AVEVA VPE PID 7.

2
ACAD

Training

TM-3445

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 AVEVA VPE PID 7.2 ACAD
Training TM-3445

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Mar 08 01 Initial Issue DRAFT DB

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 AVEVA VPE PID 7.2 ACAD
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 CONTENTS

1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 7
1.1 Aim..................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.2 Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Prerequisites .................................................................................................................................... 8
1.4 Course Structure.............................................................................................................................. 8
1.5 Using this guide ............................................................................................................................... 8
2 Session 1.1: Introducing VPE P&ID ....................................................................................................... 9
2.1 What is VPE P&ID? .......................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Hardware, Software and Technical Support ................................................................................. 9
2.3 Concepts........................................................................................................................................... 9
2.4 New Features in Version 7.2 ........................................................................................................... 9
2.5 Creating a VPE P&ID Project ........................................................................................................ 10
Exercise 1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
2.6 Creating and opening a VPE P&ID Drawing................................................................................ 11
Exercise 2 ....................................................................................................................................................... 11
Exercise 3 ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
2.7 The Project Explorer ...................................................................................................................... 12
2.8 Unassigned Items in the Project Explorer................................................................................... 13
2.9 Filtering Unassigned Items ........................................................................................................... 14
2.10 The Symbol Explorer ..................................................................................................................... 14
2.11 AutoCAD Display Options............................................................................................................. 15
2.12 The AutoCAD Design Centre ........................................................................................................ 15
2.13 The AutoCAD VPE P&ID Tool Palette .......................................................................................... 16
2.14 Drawing Page Menus ..................................................................................................................... 16
2.15 Properties Sheets........................................................................................................................... 17
2.16 The VPE P&ID Toolbars and the Commands Menu.................................................................... 18
3 Session 1.2: Equipment/Nozzle Creation ............................................................................................ 19
3.1 Inserting Symbols – Overview...................................................................................................... 19
3.2 Inserting Symbols – Procedure .................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Inserting Equipment ...................................................................................................................... 20
3.4 Inserting Nozzles............................................................................................................................ 20
Exercise 4 ....................................................................................................................................................... 21
3.5 Showing associations between Items ......................................................................................... 22
3.6 Listing Item Data ............................................................................................................................ 22
Exercise 5 ....................................................................................................................................................... 22
4 Session 1.3: Editing Commands .......................................................................................................... 23
4.1 Undo & Redo .................................................................................................................................. 23
4.2 Deleting Items................................................................................................................................. 23
4.3 Stretching ....................................................................................................................................... 23
4.4 Copying ........................................................................................................................................... 24
4.5 Moving............................................................................................................................................. 24
4.6 Mirroring ......................................................................................................................................... 25
4.7 Rotating........................................................................................................................................... 25
Exercise 6 ....................................................................................................................................................... 25
5 Session 1.4: Pipe/Branch Creation and Modification ........................................................................ 26
5.1 Drawing Pipes ................................................................................................................................ 26
5.2 Modifying Pipes.............................................................................................................................. 26
5.2.1 Changing Pipe Style................................................................................................................. 26
5.2.2 Merging Pipes and Branches ................................................................................................... 26
5.2.3 Splitting Pipes........................................................................................................................... 27
5.2.4 Reversing Pipe Flows .............................................................................................................. 27
5.2.5 Adding Pipe Segments............................................................................................................. 28
5.2.6 Merging Pipe Segments ........................................................................................................... 28
5.2.7 Deleting Pipe Segments........................................................................................................... 28
5.2.8 Changing the Length of Pipes.................................................................................................. 29
Exercise 7 ....................................................................................................................................................... 29
5.3 Pipe Crossing Breaks ....................................................................................................................
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Exercise 8 ....................................................................................................................................................... 30
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5.4 Flow Arrows.................................................................................................................................... 31

Exercise 9 ....................................................................................................................................................... 31
5.5 Tracing ............................................................................................................................................ 32
5.6 Adding Tracing to Existing Lines................................................................................................. 32
Exercise 10 ..................................................................................................................................................... 33
Exercise 11 ..................................................................................................................................................... 33
6 Session 1.5: Piping and Inline Components ....................................................................................... 34
6.1 Inserting General Valves ............................................................................................................... 34
6.2 Inserting Pipe Destination Fittings............................................................................................... 34
6.3 Inserting Pipe Off-Sheet Connectors ........................................................................................... 35
6.4 Inserting Reducers and Spec Breaks .......................................................................................... 35
Exercise 12 ..................................................................................................................................................... 35
7 Session 1.6: Signal Lines and Process Links..................................................................................... 36
7.1 Drawing Signal Lines..................................................................................................................... 36
7.2 Drawing Process Links ................................................................................................................. 36
Exercise 13 ..................................................................................................................................................... 37
8 Session 1.7: Inline and Remote Instrument Creation ........................................................................ 38
8.1 Inserting Instrument Control Valves ............................................................................................ 38
8.2 Inserting Flow Elements................................................................................................................ 38
8.3 Inserting Instruments (Instrument Balloons) .............................................................................. 39
Exercise 14 ..................................................................................................................................................... 39
9 Session 1.8: Miscellaneous Drafting Functionality............................................................................ 40
9.1 Inserting Unassigned Items .......................................................................................................... 40
9.2 Moving Items to or from the Non-plot Layer ............................................................................... 40
9.3 Global Layer Change ..................................................................................................................... 40
9.4 Individual Symbol Exchange ........................................................................................................ 41
9.5 Global Symbol Exchange .............................................................................................................. 41
9.6 Drawing Revision Clouds.............................................................................................................. 41
Exercise 15 ..................................................................................................................................................... 42
10 Session 2.1: Equipment/Nozzle Labelling ....................................................................................... 43
10.1 Labelling – Getting Started ........................................................................................................... 43
10.2 Label Validation.............................................................................................................................. 44
10.3 Label Symbols and “Remembered” Values ................................................................................ 45
10.4 Labelling Equipment...................................................................................................................... 45
10.5 Labelling Vessel Trim .................................................................................................................... 45
10.6 Labelling Nozzles ........................................................................................................................... 46
Exercise 16 ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
11 Session 2.2: Pipe and Component Labelling .................................................................................. 47
11.1 Labelling Pipes............................................................................................................................... 47
11.2 Labelling Trim Pipes ...................................................................................................................... 48
11.3 Labelling Branches ........................................................................................................................ 48
11.4 Labelling Off-Sheet Connectors (Pipe Flags) ............................................................................. 48
11.5 Labelling Reducers ........................................................................................................................ 49
11.6 Labelling Breaks ............................................................................................................................ 49
11.7 Labelling General Valves .............................................................................................................. 49
11.8 Inheriting Data from Owning Pipes .............................................................................................. 50
Exercise 17 ..................................................................................................................................................... 50
12 Session 2.3: Instrument Labelling ................................................................................................... 51
12.1 Labelling Remote Instruments ..................................................................................................... 51
12.2 Labelling Instrument Control Valves ........................................................................................... 51
12.3 Labelling Flow Elements ............................................................................................................... 52
Exercise 18 ..................................................................................................................................................... 52
13 Session 2.4: Label Editing ................................................................................................................ 53
13.1 Cascading Data .............................................................................................................................. 53
13.2 Adding and Modifying Pipe labels ............................................................................................... 53
13.3 Modifying Reducer Labels ............................................................................................................ 53
13.4 Modifying Spec Break labels ........................................................................................................ 54
13.5 Deleting Labels and Labelled Items ............................................................................................. 54
13.6 Using the Find and Replace Facility ............................................................................................ 55
Exercise 19 ..................................................................................................................................................... 55
14 Session 2.5: Further Labelling Functionality .................................................................................. 56
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14.1 Adding a Drawing Title .................................................................................................................. 56

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14.2 Sheet Attribute Label Inheritance................................................................................................. 56

Exercise 20 ..................................................................................................................................................... 57
14.3 Setting a Pipe Label as the “Main” Label .................................................................................... 58
14.4 Adding Pipe Destination Text ....................................................................................................... 58
14.5 Adding Notes to Items ................................................................................................................... 58
14.6 Adding Dynamic Labels ................................................................................................................ 59
14.7 Design Data Templates ................................................................................................................. 59
14.8 Dynamic Labels from VPE Workbench........................................................................................ 59
14.9 Editing non-VPE P&ID text............................................................................................................ 60
14.10 Adding Typical Item Details ...................................................................................................... 60
14.11 Instrument Pattern Labels......................................................................................................... 61
Exercise 21 ..................................................................................................................................................... 61
15 Session 2.6: Drawing Validation and Export................................................................................... 62
15.1 Detecting and Deleting Corrupted Items ..................................................................................... 62
15.2 Drawing Synchronisation and Export.......................................................................................... 62
Exercise 22 ..................................................................................................................................................... 63
16 Session 2.7: Project Setup Overview............................................................................................... 64
16.1 Project Configuration .................................................................................................................... 64
16.2 Project Symbols ............................................................................................................................. 64
16.3 Project Pipe, Signal Line and Tracing Styles.............................................................................. 64
17 Session 2.8: Full P&ID Exercise and Plotting P&IDs ..................................................................... 65
Exercise 23 ..................................................................................................................................................... 65
17.1 Plotting P&IDs ................................................................................................................................ 65

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 CHAPTER 2

1 Introduction

Throughout this Training Manual, ‘VPE Workbench’ is used in place of the full name ‘VANTAGE Plant
Engineering Workbench’.

1.1 Aim

To provide sufficient information and practice to enable a Process Draughtsman or Engineer to create and
modify large, complex P&IDs using VPE P&ID

1.2 Objectives

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

 Use VPE P&ID

 Understand the concepts of VPE P&ID
 Know how to load and initialise VPE P&ID
 Use graphical user interface
 Place and manipulate Equipment
 Place and orientate Nozzles
 Associate Nozzles with their owning Equipment
 Use the editing commands in VPE P&ID
 Create pipes in a variety of styles
 Add breaks, flow arrows and different tracing styles to a pipe
 Insert Valves, Reducers, Spec breaks, inline fittings, pipe destination fittings and off-sheet
connectors
 Insert inline equipment
 Swap one symbol for another
 Create Signal lines
 Create Process links
 Create, position and orientate Instrument items
 Reposition an inline instrument’s label balloon
 Insert Unassigned items
 Move items to and from the non-plot layer
 Exchange one symbol for another
 Globally exchange types of symbols
 Create assemblies containing different item types
 Start labelling items
 Label validation
 Label Equipment
 Add Equipment trim labels
 Label Nozzles
 Label Pipes, Branches and Trim Pipes
 Label Valves, Reducers and Spec breaks
 Use the ‘Auto-labelling’ and ‘Auto-validation’ features for Pipes
 Label all types of Instruments
 Understand how ‘Auto-labelling’ works for Instruments
 Edit existing labels and how to add and remove them when required
 Understand how pipeline label changes affect connected pipes
 Add a title to a drawing sheet
 Know sheet attribute label inheritance
 Set a pipe label as a “main” label
 Add Destination text to lines
 Add Notes to an item
 Add and refresh Dynamic Labels and Design Data Templates www.aveva.com
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 Label non-VPE P&ID text

 Label items with User-Defined Attributes
 Understand Typicals and Pattern Labels
 Check the correctness of the whole drawing
 Fix errors on the drawing
 Save the data to files
 Save the data directly to VPE Workbench
 Understand the structure of a VPE P&ID project
 Create a complete VPE P&ID
 Plot P&IDs

1.3 Prerequisites

It is important to understand the following prior to undertaking the course:

 A basic understanding of AutoCAD

 The principles behind a P&ID drawing

1.4 Course Structure

Training will consist of oral and visual presentations, demonstrations and set exercises. Each workstation
will have a training project, populated with model objects. This will be used by the trainees to practice their
methods, and complete the set exercises.

1.5 Using this guide

Certain text styles are used to indicate special situations throughout this document, here is a summary;

Menu pull downs and button press actions are indicated by bold dark turquoise text.
Information the user has to Key-in will be red and in bold Italics.
Annotation for trainees benefit:

 Additional information
 Refer to other documentation

System prompts should be bold and italic in inverted commas i.e. 'Choose function'
Example files or inputs will be in the courier new font, colours and styles used as before.

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 CHAPTER 2

2 Session 1.1: Introducing VPE P&ID

2.1 What is VPE P&ID?

VPE P&ID is an application that can be combined with AutoCAD, to draw intelligent P&IDs quickly and
accurately. The P&ID intelligence is added through a combination of Project Configuration and user entered
engineering labels or tags as the drawing is created. This data, together with the graphical information of the
drawing, can be transferred to VPE Workbench, VPE P&ID Reports, or another software package. Loop
numbers can be imported and design information displayed in VPE P&ID drawings from VPE Workbench,
ensuring consistency between the P&IDs and the project database.

2.2 Hardware, Software and Technical Support

The AutoCAD version of VPE P&ID 7.2 can run in association with AutoCAD 2008. It can be used on any
hardware that is capable of running this software and has the minimum specification detailed by Autodesk.

Technical support for a VPE P&ID project should be provided by a VPE administrator.

2.3 Concepts

VPE P&ID is equipped with a modern user interface designed with P&ID productivity in mind. The interface
includes numerous toolbars, property sheet style dialogue boxes, menus, a Project Explorer, Symbol
Explorer and <right-click> pop-up menus that speed up graphical creation, making it over a third faster then
using AutoCAD on its own.

Items that logically reside together (for example, items of equipment with nozzles) are associated together
when placed by VPE P&ID and added into the Project Explorer. The hierarchy of associated items can be
viewed in the VPE P&ID Project Explorer.

Symbols can be selected and inserted using the Symbol Explorer. Unassigned items, i.e. items in the VPE
database not assigned to any project drawing, can be inserted from the Project Explorer.

Labels can be added to symbols when they are inserted or later when project data becomes available,
hence preventing bottlenecks in flow diagram production. Pipe routes are easily modified making the
pipeline graphical creation very flexible.

Pipeline connectivity is read from the drawing during output and either saved to the VPE Database (Save to
Model), or to file, providing maximum inheritance of line information (i.e. size, etc.).

Other features include the online validation of labels and pipe routes, the easy substitution of client blocks,
with no naming restrictions, and the ability to read in client drawings/designs or to scan them for use as
backgrounds.

