The SmartPlant P&ID software requires that you specify various library, file, and path names for reference data. The reference data defines not only references to information used plant-wide but also where to find the data or where to store it. You must define the locations of most of these libraries, files, and directories for your plant before you can begin using SmartPlant P&ID. SmartPlant Engineering Manager creates most of these initial definitions during site and plant creation.
You can modify your default reference data settings for your plant using SmartPlant P&ID Options Manager. You can define the settings for each of the following default files: rules library, default template, default piping symbol file, default duct symbol file, default signal line symbol file, format reference file, and default terminator style, as well as various locations for PDS 3D files and passwords. You can define the following default styles and formats: default terminator style, pipeline name attributes, duct run name attributes, and signal name attributes.
You can define default paths for the following types of directories or drives:
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Catalog Explorer root folder
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Default P&ID template folder
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Default report template folder
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Default drawing file folder
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Data locations for the default pipe, ducting, and signal run symbol files must be entered as a relative path based on the path defined for the Catalog Explorer Root Path setting. The data location for the default template file must be entered as a relative path based on the path defined for the P&ID template directory.
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The path that is written to the database when you place an item in SmartPlant P&ID and the data path in SmartPlant P&ID Options Manager must be the same. If the paths are different, the software displays the symbol as an unintelligent graphic. If you run the Update Drawings report in Drawing Manager, this report indicates when the paths do not match. Also, the CheckFilePathsCMD.dll will also detect this and report in the log file when the paths do not match. The symbol path serves as a pointer in SmartPlant P&ID Options Manager and is written to the database after you place a symbol; whereas the data path is a general path to the reference data.
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If SmartPlant P&ID Options Manager is missing data for Symbology, Gapping, Tracing, and Distances, then the application association has not been created in SmartPlant Engineering Manager. In other words, SmartPlant P&ID needs to be associated with your plant. To fix this problem, connect to a plant database that has been associated with SmartPlant P&ID using SmartPlant Engineering Manager. See Connect to a Database.
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When you are using projects inside SmartPlant P&ID, remember that the reference data belongs to the Plant and is used by projects of the Plant. You cannot change reference data, such as table layouts or formats or rules, at the project level.