Issue #1: *** ERROR: INVALID THICKNESS GIVEN. PIPE IGNORED. The following is found in the MSG log file: *** ERROR: INVALID THICKNESS GIVEN. PIPE IGNORED. *** ERROR: UNSUPPORTED OR UNRECOGNIZED ELEMENT TAG. Solution #1 : After converting PCF file to NTL file with the AutoPIPE translator, open the NTL files in any text editor program, search for all occurrence of "PIPE", the 2nd entry is supposed to be the wall thickness (Please see the following AutoPIPE help section: Help > Contents> Search Tab> enter "PIPE - Pipe Data" (include the quotes), press List Topics button, double click on the selected topic from the list provided to see more information). AutoPIPE does not allow a negative wall thickness. Remove all the -ve signs (ex "-9.00" should be "9.00",save the file, and open in AutoPIPE. Solution #2: After converting PCF file to NTL file with the AutoPIPE translator, open the NTL files in any text editor program, search for all occurrence of "COMPONENT-ATTRIBUTE4", this value should start with a number (ex. “COMPONENT-ATTRIBUTE4 204-AFRA-0300”, or “COMPONENT-ATTRIBUTE4 600-FPA-0800”). The following is NOT acceptable: “COMPONENT-ATTRIBUTE4 -0011-0011”, notice the first character was a “-“ character instead of a number. Per this example, insert a valid number before "-0011-0011". Issue #2: *** ERROR: MATERIAL FILE NOT FOUND . The following is found in the MSG log file: *** ERROR: MATERIAL FILE NOT FOUND. Answer: Be sure that the material file (xxx.LIB) specified on the PCF translator dialog screen is actually in the AutoPIPE directory folder. If not, select a material library that is in the folder. Example: On the PCF translator dialog screen, material library = B313-12, What Material libraries are available in my version of AutoPIPE? Answer: Start AutoPIPE, open the General model options and select the drop down menu for Material library files to see available material libraries, see below: Note: AutoPIPE 9.5.x and lower does not have ASME B31.3 2012 piping code or material LIB file. Therefore, must change PCF material library to a LIB file available in the respective version of AutoPIPE. Again, Only select those Material libraries on the PCF translator that are available in your version of AutoPIPE. Issue #3: *** ERROR: INVALID DIAMETER GIVEN. PIPE IGNORED The following is found in the MSG log file: *** ERROR: INVALID DIAMETER GIVEN. PIPE IGNORED Answer: From reading the complete error message: *** LAST NODE PROCESSED: 36 PIPE PIPE4 0.000SSTD 0.000 *** ERROR: INVALID DIAMETER GIVEN. PIPE IGNORED. AutoPIPE needs to have a value for pipe dia. >0.000. Avoidance: open NTL file in any text editor (i.e. NotePAD), search for the indicated node point (ex. 36), should find following: RUN 36 0.000 0.246 0.000 RVER 1.7 PIPE PIPE4 0.000SSTD 0.000 *A106-A * 0.000 0.000 0.000 Increase pipe size>0.000, can always change final pipe size inside of AutoPIPE, set default pipe size to 2.000 as shown below: RUN 36 0.000 0.246 0.000 RVER 1.7 PIPE PIPE4 2. 000SSTD 0.000 *A106-A * 0.000 0.000 0.000 Save model file and try to open with AutoPIPE. Item #4: *** ERROR: NEAR POINT TYPE IS INVALID. RIGD IGNORED The following is found in the MSG log file: *** ERROR: NEAR POINT TYPE IS INVALID. RIGD IGNORED. Answer: From reading the complete error message: *** LAST NODE PROCESSED: 39 RIGD 39 Y Y *** ERROR: NEAR POINT TYPE IS INVALID. RIGD IGNORED. The issue is occurring at node point 39. AutoPIPE NTL file does not support applying rigid properties to a Bend's Near point. This can be caused by modeling a coupling on the elbow or 2nd point where rigid properties are to be applied is missing from the command. Avoidance: Options #1: First close AutopIPE, and then open the following file in a text editing program (i.e. MS Word, Ultraedit, NotePad++, etc..): C:\Bentley\AutoPIPE Translators \ PCFin.MAP In [COMPONENTS] section of PCFin.map file, by default, COUPLING component is mapped to RIGID as shown below. Remove / Delete the word " RIGID" from the third column because again on BEND near point RIGID is not supported in AutoPIPE. Save the file, restart AutoPIPE and try importing the file again. Option #2: Open NTL file in any text editor, search for the indicated node point (ex. 39), should find following: Refer to the online help for the correct syntax of this command. Problem is that the 2nd point where rigid properties are to be applied is missing from the command. Solution, delete Line number 116 completely, save the file, and in AutoPIPE select File > Open> AutoPIPE Batch (*.NTL). The model should open with out error. Item #5: *** ERROR: CANNOT PUT VALVE AT THIS POINT. VALVE IGNORED The following is found in the MSG log file: *** ERROR: CANNOT PUT VALVE AT THIS POINT. VALVE IGNORED. Answer: There are certain restrictions where an AutoPIPE component can or cannot be placed. This message simply states that a given valve cannot be placed at a specific location. One such location would be the first component on the branch of a Tee. Remember that a tee is currently a singe node point at the center-line intersection the run piping and the branch piping. If a valve was to be manually modeled in AutoPIPE as the first component on the branch of a Tee the following would have been displayed: --------------------------- Error --------------------------- E38-95: Cannot insert component after a tee. Try inserting a pipe run point after tee equal in length to the tee leg. Then insert component after that run point. --------------------------- OK --------------------------- CLICK HERE for more info Therefore, when importing a model that tries to perform the same task, the error message above is displayed. Workaround: Locate and Modify the converted NTL file, insert a pipe run point after the tee equal in length to the tee leg before the valve component is added. Example: Test .PCF was created by Smartplant, when imported into AutoPIPE the program aborted the import process. In the Test.MSG file was the error message, VALV 11 NS -0.350 0.350 0.000 NS 1.720 *** ERROR: CANNOT PUT VALVE AT THIS POINT. VALVE IGNORED. Open the folder where the Test.PCF file is stored and locate the newly created TEST.NTL file created by the translator: Open the file using any text editor program (i.e. Notepadd ++, MS Word, Ultra Edit, etc..) and locate the offending valve(s) (note, there maybe more than one location that needs to be fixed in a model) Insert a Pipe card after the Pipe properties call out. Save the file and now try to Open the new NTL file in AutoPIPE. --------------------------- Confirm --------------------------- Import process successful. Review warning messages : --------------------------- Yes No Cancel --------------------------- Question: why did the first 2 valves above need to be manually fixed but the 3rd valve was OK in the above image? Answer: Segment creation order. Note the green segment where the valve is located was segment #3, where the Cyan colored piping was found to be segment #4. The Segment #3 (green) was drawn before Segment #4 (Cyan). Apparently, AutoPIPE allows the user to connect a pipe to a valve node point so long as the valve was drawn first and the pipe making the connection was drawn afterwords. Otherwise the application has logic that prevents the user from first creating a tee and then adding a valve to the branch as the first component. This logic holds true of importing files. In any event the model will need to be manually corrected before analyzing the model. A new enhancement will be logged to help with this import issue.
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