VPE P&ID can be configured to suit the requirements of individual clients and projects. An overview of this
will be provided later.

2.4 New Features in Version 7.2

In addition to the training of new users, this course can be used as a refresher course for existing users of
VPE P&ID (AutoCAD), in order to familiarise them with the new features available with version 7.2:
 VPE P&ID 7.2 is compatible with AutoCAD 2008 only (SP3 is also compatible with 2009).
 The procedure for inserting symbols has been streamlined with the introduction of a new
Symbol Explorer. See page 14. www.aveva.com
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 Unassigned items, i.e. items in the VPE database that have not been inserted on a drawing, can
now be made available for insertion from the Project Explorer. See page 13.
 The performance of version 7.2 compared to version 6.1 has been improved in the areas of
loading a drawing, validation and off-line duplicate tag checking across the project. See page
44.
 When an off-sheet connector is placed on a pipe, the pipe node to which it is attached is moved
along the pipe to accommodate the connector symbol, so that the total length of the pipe
including the connector symbol remains the same. See page 35.
 Facilities are provided to detect, highlight and delete corrupted items. See page 62.
 When P&ID data is being exported to P&ID Reports or VPE Workbench, only objects within the
limits of drawings, as specified by the project configuration, will be validated. See page 62.
 Different text styles may be applied to each label type, so that they have distinct appearances.
See page 43.
 Users may find and replace text within item labels. See page 55.
 The Typicals dialogs are now accessible from item shortcut menus. Validated fields are
automatically completed with the value entered in the previous row. See page 60.
 Grips may be used to stretch items and groups or items. See page 23.
 SP3 has a completely new pipe model allowing for much greater flexibility in drawing, modifying,
labelling and inheriting properties.

2.5 Creating a VPE P&ID Project

Exercise 1
To create a VPE P&ID project the Project Wizard application must be used. This can be initiated from the
Windows Start Menu Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Project Wizard and this will guide
you through the steps for creating a new project.

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2.6 Creating and opening a VPE P&ID Drawing

To start using VPE P&ID, create the desired drawing border for your project in AutoCAD.

Drawing border sheets can be XREFs (External references) in AutoCAD if required.

 With VPE P&ID installed AutoCAD will load based on the last profile used,
which will be a VPE P&ID profile. To avoid this place a shortcut to AutoCAD
on the Desktop and add the following in the “Target” box:

"C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\acad.exe" /c "C:\Program

Files\Aveva\VPE\P&ID\acad2008.cfg" /p FRED /nologo

This will load a version of AutoCAD with a new profile called “FRED” and this can
be used whenever a pure AutoCAD session is required without any VPE P&ID
Components.

Exercise 2
Open AutoCAD 2008 or 2009.

Draw a box the size of an A0 sheet of paper (1189 x 841mm), the bottom left-hand corner of the box must
be at the drawing origin (0, 0 coordinate position).

Ensure that when a drawing is created the correct units are selected (Type “MEASUREINIT” at the
command prompt and type “0” for imperial and “1” for metric) and drawing limits are set (Click on Format,
and then Drawing Limits, AutoCAD will then prompt you to select the bottom left and top right extents of the
drawing border) to represent the size of the drawing sheet in the selected units.

Save this drawing as a template file in the VPE Project

directory that has been created, i.e. C:\P&ID
Projects\PID72_3 and exit AutoCAD.

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Exercise 3

Before VPE P&ID can be opened the program licence

must be running, to do this open the licence service
control (LMTOOLS). This can be initiated from the
Windows Start Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA
> FLEXMAN 3.1 SP1 (or FLEXMAN 4.1) > licence
service control (LMTOOLS)). You must have a valid
licence file to run the VPE P&ID software.

Click on the Start/Stop/Reread tab and press the Start

Server button.

 See the Flexman manual for further information on

setting up a licence and configuration of the settings.

To avoid having to repeat this process each time you shutdown and re-start your computer select the
“Config Services” tab, and select the “Use Services” check box, then select the “Start Services at Power
Up” check box.

Close the LMTOOLS application.

Open VPE P&ID and then click “new” either via the icon on
the toolbar, or the File menu, then navigate to the AutoCAD
template that you have just created.

Then open the drawing in VPE P&ID and press the “Load
VPE P&ID” button on the VPE P&ID Graphical
Commands toolbar, and Save this as a new drawing “TEST
PID 01” to allow the border that was created to be used as
a basis for another drawing. Your drawing is now a VPE
P&ID drawing.

For the drawing to be identified the drawing number needs to be

placed on the drawing. To do this press the button on the
toolbar or right click on the drawing and select Properties, the
following dialog box will appear. The Drawing Number field can be
completed and OK selected.

You will then be prompted to place the Drawing number label on

the drawing.

2.7 The Project Explorer

The Project Explorer is displayed by default to the left of the drawing. You can undock it from this position,
move it around the drawing and dock it to any edge of the drawing page. It can also be “floated”, and moved
to any position on the screen - or screens, if you are using dual monitors. When you initialize a session, it is
displayed in the position and mode it was in when your previous session ended. www.aveva.com
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To switch display modes, select either the Dock or Float option from the Explorer Utilities > Project
Explorer sub-menu of the Commands menu. Selecting either of these options will also open the Project
Explorer if it is closed.

The Project Explorer provides a hierarchical view of items within the currently
open drawings. Details of all open drawings within the current project can be
displayed simultaneously. Deleting, adding or modifying an item on a drawing
will cause the Project Explorer to update accordingly. You can control the
amount of information displayed in the explorer by expanding and contracting
the levels using the +/- boxes at the left of each list item.

Items are grouped under one of three headings: Equipment, Instruments and
Pipes. The Equipment heading groups together all equipment items. The
nozzles, trim, trim branches and electrical equipment associated with a top-
level equipment item are included in the hierarchy.
Under the Instruments heading is a simple list of all the instruments on the
drawing.

The Pipes heading groups together all the pipes on the drawing, plus the
hierarchy of all the branches of each pipe. Note that pipes will not be
displayed in the Project Explorer until they have been labelled.

When selected, items and folders in the Project Explorer have a shortcut
(right-button) menu. You can use these to bring up the properties dialogue,
copy, move, delete and find (this zooms to items on the drawing). There are
also options to open new or existing drawings, save data to VPE Workbench
and refresh and sort the displayed hierarchy. These functions are described in
detail later in the course.

If the Symbol Explorer (described after the next topic) is not part of the default
display, the Project Explorer will also include a symbol explorer pane, as described after the Symbol
Explorer topic.

2.8 Unassigned Items in the Project Explorer

Beneath the drawing nodes in the Project Explorer, an Unassigned

node may be displayed. Whether or not this node is displayed is
controlled by a setting in the VPE P&ID Project Administration program.

Beneath this node are listed items in the VPE database that have not
yet been placed on a project P&ID. This list may be filtered to exclude
items types that are not required, both in VPE Workbench, and using the
Filter Unassigned Items dialog (see next topic). It will not include any
item types already filtered out in VPE Workbench.

The list is divided into Equipment and Instruments. Items in the

Equipment list are sub-divided by discipline (Electrical, Mechanical and
Process), then by item type. Items in the Instruments list are sub-divided
by item type only (as they are all of the Instruments discipline).

The list of unassigned items is extracted from the VPE database when a
connection to the database is established (as described in Session 2.5).
After this has taken place, the connection may be discontinued, and the
list derived from a snapshot of the database stored in an XML file.

The appearance of the Unassigned node indicates whether or not a connection to the database is present.
The shortcut menus of the items and folders under the Unassigned node menu include a Refresh option
that is used to refresh the list of unassigned items with any changes that have been made to the database (if
a connection is present) and to update the list with any drawing changes that it is not yet reflecting.

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The item menus also include Insert and Properties options. The Insert option is used to add items to the
current drawing. Items may also be inserted by dragging and dropping onto the drawing page.

The Properties option opens the properties sheet for the selected item, on which the details of the item can
be viewed. While an item is unassigned, no changes may be made to these details except to assign a
Symbol Name, if that has not yet been recorded for the item in the database.

Once an item is placed on a project drawing, it is automatically removed from the Unassigned list, and
moved to the appropriate position on the drawing item hierarchy.

2.9 Filtering Unassigned Items

The list of items under the Unassigned node may be filtered to exclude
items types that are not required. Filters are created and edited using the
Filter Unassigned Items dialog, accessed from the button displayed above.
If the button is green, this indicates that a filter has already been set up.

The list of unassigned item types in the dialog is ordered in the same
way as under the Unassigned node in the Project Explorer. It will not
include any item types already filtered out in VPE Workbench. Next to
each item type is a checkbox. To filter an item type, i.e. remove items of
this type from the Unassigned node, check the appropriate checkbox.

When an item type is filtered, the checkboxes of all “parent” nodes in the
list, i.e. those further up the node hierarchy, are also checked, to indicate
that there is a filter applied at a lower level. For example, if the Agitator
item type is filtered, the Process, Equipment and Unassigned nodes are
also checked, as illustrated above.

If the checkbox of a node at a higher level than item type is checked by

the user, all item types beneath this node in the hierarchy are filtered.
For example, if the Process node checkbox is checked, the checkboxes
of all Process Equipment item types (Agitator, Air Cooled Heat
Exchanger etc) item types will also be checked and these item types
filtered out. The user may then selectively uncheck the checkboxes of
those item types that there is no requirement to filter.

2.10 The Symbol Explorer

The Symbol Explorer is used to select and insert symbols.

Whether or not the Symbol Explorer is displayed by default is controlled by a project

configuration setting. If it is, it will be displayed docked under the Project Explorer. It
can be switched between docking and floating modes in the same way as the Project
Explorer.

It may also be opened from the Insert toolbar, the Insert option on the shortcut menu
of the drawing page, from the Commands menu, and by pressing the Insert key on
your keyboard.

The top section of the pane displays lists of both Project and Standard groups of
symbols, for example valves or nozzles. If a group of symbols is selected, the content
of the group is displayed in the lower section.

The content of a group may be displayed either as icons or as details. You can select
the required format from the drop-down menu accessed from the button in the top-
left corner of the pane.

To refresh the symbol icon images, right-click, and select the Refresh option.

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You can search for a symbol by selecting the button shown on the left. The Symbol Search pane is then
displayed, shown on the right.

Enter all or part of the symbol name in the Find What field, and select either Symbol
Name or Symbol Description from the Find In field. Press enter and the first symbol
that matches the search criteria is then highlighted in the Symbol Explorer. Press enter
again to find additional matches.

Select the ‘X’ button highlighted above to close the Symbol Search pane.

Once the required symbol has been selected it may be inserted by right-clicking on it, and selecting the
Insert option, double-clicking or by dragging and dropping it from the Symbol Explorer onto the drawing
page. Symbol insertion is described in more detail later in the course.

Symbols may also be inserted as “unintelligent” AutoCAD blocks, instead of as intelligent VPE symbols, by
right-clicking on the symbol in question and selecting Insert Block.

2.11 AutoCAD Display Options

The Project Explorer and Symbol Explorer may be displayed as two tabs within a single pane, rather than as
two distinct panes. This is controlled by a project configuration option.

If the Explorers are displayed in this way, pressing Shift-S will close the Explorer pane if it is displayed, and
open it if it is not.

Whether or not the Explorers are displayed in tabs, they may be docked and floated in the same way as
described previously.

Features such as auto-hide and transparency are also available.

2.12 The AutoCAD Design Centre

If the Symbol Explorer is not displayed by default, the Project Explorer will include a symbol explorer pane
instead. This may be used together with the AutoCAD Design Centre to place symbols on P&IDs.

The pane displays lists of both Project and Standard groups of symbols, for example valves or nozzles.
Selecting a folder will open the AutoCAD Design Centre, from which symbols of the selected type can be
placed on the drawing.

When a symbol folder is selected

from the explorer pane, the
AutoCAD Design Centre is
opened displaying images of the
symbols available in that folder.
Symbols can then be dragged and
dropped onto the drawing from the
Design Centre. Symbol insertion
is described in more detail later in
the course.

The Design Centre can be closed

at any time, and will re-open when
a symbol directory is selected.

 When the design centre opens for the first time it displays the symbols but also shows a second
directory hierarchy on the left. This is not required and can be hidden simply by pulling the centre
vertical splitter bar fully over to the left of the design centre dialogue box.

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2.13 The AutoCAD VPE P&ID Tool Palette

The VPE P&ID Tool Palette is a customised version of the AutoCAD

Tool Palette, used to provide another method of inserting intelligent
symbols.

The Tool Palette is loaded as a default and displayed on the right of the
drawing page. If it is closed then it can be re-opened by selecting the
option Tool Palettes Window from the AutoCAD Tools down menu.

To see the full list of tabs available in the tool pallet, right click on the
rolled up tabs (as indicated), and the full list will be displayed.

All the standard symbols are included in the palette and it is

customisable for users to users their own symbols.

 See the user guide for further information on the customisation of

the Tool Palette

2.14 Drawing Page Menus

If you right-click over the drawing page a menu is displayed, this gives access to the display options, insert
symbol dialogue box and a properties option to enter the drawing number, title etc.

If you select an item on the drawing page and right-click, a menu is displayed. The options are context-
sensitive for the given item type.

All items on a drawing page have a number of common options. The Enter and Cancel options are used to
complete or abort commands on the selected item. Options are also available to cut, copy, paste, rotate and
delete items, and to undo changes to the drawing.

The menus for pipes, pipe start nodes, trim pipes and so on include options to delete and add labels and to
add branches and trim pipes.

The equipment menu includes an Add Trim Label option, which is used to label the trim of the vessel.

If multiple items are selected only the actions applicable to all of the selected items will be enabled. This
menu includes the Cut, Copy, Paste, Rotate and Delete options, so that these actions can be carried out on
the multiple items selected.

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Drawing Equipment Pipes Instrument

Segments...

Pipes…

Add Label…

2.15 Properties Sheets

Properties sheets are used to add and modify the “intelligence” associated with engineering items, such as
the label (tag) and other details. Properties sheets can be accessed by selecting an item on the drawing
page or the Project Explorer, and then selecting the Properties option on the shortcut menu for the item.

Each Properties sheet has two tabs; called Ordered and Categorized. The Ordered tab displays all the
fields for completing the details of an item in a logical order. The Categorized tab displays the same fields
but collects them under headings into logical categories. The fields within a category can be hidden or
revealed by using the +/- boxes at the left of each category heading.

