Semi-Automatic Extraction & Connection

This article will cover the Semi-Automated Extraction and Connection portions of the piping workflow.

Getting Started

This article will cover the Semi-Automated Extraction and Connection portions of the piping workflow. To begin this workflow, ensure you have a point database model, and piping model for your project already created, QA’ed, Cleaned, and opened.

The Semi-Automated Extraction and Connection tools are designed to supplement the full automation from Process Scans. However, there are some cases where you may only need to extract a small portion of the entire point cloud. There are other cases where QA would take longer than starting from scratch. In these cases, you may start with Semi-Automated Extraction instead of starting with full automation. First, you only need to process the point database. Then, in the File tab, click on Blank Model > New Pipe Model. From here, reference the rest of this article to begin your workflow.

Extraction

To Extract a pipe, select the Extract (X) tool in the EdgeWise Piping tab. Now left click to start your selection box and continue left clicking around your point cloud data. When your polygon surrounds your desired pipe, double click to finish the selection.

Fig 1. Pipe Extraction

You can edit the cylinder further by using the Edit (E) tool in the Piping Tab. Select the Edit tool, than select a cylinder in the 3D view. White orbs should appear on the endpoints. Drag these orbs to extend or shorten the pipe. Additionally, you can use the Move (D) tool to anchor the opposite endpoint and move the selected endpoint in free form space.

Connection

Connecting pipes is as simple as connecting the dots. First, select the Connector (C) tool. Next, select one pipe end point and then select the next pipe endpoint, as seen below in Fig 2. EdgeWise will place a straight connector or an elbow.

Fig 2. Pipe Connection

If you select the drop down arrow on the Connection tool, you can select a Reducer (R) or a Tee Joint (T). Reducers work the same way as Straight Pipes or Elbows. However, ensure you insert reducers between pipes that are actually different sizes or you may be missing this connection within your deliverable.

Fig 3: Pipe Connector Drop Down

Inserting a Tee Connection

Tee connections are the most unique to insert out of all the connection types. Let’s say we have a situation like this:

Fig 4: Pipe with a Tee connection gap

A Tee joint needs to have a connection between the endpoint of the branch pipe, and the center of the main pipe. There are two ways to do this in our example. First, we could just delete one of the main pipe sections, and Edit (E) the other and drag it along until there is enough space for a Tee.

Fig 5: Method 1 – Preparing to insert a Tee Connection

Alternatively, we could insert a straight connection between both main pipe pieces and then clean the pipe.

Fig 6: Method 2 – Preparing to insert a Tee Connection

Fig 7: Method 2 cont. – Preparing to insert a Tee Connection

Remember – You can’t have a connection intersect within another connection. This is why we must ‘clean’ in the second method. The tee joint can’t connect to the straight connector.

Now, in either method, you can select our Tee Joint from the drop down menu or press T on your keyboard. Next, click the white dot endpoint on the branch pipe, and click the center of the main pipe. This will insert our tee connection, as seen below.

Fig 8: Tee Connection Inserted

The next step in the workflow is Clean Pipes and Apply Standards.

Reducing Elbow/Tee Workaround

These articles will cover a workaround for reducing elbows and reducing tees for piping and round ducting within EdgeWise. Reducing elbows/tees DO NOT transfer over to any deliverable, however, there is a workaround that can be representative of the reducing elbow/tee geometry.

Reducing Elbow Workaround

While reducing elbows fail to export out to any deliverable, elbows and reducers are able to be exported. This workaround involves using a combination of those two connections.

First, ensure your pipes are already their correct sizes. If they aren’t, try extracting out the pipes again using the Extract (X) tool. Alternatively, open the Part Info Smartsheet (Q) and adjust the diameter of either pipe manually. We’ll be performing this workaround on the following example.

Fig 9: Starting point for reducing elbow workaround

Now we are ready to perform the workaround. Start by using the Split tool (B) on two locations of your smaller pipe. Next, grab your Edit tool (E) and select the sliver you will have created. (The split tool seems like it doesn’t do anything until you actually make a selection). Your selection and sliver should look like the following.

Fig 10: Split then Edit tool

Preserve this selection, and delete this sliver. There should now be a gap between two sections of your smaller pipe. Next, open your Part Info Smartsheet (Q). Copy the diameter of your larger pipe using Ctrl + C on your keyboard. Now select your smaller pipe section that’s closer to the larger pipe and paste, Ctrl + V, the diameter. Your smaller pipe section and the larger pipe should now be the same size.

Fig 11: Diameter adjustment

Now insert an elbow between the two yellow pipes. In the piping tab, click Connector (C), then click the two white boxes that appear on the pipe endpoints. Your pipe should look like the image below.

Fig 12: Elbow Insert

Next, select your Edit tool (E), select the small yellow sliver, and make it as small as possible.

Fig 13: Sliver

Finally, use your Edit tool (E) to bring your smaller pipe closer to your elbow, select the Connector tool drop down, select Reducer (R), and click the two white boxes on the endpoints.

Fig 14: Final reducing elbow workaround result

This results in a reducing elbow workaround. Keep in mind, some exports will expand the sliver to the required minimum of 4mm.

Reducing Tee Workaround

While reducing tees cannot be made natively in EdgeWise, regular tees and reducers can. This workaround involves using a combination of those two connections.

Fig 15: Starting Point for Reducing Tee Workaround

Fig 16: Split then Edit Tool

Fig 17: Diameter Adjustment

Now, insert a tee between the two orange-red pipes. To do this, click the Connector drop down and select Tee or press the T key on your keyboard. Next, click the white box on the branch orange-red pipe then select the center of the main pipe. Your pipe should look like the image below. If you require more information on how to insert Tee connections, refer to this article.

Fig 18: Tee Insert

Next, select your Edit tool (E), select the small orange-red sliver, and make it as small as possible.

Fig 19: Sliver

Finally, use your Edit tool (E) to bring your smaller pipe closer to your tee connection, select the Connector tool drop down, select Reducer (R), and click the two white boxes on the endpoints.

Fig 20: Final reducing tee workaround result

This results in a reducing tee workaround. Keep in mind, some exports will expand the sliver to the required minimum of 4mm.