Desktop

The CADMATIC desktop allows you to navigate in your CADMATIC installation directory and perform various actions.

  • If you are an administrator, you can use it to manage project settings, manage databases, schedule publishing of 3D models and documentation, and so on.
  • If you are a designer, you can use it to manage your workspace and open design applications.

Note: The user interface and the available commands depend on whether you are using the desktop in CADMATIC Hull, CADMATIC Plant or CADMATIC Outfitting.

Opening the Desktop

In the Start menu of Microsoft Windows, do one of the following, as appropriate to your installation:

  • Select CADMATIC > CADMATIC [release] Plant. The CADMATIC Desktop dialog opens.
  • Select CADMATIC Outfitting > CADMATIC [release] Outfitting. The CADMATIC Outfitting dialog opens.

You can also open the CADMATIC desktop by double-clicking its shortcut in your Windows desktop.

User Interface

The CADMATIC desktop's user interface allows you to do the following:

  • View the current directory path and navigate to a different folder. See Directory Navigation.

  • View the objects in the currently selected location. Only objects that have special meaning in the given context are shown, and from their icons you can see what a given object represents: project folder, workspace folder, data folder, or shortcut to an application or Agent.

    • – Project

    • – Workspace

    • – Data folder

    • – Component Modeller application

    • – Plant Modeller application

    • – Plant Modeller for Basic Design, Detail Design, 3D Cable Design

    • – P&ID application

    • – Piping Isometrics & Spools application

    • – Plot Manager application

    • – Hull Agent

    • – Plant Agent, TEKLA Agent

    • – NAPA Agent

  • Manage objects by selecting the object and then a suitable command from the Object button. See Object Menu.

  • Delete objects (directories, shortcuts) by selecting the object and then Edit > Delete. See Edit Menu.

Directory Navigation

The CADMATIC desktop shows the path to the currently selected folder. You can navigate in the directory structure as follows:

  • Select a previously used location from the drop-down list.
  • Click Up to move from the current location to its parent folder.
  • Click Browse to select a specific location with a folder browser.

Projects (.pms)

Plant Modeller is operated in the context of a project. The project data is stored in two CADMATIC Object Storage (COS) databases:

  • Project database (.pms) contains data that is specific to the project.
  • Library database (.lib) contains data that can be shared by several projects.

Workspaces (.wsp)

In a project, each designer works in a separate workspace. The workspace name is the same as the user's Windows login name: [username].wsp.

  • You can create a workspace by navigating to the project and selecting Object > Create Workspace.

Application Areas

In their own workspace, each designer can select which CADMATIC applications to install. Each installed application has its own area in the directory structure.

When you start Plant Modeller for the first time, you are prompted to define the physical limits of the design area.

Note: One designer can have several Plant Modeller application areas in one project, but only one Piping Isometrics & Spools area and one P&ID area (because there is no need to have several).

Agent Areas

In addition to creating areas for CADMATIC applications, you can create areas for Agents.

Agents poll a shared folder and wait for service request files from a peer application to appear in it, and whenever a new service request arrives, the Agent performs the service that is specified in the file.

For more details, see Administrating agents and service requests.

Object Menu

The CADMATIC desktop shows objects one directory at a time. The commands in the Object menu reflect where you are in the directory structure and what type of object is currently selected.

When in a folder where you can create projects and nothing is selected, the Object menu contains the following items.

Menu Item

Description

More Information

Create Project

Allows creating a new project.

Creating projects

Install Satellite Site Allows administrator of main site to add a new satellite site. Installing satellite sites
Unarchive Project Allows restoring an archived project. Archiving
Recreate Project Directory Allows recreating the project directory when COS server has been restored from backup and project directory was not included in it. Restoring a backup
Show Detailed Info of Projects

Lists the projects in the current folder and shows information on them, including the following:

  • Project name.

  • COS Server information, such as server address, release version, hard-wired schema number, and is it a root COS server.

  • Project information, such as project name, database version, and is it a root project database.

  • Library information, such as library name, database version, and is it a root library database.