Beneath the fields, tips on how to complete each field are

displayed as each field is selected. Many of the fields on a
Properties sheet are completed by selecting from a drop-down
list. These lists contain the values that are “allowed” for the
particular field. These permissible values are configured for the
project via a Project Administrator program. Typing into a pull-
down list will select the first value in the list that matches the
first character typed.

For engineering items, a picture of the selected symbol is

displayed near the bottom of the sheet. Beneath this, a preview
of the label/tag will be displayed, compiled from the entries
made in the data entry fields at that particular moment, and
constructed to suit the format defined for the project.

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2.16 The VPE P&ID Toolbars and the Commands Menu

VPE P&ID Commands The Commands toolbar is used to carry

out a variety of miscellaneous commands
in VPE P&ID.
VPE P&ID Graphical Commands VPE P&ID Insert

The Graphical Commands toolbar is used

to activate VPE P&ID commands that are
used when creating and editing a drawing.

The Insert toolbar is used to open the

Symbol Explorer, from which symbols can
be selected to place on the drawing.

The Pipe toolbar is used to aid the drawing and editing of pipes and process links.

The Properties toolbar is used to facilitate the adding of labels/tags and other intelligence to items on the
drawing, and to check the validity of a newly drawn pipe.

The Signal Lines toolbar is used to aid the drawing and editing of signal lines.

Most VPE P&ID procedures and more can be activated from the Commands dropdown menu.

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 CHAPTER 3

3 Session 1.2: Equipment/Nozzle Creation

3.1 Inserting Symbols – Overview

All VPE P&ID items belong to a specific, project definable, item type that determines its behaviour when
subjected to a command. When a symbol is inserted it will automatically assume the colour and layer
specified for its item type in the project configuration.

The best method of inserting symbols is to use the Symbol Explorer. This may be displayed by default
under the Project Explorer. If it is not, it can be accessed from the Insert toolbar, by pressing the Insert key,
by selecting Insert Symbols> Insert from the Commands menu, or by right-clicking on the drawing page
and selecting Insert. Alternatively, if the Symbol Explorer is not displayed by default, you can select the
symbol category from the symbol explorer pane of the Project Explorer then drag and drop the symbol from
the AutoCAD Design Centre.

Lastly, once a symbol is on the drawing it can be copied and pasted into the drawing multiple times to insert
new symbols. Copy and paste is available by right-clicking and selecting the Copy/Paste options from the
menu with the item selected, or by using the standard CTRL-C, CTRL-V keys.

All symbols may be classified as 1-point or 2-point. 1-point symbols, e.g. pumps, have a single insertion
point and are placed with a single click of the mouse.

Two point symbols, e.g. reducers and spec breaks, have an insertion point, and a second point which must
be selected to determine the orientation or direction of the symbol. Hence two mouse clicks are needed to
correctly place a reducer.

 There is an “auto-labelling” facility, which, if it is on for the category of symbol, will prompt you to label
the symbol immediately after it has been inserted. This facility is described in detail later in the course.

Unassigned items are items in the VPE database that have not been placed on a VPE P&ID project drawing.
If this facility is in use, they are listed under the Unassigned node of the Project Explorer and may be
inserted onto drawings from here. This procedure is also described in detail later in the course.

3.2 Inserting Symbols – Procedure

As described in the previous session, the required category of symbols is selected

from the top section of the Symbol Explorer. The content of the selected category is
then displayed in the lower section. Select the required symbol and then either
double-click, drag and drop it onto the drawing sheet, or right-click, select Insert from
the menu that is then displayed, and click on the drawing sheet.

A Find facility is available to help you search for the required symbol, accessed by
pressing the Explorer button at the top of the pane. See the description of the
Symbol Explorer in the previous session for details of this facility and of the Symbol
Explorer in general.

Alternately, you can select the symbol category in the symbol explorer pane of the
Project Explorer, if this is active for the project. The AutoCAD Design Centre is
opened and displays images of the symbols available in that category. Drag and drop
the required symbol onto the drawing sheet.

Whichever method you use to select a symbol, a ‘ghosted’ image of the symbol will
appear on the cursor. Move the symbol with the mouse to where you want it to be
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 Inserting symbols from the Symbol explorer is a multiple symbol insert. Once the symbol in on the
cursor it can be inserted multiple times without reselecting. Selecting another symbol or command will
cancel the current symbol insert. If the Design centre is used symbol insert is individual. The symbol
must be dragged-and-dropped into the drawing sheet for each symbol insert.

The procedure from this point on varies depending on the type of symbol being inserted.

Instead of inserting symbols, new symbols can also be placed on the drawing by copying and pasting
existing symbols. See the next session for details.

3.3 Inserting Equipment

When starting a drawing, the first symbols to be positioned are usually major equipment items.

There are four types of equipment in VPE P&ID: standard equipment, vessels, electrical equipment and
inline equipment. Standard equipment includes such items as pumps, heaters, fans, blowers, compressors,
hoists, heat exchangers and so on.

Vessels differ from the standard equipment type in that they can have labelled trim and can own trim pipes.

Electrical equipment, such as motors and agitators must be associated with another equipment item when
they are inserted, for example, a motor with a pump.

Inline equipment can only be placed into the drawing in a pipeline, and are labelled as equipment items
and imported into VPE Workbench as such, but are also hosted by that pipeline in VPE Workbench.

All equipment items may be rotated on insertion, and depending on the project configuration, may also be
scaled. They can be changed to any size you want, but be sensible when changing the size of vessel domes
due to the snap grid on the drawing sheet.

Equipment items can be connected to by pipes, which will regard equipment (and nozzles) as end points.

When equipment items are inserted into the drawing an entry is added for each one under the Equipment
section in the Project Explorer, as they are not labelled, the tag in the explorer shows as ‘?-?’ in red and bold
font, to indicate that the label does not exist or is incomplete.

3.4 Inserting Nozzles

Nozzles must be owned by an equipment item in order to be inserted successfully. For example, they can be
inserted onto pumps and vessels.

Nozzles are ‘two-point’ symbols. You will be prompted to pick the point on the drawing where the nozzle will
be inserted, followed by a point to show the direction in which the nozzle is to face. Nozzles must be owned
by an equipment item, if the first point picked is touching an equipment item then it becomes the nozzle
owner. If you haven’t selected an insertion point on an equipment item, you will then be prompted to select
the owning equipment.

Nozzles can be moved around on the same vessel, and cut and pasted between vessels. Nozzles can also
be copied (rather then moved) between vessels. In both cases re-association takes place automatically to
the correct vessel. An entire vessel and its attached nozzles can be copied and the correct association will
be maintained.

When nozzles are inserted into the drawing an entry is added for each one under the parent equipment
reference in the Equipment section of the Project Explorer, as they are not labelled, the tag in the explorer
shows as ‘?’ in red and bold font, to indicate that the label does not exist or is incomplete.

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Exercise 4
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 3. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 01” that was created and open the file.

Switch off the Auto-labelling feature for Equipment and Nozzles on the Properties toolbar. Labelling of
Equipment and Nozzles will be covered in a later session.

Select the Symbol Explorer tab underneath the Engineering Explorer, and this will display the available
symbols to insert. Use the Explorer window to navigate to Equipment > Vessels. Select the ST2.dwg
(Storage Tank) from the list and ‘drag and drop’ this onto the drawing.

Position the vessel on the drawing and left click to insert it, to stop multiple vessels being inserted the ‘Esc’
key can be pressed.

Next nozzles can be attached to the vessel, use the Explorer window to navigate to Nozzles. Select the
FLNN1.dwg (Flanged Nozzle) from the list and ‘drag and drop’ this onto the drawing.

Position the nozzle on part of the vessel symbol, and left click. You will then be prompted to provide an
angle for the nozzle, as you move the mouse the ghosted nozzle will re-orientate itself, when you are happy
a left click will insert the nozzle. As many nozzles as required can be placed and orientated, add an
additional nozzle to the opposite side of the vessel, then the ‘Esc’ key can be pressed to stop further
nozzles being inserted.

Save and close the drawing.

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3.5 Showing associations between Items

To find out which nozzles or electrical equipment are associated with a vessel or other equipment item,

press the toolbar button, and then pick an item. All items associated with the selected item are then
highlighted.

You can also use this procedure to find out any other associations, for example which labels are associated
to what items and which label belongs to which pipe.

3.6 Listing Item Data

To list all the data associated with an item, press the toolbar button, and then select the item. All the
item data is then listed at the command prompt.

This procedure can be used when validating a drawing to check information regarding a selected item, e.g.,
its sequence ID, item type etc; however in normal circumstances this is not required.

Exercise 5
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing border that was created in exercise 2. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the border
drawing that was created in Exercise 2 and open the file. Save this as a new drawing “TEST PID 02” to
allow the border that was created to be used as a basis for another drawing.

Using what we have covered in this session, start building a P&ID by placing the items that appear on the
drawing that your trainer will hand out. Leave one or two Equipment items with their nozzles off of the
drawing, for placing later during the labelling sessions, to practise the ‘auto-labelling’ features.

Practice scaling and rotating the vessels as they are placed – don’t worry if you get it wrong – we will cover
how to correct problems like this in the next session.

Open the Equipment node in the Project Explorer once you have placed the first Equipment and see what
happens when Nozzles are placed. Once Equipment and Nozzles exist on the drawing, practise locating
them by selecting them in the Explorer and using the ‘Find’ option on the right-click menu.

 Ensure Auto-labelling’ of Equipment and Nozzles is switched off on the Properties toolbar

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 CHAPTER 4

4 Session 1.3: Editing Commands

4.1 Undo & Redo

The undo function is used to undo the last change to the drawing. To undo, select the following button .

The VPE P&ID undo command is basically the AutoCAD undo command that has been redefined so it
doesn’t jeopardise drawing integrity.

The redo function is used to reverse a previous undo change to the drawing. To redo, select the following
button . This instruction will redo the last change to the VPE P&ID drawing that was undone.

4.2 Deleting Items

The delete function enables deletion of items and groups of items as one entity. To delete, select the
objects to be deleted, right-click and select the Delete option from the menu, press Delete on your keyboard

or the toolbar button .

You can also select items in the Project Explorer, right-click on them, and select delete from the menu. You
can delete whole collections of items, for example an entire pipe collection including of its branches by
selecting delete on the top level of the collection hierarchy. When items are deleted the Explorer is updated
to reflect the change.

The consequences of deleting vary according to the situation and the types of items being deleted.

In general, items associated together are deleted together. Deleting an equipment item such as a vessel,
with associated nozzles, trim pipes and electrical equipment, will remove everything but the pipework itself.

When deleting an inline item from a pipe with tracing, select the tracing around the item as well as the item
itself. Pipes, process links and signal lines are closed when inline items are deleted. Deleting crossing
pipes will only close the broken line if the break symbols either side of the gap in the pipe are selected.

Nozzle labels are not automatically deleted when the label of the associated equipment is deleted. If a trim
label is deleted, associated trim pipe labels are also deleted.

 The delete command is the AutoCAD delete redefined to ensure drawing integrity. Never use shortcuts
to the native AutoCAD delete on VPE P&IDs as these can corrupt the drawing.

4.3 Stretching

Use the stretch function to stretch objects on a VPE P&ID drawing. There are two methods:

 Grips can be used. These operate much like standard AutoCAD grips.
 If grips are not used, a facility much like the AutoCAD stretch command can be used.

Because connections between items are maintained as stretching occurs, ensure that all items to be
stretched are selected, or the stretch may have unexpected results.

If grips are to be used, select the items that are to be stretched. The grips of the selected items are then
displayed as blue squares.

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From the grips of the selected items, select a base grip or grips. To select multiple grips, hold down Shift
while selecting. The selected grips are displayed as red squares.

Click on the point towards which the selected items are to be stretched. The items stretch to this point while
retaining their connections. The command then ends automatically (unlike in AutoCAD, it is not necessary to
press Esc).

If you do not wish to use grips, press the button . Select the objects that are to be stretched by selecting
the opposite corners of an area. All objects that are entirely within this area are selected. Then there is an
opportunity to remove any items from the selection that are not intended to be stretched. The next prompt
will be to pick a base point from which to stretch, and a point which to stretch to. The items then stretch to
that point while retaining their connections.

4.4 Copying

To copy items, select them on the drawing, and either right click and select Copy, or press Ctrl+C on your
keyboard. Then select Paste from the right-click menu, or press Ctrl+V, and indicate the point that the items
are to be copied to. Multiple items can be copied.

You can also copy items by selecting the appropriate toolbar button , then selecting the items that need
copying, followed by the point or points that they are to be copied to.

Inline items such as valves and reducers may be copied from one pipe or process link to another by
dropping the item onto the second pipe/process link. This will correctly break the pipe/process link in the
same way as a newly inserted item.

Nozzles copied from one vessel to another are automatically associated with the new vessel.

 When copying “owned” items such as nozzles, electrical equipment, interlocks and conditioners, i.e.
items which are hosted on another item, the owner of the copy of the item (e.g. the vessel for a nozzle)
must be selected.

As with deleting, entire collections of items, as well as individual items, can be copied using the Project
Explorer. Explorer copy options work differently from the options described above. You will be prompted to
pick a logical base point on the drawing. You will then be prompted to pick the point for the item(s) to be
copied to. The copy then takes place.

The labels of the copied items are automatically copied. All or parts of copied labels may be replaced by the
project null character (e.g. ?), in order that they do not duplicate the original label and so that they preserve
label uniqueness. For labels that contain multiple fields the Number field is also “nulled” in this way.

4.5 Moving

Moving or cutting is carried out in much the same way as copying. Select the items you want to move on the
drawing, and either right click and select Cut, or press Ctrl+X on your keyboard. Then select Paste from the
right-click menu, or press Ctrl+V, and indicate the point that the items are to be moved to.

Items may also be moved by selecting the appropriate toolbar button , then selecting the items that are to
be moved, followed by the point or points that they are to be moved to.

Inline items such as valves and reducers may be moved from one pipe or process link to another in the
same way as described for copying.

Multiple items can be moved, with the exception of labels, which must be moved individually.

Nozzles may be moved around on the vessel with which they are associated with, or between vessels where
they will be re-associated automatically.

