• What intelligent P&ID software are you using?  Is anyone using the VPID with any success.   VPID is sheet based and each sheet is not tied to each other.

    Do you use other packages, Bentley, COADE, etc.?  Any suggesting one what the best one is?
  • At the companies I've worked for,  they have always tried to do intelligent p&id's, but with the way the systems work, and the way the engineers work it is nearly impossible to do them.  Most sytems require that you have everything completed befre you begin, because they are not very friendly with changes.  As many of you know, with P&ID's, they can have drastic changes during the course of a project, and the changes have to picked up really quick, this leaves you with no time to maintain a database.  Line numbers change, valve tags and type change, line sizes, specs,  anything and everything on the drawing changes.  Many times they just want to get it done, so they throw intelligence out the window, in more ways than one.
  • I am just now evaluating AVEVA VPID but I have used/administered AutoPLANT (Rebis) P&ID and Plant-4D (CEA) P&ID packages and they hold definite value.  Based on the last post, AutoPLANT would lead toward the best fit for multiple and rapid changes to any or all of a P&ID drawing the best.  Plant-4D would be a close second.  Just got to understand how the software want data entered and repaired to work smoothly.   AVEVA's P&ID is not data-centric and is sheet-based data so it should be easy to rework drawings from engineers.  Unsure about other flavors (cadworx, Intergraph, etc.).

    As far as thowing out the intelligence due to time-crunch is not intelligent at all.  Yes, it gets it done, but if done correctly from the beginning you should be able to keep up with the demand...depending whose P&ID software you are using.
  • For the moment , after a long search for a decent 'intelligent' PID package, we are implementing Comos Pt (from the company Innotec).  They developed a link between comos and pdms in 2 ways and I must say with a good result.
    Last month they had user-days in Germany, where the company is located, and there were a lot of the Innotec customers who use pdms also and started with Comos pt becaus e of this link.
    The module was developped by Innotec and I thinck in collaboration with the Aveva office in germany, but I'm not sure.
    Anyway, it works very well and Comos Pt is a very strong Object driven software to create not only PID's but also all kind of reports, lists, summaries, etc....   They also use the Comos Pt soft to create the cats and specs you can use afterwards in PDMS.
  • that sounds like an interesting package.  I'm going to check that one out.  We are always on the lookout for good packages to compliment our skills.  We are currently using a little "homegrown" package that is basically straight AutoCAD with blocks, but it's fast and it does the job.
  • We too are pursuing the Cosmos PT package with a web demo tomorrow.  All the sales lit they sent, make this package to have a alot of potential.  Please let me know if anyone else has used it.
  • Hi all!  We use Bentley's intelligent Autoplant P&ID, 3D, Piping, Equipment, and Data Management packages.  I am in charge of the P&ID/data management. Though there is a steep learning curve, we benefit tremendously from the centralization of our data.  Changes to line numbers are easily picked up and distributed throughout the various disciplines automatically.  Its smooth, efficient, and separates us from our competitors.  I would like to try PDS or PDMS (are they different?) and see how that all works.  I heard the up front costs are astronomical. cheers
  • I have too used the AutoPLANT P&ID, 3D (Piping/Equip/Steel).  It is a good package but still dwg based.  Now having used both extensively, I believe PDMS is a better modeling package (yes very pricey up front), but if you can implement it, it is well worth the $$$.  Now I believe the P&IDs are awsome from AutoPLANT and also from Plant-4D.  You can do more with PDMS than REBIS/AutoPLANT with concurrent users.  I would be glad to give you a personal analysis between the two.

    cadfusion, Inc.
    [email]dave@cadfusion.net[/email]



    Hi all!  We use Bentley's intelligent Autoplant P&ID, 3D, Piping, Equipment, and Data Management packages.  I am in charge of the P&ID/data management. Though there is a steep learning curve, we benefit tremendously from the centralization of our data.  Changes to line numbers are easily picked up and distributed throughout the various disciplines automatically.  Its smooth, efficient, and separates us from our competitors.  I would like to try PDS or PDMS (are they different?) and see how that all works.  I heard the up front costs are astronomical. cheers
  • thanks for that cadfusion, I would love to read your personal analysis!
  • I was not aware of the link between Cosmos PT and PDMS.  That is good news.  Is the data two way?  Will the intelligence transfer as well or is it simply dumb solids in PDMS?
    We are looking at some work an the original part of the project was done in Cosmos PT and need to look at the possibility of moving all of the original portion of the project from Cosoms PT to PDS or PDMS.  And also changing from German to English.

    Any ideas on how to proceed are appreciated.

    Cheers!