Brief summary and highlights of the new features added to AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3)
AutoCAD® 2010 (64-bit) and AutoCAD® 2011 (64-bit) support
AutoPLANT Plant Design Workgroup V8i (SELECTseries 3) now supports both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of AutoCAD 2010 and AutoCAD 2011. Being able to deploy with AutoCAD 64-bit will enable AutoPLANT to handle larger model files than was possible with AutoCAD 32-bit.
Ribbon Menus and Tool Palettes for AutoPLANT Piping V8i and AutoPLANT Equipment V8i
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) now provide ribbon menus and tool palettes within the AutoCAD interface to enable users to insert piping components (tool palettes) and manage models (ribbon menu) in a more efficient manner. The ribbon menus contain the action, or management commands whereas the tool palettes are for placing components in the models based on the selected catalog content.
Microsoft® Windows 7® (64-bit) support
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) can now be deployed on a 64-bit Windows 7 operating system.
Note: Windows XP® 64-bit and Windows Vista® 64-bit are not supported operating systems.
Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 R2 and ORACLE 11g (11.2.0.1.0) Support
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) will integrate with project databases created using either Microsoft SQL Server 2008 or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2.
To enable ProjectWise integration, a minimum of SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition must be deployed along with the SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 available from Microsoft.
Furthermore, AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) has also been certified with ORACLE 11g (11.2.0.1.0).
Encryption of SQL Server Authentication Credentials
In previous versions of AutoPLANT, the User Name and Password used to connect to a SQL Server project database (using SQL Server Authentication) were stored and displayed in the [Databases] section of the Project.ini. This information was also replicated under the Project Databases node within Project Administrator.
With the advent of AutoPLANT V8i (SELECTseries 3), this information is now encrypted to enhance project security.
Microsoft® Office 2010 Support
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) now supports Microsoft Office Professional 2010. Microsoft Office Professional is required for Project Administrator, Data Manager, Datasheets, and Vision.
Note: The Professional version of Office that includes Microsoft Access is required to enable use of Bentley Project Administrator and SpecGen. Microsoft Access is also required for the generation of reports via Data Manager, Vision, 2D/3D Consistency Checker, and SpecGen.
The run-time version of Microsoft Access is not supported.
Microsoft Office Professional is not required for 3D modeling.
ProjectWise V8i (SELECTseries 2) and (SELECTseries 3) support
AutoPLANT Plant Design Workgroup V8i (SELECTseries 3) can work in a fully integrated, managed environment with Bentley ProjectWise V8i (SELECTseries 2) or (SELECTseries 3).
ProjectWise is an engineering project team collaboration system that is used to help teams improve quality, reduce rework, and meet project deadlines. Proven on projects of all shapes and sizes to increase productivity and reduce costs, ProjectWise is unlike competing systems as it is the only one that delivers integrated solutions for content management, content publishing, design review, and asset lifecycle management. Better still, ProjectWise is optimized for real-time collaboration across distributed teams and can be deployed OnPremise at your office or online as a hosted managed solution.
ProjectWise Navigator V8i (SELECTseries 2) and (SELECTseries 3) support
Models created using AutoPLANT Plant Design Workgroup V8i (SELECTseries 3) can now be reviewed and analyzed using Bentley ProjectWise Navigator V8i (SELECTseries 2) or (SELECTseries 3).
ProjectWise Navigator is used by infrastructure teams to review and analyze project information. With highly versatile viewing capabilities, ProjectWise Navigator delivers a more intuitive user experience and improves the interactive quality of information. This alone enables greater project insight and helps avoid costly on-site errors. In addition, teams can analyze projects virtually - to detect and resolve clashes and to simulate project schedules - they can augment data by registering comments in the i-models, and they can produce 2D and 3D PDFs for consumption by a wider audience.
ProjectWise i-model Composer V8i (SELECTseries 2) and (SELECTseries 3) support
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) has been certified for project use with Bentley ProjectWise i-model Composer V8i (SELECTseries 2) and (SELECTseries 3).
Bentley i-model is a container for open infrastructure information exchange and enables bidirectional feedback in dynamic workflows. An i-model can be information rich, reliable, and optimized for purpose. A key differentiator of i-models is “provenance,” knowledge of its origin and evolution – essentially this is an i-model’s change history.
Bentley View V8i (SELECTseries 2) support
Bentley View V8i (SELECTseries 2) has been certified for use with AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3).
Both Bentley View V8i and AutoPLANT PDW V8i now leverage the RealDWG libraries from Autodesk to enable 100% DWG read/write compatibility.
Bentley View is a free DWG, DGN, and i-model viewer. It's the best tool for projects that require a powerful viewing, measuring, and printing application for AutoCAD, MicroStation, or hybrid projects using i-models. With an installed user base in the millions, Bentley View is one of the most widely used free CAD viewers in the world.
Bentley ProSteel V8i (SELECTseries 3) support
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) has been certified against the latest version of Bentley ProSteel V8i.
Bentley’s ProSteel is a 3D modeling environment for structural steel and metal work supporting your construction and planning tasks. Working on the AutoCAD and MicroStation platform, you get an intuitive and integrated multi-material modeler perfectly suited to layout complex structures, produce shop drawings, assemble all your connections and manage your bill of materials. From initial planning and design to assembly, ProSteel is a comprehensive software built by engineers experienced with steel design. Our many years of experience in the field and the close contact with our users has contributed to ProSteel becoming an internationally recognized and important application for 3D structural steel and metal work.
Bentley AutoPIPE V8i (SELECTseries 2) and (SELECTseries 3) support
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) has been certified against both the (SELECTseries 2) and (SELECTseries 3) releases of Bentley AutoPIPE V8i.
AutoPIPE is the choice of leading EPCs worldwide. The most comprehensive piping analysis software for 20 years in small to high-end piping projects worldwide for the power, oil and gas, petrochemical, offshore, and nuclear markets. Faster engineered piping systems backed by nuclear Quality Assurance to ISO 9001.
Split Pipe Functionality
The new Split Pipe functionality allows users to split a pipe segment into smaller welded spools based on user defined maximum and minimum spool length constraints and tap weld offset values. The pipe segment division is automatically adjusted based on the location of the tap ports on the pipe.
A brief demonstration of this new functionality is available from the AutoPLANT Piping V8i web site .
i-model creation from within the AutoPLANT PDW V8i Interface
AutoPLANT PDW V8i (SELECTseries 3) streamlines the workflow of creating an i-model from AutoPLANT models. Prior to (SELECTseries 3), users had to open the AutoPLANT model via ProjectWise i-model composer to create the i-model. Now users can create AutoPLANT i-models from directly within the AutoPLANT interface, therefore streamlining the operation. There is no longer the need to open the AutoPLANT model in ProjectWise i-model Composer first.
The i-models created from AutoPLANT are now based on the same ISO 15926 schema as the Bentley OpenPlant suite of plant design tools. This will enable seamless interoperability between AutoPLANT, OpenPlant and any other ISO 15926 based applications in the future.