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As with deleting, entire collections of items, as well as individual items, can be moved using the Project
Explorer, except there is no ‘multiple’ paste option as you are moving not copying.

 Sections of pipelines cannot be moved, if a pipe is selected then the entire pipe and in-line fittings will
be moved by this command.

4.6 Mirroring

The mirroring functionality operates almost identically to the AutoCAD command, the difference being that
there is no choice of retaining original items. Press the button , then select the items to be mirrored.
Alternatively select the drawing object(s) first then press the mirror button.

4.7 Rotating

Items can be freely rotated. To rotate an item, select it, right-click, and select the Rotate menu option. Or
select the button from the Toolbar.

Multiple items can be selected and then rotated in one go.

Exercise 6
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Practice the use of each of the following commands to further complete the P&ID:

 Undo & Redo

 Deleting Items
 Stretching
 Copying
 Moving
 Mirroring
 Rotating

Also experiment with the commands that are available on the right-click menu over the selected equipment
or nozzle in the Project Explorer (Find, Delete, Move and Copy). However, don’t use the Properties
command, this will be covered later under labelling.

Leave one or two Equipment items with their nozzles off of the drawing, for placing later during the labelling
sessions, to practise the ‘auto-labelling’ features.

Save the drawing.

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 CHAPTER 5

5 Session 1.4: Pipe/Branch Creation and Modification

5.1 Drawing Pipes

To draw pipes, start by pressing the button .Then click on the starting point of the pipe, using ‘osnaps’ as
required (selectable from the right-click menu), followed by any turning points, and finally the end point. Use
right-click and select the ‘Enter’ option to end the pipe definition, or use the enter key. If the last point you
clicked is on a valid pipeline destination, i.e. an Equipment or Nozzle the pipe is ended automatically.

There are a number of default settings associated with drawing a pipe. The default pipe style, tracing style
and end styles (which ends have off-sheet connectors) can be set, along with whether or not flow arrows,
pipe breaks and tracing are to be included automatically. All these defaults can be set using the Pipe
toolbar, and can be switched on or off during the pipe drawing exercise. For example, switching arrows off
while drawing a pipe will affect the subsequent segments until it is switched back on.

In addition to those supplied with VPE P&ID, new pipe and trace styles may be defined for the project. This
will be covered as part of project administration.

When a pipe starts or ends on another pipe, the pipe is invisibly broken at the connecting point to form a
three way junction, this is to enable the pipe to recognise that a pipe junction exists.

After drawing the pipe it will appear under the pipes collection in the Project Explorer. For each pipe a top
level entry named by project unique field combination will appear, that owns the first branch just labelled.

 A pipe may be designated a branch when it is labelled and such a branch does not have to be visibly
connected with its parent pipe.

A trim pipe is a pipe which forms part of a vessel’s associated group of elements. Trim pipes may or may not
be visibly connected to the associated vessel. Trim pipes can only be associated to a vessel when they are
labelled and once a Trim label exists, this will be covered in the labelling session.

 There is an “auto-labelling” facility, which, if it is on for pipes, will prompt you to label the pipe
immediately after it has been drawn. This facility is described in detail later in the course.

5.2 Modifying Pipes

Once a pipeline has been drawn there are several editing commands available to modify the pipeline as
required.

5.2.1 Changing Pipe Style

The style of a pipe can be changed after it has been drawn by selecting the new style for the pipe, selecting

the pipe or pipes to be changed and selecting the following button .

5.2.2 Merging Pipes and Branches

Pipes can be merged in the following ways:

 Two main pipes into one main pipe

 Two branches into one branch
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The pipes and branches to be merged must adjoin each other. When pipes or branches are merged, the
properties of the first pipe/branch selected are adopted as the properties of the merged pipe/branch.

To merge two segments of a single pipe together, see the Merging Pipe Segments section.

The merge procedure is carried out as follows:

 Start by selecting on the Drawing Page the pipe or branch into which the other pipe or branch is
to be merged, then right-clicking and selecting Pipes > Merge from the shortcut menu.

 This process can also be started without any pipes being selected by clicking the button on
the VPE P&ID Commands Toolbar, or selecting Pipes > Merge Branch/Pipe from the
Commands Pulldown Menu. If these methods for starting the procedure are selected, the
Command Prompt will ask for a pipe group to be selected for the merge.
 Pick the pipe or branch into which the other pipe or branch is to be merged.

5.2.3 Splitting Pipes

Pipes can be split into two separate pipes in the following ways:

 Split to main
 Split to branch
st
If the Split to main pipe is used the properties of the previously unsplit pipe are assigned to 1 pipe (in the
nd
direction of flow) after the split command has been used. The properties will also be copied to the 2 pipe,
except for those properties which are required to be unique, which are replaced by the project null symbol
(e.g. "?").

If the Split to Branch pipe is used all the properties will be copied to the second pipe after the split.

The split procedure is carried out as follows:

 Start by selecting the pipe to be split on the Drawing Page, then right-clicking and selecting
Pipes > Split to Main or Split to Branch from the shortcut menu.
 This process can also be started without any pipes being selected by clicking the Split to main
, or Split to branch buttons on the VPE P&ID Commands Toolbar, or selecting Pipes >
Split to Main or Split to Branch from the Commands Pulldown Menu. If these methods of
starting the procedure are selected, the Command Prompt will ask for a pipe group to be
selected for the split.
 Once a pipe group is selected, pick a point on pipe joint to split the selected pipe. The pipe is
then split at the selected point into two new pipes.

5.2.4 Reversing Pipe Flows

The flow in a pipe can be reversed.

 Reversing the flow of a pipe will not reverse the flow of a branch that loops off and then back onto a
pipe. Reversing the flow of a branch will not reverse the flow of the owning main pipe.

The reverse flow procedure is carried out as follows:

 Start by selecting the pipe to be split on the Drawing Page, then right-clicking and selecting
Pipes > Reverse Flow from the shortcut menu.

 This process can also be started without any pipes being selected by clicking the button on
the VPE P&ID Commands Toolbar, or selecting Pipes > Reverse Flow from the Commands
Pulldown Menu. If these methods of starting the procedure are selected, the Command
Prompt will ask for a pipe group to be selected for reversing the flow.
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 Labels on either side of a spec break, both on the pipe and on the break symbol, are updated
automatically: the pipe property that is different on either side of the break changes from one
side of the break to the other, and the labels are changed to reflect this.

5.2.5 Adding Pipe Segments

New segments can be added to the end of a pipe, segments can also be extended from ports on inline item
symbols.

The adding pipe segments procedure is carried out as follows:

 Start by selecting the last segment (i.e. the segment furthest "downstream") of the pipe that is to
be have a segment added to it on the Drawing Page, then right-clicking and selecting
Segments > Add from the shortcut menu.

 This process can also be started without any pipe segments selected by clicking the button
on the VPE P&ID Commands Toolbar, or selecting Pipes > Add Segment from the Commands
Pulldown Menu. If these methods of starting the procedure are selected, the Command
Prompt will ask for the pipe segment to be selected for adding too.
 The pipe can then be added too as required, as if drawing a new pipe.
 If the start of another pipe or the port of another inline item symbol is selected during the
process, the new segment is finished at his point.
 If the new segment does not end on another pipe or port, either press the Enter key, or select
Enter from the right click menu to finish the new segment.

5.2.6 Merging Pipe Segments

Pipe segments can be merged into a single segment, the segments selected must be from the same pipe
group.

The merging pipe segments procedure is carried out as follows:

 Start by selecting a segment of the pipe that is to be merged on the Drawing Page, then right-
clicking and selecting Segments > Merge from the shortcut menu.

 This process can also be started without any segments being selected by clicking the
button on the VPE P&ID Commands Toolbar, or selecting Pipes > Merge Segment from the
Commands Pulldown Menu. If these methods of starting the procedure are selected, the
Command Prompt will ask for the pipe segment to be selected for merging.
 Once one segment is selected then the command prompt will ask for the next segment to
merge, the segments must be connected.
 The two selected segments are then merged.
 This command can be used if segments of the pipe have been deleted, during the editing process to re-
make the pipe.

5.2.7 Deleting Pipe Segments

Pipe segments can be deleted, this does not result in the pipe or signal line being split into two separate
entities. A pipe with a segment deleted in this manner is still a single entity, even if it the two parts of the line
are not visibly connected.

The deleting pipe segments procedure is carried out as follows:

 Start by selecting a segment of the pipe that is to be deleted on the Drawing Page, then right-
clicking and selecting Segments > Delete from the shortcut menu.

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 This process can also be started without any segments being selected by clicking the
button on the VPE P&ID Commands Toolbar, or selecting Pipes > Delete Segment from the
Commands Pulldown Menu. If these methods of starting the procedure are selected, the
Command Prompt will ask for the pipe segment to be selected for deleting.
 The selected segment is then deleted.

5.2.8 Changing the Length of Pipes

The length and/or the orientation of the last segment of a pipe can be changed.

The extend procedure is carried out as follows:

 Start by selecting the pipe that is to be extended on the Drawing Page, then right-clicking and
selecting Extend from the shortcut menu.

 This process can also be started without any pipes being selected by clicking the button on
the VPE P&ID Commands Toolbar, or selecting Pipes > Extend Segment from the Commands
Pulldown Menu. If these methods of starting the procedure are selected, the Command
Prompt will ask for the pipe to be selected for extending.
 Once one pipe is selected pick the point on the drawing to which the line is to be extended or
shortened to. The last segment of the line is then extended or shortened to that point.
 If the point selected is at angle to the original orientation of the segment, the segment will be
redrawn in this direction.
 This process also works with process links

Exercise 7
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 3. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 01”.

Switch off the Auto-labelling feature for Pipe on the Properties toolbar. Labelling of pipelines will be
covered in a later session:

Make sure ‘Ortho’ and ‘Snap’ are switched on:

The style of line to be drawn can be selected from the P&ID Pipe toolbar along with the various properties of
the line to be drawn:

Type of pipeline to draw: Type of line tracing to use (if selected):

Type of line start/end to use:

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Press the button and left click on the start of your pipeline, each subsequent left click will provide the
o
option for a 90 angle in the pipeline or an end point. When the route of the pipe is complete the pipeline can
be ended by the right click menu Enter or by pressing the Enter key.

If a pipeline is starting or finishing on a piece of equipment, instrument or sheet connector it is important the
pipeline attaches to the exact connection point, this will usually be made simple by maintaining the “Snap”
function enabled.

Practice drawing pipes and experimenting with the pipe modification tools.

 Trim pipe will not be covered in this exercise as trim pipes are linked to equipment labels that will be
covered later in the course.

5.3 Pipe Crossing Breaks

When pipes or process links cross, one of the pipes or process links may be automatically broken. If two
pipes cross or two process links cross, the break priority (whether the horizontal or the vertical line is
broken) is a project configuration set using the VPE P&ID Administration program.

Whether automatic pipe breaking is on or not is set using the Breaks checkbox on the Pipe toolbar.
Changing this setting affects pipes drawn subsequently and a pipe that is being drawn when the setting is
changed.

If automatic pipe breaking is turned off, pipe breaks can be inserted by pressing the button, and
selecting the beginning and end points of the break on a pipe. This process will automatically position a pair
of break blocks.
 Break blocks are placed on the non-plotting layer and function in pairs.

Exercise 8
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 3. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 01”.

Switch off the Auto-labelling feature for Pipe on the Properties toolbar. Labelling of pipelines will be covered
in a later session:

Make sure ‘Ortho’ and ‘Snap’ are switched on:

To use the automatic pipe break ensure the appropriate box is checked:

Draw a single pipeline, and then a second which crosses the first. One of the lines will automatically be
broken and a line break nodes added:

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To manually break ensure the appropriate box is un-checked:

Draw a single pipeline, and then a second which crosses the first. To break one of the lines use the
st
button. Then you will be prompted to select the 1 and second points for the break.

5.4 Flow Arrows

Flow arrows are used to indicate the flow direction of a pipe. You can set VPE P&ID to automatically insert
flow arrows on a pipe when you draw it. This is done using the Arrows checkbox on the Pipe toolbar.
Changing this setting affects pipes drawn subsequently and a pipe that is being drawn when the setting is
changed. Flow arrows are placed pointing in the direction that you draw the pipe and are automatically
updated if the flow direction is reversed.

If arrows need to be added to pipes that have already been drawn, they must be placed using the symbol
insertion facilities.

Be aware that flow arrows manually added do not control the flow direction; their function is to indicate it.
Flow direction is established when a pipe is drawn and its start and end nodes are generated. If the flow
arrows are then pointing in the wrong direction, use the Rotate editing function to turn them round.

Exercise 9
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 3. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 01”.

Switch off the Auto-labelling feature for Pipe on the Properties toolbar. Labelling of pipelines will be covered
in a later session:

Make sure ‘Ortho’ and ‘Snap’ are switched on:

Practice drawing pipes:

 With automatic arrows enabled
 Without automatic arrows enabled
 Adding arrows from the Symbol Explorer to pipelines

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Additional arrows Arrows can be inserted automatically if the

can be found in the checkbox is ticked, to prevent arrows from being
Miscellaneous generated, un-check the box. This can be done
folder in the during the drawing of a line.
Symbol Explorer,
select
“ARROW2.DWG”.

5.5 Tracing

If pipes are to be traced automatically as they are drawn, switch on automatic pipe tracing using the Pipe
toolbar.

This toolbar is also used to select the type of tracing used. Changes to either of these settings only affect
subsequently drawn pipes, and pipes that are being drawn when the setting is changed.

Tracing is applied as a continuous section between ports on the pipeline. If sections of the pipe do not
require tracing, then select the tracing line that is not needed and delete.

 Tracing can only be deleted on sections of pipeline between ports, i.e. start point and inline item,
around an inline item, between inline items or inline item and end point.

Tracing broken when the pipe is broken

When a pipe is traced, inline fittings are either traced around, or the tracing is broken automatically, based
on the project symbol definition. Tracing only actually appears on a pipe after the whole thing is drawn, e.g.
at the end of the pipe drawing command used to draw it.

5.6 Adding Tracing to Existing Lines

If tracing must be added to a pipe after it has been drawn, press the button and select the pipe which
requires tracing.

This procedure can also be used if tracing has been inadvertently deleted.

If tracing around an inline item is not required, simply select the tracing line around the item and delete.

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Exercise 10
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 3. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 01”.