Note: Database version (ProjDB Vers., LibDB Vers.) identifies the format of the database, and the format does not change in every release. For example, the format of 2024T1 databases is 23.2.0, not 24.1.0.

You can select multiple projects from the list and then run Object > Upgrade Project Environment to convert their databases to the current software version. This action shows a simple summary of the conversion results; if the conversion fails, more detailed information can be shown by running Object > Upgrade Project Environment on a single failed project.

Select Object > Return to Normal View to restore the normal desktop view.
Manage COS Allows managing the COS network with the COS Networks tool. Administrating COS networks
Manage COS Servers Allows managing the COS network with the Manage CO Designer tool.

 

When in the workspace folder and a specific application or Agent area is selected, the Object menu contains items specific to that application or Agent.

Menu Item

Description

More Information

Run

Opens the selected application: Component Modeller, P&ID or Piping Isometrics & Spools.

Component Modeller

P&I Diagram

Piping Isometrics & Spools

Plant Modeller

Opens the Plant Modeller application.

Plant Modeller

Plot Manager

Opens the Cadmatic Plot Manager application.

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Start [name] Agent

Starts the selected Agent. The Agent starts polling the service request directory specified in the Agent's properties.

Administrating agents and service requests

Stop [name] Agent

Stops the selected Agent.

Administrating agents and service requests

Start Plant Modeller

Starts the Plant Modeller application for editing the Agent's design area with a user interface.

Administrating agents and service requests

Settings

Opens the DM Tools window of the Piping Isometrics & Spools application, which allows you to run the following commands:

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Object Properties

  • If an application area is selected, displays a message that shows the installation path of the application and indicates whether the application is from the software version as the desktop.
  • If an Agent area is selected, opens the Agent's properties dialog.

Administrating agents and service requests

Change Role of Area

In Outfitting, allows changing the role of the selected design area, for example from "Basic Design" to "Detail Design".

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Remove Lock

Removes the application lock that might be left behind if application crashes. Removing the lock allows the module to be started again.

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Reset

Resets the Plant Modeller or Agent area so that it can be rebuilt from COS the next time the area is started. This must be done if for some reason the program is unable to re-install COS objects that are missing from the model.

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When a project is selected, or when in a workspace folder and the Parent-> icon is selected, the Object menu contains the following items.

Menu Item

Description

More Information

Open

Opens the selected folder; same as double-clicking the folder.

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Library and Project Databases

Opens the Project Environment object browser window where administrator can manage the library of the project and the project itself.

Administrating library and project databases

Manage Project

Opens the Manage Project dialog where administrator can review and manage the general project settings and the replica servers of the project.

Managing project settings

Manage Diagram Database

Opens the Manage Database Server dialog where administrator can manage the SQL database of the P&ID application.

Managing the P&ID database

Manage COS Server

Opens the Manage CoDesigner dialog where administrator can manage the CoDesigner replication of the COS server.

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Close Project Site

This command is only available at a replica site. The command relinquishes the ownership of all objects to the parent site and removes the replica P&ID database from the SQL server.

Important: After closing the project site, make sure all the data is properly replicated to the master before you delete the replica server. If using online replication, use the Update Now command described in Update Server.

Closing a satellite site

Delete Project

Allows deleting the selected project, if no application is actively using it.

Closing a project at the master site

Upgrade Project Environment

Allows converting the library and the project to the current software version's format. Typically this must be done after upgrading to a new major version, and the program prompts the user if the task has not been done yet.

Upgrading to new version

When in the project folder or when in the workspace folder and nothing is selected, the Object menu contains the following items.

Menu Item

Description

More Information

Create Area For

Contains tools for creating application areas and Agent areas. Agents run tasks in the background instead of being operated by users.

Object > Create Area For

Tools

Contains various administrative tools.

Object > Tools

Create Plant Modeller Service Instance

Allows installing a new Plant Modeller Service Instance in the project.

Installing a Plant Modeller service instance

Manage Plant Modeller Services & Instances

Allows editing the settings of Plant Modeller Service Instances.

Managing a Plant Modeller service instance

Manage COS

Opens the COS Networks dialog.

Administrating COS networks

Manage COS Servers Allows managing the COS network with the Manage CO Designer tool.

