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Chapter
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Getting Started In this chapter you will launch AutoCAD P&ID and learn how to use the AutoCAD P&ID environment to create,
edit and manage your piping and instrumentation diagrams. We will go somewhat deeper in certain features
of the user interface of AutoCAD P&ID to show you that it is not that different in comparison with regular
AutoCAD.
During this chapter we will go deeper into the following subjects of AutoCAD P&ID;
- Launching AutoCAD P&ID
- Work screen
- Work spaces
- Tool Palettes
- Tool Palette settings
- Creating a Tool Palette
When this chapter is passed, you will have no difficulty setting up the AutoCAD P&ID user interface to your
own likings.
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Launching AutoCAD P&ID
After the installation of AutoCAD P&ID, a shortcut of AutoCAD P&ID on your and an entry in the start‐up menu
will be available for the user. Both options will start AutoCAD P&ID, the shortcut by double clicking and the
start menu entry by selecting it, with the user interface for AutoCAD P&ID active.
After launching AutoCAD P&ID the program starts and comes to the front with a more than familiar user
interface. This user interface, or work screen, is going to be addressed in the next paragraph.
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The AutoCAD P&ID User Interface (UI)
Now that you've started up AutoCAD P&ID, you will notice some differences from standard AutoCAD. You can
see that a Tool Palette for AutoCAD P&ID is visible on the right of your screen. These Tool Palettes aren't new
to experienced AutoCAD users, but some AutoCAD users don't use them in their daily work. In AutoCAD P&ID,
the Tool Palettes are a very important item for using the software.
Users who are new to AutoCAD and especially to AutoCAD P&ID will quickly learn to adapt to using these
palettes. Most of the symbols and functions you need for AutoCAD P&ID are located on these Palettes.
On the left side, you see another window has become visible. This is the AutoCAD P&ID "Project Manager".
The Project Manager will be dealt with in another section, but we can tell you now that it is a handy and very
powerful tool in AutoCAD P&ID.
At the bottom of the AutoCAD screen, you will find the "Command Line". Everything you enter on your
keyboard, unless there is a dialog box active, will show up there near your mouse pointer. Many commands in
AutoCAD and AutoCAD P&ID require more input when activated. These prompts for more input will also be
shown on the "Command Line". New users will have to get used to using this command prompt, but after a
while it will become second nature to read and react to the commands and questions that appear there.
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Your Work screen
When you return to your drawing screen, you’ll see that the entire screen can be used for designing your
Piping and Instrumentation diagram. It is advisable that you place your symbols and lines within the boundary
of the Grid (when the grid is not visible, turn it on with F7). In principle, you don't need to worry about the
scaling of your symbols, as they will match the size of the sheet you defined as a template when you created
the project.
The colors, line types and line styles are also predefined in the template you selected. All these settings are
coupled with the layer settings in the template and will automatically be selected when you place a
component or draw a process line. With AutoCAD P&ID you start working straight away in the P&ID
workspace ‐ you don't need to know very much about how AutoCAD P&ID uses these standard settings. Thus,
AutoCAD P&ID really can be seen as a semi‐automated design solution for piping and instrumentation
diagrams.
Drawing commands
AutoCAD P&ID is installed to offer the minimum of commands needed to create a Piping and Instrumentation
Diagram. Of course it is possible to draw and modify much more with the AutoCAD P&ID environment,
because it is still AutoCAD. To use AutoCAD P&ID for your daily work performed with regular AutoCAD you
only need to switch your workspace, how to switch workspaces or how to create your own is explained in the
following paragraph.
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Workspaces
As mentioned before, AutoCAD P&ID includes a full version AutoCAD. It is possible to use AutoCAD P&ID as
regular AutoCAD, so you can still do all the "normal" engineering work you are used to. To switch between
AutoCAD P&ID and regular AutoCAD, use the standard implemented workspaces, which you will find at the
bottom right corner of your screen. Switching between workspaces is quite simple. By selecting a workspace
in the pop‐up menu, AutoCAD automatically changes your ribbons, colors and settings immediately. AutoCAD
P&ID is equipped with multiple workspaces, several for different P&ID standards with P&ID functionality and
others for standard AutoCAD functionality.
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AutoCAD P&ID Tool Palettes
The Tool Palettes in AutoCAD P&ID will be used extensively as mentioned before. In this paragraph we would
like to show you the ease of use and the boost in productivity that a Tool Palette can give you. The Tool
Palette is normally placed on the right of your AutoCAD work screen. As mentioned earlier, there are different
tabs that are separated by function. In the tab "Lines" for instance, you will find all types of default lines that
are available in AutoCAD P&ID. In our case Pipe and Signal Lines are available.
Placing a symbol
Placement of a symbol is very simple. Select the desired symbol with your mouse pointer and click on your left
mouse button. The symbol is now attached to your mouse pointer and can be placed anywhere in the drawing
area. This working method is used for each of the symbols you will find on the Tool Palette. Placing symbols
and drawing lines will be covered more extensively in the next chapter. First we’ll take a look at the options
you have when working with Tool Palettes.