Switch off the Auto-labelling feature for Pipe on the Properties toolbar. Labelling of pipelines will be covered
in a later session:

Make sure ‘Ortho’ and ‘Snap’ are switched on:

Practice:
 Drawing pipes with Electrical Tracing
 Add valves, which will also be traced
 Replacing the electrical tracing with steam tracing
 Deleting the tracing from the valve and/or line
 Replacing the tracing on the valve and/or line

Exercise 11
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

The next stage of the P&ID building process is to add the pipes. Bearing in mind what we have just covered,
add the required pipes to your P&ID.

While you’re creating the pipes, experiment with different pipe styles, pipe end styles, turning arrows on and
off, add some tracing and try out the break functionality by drawing pipes that cross one another, and by
moving and copying segments so that they cross one another.

Pipes that connect to the Equipment items and Nozzles that were left off in the previous sessions obviously
cannot be added, these will be added during labelling to practise the ‘auto-labelling’ features.

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 CHAPTER 6

6 Session 1.5: Piping and Inline Components

6.1 Inserting General Valves

Select valves symbols in the same way as you would equipment, by choosing the required symbol from the
Symbol Explorer, VPE P&ID Tool Palette or the Design Centre. Insertion from the Symbol Explorer and tool
palette is a multiple symbol insert, from Design Centre it is single.

Valves must be inserted into pipes and can be placed at the start or end points if required, process links or
signal lines. Process links and signal lines will be discussed in a later session. Drop the valve symbol onto
the drawing and indicate the required position in the line with the left mouse button.
 An error message is displayed if an attempt is made to place a valve on the drawing sheet not in a
pipe, process link or signal line.

Valves will break lines they are inserted into. If deleted or cut, the line is automatically re-made. Delete by
selecting the symbol or symbols and pressing the delete key, or pressing the delete button on the toolbar, or
selecting the delete option on the right-click menu.

Angled, three and four-way valves will also break into, and remake lines correctly when inserted into piping
intersections or deleted.

When a valve is inserted, it automatically aligns itself with the line, but not necessarily with the flow direction.
It depends on how the symbol has been configured in the project. Normally flow dependant symbols will be
configured to require two points, one for placement the second for orientation. You may have to rotate
and/or mirror valves for which flow direction is significant if these have not been configured this way (e.g.
check valves).
 If a line contains flow dependant symbols and the flow of the line is reversed then these items will have
to be manipulated manually.

Valves assume the layer and colour specified by project configuration.

There is a sub-set of valves known as port valves. These possess ports which will have their own size
details, either inherited from the connecting pipe or entered manually if connected to a process link or signal
line. This does not affect how they are inserted.

Valves can be copied or moved from one line to another, using Cut/Copy and Paste on the right-click menu
after selection. Multiple pastes can be performed if the symbol is copied, only one if it is cut.
The procedure for inserting Instrument Control Valves is covered later in the course.

6.2 Inserting Pipe Destination Fittings

Blind spades, sight glasses, filters and strainers, flanges and end caps are part of the line fitting category.
Filters or strainers can also be inline equipment items if so required by the project, in this case they will be
found under the equipment category.

Normal in-line fittings and inline equipment items are inserted into pipes in the same way as valves, and may
have one or two point insert.

Some of these fittings are Pipe Destination fittings. These are a special type of fitting that must be placed
on the end of a pipe. Their description as defined by the project is exported as the source or destination of a
pipe for the line list.

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6.3 Inserting Pipe Off-Sheet Connectors

Pipe off-sheet connector symbols, or pipe flags, are part of the line fittings category. They can be inserted
automatically when a pipe is drawn according the setting on the Pipe toolbar, or afterwards using the symbol
insertion facilities. Deleting them in the same way as other in-line fittings will remake the pipe.

We recommended that off-sheet connectors with symbol names ending in -IN or -OUT be used. These can
be placed on pipes drawn at any angle and drawn in any direction, and will orientate themselves correctly. In
addition, the pipe node to which they are attached will be moved along the pipe to accommodate the
connector symbol, so that the total length of the pipe including the connector symbol remains the same.

Other off-sheet connector symbols should only be placed on pipes drawn horizontally or vertically. Such
symbols do not orientate themselves automatically, and therefore the appropriate symbol should be used
depending on the direction the pipe was drawn in (e.g. left to right or right to left).

Labelling of these off-sheet connectors will be covered in a later section.

6.4 Inserting Reducers and Spec Breaks

Reducers and spec breaks are part of the line fittings, category and are inserted using the insert symbol
facilities. When they are inserted, they automatically assume the colour and layer specified for them in the
project configuration.

Concentric and Eccentric reducers are supplied with VPE P&ID, as two point symbols, meaning that you
will be prompted to indicate not only the point that you want the symbol inserted at, but also the direction
that the symbol faces on the line. Eccentric reducers may need to be mirrored after insertion; however
additional project symbols can be created as required so this is not necessary.

The Spec Break symbol is placed at the beginning and end of lines or are inserted at the connection point
of in-line components, or in-line components and pipes. This symbol is also a two point symbol.

Exercise 12
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Ensure the automatic pipe, equipment, nozzle and valve labelling is off:

To finish off the piping part of the P&ID, the components need to be added to all the pipes that have
previously been added to the drawing. Using the P&ID your trainer will hand out to you as a guide, add all
the piping components, including reducers and spec breaks as well as off-sheet connectors. In-line items
that are pipes that have not been drawn will be added during the labelling to practise the ‘auto-labelling’
features.

Try deleting and manipulating piping components using options on the right-click and toolbars.

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 CHAPTER 7

7 Session 1.6: Signal Lines and Process Links

7.1 Drawing Signal Lines

To draw a signal line, press the button. Indicate points to define the route of the signal line in the same
way as you do when drawing pipes.

The style of signal lines is set using the drop-down list on the Signal
Lines toolbar. Set this to the style you want before you draw the signal
line.

In addition to those supplied with VPE P&ID, signal line styles may be defined for the project.

To change the style of signal lines which have already been drawn, select the required style, then press the

button, and select the signal lines that are to be changed. Alternatively use the pick-first capabilities to
select one or more signal lines, set the style, than press the button.

Facilities for breaking signal lines are the same as those for pipes. In-line symbols and valves can be
inserted into signal lines if required.

7.2 Drawing Process Links

Process links are used to add connections between instrument items and process items, and between
instrument items if the connecting line is not a signal line. They can also be used to represent pipes, where
the line is not required to be labelled and appear in a line list. For example bypasses around Control valves.

Access the facility by selecting the button . Then draw the link using the same method used for drawing
pipes and signal lines. The line will be drawn in the default process link style, this can be subsequently
changed if required.

The style that process links are drawn in is set in the Project administrator programme, in the same way as
pipe styles.

There are two options for the type of process link that is drawn and the type used is set in the administration
program
 Legacy Process Links operate in the same way as previous versions of VPE P&ID. These show
links but cannot be given properties, and will not be part of the line list.
 New Process Links act in exactly the same way as the new pipes and can be given properties if
required, however these are not mandatory. These lines will appear in the line list.

Valves and instruments inserted into legacy process links can have size and spec assigned to them
manually during labelling, whereas those in the pipeline style inherit their values from the section of link they
are in.

When data is exported from VPE P&ID, process links enable the program to determine the pipe, equipment
and instrument owners of connected instruments and valves.

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Exercise 13
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Add signal lines and process links to the drawing and practice changing the style of both the line types.

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 CHAPTER 8

8 Session 1.7: Inline and Remote Instrument Creation

8.1 Inserting Instrument Control Valves

Instrument control valves behave as general valves except that a label balloon must be inserted with them,
and optionally, a link line between the valve and the balloon.

There is a sub-set of instrument control valves known as “port valves”. These possess ports which will have
their own size details, either inherited from the connecting pipe or entered manually if connected to a
process link. This does not affect how they are inserted.

After placing a valve, you will be prompted to place its label balloon. You can subsequently re-position the
balloon without having to move the valve as well, by using the move button on the toolbar, selecting the
label balloon and selecting a new position.

Once the label balloon is placed, a link line may, depending on the project configuration, be automatically
drawn between the balloon and the insert point of the instrument valve by selecting enter on the right-click
menu. Alternatively a point can be picked for the end of the link line.

The point at which the link line connects to the valve may subsequently be changed. Pick the link line to be
changed, then click on the connection point (or handle) you require and move it to the required position (it
need not be in contact with the valve).

Instrument valves inserted into vertical lines will prompt for which side the actuator should be placed on. On
a horizontal line, the actuator is assumed to be upright.

Handwheels also fall within the Instrument Valve symbol category. They may only be inserted onto
instrument valves. You will be prompted to select the valve, and the side of the valve the handwheel is on.
Only one handwheel may be placed on an instrument valve.

Limit switches etc can be shown connected to the control valve stem via a process link. The relationship
between the valve and these instruments will be maintained during the save of data to VPE Workbench.

Vacuum/relief devices are a sub-category of instrument valves and follow the same rules. Angled, three-way
and four-way instrument valves behave the same. Note that when instruments are placed on the drawing an
item is added to the Project Explorer, under the Instruments section, referenced as ‘?-?’ in red and bold font,
to show that the item is not labelled or the label is not complete.

8.2 Inserting Flow Elements

This category includes symbols such as orifice plates, flow restrictors, flow straighteners, turbine meters etc.
They must be inserted into a line.

As with instrument valves, flow elements have mandatory label balloons and may have link lines. These
behave in the same way as described above.

 When instruments are placed on the drawing an item is added to the Project Explorer, under the
Instruments section, referenced as ‘?-?’ in red and bold font, to show that the item is not labelled or the
label is not complete.

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8.3 Inserting Instruments (Instrument Balloons)

Instrument balloons are instruments in their own right, unlike the label balloons attached to instrument
control valves. They may be placed independently or inserted into or at the end of pipes, signal lines or
process links. They include remote instruments, system output boxes and conditioning devices.

Also within the category are conditioning devices, for example, I/P Converters. These must have an
instrument owner which you must select before you insert one.

Whether or not label balloons are required for instrument balloons depends on the project configuration. The
default setting is that they are not. If they are, you will be prompted to place them after you place the
instrument, in the same way as for instrument valves.

If inserting an instrument at the end of a line, picking the end of the line as the insert point will truncate the
line first and place the instrument at the new end of the line.

 When instruments are placed on the drawing an item is added to the Project Explorer, under the
Instruments section, referenced as ‘?-?’ in red and bold font, to show that the item is not labelled or the
label is not complete.

Exercise 14
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Ensure the automatic pipe, equipment, nozzle, instrument and valve labelling
is off:

To complete the example supplied by your trainer P&ID to the correct level graphically we now must add the
instrumentation, flow elements and control valves.

Add the signal lines, process links and instruments as required. Leave some in-line, off-line and remote
instruments off of the drawing. These will be added during the labelling section to practise the ‘auto-labelling’
features.

While adding the Instrumentation, note that items are being added to the Project Explorer.

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 CHAPTER 9

9 Session 1.8: Miscellaneous Drafting Functionality

9.1 Inserting Unassigned Items

Unassigned items are equipment and instrument items in the VPE database that have not yet been placed
on a project P&ID. If this facility is in use for a project, the items are listed under the Unassigned node in the
Project Explorer.

To insert an unassigned item, select it in the Project Explorer, and either right-click and select Insert from
the shortcut menu, or drag it over the drawing page.

If the item has not been assigned a symbol, it must be assigned at this point. The item may already have
been assigned a symbol, either in the database or by accessing the Properties sheet from the Project
Explorer.

If there are symbols associated with the item type of the item, the VPE P&ID Unassigned Properties sheet
for the item is displayed. Select the required symbol name from the list available in the Symbol Name field
and click OK. This list consists of those symbol names previously assigned to items with the same item type
as the unassigned item.

If there are no symbols assigned to the item type of the item, the Symbol List dialog is displayed. This works
in a similar way to the Symbol Explorer. Select the required symbol and double-click.

A ‘ghosted’ image of the item will appear on the cross hairs and may be placed on the drawing as required.

 For further information, refer to the appropriate symbol insertion topics, bearing in mind that only the
single symbol representing the item may be inserted.

Once an unassigned item is inserted, it is no longer unassigned and is removed from the list of unassigned
items. The properties of such an item may subsequently be edited as required. However, if the tag of such
an item is changed, the link between the item on the drawing and the item in the database is broken. The
item in the database is therefore regarded as being unassigned again, and the item on the drawing is
regarded as a new engineering item.

9.2 Moving Items to or from the Non-plot Layer

The button can be used to move item(s) to the non-plotting layer (toggles items between the non-
plotting layer/level and their original layer/level). The items will not change to the colour of the non-plotting
layer. If items are subsequently selected again using the same command, they will move back to the layer
that they originally came from.

Press the button and select the items that are to be move to or from the non-plot layer. Alternatively select
the items first then press the button.

9.3 Global Layer Change

To open the Global Layer Change dialog box open the Commands >
UTILITIES > Global Layer Exchange option. This function is used to
move all the items on one layer onto another.

In the Global Layer Change dialog box, select the layer that items are to be
moved from using the Source list. Select the layer that items are to be
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The items are then transferred to the selected layer.

9.4 Individual Symbol Exchange

The button can be used to exchange one symbol for another. The symbol to be exchanged must be
already in existence and be of the same item type. For example, a CL (column) could be exchanged with a
HDT (head tank) because they are both of the EQV (equipment vessel) VPE P&ID item type.

Press the button. The Symbol List dialogue is then displayed. This works in a similar way to the Symbol
Explorer. Select the type of symbol that symbols are to be changed to. Then pick that symbols on the
drawing that are to be changed. The exchange will then take place. Alternatively the pick-first capability can
be used to select the symbols first, press the button, select the symbol to change to, and all the selected
symbols that are of the same item type will change.

This method is to be used in preference to deleting and re-inserting symbols as when the items are labelled
the labels will be preserved and owned by the new symbol.

9.5 Global Symbol Exchange

This procedure is used to exchange every instance of one symbol on a P&ID for another. For example, to
change all Ball Valves (BAVA) on a P&ID to Gate Valves (GAVA). Only symbols of the same item type can
be exchanged.

This process can be done in the administration program, or by manually editing a file which is described
here.

