARNING No geometry record found with key #1

There is a problem retrieving the geometry data for this piping component; this may
indicate that the geometry record is deleted from the catalog. Alternatively, the catalog
database may be corrupted in which case you could try recovering it using the Recover
option on the Recover option on the Home tab of the Project Manager.

Workstation not configured for Assembly Manager

You have configured a workstation using WSCONFIG but have not configured it for use
with M4 PLANT. For information on using the AMWSCONFIG command, see ”Configur-
ing a Project”, “Configuring a Workstation Using WSCONFIG” on page 40.

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Appendix Messages

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INDEX

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Numeric Authority Levels 154

3D Applications 11 Administration 155
Catalog 155
Version 156
A
Accelerator and Mapkeys 52 B
access
methods of controlling 84 Background Color 305
adapting standard catalogs 22 Backstage area, Project Manager 52
add backup a database 102
a New Region 149 Backup Database 59
Data to the Piping Catalog 23 Backup Directories 55
Data to the Steel Catalog 23 Backup Directories, Restrictions 48
New Consistency Check 295 Batch File for Starting the Project Manager 49
users 158 branch nodes. definition 117
add Items to a Specification in Bulk 277
Adding Catalog Data in Excel 268 C
Adding items to a specification 275 catalog
ADMIN User 157 delete items 237
Administration Authority Levels 155 install updated master - 239
administration of users 160 modify items 236
Administrator, Authority level 54 standard 164
advantages of using versions 116 update from file 232
after image record (AIR) 103 Catalog Administration Authority Levels 155
AIR 103 Catalog Data
Air files 77 Adding or Modifying 268
Alternative Design Strategies 131 Catalog Product Structure 16
AM_MODEL_INDIRS 46 Catalog Sheet, tool 307
AM_MODEL_OUTDIRS 46 Catalog Spec Confirmation Dialog 275
am_ws_init.bac 304 Catalog Utility
am.dbd 65 Exporting catalog data to Excel 266
ampm command 51 Categories of Users 157
AMPM_CONSOLE, Environment Variable 50 ccinst.bad 291
amwsconfig 41 cclink.bad 291
Archive Mode 108 Change the database backup directory 60, 105
Archive Project to File 60 change the version access 137
assign Region to a Version 150 Check Design After Merging 127
Authority level check versions before merging 126
Administrator 54 Color Modes 304
Manager 54 command to start the Project Manager 51
Member 54 comparing two versions 143
Readonly 54 Comparing Version Paths 142
Authority Level, user 54 configuration
choosing a database - 79
configure a workstation 40

