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Creating Block-Based Multiview Parts with Mass

Elements in AutoCAD® MEP Eric Bogenschutz – BSA LifeStructuresJoe Eichenseer- AssistantGregg Stanley- Assistant

ME314-1L

With AutoCAD MEP, you can now make block-based multiview (MV) parts with mass elements instead of 3Dsolids. We’ll look at how to take advantage of mass elements to create your model for your MV parts, how tocreate a new block-based MV part step by step, and how to transform a part made with 3D solids into a masselement part for easy manipulation of a specific view. You’ll also learn how to add it to your catalog.

Key Topics Covered:

- Use mass elements to create block-based MV parts- Create a new MV part in a catalog- Edit an existing MV part in a catalog- Add connection points to our part- Make the process of adding additional content into Autodesk Building Systems much more manageable

 About the Speaker:

Eric has been a CAD manager at BSA LifeStructures, a large architectural engineering firm in Indianapolis,Indiana, for the last 5 years. He is an AutoCAD Architecture Certified Expert, and earned his Bachelor ofScience degree in Environmental Design from Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana.

ebogenschutz@bsalifestructures.com

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Creating Block-Based Multiview Parts with Mass Elements in AutoCAD® MEP

Definitions:

Content Builder- Content Builder is a utility tool that enables you to create custom parts, such as fittings

and equipment, that can be used in your building systems layouts.

Catalog Editor- A tool used to modify the content of the catalogs in some way.

MVBlock- For multi-view block. A type of block that can contain multiple AutoCAD blocks set to displaydifferently in different views.

MVPart- For multi-view part. An MvPart is a multi-view block with smart connectors. They include partssuch as access doors, coils, fans, filters, and pumps.

Making a New Part:

Before we begin to make our part we need to verify some settings and paths along with adding in afew pulldown menus that we will need. First of all open your AutoCAD MEP 2008 shortcut. If you areasked to choose a workspace you can choose HVAC, then OK.

First, go to the window menu, then Pulldowns, and choose CAD Manager. 

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The path that we need to set is the path to the MV Part Catalog. See the image below for the pathlocation in the options menu.

This path would normally point to your catalog that would be located on a server so all of the userscould share 1 catalog. If edits or additions were made to the catalog the updates would appear for allusers.

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Once the menus and paths are setup, we are ready to start looking at the catalog and adding newparts to it. To do this see the image below to open the catalog editor.

The catalog editor dialog will open, choose File: Open and go to the datasets location to open the AU2007 Catalog.

The catalog we will be using has already been created for the class.

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How to create our Water Heater MV Part:

We need to go into the content builder to begin to complete the setup of our catalog and then to start tomake our part.

The image to the right is the Content Builder Dialog. Weneed to add some chapters to our catalog to place ournew part into. We will create the chapter in the next fewsteps.

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Before we start to edit the catalog we need to draw our part. For this class we are going to use both 3DSolids and Mass Elements. You can use either of these types of parts to create your “Model View” ofyour part.

First we are going to draw the following objects with just 2D Linework. Here are the items that you willneed to draw (Draw these items at 0,0,0):

-  2’-0” Diameter Circle

-  (2) 1” Diameter circles that are offset 3” from the center point of the circle

-  Depending on the amount of detail wanted for your part you can add a control box (5”x3”)

To convert the linework into Mass Elements pick the line, right click and choose convert to: MassElement

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Enter the height that would want to make the Water Heater. For the class we will use 60”  for theheight.

Repeat this process for each of the other circles and the control box. Make the height for each of the 2small circles use 1”, for the control box choose 3”. Your part is now modeled with Mass Elements. Wenow need to move the Cold Water: IN and Hot Water: Out Mass Elements to be 60”  high in elevation.The control box should be placed 12”  high in elevation.

If you want to create the part with 3D Solids you would use a similar process. The only difference isthat instead of a right click and convert to: you type in EXTRUDE. Use all of the same heights as givenearlier.

Then go to a 3D View on the Views Toolbar. See that it resembles a Water Heater.