In order to select the symbols to exchange open the file

“PID.BEX” with notepad, this can be found in project
directory, i.e. “C:/…/<Project Name>/AutoCAD/Projmet”

In this example, the instruction BAVA=GAVA should be

typed into the file.

Copy this file and place it in the directory where the

drawings are saved.

Then open the Commands > UTILITIES > Global Symbol Exchange option from the list.

VPE P&ID will zoom out so that the entire drawing is displayed. The symbols change dynamically on the
drawing as the exchange proceeds. If any problems are encountered, the old symbol is left in place and a
VPE P&ID error balloon appears.

Any number of symbol exchange instructions can be entered into the PID.BEX file, and all will be carried
when the command is selected.

 Symbol exchange instructions in the PID.BEX file are case sensitive. Use List on a symbol in the P&ID
first to determine the case of the symbols in the drawing.

9.6 Drawing Revision Clouds

This procedure is used to highlight changes from a previous revision of a drawing by adding a cloud of any
size around the desired area.

Press the button and pick points in a clockwise direction until the cloud is large enough and then enter
“C” to close it.

Clouds can only be deleted or copied as a complete entity using the VPE P&ID delete and copy facilities.
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Exercise 15
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 4. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 01” and open the file.

Use this P&ID to test out the functions mentioned in this chapter:
 Inserting Unassigned Items
 Moving Items to or from the Non-plot Layer
 Global Layer Change
 Individual Symbol Exchange
 Global Symbol Exchange
 Drawing Revision Clouds

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 CHAPTER 10

10 Session 2.1: Equipment/Nozzle Labelling

10.1 Labelling – Getting Started

The labelling facility is used to visually label and place the 'Intelligence' for all engineering items on the
drawings. The information in the labels, with the drawing connectivity information forms the data that is
saved to the VPE Workbench engineering database.

Duplicate labels are not permitted within the same P&ID, except in the case of valve and Special Piping
(SPP) labels, which can be set to be non-unique as part of project configuration.

If the auto-labelling facility is on for the category of item, the labelling

procedure will start automatically once the item has been inserted.
Auto-labelling is turned on and off using facilities on the Properties
toolbar. In this example, auto-labelling for nozzles and valves is on.

If auto-labelling is off, select the item in the drawing or in the Project Explorer, right-click, and select
Properties. If selected in the explorer VPE P&ID will zoom to the item to be labelled, select it and display the
properties sheet.

Alternatively the properties button can be selected from the Properties toolbar and an item selected to
begin the labelling, an item can also be selected first then the button pressed.

Once the properties sheet appears (left is an example of a valve)

complete the fields as required and press the OK button. Follow the
prompts for placement of the labels. Fields which have project configured
lists of values will change to pull down lists when clicking in the field.
Values can either be selected from the list or typed into the field. Typing
a single character will select the first valid value starting with that
character in the list.

After placement, labels may be moved, and the information they contain
may be changed. To change the value select the item in the Explorer or
in the drawing, and select properties from the right-click menu, the
current label values are displayed in the properties sheet for edit.
Change them and press OK to update the label.

Alternatively the properties button can be selected from the Properties toolbar and an item selected to
change the label values, an item can also be selected first then the button pressed.

The behaviour of a label when subjected to a command depends on its item type. Label text is handled
intelligently during rotation or reflection to ensure it retains its correct orientation.

The heights, justification and rotation of label text for each item type are specified in the project
configuration. Settings in the project configuration also control whether or not these values can be
overridden when a label is being placed. If they can, a properties sheet is displayed after the label details
have been entered, immediately before the label is placed, in which a different height, justification and/or
rotation can be entered.

The text of labels may either be in the default font select for the project, or in the text style assigned to the
label type, also defined by the project configuration settings.

Once an equipment item and some or all of its nozzles have been labelled, moving it will move all of the
associated labels.
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 The Explorer keeps track of the changes and will update accordingly.

10.2 Label Validation

When P&ID graphics are labelled, online data validation may take place. There are four types of label
validation:

 Label Validation against Lists of Valid Values.

 Label Format Validation.
 Label Validation on the current P&ID.
 Label Validation Across P&IDs.

If possible, online validation should be left on, otherwise data is unchecked as it is entered, equating to a
complete lack of automatic quality control. Manual checking would then have to be carried out.

 Label validation should not be confused with drawing validation, as described later in the course.

Label Validation against Lists of Valid Values

When this type of validation is on, only valid entries may be selected when completing properties sheets,
items with invalid labels are displayed in red in the Project Explorer, and drafting errors and omissions are
highlighted with a balloon or symbol of the project's choice, and detailed in an error file.

Entered data is checked against lists of allowable values set up as part of the project configuration.

Label Format Validation

For all label fields that do not have a list of values, the project may be set to check that entered labels
correspond to a specified format, in other words, that they consist of the correct type of characters in the
correct order.

For example, the equipment Prefix field may be set so that all entries in this field must begin with an
uppercase letter, followed by a lowercase letter, then a number, and so on.

If an invalid entry is made in a Properties sheet an error message is displayed, and the invalid label may not
be placed.

Label Validation on the current P&ID

By default VPE P&ID prevents duplicate labels within a category for pipes, instruments and equipment, and
by project configuration can also prevent this for valves and special piping item labels.

For pipes, the fields that form the unique identifier for the pipe can be configured for the project. For
instruments and equipment the combination of the four tag fields must be unique.

Label Validation Across P&IDs

The project may be set to check that all labels in all P&IDs in a project are unique within a category of item,
for example, pipes, instruments or equipment.

Depending on the project configuration, you may be prevented from entering project duplicate labels for a
category of item (e.g., instruments, equipment etc), or warned.

If the project is set to prevent duplicates an error message is displayed and the duplicate labels are not
placed on the P&ID.

If the project is set to warn duplicates a warning message is displayed and the user can decide whether to
place the duplicate labels or not.

If this type of validation is turned off, duplicate labels may be entered in different P&IDs in a project.

Regardless of whether this feature is enabled or not, duplicate items cannot exist in VPE Workbench. The
process of saving the data to VPE Workbench catches duplicates across P&IDs and ensures that only one
goes forward, but it records which P&IDs the item is shown on.
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If this feature is switched on, one of the users on the project must connect to the VPE Workbench before
any label operations are allowed. This is because the validation uses a cached tag list extracted from VPE
Workbench for the validation.

If there is no connection to the database when a drawing is opened, the system will check for duplicate
labels against the data in the cached data instead of the database. As this may take some time, and slow
down the opening of drawings, this facility may be switched off in the project configuration.

10.3 Label Symbols and “Remembered” Values

You may benefit from the following features while you are labelling items in VPE P&ID:
 Equipment, Inline Equipment, and Pipe labels may automatically have a symbol placed with
them when they are inserted. The symbols to be placed, if any, are specified in the project
configuration.
 The last value entered in a properties sheet field may automatically populate that field that next
time that properties sheet is accessed for an unlabelled item of the same item type. This
functionality is switched on and off on a field-by-field basis as part of the project configuration.
 For example, the functionality is switched on for equipment Prefix field, and you label an
equipment item with a value of “20”. The next time you label an equipment item for the first time,
when the Properties sheet for this item is opened, the Prefix field will automatically be
completed with the value “20”. This can be replaced by another value if required. This new value
will then be the “inherited” value for the equipment Prefix field.

10.4 Labelling Equipment

Equipment labels are entered using the Equipment properties

sheet. Access the properties sheet for an equipment item as
described above.

An equipment label must be unique within a drawing. An equipment

label consists of four possible parts:

 Prefix (or, e.g., DA - Design Area which is optionally

assigned on export)
 Type (or, e.g., Unit)
 Number (or, e.g., Loop or Item)
 Suffix (or, e.g., Part)

The default names of the four parts of an Equipment label can be changed by project configuration, but the
order cannot. The format of the displayed label can also be set at project level, allowing for field
concatenation with different delimiters between fields as appropriate, or for automatic placement of the four
fields individually offset from the point indicated.

If the Type or Number are left blank, the project null character set in the project configuration will replace
that field, e.g., V-?-2 or ?-100-2. If any null characters are present in equipment labels, the label is not
checked for uniqueness against the other equipment labels on the drawing, or the project.

 When items are labelled the Project Explorer updates to show the label. If the label is complete i.e.: the
letters and number have been assigned as a minimum, the entry in the Explorer changes to black and
normal font to provide visual indication that the item is labelled sufficiently for saving to VPE
Workbench.
10.5 Labelling Vessel Trim

The trim of a vessel is labelled separately from the vessel itself, and forms the pipes label for any trim pipe
work normally supplied by the vessel manufacturer. To add a trim label to a vessel, right-click on the vessel
and select ‘Add Trim Label’.
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The properties sheet used for labelling pipes is displayed. Enter all
required details. Trim pipes associated with the trim will inherit these
values.

 You cannot enter a size, as this must be specified individually for

each trim pipe.

When you place the trim label, the trim prefix specified by the project
configuration will be placed automatically as part of the label. Only place
a trim label if the vessel is going to have trim pipes.

 The trim label appears alongside the nozzles for an equipment item in the Explorer, indicating the
ownership of the trim to the vessel. When trim pipes are labelled in a later session they will appear in
the hierarchy owned by the trim label.

A vessel can have more than one trim label if required.

10.6 Labelling Nozzles

When labelling a nozzle, you will be required to enter the tag of the nozzle.

You may optionally enter the size of the nozzle. If you do not, the nozzle size
will be derived from the size of the pipe attached to it when the export takes
place. If you enter a nozzle size that is different than the attached pipe, a size
mis-match warning will be given during the synchronise process.

Nozzle labels must be unique on the equipment they are associated with.

It is not necessary to label nozzles for the data to be saved to VPE

Workbench. On a project where nozzles are not going to be shown as labelled
on the P&ID, the error level can be set by project configuration.

Exercise 16
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Start to add intelligence to your P&ID by labelling the equipment first and then the nozzles. Remember the
text is all centre justified (this can be configured at project level). If the text doesn’t go in the right place first
time round then use the move command to position it correctly. Experiment by labelling the items by
selection in the drawing or the Explorer, the use of the Properties option on the right-click menu, and the
properties button on the properties toolbar.

Switch the ‘Auto-labelling’ feature on for Equipment and Nozzles and place the remaining Equipment and
Nozzles on the drawing. Note the labelling starts after placement and the properties sheet is displayed to
enter the label details. Position the label as before.

Note the Project Explorer updates to keep current with the labels. If the letters and number are entered for
an Equipment item the Project Explorer entry will be shown in black and normal font. If either the letters of
number are not entered the entry will be in red and bold font, to give a visual indication that the label is not
complete. For Nozzles the tag needs to be entered for the entry to be in black and normal font, else it will be
red and bold and will show as the project null character.

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 CHAPTER 11

11 Session 2.2: Pipe and Component Labelling

11.1 Labelling Pipes

The pipe flow direction will be labelled in the direction that the pipe is drawn, if this needs to be changed
then the flow in the pipe can be reversed, which has already been covered.

If the Auto-labelling facility is on for pipes, the labelling procedure will start automatically once the pipe has
been drawn, and the properties dialog will appear once the line is finished. Auto-labelling is turned on and
off using facilities on the Properties toolbar.

If Auto-labelling is off the properties dialog will not appear automatically and the label details can be added
later.

Start the labelling procedure by selecting a pipe to be labelled on the drawing, right-clicking and select
Properties.

The default names of the components of a Pipe label can be changed

by the project configuration.

The properties sheet that then appears and is used to enter the label
details.

In the properties sheet, enter the components of the label in the fields
provided. As many, or as few of the label fields can be completed.

The option of adding label text to the drawing or not is provided. If yes
is selected a full label will be added. If only particular fields are
required then select No and these can be added from the right click
menu on the pipe.

 As specified by project configuration, combinations of fields of the label will have to be unique on the
drawing.

The default null character (e.g. ‘?’) can be selected for pipe label components. The label will then appear
with the null character as defined by the project configuration. Labels with null characters do not have to be
unique.

Split label formatting is the placing of some fields of a pipe label above the pipe and the remainder below the
pipe, and is controlled by the project configuration.

When the pipe is drawn an additional prompt appears allowing the pipe to become a new pipe, by selecting
enter from the right-click menu, or a branch by selecting the parent pipe label or trim pipe by selecting the
trim label.

Procedures for modifying pipe labels, and for adding more labels to pipes that have already been labelled,
are covered later in the course.

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11.2 Labelling Trim Pipes

To label a trim pipe, a trim label must already exist, see the
earlier section. When drawing the trim pipe there is an option
available on the completion of the pipe to select the trim label
and specify the pipe as a trim pipe.

The pipe does not have to be visibly connected to the vessel

with which it is to be associated.

On the Pipeline properties sheet the fluid/service and number

are inherited from the vessel trim.

The same options for labelling the pipe are available as a

standard pipeline, i.e. a full label or individual fields.

The Project Explorer is then updated, adding the trim pipe

details under the Trim reference owned by the Equipment
item.

11.3 Labelling Branches

To label a branch, the main pipe label must already exist. When
drawing the branch there is an option available on the completion of
the pipe to select the parent pipe and specify the pipe as a branch. The
branch does not have to be visibly connected with the parent pipe.

On the Pipeline properties sheet the fluid/service and number are

inherited from the parent pipe. The rest of the data can be entered as
required.

The same options for labelling the pipe are available as a standard
pipeline, i.e. a full label or individual fields.

Branch details are added to the Project Explorer under the appropriate
pipe collection.

11.4 Labelling Off-Sheet Connectors (Pipe Flags)

Pipes can consist of a series a segments split across multiple drawings.

Off-sheet connectors are used at the start or end of these pipe segments
to allow the connection of the segments to form one ‘Resolved’ line for
the line list report.

It is crucial for the correct export of data that pipes across multiple
drawing sheets have off-sheet connectors that are labelled accurately
with the correct references to the source or destination drawing.

The label will be in the form of “Drawing Number” followed by “Sheet”, if

relevant, with no spaces. i.e. if Drawing Number is “P&ID-01” and Sheet
is “2”, the text that should be put in the Drawing field is “P&ID-012”.

It is important the drawings to be connected both have a drawing number

tag displayed on the drawing.

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11.5 Labelling Reducers

Reducers can be added into a pipe at any time, whether that is pipe has
been given any labels or not.

To label the reducer symbol, right-click and select Properties.

