In this article you will learn how to optimize the bill of materials output (MTO) in order to ensure a clear separation of pipes and profiles on your drawings. A correct configuration prevents components from being incorrectly listed in the wrong list.

Prerequisites

You are in an AutoCAD Plant 3D project and are creating a material evaluation (MTO) directly on a drawing derivation.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Select the correct template

    For profiles and steel components, always use the steel bill of materials template. If you use the pipe bill of materials template, Plant 3D automatically pulls in all components that are assigned to the pipe class, which leads to an incorrect display.

    Expected result: A clean evaluation that contains only profiles.

  2. Adjust the filter for Python profiles

    Since Python profiles technically fall under the Support class, they can appear in a pipe bill of materials. Click on the table properties and select the filter settings. Set the filter so that only the Supports class is displayed and Pipes remain hidden.

    Expected result: The list contains only the desired support components despite using the pipe template.

  3. Check project templates

    Check in your drawing templates (DWT) which bill of materials templates are stored by default. Adjust the templates if necessary so that the correct template is automatically loaded for the respective evaluation (pipe vs. steel).

    Expected result: Consistent default settings for all project staff.

Important notes

  • Maintain separation: For steel or support profiles, the steel bill of materials should always be preferred.
  • Consistency: Define project-wide standards so that the entire team uses the same filters and templates.

Troubleshooting

  • Problem: Pipes appear in the steel bill of materials.
    Solution: Check the class assignment of the components and make sure that no pipe components were incorrectly defined as a steel construction class.