 

Object > Create Area For

The Object > Create Area For menu contains the following items.

Menu Item

Description

More Information
Plant Modeller for Detail Design

In Outfitting, creates an area for using the Plant Modeller application for detailed design.

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Plant Modeller for Basic Design

In Outfitting, creates an area for using the Plant Modeller application for basic design. —

Plant Modeller for 3D Cable Design

In Outfitting or Plant, creates an area for using the Plant Modeller application for 3D cable design. —

Plant Modeller

Creates an area for the Plant Modeller application.

Plant Modeller

Plant Modeller Primary

Creates an area for a limited version of the Plant Modeller application. This area type supports a maximum of 15,000 model objects. Structural model objects are not included in the count.

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Piping Isometrics & Spools

Creates an area for the Piping Isometrics & Spools application.

Piping Isometrics & Spools

P&I Diagram

Creates an area for the P&ID application.

P&I Diagram

Component Manager

Creates an area for the Component Manager application.

Manage component model objects

Hull Agent

Creates an Agent area for serving data requests from CADMATIC Hull.

Creating new agents

NAPA Agent

Creates an Agent area for serving data requests from NAPA.

Creating new agents

Tekla Agent

Creates an Agent area for serving data requests from Tekla.

Creating new agents

Plant Agent

Creates an Agent area for serving data requests from Plant/Outfitting.

Administrating agents and service requests

After selecting the area type to be created, if project administrator has defined local coordinate systems, you are prompted to select which coordinate system to use for the new area. The default, non-rotated coordinate system is called "Project".

Object > Tools

The Object > Tools menu contains the following items.

Menu Item

Description

More Information

Run DM Tools

Opens the DM Tools window, which allows you to run the following commands:

  • Debug Databases – Opens the Project Environment dialog in a mode that allows you to edit and delete configuration objects, without the application preventing these actions.

    Note: To use this command, your user profile must be included in the security policy Forcibly cancel checked out status and replica ownership for any object.

  • Open Terminal Window – Opens the Cadmatic Terminal command-prompt window for running scripts from the command line.

  • Conversion tools

    • Compatibilities for connection faces – Converts the "Dm/Connection-Face-Compatibilities" COS object to the currently supported format.
    • Convert Diagram MenuItmData field – Converts the MenuItmData database field of P&ID to the currently supported format.

  • Select and Run Script – Allows running a CADMATIC script file (.mac, .bs).

  • Dimension table Excel tool – Allows editing Dimension Tables via Microsoft Excel.

  • Install Custom Tool – Allows installing a custom tool package (*.customization) provided by CADMATIC, as described in Script Based Custom Tools.

    Then, the installed custom tool can be accessed from the Custom group of the Tools tab of Plant Modeller.

See also Datamatic tools.

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DM Tools Properties

Opens a dialog that shows the directory where the application is running and allows selecting whether the desktop shows items as icons or as a list.

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Migrate from 4.4

Allows migrating Plant Modeller and Pipe (= old name of Piping Isometrics & Spools) application areas from software version 4.4.

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Check Unicode Conversion Compatibility

Displays a message that indicates whether your site can support or already supports Unicode.

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Manually Convert Hole Request Objects

Opens the Hole Request Conversion Tool dialog where you can manually convert old RFH (Request For Hole) objects to new Hole Request objects.

Normally, upgrading to 2019T3 or newer converts the RFH objects automatically, but they might remain unconverted if automatic conversion has failed or the objects are checked out to an area that has not been opened in this version.

The tool shows the remaining RFH objects, lists the issues found in them, and allows converting them to the new format.

Holes

Relink to Project

Must be run if COS server has been restored from backup and project directory has a new path.

Restoring a backup

Sync Workspace with COS

Every user must run this command if COS server has been restored from backup.

Restoring a backup

Multi-Project Maintenance

Allows updating multiple projects with data that has been exported to CX files and converting documents created in earlier software versions to the current document format.

Multi-Project Maintenance

Edit Menu

You can delete an item shown in the CADMATIC desktop by selecting the item and then Edit > Delete.