Upstream & Downstream size values will default to the pipe the reducer
has been placed in. Enter the required Reducer size values – these will
override the existing pipe values.

Press OK and place the label if one is specified.

The upstream and downstream segments of the pipe will be resized

accordingly and the labels will be updated.

11.6 Labelling Breaks

Break symbols can be added to existing pipes at any time and labelled separately.
There are two scenarios to consider:

 Breaks at Pipe boundaries

 In-line breaks

Specification Breaks can be labelled by selecting the break symbol, right-click

and selecting Properties.

The dialogue box is then displayed, and all the necessary values can be entered.
Any pipe values upstream or downstream are then revised accordingly.

11.7 Labelling General Valves

When labelling a general valve (not an instrument control valve), all of the fields in the dialogue box are
optional. You can only enter size and spec if the valve is on a process link. If the valve is on a pipe, the size
and spec will be inherited from the pipe.

If the valve is a “port valve”, then each of

its ports may be detailed individually. For
each port, enter the size and specify
whether or not this size will be displayed
on the drawing, this is set on the All
Properties tab of the properties dialog. If
the size is to be displayed, enter the
angle of the size text.

Enter the required label angle for the

label data that is to be placed on the
drawing.

Once the details are entered, select OK.

You will then be required to individually
place the labels details on the drawing.
The valve tag can be configured in the
project to be placed automatically offset
from the insert point of the valve and
rotated with the valve if required.
Valves may be set to inherit label data from pipes. This is described in the next topic.
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 The procedure for labelling instrument control valves is described later in the next session.

11.8 Inheriting Data from Owning Pipes

Instruments, valves and in-line equipment may be set to inherit data from pipes. Which values are inherited
by which parts of valve label is specified in the project configuration.

To assign instruments to pipes (if process links or signal lines are not used) the inherit pipe properties button
can be pressed.

The process is achieved by selecting a pipe and pressing the button , pick the instrument in question,
then select the pipe that the instrument is to inherit label data from. This pipe is subsequently identified as
the owner of the selected item.

The selected instrument is then set to inherit label data from the selected pipes.

Exercise 17
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Carry on with the labelling process by labelling all the pipes, general valves, reducers, breaks, and any other
inline fittings. Remember that pipe labelling is made easier by using ‘osnaps’ and by switching ‘ortho’ on.
While doing so experiment with the Auto-validation, and the manual validation by switching Auto-validate on
and off as appropriate.

Switch on the ‘Auto-labelling’ and ‘Auto-Validation’ and complete the addition of the remaining pipes and in-
line fittings experimenting with the ‘Auto-labelling’ of pipes and valves.

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 CHAPTER 12

12 Session 2.3: Instrument Labelling

12.1 Labelling Remote Instruments

Instruments may be set to inherit label data from a pipe, as way as described in the previous session. For
example, instruments may inherit pipe area into their prefix field. This data will be automatically updated
each time the pipe data is altered.

In the Instrument Balloon properties sheet, you must first

select the instrument type. Select the category from the
Type Field Filter drop-down list, and then select the
required type in the Type field.

Complete the rest of the fields. If you do not enter a suffix,

and the tag you enter is the same as that of another
instrument without a suffix, you will be warned of the
duplication.

If the instrument is panel-mounted, the Label Panel

References properties are displayed at the bottom of the
instrument properties dialog. Enter the tag details of the
panel that the instrument or instrument valve is mounted
on, and select the panel type. Press OK. Panel labels do not have to be unique as many instruments can be
on the same panel.

Press OK on the Instrument Balloon properties sheet and the instrument and panel labels will be placed
automatically. There positions are specified by project configuration settings.

Once the label is placed the entry in the Explorer is automatically updated to reflect the new label. If the
letters and number have been entered the entry is shown in normal font and black, if either are blank the
project defined null character is shown and the entry remains in red and bold font to show the label is not
complete.

12.2 Labelling Instrument Control Valves

The main body of the valve and/or the label balloon can be labelled. An error will be received on saving the
data to VPE Workbench if the instrument label is not present.

If labelling the main body of the valve, use the same labelling procedure as for general valves except that
the valve code does not apply.

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 An instrument valve, like a general valve, can be a

“port valve”, in which case each of its ports may be
detailed individually. For each port, enter the size
and specify whether or not this size will be displayed
on the drawing. If the size is to be displayed, enter
the angle of the size text. Sizes can only be added
manually to ports that are connected to process
links. Ports that are connected to pipes inherit their
size from the connected pipe.

The port currently being labelled is highlighted in a

different colour on the drawing.

If labelling the label balloon, select the instrument type as

described for remote instruments.

Fill in the rest of the properties fields, except for the Alarms section as alarms are not permitted on inline
instruments. Minimum required are letter and loop fields. If required for use by VPE Workbench enter a
descriptor. The descriptor allows VPE workbench to recognise the item type of the instrument when the
same symbol and letters are being used to represent different Instruments, and is optional in the project.

12.3 Labelling Flow Elements

When labelling a flow element, select the label balloon of

the instrument. Unlike control valves, the flow element
symbol itself cannot be labelled, but like control valves,
alarm details can not be entered.

Exercise 18
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Continue labelling the Instruments on P&ID using the guide given by the trainer. Try entering duplicate Tag
and using the type filter facility. Don’t forget to label the correct part of the control valves. Also switch on the
‘Auto-labelling’ feature for Instruments and insert the remaining in-line, off-line and remote instruments on
the drawing. Add process links and signal lines to complete the Instrumentation. Experiment with adding the
labels of an instrument from the Explorer by using the Properties option on the right-click menu over the
Explorer item.

The P&ID should be complete at this point.

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 CHAPTER 13

13 Session 2.4: Label Editing

13.1 Cascading Data

Cascading preserves data consistency across pipe branch networks and over pipe boundaries.

When a parent pipe label is selected for editing, any changes to Fluid/Service, Area, Number, Specification
etc. are immediately reflected in any labels of the current pipe and the labelling of the branches off that pipe.

If two pipes join, end node to start node or vice-versa and there is no break symbol at the junction, changes
to size and break labels can be cascaded to the connected pipe(s). The editing activity causes a dialogue
box to be displayed to allow you to confirm that you want the data to cascade across pipe boundaries.

13.2 Adding and Modifying Pipe labels

Pick the pipe label on the drawing, right-click, and select ‘Add Label’. Select the
desired label format. The label added will reflect the properties for the segment of pipe
that was seleced.

To modify a pipe label, simply select any segment of the pipe the properties of which
you want to change, access the properties sheet in the normal way, and edit the
details. Whichever pipe segment you select, the properties of the pipe at this segment
are displayed.

There is no requirement for displaying any pipe labels, or part of label for a pipe.

To delete a pipe label from a label set, select the label in the drawing, right-click and select delete label.

13.3 Modifying Reducer Labels

Reducer labels can be modified by picking the reducer and

selecting properties. The Reducer Size properties sheet is
displayed and a new downstream size can be entered. Size
changes will cascade in the same way as described above.

Modifying the size values in a reducer will edit the size of the
upstream and downstream pipes. A reducer can also be modified
by changing the size of the upstream or downstream pipes.

Reducers cannot have their upstream and downstream sizes the

same.

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13.4 Modifying Spec Break labels

To modify existing inline break values, you can modify the pipe
parameters upstream or downstream of the break. The
appropriate break labels are then updated automatically

The properties dialog box can be used to modify the properties

and these will override the pipe values. This properties dialog
can be used to break on other fields at the same break symbol
i.e.: area

If at any time labels are changed in such a way so that the

values on either side of a break are the same, the Downstream
Break properties sheet is displayed so that a different
downstream break value can be entered. This properties sheet
may be displayed many times if there are more inline breaks
downstream. A spec break cannot have the same value either side of it.

13.5 Deleting Labels and Labelled Items

If you delete a labelled item, the label(s) of the item will be deleted also. To delete a label independently of
an item, select the label, right-click and select Delete, or press the Delete key.

Nozzle labels are deleted separately from the labels of the equipment they are on. If a trim label is deleted,
associated trim pipe labels are also deleted.

Items plus all of the graphical items and labels as part of their hierarchy can be deleted from the Explorer.
Select the item, right-click, and choose Delete.

Pipe labels and reducer label can be deleted as required.

Deleting an inline instrument also removes the label balloon, and any labels.

When deleting instrument labels, descriptors are deleted individually, but prefix, suffix and loop number are
all deleted together. Deleting one will result in the others being deleted automatically. If the type is deleted,
the prefix, suffix and loop number are also deleted. Alarm labels may be deleted individually.

If a break or break label has been deleted, the pipe label downstream from the deleted break will adopt the
values of the closest upstream label.

If a trim label is deleted the associated trim pipes and labels all deleted.

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13.6 Using the Find and Replace Facility

Using this facility, you can globally edit all non-pipe labels. Take care while carrying out this procedure as it
is possible to change many labels with a single use.

Start the procedure by either entering Ctrl+F on the keyboard, or Commands > Find and Replace. The
Find and Replace dialog will be displayed.

Enter the label field text to find in the Find Text in Labels field
and the text to replace it with in the Replace with field. Check
the Find Whole Word Only and/or Match Case checkboxes
as required.

To restrict the Find and Replace to a category of item instead

of all items, select the required category from the Item Type
Filter list.

Select the Find button. Details of the first item label with fields
that include text that match the search criteria are then
displayed. The drawing will focus on and zoom in closer to the
item in question.

If there are no such items, a message is displayed to inform

you of this.

 This facility searches only within label fields for matches.

It does not search across fields within labels; therefore a
match that consists of parts of different fields within a
label will not be found.

The dialog displays the current label values, and what these values will be changed to if replaced by the text
entered in the Replace with field.

To search for the next item that meets to search criteria without changing the current item label, select the
Find Next button.

Select the Replace button to carry out the replacement for the current item only. Then select the Find Next
button to search for the next item that meets the search criteria and repeat the procedure.

Select the Replace All button to carry out the replacement for all items that meet the search criteria.

Select the Cancel button to close the dialog.

Changes to labels are validated. If it is detected that a change to a label would be invalid, e.g. if it would
result in duplicate labels, or labels with invalid values, an error message is displayed, and the replacement
does not take place.

Exercise 19
Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Try editing the labels on the P&ID given by the trainer. Try changing the non-pipe labels using the find and
replace facility.

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 CHAPTER 14

14 Session 2.5: Further Labelling Functionality

14.1 Adding a Drawing Title

In order to add a title to a drawing, right-click anywhere on an empty area

of the drawing page (not on a symbol or pipe), and select Properties. The
properties sheet displayed is can be used to add the drawing number,
sheet number, revision and clients drawing number.

A drawing number is mandatory because a drawing cannot be validated

and exported without one. It is also good practice to state the release of
VPE P&ID used.

Additional data can be added into the drawing sheet using the Sheet
Attributes. This is used for specifying the design area and other project
configured sheet level attributes that you may wish to enter. Other
information such as line and loop number ranges are also displayed in the
Properties Dialog Box. This data may be inherited by items on the
drawing, as described in the next topic.

After you have entered all required drawing data, you will be prompted to
place the information on the drawing.

Although you do not enter the project number here you will probably be
prompted to place it with the other attributes. This requirement is a project
configuration option and uses the project number defined for the project in
the project administrator.

14.2 Sheet Attribute Label Inheritance

The values of labels may also be inherited from the sheet attributes entered on the Advanced Drawing
Properties sheet (see previous topic). The values entered for these sheet attributes may be values that are
common to many items on the drawing, for example the design area. The inheritance facility enables all
items to inherit these common values. The labels of items that do not share these common values may
subsequently be edited manually using their properties sheets.

The links between item labels and sheet attribute fields is configured
separately for pipes, instruments, equipment, valves and line fittings.

 If an instrument or valve label is set to inherit from the owning

pipe, this takes priority over sheet attribute inheritance. All these
can be found from the Project Administration. For the
equipment inheritance, there is a box which you can tick if you
wish to hide the labels in the drawings.

If an existing project is already opened, and when the inheritance is

changed from the Project Administration, the project has to be
restarted for the inheritance to take effect.

The following points should be considered when editing inherited values both at drawing sheet and item
level:

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 When sheet attribute inheritance is first activated, any existing pipe values will not be
overwritten with sheet attribute values. Existing values for non-pipe labels will be overwritten. All
null values for all item labels will be overwritten.
 If a sheet attribute value is changed, all pipe label values that match the old attribute value are
set to the new attribute value, regardless of whether that value was inherited or entered
manually. For example, if the design area sheet attribute is changed from A to B, all pipe label
fields set to inherit from this sheet attribute that were set to A are also changed to B.
 If a sheet attribute value is changed, all non-pipe label values are changed to the new value, as
long as that value was inherited. If the value was entered manually, it will not be subsequently
affected by changes to sheet attribute values. To re-establish inheritance for a non-pipe label
that has been changed manually, delete the label and re-label the item.
 If an item label field is re-set after inheritance to inherit from a different sheet attribute field, any
existing inherited values will behave as if the sheet attribute value had simply been changed, as
described above.
 All null values in fields that are set to inherit from sheet attributes will be updated when sheet
attribute values are changed.
 If a label field that must be populated from a list of valid values is set to inherit from a drawing
sheet attribute field, that drawing sheet attribute field must also be populated from that same list
of values.

Exercise 20

Open the VPE P&ID project administrator for the project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated
from the Windows Start Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name]
> Project Administrator).

On the left hand side of the screen navigate to Drawings > Settings. Here you can set the user defined
sheet attributes. On the right hand column there is a pull down menu for each attribute allowing the selection
of the type of value the attribute represents. After setting up the attributes, click on the save button.

In the same administrator session navigate to Equipment > Settings on the left hand side of the screen, on
the right hand pane scroll down to the section entitled Equipment Inheritance. Depending on the set-up for
the project there will be either 4 or 6 TAG fields available in this section, select which of these fields you
would like to inherit properties for and in the drop down list select the related sheet attribute.

Save all the changes in the administrator session and close the programme.

Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Right-click on the drawing page and select Properties then scroll down to the Sheet Attributes section.
For each attribute that was set in the project administrator there will now be a drop down menu. After
selecting the properties you want then click OK. You will then be prompted to place the information on the
drawing page.

Any existing equipment on the drawing or new equipment created will then inherit the sheet properties as
set-up in the administrator.