We now need to make a block to continue on to the next part of the exercise. Name your block:24_AU_Water_Heater_Model (the _Model is important).

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 After the block is created we can go back to the catalog to begin placing this Water Heater in theCatalog.

 As before use the CAD Manager Pulldown and go to>Content Editing>Content Builder.

Make a new chapter , called Water Heaters as a subfolder to Mechanical.

The image below shows the Block Based Part Button, click on this button to bring you to the New PartDialog Box. To the lower right is the New Part Dialog. Enter the information shown in the image andthen click OK.

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 After clicking ok, your computer will start creating the new part drawing file.

You will then be presented with the following dialog box. The type should read Water Heater, choosethe correct layer key by clicking the … button and then selecting the layer key that is for PlumbingWater Heaters. Then click Next.

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Since we named our block _Model it populates some of the fields for you. The next item is to click onthe Generate Blocks button to generate all of the other views. This is why we made the part 3D toegin with so it will generate the other views automatically.

The views (image to the right) dialog will pop up, you can click OK.

b

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Click Next. The next box is the Generate Image/Icon. Then click Next.

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The next dialog box is to add in Connectors. You will right click on the category/chapter and chooseadd Pipe Connector. We need to make 2 connectors. 1 for Hot water (OUT), 1 for Cold Water(IN).

 

Repeat this process to also ADD annector.COLD co

 

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The next image displays how your dialog should look after adding the 2 connectors. When you right clickon either connector you will get an Edit Placement box to select.

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When editing the placement it will bring you into a drawing environment to choose where to place theonnectors (Position) and to assign which direction they point (Normal).

you back to theConnectors dialog, you can now choose Next.

aking your MV Part.

It will save your part and create all of thenecessary files for the catalog. I.E. XML filesetc. 

c

 

Choose OK. This will take

Then you can click Finish. This is the final stepin m

 

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The final step is to go to the CAD Manager Pulldown and choose Content Editing> RegenerateCatalog, then choose the MV Part Catalog. Then Repeat the pulldown and choose Test catalog, againchoose to test the MV Part Catalog.

The part is now ready to be brought into a new file. Go to the T

cation in theadd part dialog and choose the AU

the connectors flow wasset to out to allow pipe to be drawn out.

a

chosen “IN” as theflow direction.

rmits we can go in andchange the view of another part in theatalog to match the display of your

ny standards or to take a partdownloaded from a manufacturer to

sert it into your catalog.

ool Palettes>HVAC.

Browse to the correct lo

Water Heater that we created. Notice

that it will come in on the correct layerbased on the layer key that we chosewhen making the part.

If you select the part you can now drawpipe from the 2 connectors that weplaced, both of 

If for another part you wanted to drawpipe in space and then connect pipe toit you could have

Congratulations on creating a BlockBased MV Part!

If time pe

ccompa

in

 

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To add a downloaded manufacturer part 

Many of the previous steps will be repeated in the process.

1. Download a 3D Part from a selected Manufacturer

at as a 3D Part.

ve already included a Manufactured Part in our Dataset. Open

the file named Manufacturer_Pump.dwg

tent Editing:Content Editor

s- Manufacturer

ey: M-MV-Pump_BASEMTD, Click NEXT

T

en NEXT

ctors (2)

ent of the connectors Position and Normal.

15. Then FINISH

16. Regenerate and Test your Catalog. Your new part will appear.

17. Place your part into a new file.

2. If available download it in DWG form

For time purposes in class I ha

1. We need to repeat the steps of making a block. Name your block,

 AU_Manufac tu rer_Pump_Model

2. Then go to a 3D View.

3. Click on the CAD Manager Pull Down:Con

4. Add a new Chapter called Pump

5. Click on the add new block-based part

6. Name your part, AU Manufacturer Pump

7. Choose your Part Type: Pump

8. Choose your Layer K

9. Click the Generate Blocks Button: Then click OK, then NEX

10. Generate an image, and click Generate, th

11. Add Conne

12. Edit the placem

13. Click OK, out of the edit placement mode

14. Click Next