Placing pipes in Plant 3D at exact absolute coordinates works without construction lines and without additional geometry. If a line was designed imprecisely or has to be moved to a defined position afterwards, it can be shifted exactly where it belongs using coordinate entry alone. That avoids the detour through auxiliary geometry which then has to be removed again.
The basis for this is absolute coordinate entry using the # character, applied to the middle grip of the pipe. This article explains the procedure, demonstrates it on a simple example with several lines and sets out when the method is particularly worthwhile.
The problem: imprecisely placed lines
In practice it often happens that pipes are first drawn roughly, for instance in order to establish the route, and are only given their exact position later. The precise target coordinates are usually known, for example from a requirement or from the relationship to neighbouring components. The task is then to move the lines onto these absolute coordinates afterwards, without using construction lines or other geometry that would increase the effort and burden the model unnecessarily.
The solution: absolute coordinates through the middle grip
The key is the grip in the middle of the pipe combined with absolute coordinate entry. First select the pipe you want to move and click the grip at its centre. Then enter the # character to switch from relative to absolute coordinate entry. The three target values follow in the order X, Y and Z, each separated by a comma, and the entry is confirmed with Enter.
The decisive point is the leading #. Without this character, Plant 3D interprets the entry as a relative displacement starting from the current position. With the #, the entry refers to the absolute origin of the model, so that the line lands exactly on the coordinates given, regardless of where it was before.
An example with three lines
Suppose three lines were placed imprecisely and are to be brought to defined positions. For the first line, select the pipe, click the middle grip, enter # and then the target coordinates, in the example -300 for X, followed by 0 for Y and 0 for Z, each separated by a comma. After confirming with Enter, the first line sits at its correct position.
For the second line, repeat the sequence: select the pipe, click the middle grip, enter # and set the coordinates, in the example 0 for X, 1000 for Y and 0 for Z. A final click applies the position. Proceed in the same way for the third line, here with -1300 for X and 0 for Y and Z. After these three steps all the lines sit exactly on the intended coordinates, without a single construction line being needed.
When the method is worthwhile
The procedure is particularly useful wherever lines have to be aligned to given coordinates after the fact, for instance when adapting to changed requirements, when fitting into existing parts of a plant, or when correcting roughly drawn routes. Because neither auxiliary geometry nor additional construction steps are needed, the model stays lean and the positioning is exact and traceable. Once it has become second nature, entry through # turns into a quick action that saves time in many situations.
Support in your project
If you are looking for support in Plant 3D projects, for instance with CAD optimisation or creating pipe specs, please do get in touch.