Experiment with the different options in the project administrator to hide the attributes (i.e. the sheet
properties will be inherited, but the values will not be shown on the drawing) this is done using the
checkboxes in the equipment inheritance section in the equipment settings.

Repeat the above procedure for pipes, instruments, valves and line fittings.

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14.3 Setting a Pipe Label as the “Main” Label

A pipe may have multiple labels, displaying properties of the pipe at different points along the line. By
default, the properties of the start node are set as the “main” properties of a pipe (whether displayed on a
label or not), and are flagged as such when saved to VPE Workbench.

In case the start node properties are not representative of the pipe as a whole, and you want the properties
of a different part of the pipe to be counted as the “main” details, select the label that displays these
properties, right-click, and select Set As Main from the menu.

The selected “main” label is displayed in a different colour on the P&ID, and is moved to the top of the list of
labels of the pipe in the Project Explorer.
If a pipe label of a typical pipe is set as the main label, all of the items that it represents also have that label
set to be the main label.

To reset the properties of the pipe node to be main properties of the pipe, select the pipe start node and
then select Set As Main from the shortcut menu.

14.4 Adding Pipe Destination Text

Destination text, for example "to vent", or "drain", can be added

to either the start or end node of a pipe. The pipe must already
be labelled before this pipe destination text can be added. It
should be noted that when VPE Workbench is being used,
destination text must be limited to 30 characters.

Select the appropriate node, right-click and select Properties.

Enter up to three lines of text in the properties sheet that is then
displayed. The text entered here will appear in VPE Workbench
as the "From" and "To" entries.

Pipe destination text can only be added to pipes that do not

have a valid P&ID item connection i.e.: a nozzle.

14.5 Adding Notes to Items

To add notes to items on a drawing press the toolbar button.

Select the item that the note is to be assigned to, and enter the note
text in the Note properties sheet. Alternatively select the object first
then press the button. Notes adopt the colour of the item they relate to.

Notes cannot be added to clouds, as clouds are not part of the data
output. They are mainly for viewing by piping engineers on hard copies
of the drawings.

A maximum of 132 characters can be used, which automatically adopt

the colour of the item to which the note relates. They are included in
the export when it is carried out, and can be viewed when initially saved
to VPE Workbench, but are not carried forward with the “Issue for
Engineering” to the engineering database.

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14.6 Adding Dynamic Labels

You can label items of equipment, instruments and lines with dynamic labels. These consist of detail data
selected from a VPE Workbench project database.

These labels consist of a value, and optionally the designator associated with the value. You can edit the
designator text using the standard AutoCAD text editing facilities (see later in this session), but the values
should be kept up-to-date by refreshing them with the latest data from the VPE Workbench database.

If no value exists for a designator, a placeholder for that value may be used instead. Once a value is defined
in VPE Workbench for such a designator, the placeholder will be replaced by this value on refresh.

To label an item with dynamic data, select the button, and then pick the symbol body in the case of
equipment and instruments, or the label in the case of a pipe. The VPE Workbench Data Properties sheet is
then displayed.

This displays a list of relevant VPE Workbench detail data designators that may be placed on the drawing.
Use the + boxes to expand the entries on the list to display the values associated with the designators.

By default, the properties sheet only displays those designators that have values defined against them. In
order to have the properties sheet display all designators, check the Display all designators checkbox.

Designators without values display a placeholder in the value column, for example:

INS Altitude value

Where “INS” indicates the relevant entity type (in this example instrument) and “Altitude” is the designator
name. Other entity types are EQU for equipment, PIP for piping and DWG for drawing.

Select VPE Workbench data to place on the drawing by checking the checkboxes adjacent to the
designators and values or value placeholders. It is possible to add a value or value placeholder to a drawing
without the associated designator, but a designator may not be placed without the associated value or value
placeholder.

As required, select further items to label and repeat the process. Then place the dynamic labels on the
drawing in the normal way.

Dynamic labels may be grouped to form a special type of assembly known as Design Data Templates.
These are described next.

14.7 Design Data Templates

A collection of VPE Workbench values and designators can be grouped together to create an assembly.
Such assemblies are known as Design Data Templates, as opposed to the standard graphical assemblies
consisting of pipes and symbols. Design Data Templates may be used on the same drawing or inserted into
another drawing after creation.

Design Data Templates may then be associated with any appropriate symbol, pipe, or with a drawing. The
data they display is dynamic as described above, and will change to reflect the VPE Workbench values for
the item or drawing they are associated with.

Design Data Templates are created in the same way as graphical assemblies, as described earlier in the
course: press the toolbar button, complete the properties sheet (ensuring you select the correct assembly
type), then select the text that will form the template. The new template is automatically added to the
appropriate symbol folder.

14.8 Dynamic Labels from VPE Workbench

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To be able to view, place or refresh dynamic labels you must be connected to the

VPE Workbench database. Press the toolbar button, , and enter your login
details.

In order for “dynamic” VPE Workbench data on a P&ID to be kept up-to-date, it must be refreshed from the
VPE Workbench database. This procedure may take place automatically on connection to VPE Workbench,
depending on how the project is configured.

Once a connection is established, press the refresh button, . All VPE Workbench data is then
automatically refreshed from the database with the current released data values.

To disconnect from the database, simply press the disconnect toolbar button, .

14.9 Editing non-VPE P&ID text

Non-VPE P&ID text, text that was inserted using AutoCAD commands or dynamic labels from VPE
Workbench, may be edited using the AutoCAD text editing commands. At the AutoCAD command prompt
enter “ddedit”, you will then be prompted to select the text item you wish to edit. This accesses the
AutoCAD text editor. Edit the text and its attributes
(colour, size etc) and click on the OK button.

If the text to be edited is not in the AutoCAD multiline

format a simple highlighted box will appear round the
text and allow editing.

14.10 Adding Typical Item Details

The Typical Items feature enables one item to be identified as having data that is typical of many items.
The Typical data is added to the label of the item on the P&ID, but the other items to which the data applies
do not appear on the P&ID.

When data is saved to VPE Workbench from the drawing, the data associated with each Typical Item is
expanded into multiple sets where the items are created and revised in VPE Workbench as appropriate.

For each item that can be made into a Typical Item, the shortcut
menu includes a Typicals option. This option is available if the
Typical Item facility is enabled at project level, and if the item has
been labelled with the minimum mandatory data for the item type.
The option accesses a dialog box for the entry, deletion and
modification of the typical data.
To create a typical label, press the button. The new label is
placed at the bottom of the list of existing typical labels.

In the Typicals box, enter the label details of each item in the fields
provided. Validated fields are automatically completed with the
value entered in the previous row. Amend as required.

The first column is the order field and is completed with the position
of the label in the list of typical labels. Order numbers are assigned in ascending order. To change the

position of a typical label in the order, select it, and use the up and down arrow buttons .

To delete an entry, select the row, and press the Delete key.

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14.11 Instrument Pattern Labels

The “patterns” facility is an advanced feature similar to the Typical Items feature. It is used to expand a
single instrument item, displayed on a drawing, into a set of instruments, which are not displayed, but will be
exported on output along with the displayed item.

As Shown on P&ID What will be exported

These sets of instrument items are known as patterns. Patterns are set up using the VPE P&ID Project
Administration program (See the Administration guide for more details).

A simple example of this facility is a Flow Indicator (FI) which could consist of the displayed Flow Indicator
(FI) itself, which also represents a Flow Transmitter (FT).

If an instrument record is to be the representative of a pattern, select the required project pattern from
Pattern Reference field in the instrument Properties sheet.

Exercise 21

In this section the following areas have been covered:

 Adding a Drawing Title
 Sheet Attribute Label Inheritance
 Setting a Pipe Label as the “Main” Label
 Adding Pipe Destination Text
 Adding Notes to Items
 Adding Dynamic Labels
 Design Data Templates
 Dynamic Labels from VPE Workbench
 Editing non-VPE P&ID text
 Adding Typical Item Details
 Instrument Pattern Labels

The sheet attribute label inheritance is covered earlier by Exercise 21.

Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Finish the P&ID by labelling the ends of the pipes where appropriate, and by labelling the drawing itself with
a title. You can also add some text to the drawing using the AutoCAD facilities and then try editing it. Try
adding some notes to items, and modifying, adding and deleting labels on items to really get you familiar
with the labelling procedure. It is suggested that in particular you spend time understanding how pipe
labelling works fully, as this is the most critical and complicated part of the application.

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 CHAPTER 15

15 Session 2.6: Drawing Validation and Export

15.1 Detecting and Deleting Corrupted Items

During the creation of an intelligent VPE P&ID drawing, it is possible that items on a drawing will become
corrupt. Facilities are available to detect, highlight, and delete such items.

To check a drawing for corrupted items, select UTILITIES>Audit Drawing from the Commands Pulldown
menu. All "intelligent” items on the drawing, both pipes and symbols, are then checked. If any are found to
be corrupted, an error balloon is placed at item insertion point, displaying the following message:

ERROR: 381 Entity is Corrupted, Please Delete it from Drawing. - Handle: [item handle]

To delete corrupted items, select either UTILITIES>Delete Corrupted Entities or UTILITIES>Delete

Corrupted Entity Using Handle from the Commands menu.

If you select the first option, select the corrupted pipe or symbol on the drawing and press Enter. The item
will then be deleted. You can then select further items to delete or select Esc or Cancel to end the
command.

If you select the second option, enter the item handle in the dialog
box that is displayed, and press OK. If the entered handle does not
exist, a warning message is displayed to inform you of this.

When an item is deleted using these methods, all associated items are also deleted.

 Uncorrupted items can also be deleted using the facilities described above. Be careful not to select
these in error.

15.2 Drawing Synchronisation and Export

To export data either to P&ID Reports or VPE Workbench the

drawing must be synchronised, this is done by pressing the
following button, . The synchronisation process produces
several files which hold all the data from the P&ID and it is
these files which can be used to export the data to PID Reports.
Once the synchronisation button is pressed the following dialog
will appear and the option to export an additional ISO 15926 file
is provided via a checkbox.

If saving directly to VPE Workbench, then you must connect to

the VPE Workbench, by pressing and logging in. You will

require a VPE project logon to be able to do this.

Drawing synchronisation checks the whole drawing for consistency and prepares the data for export or Save
to VPE Workbench.

 Only objects within the limits of drawings, as specified by the project configuration, will be validated
during synchronisation.
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Select the required options in the Save to Model dialogue box as follows:

Use Checkbox
This places an area box symbol over items as it is checking then so you can more easily see the progress of
the validation. It does slow the process down however.

Validate Data Only

Checks the whole drawing but does not produce the output files. Having this de-selected will produce files.

Save To Model
Only available when logged into the VPE Workbench. Data is saved directly to the database.

Resolve Differences
Only available when logged into the VPE Workbench. After the data is saved directly to the Workbench the
Plant Connectivity Model is created in VPE Workbench ready for the Issue for Engineering of the items.

Press the Run button to validate the drawing. A log file is created that can be viewed on completion by
pressing the view button.

Exercise 22

Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Open the drawing that was created in exercise 5. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the drawing “TEST
PID 02” and open the file.

Using the P&ID you have just completed Validate the drawing as described above. Look for the Error and
Warning markers and try to fix the problems and re-validate. Keep going until the drawing validates fully
without Error or Warning.

Ask your trainer for assistance where necessary.

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16 Session 2.7: Project Setup Overview

16.1 Project Configuration

VPE P&ID can be configured to suit project requirements by means of various options set using the VPE
P&ID Project Administration program.

Using this program, you can:

 Enter basic project details and defaults such as file paths and the type of units (metric or
imperial) used
 Configure project drawing dimensions and drawing layers
 Create and edit project item types, label types and symbols
 Create and edit the lists of values used when labelling drawings
 Create and edit project pipe styles, signal line types and tracing styles
 Enter defaults for the behaviour and labelling of pipes, instruments, equipment, valves, line
fittings and other items

Project configuration changes should only be carried out by the appropriate project administrator.

16.2 Project Symbols

Each project requires a library of symbols. This can be an office standard set, stored on a file server for all
projects, and optionally a project can have an additional project set of symbols. Normally projects would only
have their own set of symbols where a customer requires their own symbols to be used.

Symbols can be created using the Symbol Editor utility, which is part of the Project Administration program
used to configure projects.

Symbols may also be created using AutoCAD drawing commands, as follows:

 Draw the new item without VPE P&ID being initialised.

 Make the item into a block, carefully picking an insertion point which is at the centre of a
symmetrical object or at the left hand end of a non-symmetrical one.
 For angled, 3 way and 4 way valves, the insertion point should be at the centre, not at the
bottom, or the pipes will not break correctly.
 Place in the appropriate project symbol directory.
 The symbols should then be added to the list of project symbols using the Project Administration
program.

16.3 Project Pipe, Signal Line and Tracing Styles

In addition to the standard pipe, signal line and tracing styles supplied with VPE P&ID, you may create your
own project styles using the Project Administration program.

The new style(s) will automatically have an entry in the Pipe toolbar or Signal Line toolbar as appropriate,
and may be applied to pipes and signal lines instead of the standard styles.

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17 Session 2.8: Full P&ID Exercise and Plotting P&IDs

Exercise 23

Open the VPE P&ID project that was created in exercise 1, this can be initiated from the Windows Start
Menu (Start > All Programs > AVEVA > VPE > P&ID > Projects > [Project Name] > AutoCAD 2008)

Using your knowledge of VPE P&ID, try to create a VPE P&ID from scratch. This will either be one of your
companies own drawings, or one supplied by your trainer.

17.1 Plotting P&IDs

If required, your completed P&ID can now be plotted using the standard AutoCAD facilities.

If you ever need to plot a number of drawings at once, a facility

is provided which can be used to create a batch file of
drawings, all of which can then be plotted in one go by running
this file. Select Create Plot Batch File from the Utilities sub-
menu of the Commands menu and follow the on-screen
instructions to generate the batch file.

A batch file may be run either opening it using Windows

facilities, for example in Windows Explorer, or by opening one
of the drawings in the batch file in VPE P&ID. The batch file
then runs automatically, or by selecting the toolbar button
shown above while in the one of the batch file drawings.

After the printer and configuration file has been specified, all the drawings in the batch file are then opened
and plotted in turn. Once a batch file is run, it is automatically deleted.

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