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

configure M4 and M4 PLANTProducts 37 delete a version 146

Connection Types 178 delete Items in the Catalogs 237
Connection types Description Text for equipment 26
ducting 190 Design database, definition 78
electrical 197 Details tab, Project Manager 70
piping 179 Dialog
Consistency Check Catalog Spec Confirmation 275
add 295 Create Database 97, 101
remove 295 Project Manager 51
Consistency Checks 289 Recycle Bin 63
control access to the catalogs in the database 81 Directory Structures 16
Copy an existing database 101 Drafting New Items of Equipment - overview 25
Copy Database 59 DUCAT 164
Copy Database dialog 101 Ductcomp Table 186
Copying an existing database 101 ducting
Create a New Database 59 connection types 190
Create Database dialog 97 Type and subtype 187
Creating a new database 97 Ducting Administration Dialog 292
Creating a New Database - overview 19 Ducting Geometry 186
creating a new specification - overview 24 Ducting Materials 192
creating a New Version 136 Ducting Specifications 193
customize M4 PLANT- overview 15 ducting_ccinst.bad 292
CVCAT_CS 175 ducting_cclink.bad 292
Ductmat Table 192
Ductspec Table 193
D Dump Database Records to a Text File 60
Database DUP, Database Utility Program 61
Backup 59
Catalog settings, Specification 100
Copy 59, 101 E
Copying 101 ELCAT 164
Create 97 Elcomp Table 194
Create a new database 59 electrical
Recompile 60 connection types 197
Recover 60 Type and subtype 195
upgrade 113 Electrical Administration Dialog 293
database Electrical Geometry 194
backup 102 Electrical Materials 199
change backup directory 60, 105 Electrical Specifications 200
files 76 electrical_ccinst.bad 293
move 110 electrical_cclink.bad 293
move to a different location 60, 105 Elmat Table 199
recompile 105 Elspec Table 200
recover 104 Enter M4 2D, from Project Manager 64
rename 60, 105 Environment Variable
restore after move 111 AMPM_CONSOLE 50
Database Backup Directory 98 MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS 65
database configuration 79 MPDSREVIEW 72
Database Created with a Local Steel Catalog 85 Environment Variables 46
Database Created with Local Catalogs 80 equipment
Database Created with Master Catalog 79 description text 26
Database Description 68 drafting new items for - 25
Database Descriptions 99 Equipment Models
Database Directories, Restrictions 48 paths 46
Database Directory 98 Example of a Ducting Geometry Input File 280
Database Name 98 Example of a Ducting Geometry Record 186
database organization 75 Example of a Electrical Geometry Record 194
Database status 65 Example of a Piping Geometry Input File 279
Database Utility Program, DUP 61 Example of a Piping Geometry Record 175, 215
database, history.log file 114 Export catalog data to Excel 266
Databases Created with Local and Master Specifications 87 Extra Information on Users 161
DB Controller, Project Manager 53

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

F MHCAT 164
File tab, Project Manager 52 mhcat_cs 215
Model Colors 304
Model Load Options 299
H modify a region 151
history.log 65 modify Items in the Catalogs 236
history.log, database file 114 Modifying Catalog Data in Excel 268
Home tab, Project Manager 52, 58 move a database 110

I O
Import catalog data from Excel into catalog 269 Organizing the Different Versions of the Design -
Import Packages 243 overview 20
inspecting versions 142 overview
install a Master Specification 287 Creating a New Database 19
install an Updated Master Catalog 239 creating a new specification 24
Integration with P&ID 15 Drafting New Items of Equipment 25
interaction between Interactive Design and the catalog Organizing the Different Versions of the Design 20
database 170 Setting Up Systems, Subsystems, and Classes 29
start a new design 18
Users and Assigning Authority Levels 28
L
leaf nodes. definition 117
list Items in a Specification 274 P
Local Catalog Packages, Import 243
reasons for using 86 paths for selecting and creating equipment 46
Local Specification PDC tab, Project Manager 53
reasons for using 87 PDC Tools 53
Log File 114 Piping Administration Dialog 291
Login, Project Manager 62 Piping Catalog
add data 23
piping connection types 179
M Piping Geometry 175
M4 Colors 306 Piping Geometry Table 175
M4 PLANT Piping Materials 181
3D Applications 11 Piping Product Structure 16
Colors 304 Piping Specifications 184
Database Organization 75 Points to Consider When Choosing a Configuration 81
Manage Databases 55 preparing for Next Design Phase 130
Manage DB‘s, Tool Group 59 preparing to start the first design 124
Manage Users Product List 34
Project Manager, File tab 54, 159 Product Pathnames
Manager, Authority level 54 finding out 33
Managing Database Directories 55 Products 32
master catalog Project Manager 47
move to a different location 60, 105 avoid interactive login 51
Master Catalogs Backstage area 52
how read-only - work 93 Console Window 50
Master Catalogs update 84 create batch file 49
Master Specification DB Controller 53
reasons for using 87 Details 70
MEDCONFIG 36 Home tab 52, 58
MEDUSA_AMPM_BACKUP_DIRS 57 List of Databases 65
MEDUSA_AMPM_CONTROL_DB 48 Login 62
MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS 48, 57 PDC tab 53
MEDUSA_AMPM_DB_DIRS, Environment Variable 65 Properties 68
Member, Authority level 54 Recycle Bin 63
merging Sorting and Filtering 66
check design after - 127 start M4 PLANT 65
versions 144 Status Area 73
merging versions 119 Status area 73
Methods of Building a Version Tree 129 View Items 72
Methods of Controlling Access 84 Project Manager Dialog 51