Symbol preview
The standard Tool Palette shows a preview of the symbol. When you move your mouse pointer over a
symbol, a flag will be shown with its name. However, when the number of symbols increases, you may prefer
to see a list of symbols rather than icons.
When you select one of the tabs on the Tool Palette with your right mouse button, a pop‐up appears. In this
pop‐up you will find "View Options" which accesses the different viewing options for the Tool Palette.
Selecting the "View Options" will result in a dialog box as shown in the next image, with the following choices.
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Image size
Will show the symbols larger or smaller by dragging the slider
bar.
View Style
Icon Only ‐ shows only icons and no text.
Icon with text ‐ shows the icon and the describing text of the
symbol.
List View ‐ shows only a text listing of the symbols on the tab.
With the "Apply to" option, you can determine if these view settings
should apply to the entire Tool Palette or only current tab.
Note
Options will only be shown to the user on the activated / selected tab.
Restructuring Palettes
It is also possible to restructure, rename, or delete the Palettes that are present in
AutoCAD P&ID. When you select one of the tabs with your right mouse button, a pop‐
up will appear and show you the options "Move up" and "Move down". These options
make it possible to give the tabs a different position on the Tool Palette. In the same
pop‐up you will find the possibility to "Rename" a selected tab. This can be very
useful if the naming scheme at your company or for your customer is different from
the standard in AutoCAD P&ID. It is also possible to delete Tool Palettes, but this is
not advised.
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Symbol options
Right clicking on a symbol that is located on the tool palette will result in a pop‐up
menu. To go to the settings of a symbol, select the Properties option. In this case it will
show the name, the description and the image that are used for the selected symbol. It
is possible to "Rename" the symbol so that it will fit better with the descriptions you are
used to.
It is also possible to change the image used on the tool palette. By right clicking the image, an option called
“Specify image” appears which allows you to change the image into any other image you like.
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Tool Palette Options
First, we will show you how to activate and de‐activate the tool palette window. We also will show you several
default settings that you can use when working with tools palettes. When the tool palettes aren't visible, you
have to turn them on using one of the methods shown above. Turning them off again is done in the same way.
If you can see the tool palette on your screen, it may consume a great deal of your drafting area. This could
become very annoying, especially if you are using a laptop or a small screen with a low resolution. To
overcome this, AutoCAD P&ID has several options that make the tool palettes more flexible.
Floating tool palette:
The tool palette will be floating when you open AutoCAD P&ID for the first time, but many AutoCAD users
instantly dock the palette to one of the sides. If your tool palette is docked, select the double ribbon on top of
the tool palette with your left mouse button to pull it loose from the side of your screen.
When it is floating on your screen, you see that one side of the tool palette has an edge that you can grab to
move it around on your screen.
When you right click on this edge, you will get a pop‐up menu with several options, including "Allow Docking"
which lets you dock the tool palette to the left or right side of your screen. When you turn this option off, the
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tool palette will never dock to one of the sides and you will always be able to relocate it to any location you
desire. Of course, when you want to dock the tool palette again, it is just a matter of turning the option back
on again.
Tip
When you have the luxury of working with two monitors, this option allows you to drag the tool palette to the second screen so that you can have 100% of your first monitor as your drafting area.
AutoHide the tool palette:
When the tool palette is floating around, it may still occupy quite a large area. To make the tool palette
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disappear, you can tell it to AutoHide itself when not in use. After activating this option, only the edge of the
tool palette will be visible on your screen.
When you move your mouse over the edge of the hidden tool palette, it opens up again so you can select your
desired symbol. Then, the tool palette automatically disappears again and gives you your drawing area back.
Just like all the other options, if you change your mind, you can select the option again and the tool palette
will remain visible once more.
Anchor Left/Right:
With the Anchor option you can instantly dock the tool palette to the left or right of your screen in Auto‐Hide
mode. This way it is not necessary to try to dock the tool palette, it will do it automatically.
Making the tool palette transparent:
The last possibility we will explore is the option to make the tool palette transparent on your screen. When
you right click the edge again, the same pop‐up menu will reappear with the "Transparency" option. This
option allows you to the set the percentage of transparency of the tool palette, or in other words, how much
the tool palette will show you of what is hidden beneath it on the drawing area.
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Creating a tool palette
In this section we will explore the creation of custom tool palettes. The single tool palette functionality is easy
to use and very powerful for use with your own symbols or with symbols that are commonly used in your
process and instrument diagrams. The tool palette group functionality will allow you to create certain groups
of tool palettes that can be used for different projects.
Single Tool Palette
To create a single tool palette, you only need to right click on your tool palette itself. The pop‐up menu that
appears will contain an option called "New Palette".
When you select this option, a new palette will be created to which you will be required to assign a name.
After you have entered and accepted the name, the tool palette will be created, but it remains empty. You can
now drag symbols, commands, macros and anything else that you think you might need during your drafting
work onto your new tool palette.
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Tip
A very powerful way to create your own tool palette with symbols on it you seem to use the most is to copy them from one to another tool palette.
Copying is done by right clicking the desired symbol and by choosing the copy option. Placing it on a different tool palette is almost the same, activate the required tool palette, right click again, and this time choose the paste option.
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