Deleting Fittings

                Deleting fittings can be daunting and you can end up spending hours in rework. If ever struggled with this then problem you will be happy to know there’s a trick or two to bypass this limitation (bug more likely).

All fittings CAN be deleted, just need to know how.

                Usually as you select a fitting you will get Delete option on the right click menu but every once in a while, just when you need it most and you are in a hurry, rushing a deadline you find this missing option. You probably hope no one will see a fitting floating around or as an advanced user you are, you turn the visibility off for the component in the design view presentations or turn the line visibility off in the drawing.

Missing Delete option on the right click menu.

                Not to be finger pointing, but I had someone turning the color of the lines white on the drawing in his need to hide/delete a fitting. This tricked the drawing aspect but not the prints and exports.

                You will more likely see this bug when you copy/paste a fitting in the browser or graphical window. I tend to do this when I need a copy of an existing fitting with a different size. For some reason the new fitting will lose part of the TP functionality (icon on the browser will not be a blue tee icon specific of TP fittings). At this point you cannot delete it unless you select it and then press delete on your keyboard. There is no delete on the right click contextual menu on the graphical window or browser

                If using “Delete” on your keyboard is also not working, the trick is to use demote, promote to a point where delete gets active and you can use it.

                Select the fittings in the browser and drag them outside T&P assembly. Then step at that level and notice that there still is a missing delete option on some/all of the fittings. Select them again and use demote on the right click contextual menu (under Components) or press “TAB” on your keyboard.  

Drag / promote fittings.

                Don’t worry about giving a proper name and a save location for the new assembly. We will never save it but instead, as soon as the fittings are grouped under this new file select it and press Delete key or use the right click contextual menu.

 

Still missing Delete? Demote them...

 

How's this working then?

                In the next post will be covering broken links for fittings that don’t update with the route and for some reason they remain in the assembly. While the fix is similar there is a catch on how to get that route to populate again and save recreating the route.

Delete key worked but here's promote/demote. 

Later,

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photo credit: Selection (license)

Authoring branch fittings

Branch fittings anyone? They are a weird one I’ll tell you that, especially the authoring part for routed systems.

I needed flow meter fitting authored and ready to drop from the library so I downloaded the .sat part from GF’s website and saved it in ipt format.

Before you go to authoring the part you need to modify it a bit.

1. First you need to add a mating point where the fitting connects with the pipe.

2. Then you need to create the pipe axis. For this I have first created a sketch where I have drawn a circle being the O.D. of the pipe and constrain it tangent with the mating point.

Then you can create an axis that will go through the center of the circle perpendicular to the sketch plane.

3. We also need to create a cutting profile if we want the pipe to be cut out by our fitting.

Use the pipe axis created above to create a plane parallel with the top face of your fitting. Add a circle or project the existing pipe ID edge as your cutting profile.

Now you can go to authoring tube an pipe.

On the Type drop down list choose “Branches” and set 2 the number of connections.

My fitting is a special size 1.26” flanged fitting so first End Treatment is Flanged, of size 1.26in. Use the upper circular edge for your Connection Point and Axis.

The second Connection is of type Welded and because it’s a one size fitting I will have M150 in both Min, Max Size.

Use the work point created for the mating point and the work axis for the pipe axis. Finally select the circle on the cut profile sketch and mark if to cut the mating pipe or not.

Click ok and turn the visibility off for all work features and sketches. Here is the end result once you drop the fitting on top of the pipe.

I have managed to do a post every week (sometimes more than one) but haven't been able to make videos so I've decided to do one for this post.Here it is:

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