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Project Name 99 Standard Catalogs 164

PROJECT User 157 adapting 22
Properties tab, Project Manager 68 standard catalogs consist of 174
standard Ducting catalog 166
standard Electrical catalog 167
R standard Piping Catalog 164
Read-only Master Catalogs standard Steel Catalog 168
how they work 93 standard Support Catalog 168
Readonly, Authority level 54 start
Reasons for a new design - overview 18
using a Local Catalog 86 the First Design, preparations 124
using a Local Specification 87 startM4PLANT.bat 49
using a Master Specification 87 Status area, Project Manager 73
recompile a database 105 Steel Catalog
Recompile Database 105 add data 23
Recompile database 60 Steel Sections 201
Recover a Corrupt Database 60 Steel Table 201
recover a database 104 sup_geom_ccheck.bad 294
Recycle Bin 63 sup_temp_ccheck.bad 294
Recycle Bin, Tool Group 63 Support Administration Dialog 294
region Support and Loads Tables 212
add new 149 Supports 212
assign to version 150 Types and Subtypes 213
modify 151
remove 152
report on - 151 T
Region Management dialog 148 Texture Administration 300
release the second design phase 130 Tool
release work 126 Catalog Sheet 307
remove consistency check 295 Tool Group
remove region 152 Manage DBs 59
Removing items from a specification 286 Recycle Bin 63
rename database 60, 105 Type and subtype
report on regions 151 ducting 187
Resolving Version Conflicts 119 electrical 195
restore a database after move 111 piping 177
Restore Project from Archive File 60 Types and Subtypes
Restrictions, naming backup directories 48 supports 213
Restrictions, naming database directories 48 Typical Record for a Material 181, 192, 199
Typical Record in the Standard Steel Catalog 201
Typical Record in the Standard Support Catalog 212
S
sample version tree 121
Second Design Phase 130 U
Selecting a Ducting Component from the Catalog 171 Unit Management 35
Selecting a Piping Component from the Catalog 170 update Catalogs from a File 232
Selecting a Steel Section from the Catalog 172 updating master catalogs 84
Setting Up Systems, Subsystems, and Classes - Upgrade an Old Format Database to Current Format 61
overview 29 upgrade database 113
Sorting and Filtering in Project Manager 66 Upgrade tool, Project Manager 61
SPCAT 164 User
spec option from the Administration menu 159
add items 275 User Access Types
add items to - in bulk 277 how they Affect Access to the Database 89
install a master - 287 User Administration (Project Manager) 54, 159
list items 274 User Manager 62, 159
remove items 286 User, authority level 54
Spec Confirmation Dialog 276, 282 Users
Specification Management Dialog 273, 284, 285 add 158
Specification, Database, catalog settings 100 administer 160
SSCAT 164 categories 157
stairway or ladder catalog 207 Users and Assigning Authority Levels - overview 28

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

V Versions
Version advantages 116
assign region to - 150 check before merging 126
change access to data 137 comparing two - 143
create new 136 inspecting 142
delete 146 merging 119, 144
Version Access Types resolve conflicts 119
how they Affect Access to the Database 89 Versions database, definition 78
Version Administration Authority Levels 156 versions.dbd 65
Version and Region Management Dialog 134 View Items tab, Project Manager 72
version path, definition 118
Version Paths W
compare 142 workstation configuration 40
Version Tree
divisions 117
example with Branches and Leaves Marked 117
Methods of Building 129
sample 121
what is it? 117
with a Version Path Marked 119

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