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CAESAR II®

Version Usage Tips Volume 2

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Undo/Redo Feature

A healthy portion of an analyst's time is spent defining and checking the input of a piping system. A powerful tool to have available is an unlimited Undo/Redo capability. (Here, unlimited means there is no set limit on the number of undo operations. The actual number of undo operations that can be performed is limited only by the amount of available memory.

The Undo/Redo capability is activated within the piping input module as soon as a data change is made to the current input. Each change to the input is tracked. All changes can be undone, one at a time in (reverse) order. This undo ability extends to cover the generation options, such as the expansion joint modeler, the element break, the LIST duplicate, and the LIST rotate. A single undo action will revert the model back to the state it was in before the generation option was invoked.

Once an Undo operation has been performed, the Redo option becomes available. Once a File Save event occurs, the undo history is cleared. Subsequent undo requests can only be satisfied back to the point of the last File Save operation.


3D Graphics Configuration

There are occasions where it is desirable for subsequent input sessions to start up in, or remember the previous graphics state. CAESAR II accomplishes this by saving the 3D graphics state in an XML file, specific to each job. Upon invoking another input session, CAESAR II reads this XML file are restores the 3D graphics to its previous state. This includes the rotation and zoom level of the model, various color settings, data display, and the current graphics operator.

Many of these items can be adjusted by the user via the 3D graphics configuration. This local, job specific configuration can be accomplished by clicking on the (Change Display Options) button. This produces the dialog shown below.

The various tabs of this dialog control: basic graphics colors, font selection and size for textural data, user startup settings, visibility (the degree of transparency), and node marker size and color.

Basic Graphics Colors: Selecting any item in the list, then clicking on [Change], displays a standard Windows color selection tool. Selecting the desired color, and clicking [OK] changes the color of the selected item to the new color.

Font Selection: Selecting any item in the list, then clicking on [Change], displays a standard Windows font selection tool. Select a font face, a font style, a font point size, and optionally a font color. Clicking on [OK] changes the font of the selected item to the new font.

User Options: This tab is used to set the initial display configuration when first plotting a model in an input session. The 3D graphics can be configured (on an individual job basis) to restart in a specific manner. The graphics can startup in with a preset operator active (such as "zoom with mouse"), or to startup with the last operator used still active. Likewise, the graphics can startup in a preset view (such as "isometric"), or in the last rotated zoomed position.

The graphics can also startup in any specified projection (orthographic, perspective, or stretched.) This dialog is shown in the figure below.

Visibility: This tab is used to alter the degree of transparency, when translucent pipe is activated. When activated, translucent pipe allows viewing through the pipe. This is especially useful for viewing jacketed piping or piping inside of vessels.

Moving the slider to the right, increases the degree of visibility, making it easier to see through the pipe elements. (Note, this option is only effective when viewing the model in rendered mode.)

Markers: This tab is used to control the size and color of the node point markers. These markers are small circles used to graphcially locate the node points on the piping model.

Moving the slider to the right, increases the size of the markers. (Note, this option is only effective when viewing the model in single-line mode.)

Markers can also be turned completely off by unchecking the checkbox in the lower left of this dialog.

3D Graphic Highlights

Often it is necessary to review the piping model in the context of certain data. For example, by diameter, wall thickness, temperature, or pressure. These operations are illustrated below.

When the Diameters button is clicked, the display is updated to show each diameter in a different color. A color key is included on the left side of the plot. This is shown in the figure below. This option can be used to quickly see diameter variations throughout the system. This is a good way to verify that diameter changes have been made where appropriate.


Click to enlarge.


When the Thicknesses button is clicked, the display is updated to show each pipe wall thickness in a different color. A color key is included on the left side of the plot. This is shown in the figure below. This option can be used to quickly see wall thickness variations throughout the system. This is a good way to verify that wall thickness changes have been made where appropriate.


Click to enlarge.


When the Temperature button is clicked, the display is updated to show each pipe temperature in a different color. A color key is included on the left side of the plot. This is shown in the figure below. This option can be used to quickly see temperature variations throughout the system. This is a good way to verify that temperature changes have been made where appropriate. When more than one (operating) temperature has been specified, a drop list is presented so the (single) desired temperature can be used in coloring the model.


Click to enlarge.


When the Pressure button is clicked, the display is updated to show each pipe pressure in a different color. A color key is included on the left side of the plot. This is shown in the figure below. This option can be used to quickly see pressure variations throughout the system. This is a good way to verify that pressure changes have been made where appropriate. When more than one (operating) pressure has been specified, a drop list is presented so the (single) desired pressure can be used in coloring the model.


Click to enlarge.


When the Material button is clicked, the display is updated to show each pipe material in a different color. A color key is included on the left side of the plot. This is shown in the figure below. This option can be used to quickly see pressure variations throughout the system. This is a good way to verify that material changes have been made where appropriate.


Click to enlarge.


Special 3D Graphics Features

The transparency option is very useful when building or checking models where one pipe is inside another. This situation arises when working with jacketed piping, or piping vessels. It is often necessary to view the geometry inside of an object, for verification purposes. The transparency option enables this ability.

The transparency option can be activated by clicking on the "translucent button" on the toolbar (). Clicking this button transforms all plot objects into transparent components. The degree of transparency can be controled via the configuration options and the Visibility tab.

An example of a transparent model is shown in the figure below.


Click to enlarge.



3D Graphics + LIST

The LIST facility presents the piping model data in uniform tables, one row per element. These tables (elements, restraints, bends, tees, displacements, etc.) provide an efficient method of data verification and/or modification (such as changing all friction coefficient).

It is also possible to modify the model geometry from the element list, and immediately view the result. This can be achieved by clicking on the graphics button of the LIST toolbar. The active Window is then modified to show both the LIST and the graphics, as shown in the figure below.


Click to enlarge.

 
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