Tube and Pipe Glossary

auto region

A route specified by selecting a begin point and an end point where the system determines any intermediate points needed to achieve a continuous path while also satisfying rules specified within the selected style.

auto route node

Route points that are automatically generated between points on selected geometry and that update dynamically when the system recalculates the route because of changes to adjacent segments. Route points that are automatically generated by the system are not fixed by default.

base fitting

A fitting, conduit part, free route end, or normal Inventor part that is located anywhere within the assembly. It specifies the connection that constrains the position and routing of the free fitting.

base sketch

A 3D sketch that is created based on geometry in any part that exists in the standard Autodesk Inventor assembly or tube and pipe runs assembly. It must be outside any routes in the assembly hierarchy.

Use base sketches to create derived routes so that derived routes contain exactly the same geometry as selected from the base sketch.

Bending Machine data

Bend data for design in numerically controlled (NC) bending machines, including location and direction of the bends, center line radius, tube diameter, wall thickness and material. It is generated from rigid tubing segments and saved in a non-associative standard ASCII text file, usually in either of two common formats: XYZ Format and YBC Format (LRA Format). Bending Machine data files can be manually copied and pasted into CNC programs to drive tube bending equipment.

conduit parts

Tube, pipe, and hose segments that are used by specified tube and pipe style to populate routes and runs. Conduit parts can be inserted into a tube and pipe runs assembly from the Autodesk Inventor Content Center. Tube and pipe iParts can be authored and published as conduit parts, but normal tube and pipe parts cannot.

default fitting

A default fitting that is used by the specified tube and pipe style to populate routes and runs. To modify a routed fitting, you can only change its diameter, and then you can perform most modifications on the fitting.

derived route

A route that is created from a base sketch in any part file that exists in the standard Inventor assembly or tube and pipe runs assembly. It contains exactly the same geometry as selected from the base sketch so as to reuse the 3D geometry in the associated part file.

design team

Two or more people working in a collaborative environment.

See: single user

directional fitting

A two-connection fitting that changes the direction in tube and pipe routes, usually a 90-degree or 45 degree elbow.

driven dimension

A non-parametric dimension enclosed in parentheses that shows the current value of the sketched geometry. Its value updates when the sketch geometry changes size, but it does not resize the sketch geometry

See: driving dimension.

driving dimension

Also known as sketched dimension. A parametric dimension that determines the size of sketch geometry and resize the sketch geometry when its value changes.

See: driven dimension.

end fitting

A fitting that is specified in the style as the component used to populate the end route point of flexible hose routes. It must be a tube and pipe component with two connections.

exclusive tube and pipe components

Any of the master runs assembly, runs, flexible hose assemblies, and routes that can be used through tube and pipe component copy and reuse workflow.

An exclusive tube and pipe component can have multiple secondary occurrences. Its secondary occurrences can become adaptive to assembly changes using the Make Independent command.

The secondary occurrence of a master runs assembly can only be made adaptive when a top assembly contains no other adaptive master runs assembly.

fitting parts

Components of a highly specific size, type, or class which can be used to interconnect custom designed or purchased components within a run. Fittings may be collected into a supplied content library or pulled from a vendor's web page.

free fitting

A fitting, conduit part, free route end, or normal Inventor part in the active run.

If the free fitting is a free route end, system will automatically create an auto route region to accomplish the connection. Otherwise, it is always positioned relative to the base fitting during updates and other operations.

interchangeability set

A collection of interchangeable master runs assemblies or harness assemblies that can be swapped for any given Routed Systems occurrence on a per-configuration basis. The interchangeability set in the iComponent table is used to track which master runs assembly or harness assembly is used in each configuration. Edits to the master runs assembly or harness assembly members are independent of each other.

ISOGEN data

Production data for piping isometrics that controls the appearance of the finished piping drawing. It is generated from specific pipe runs and stored in associative PCF files. ISOGEN is the industry de-facto standard supplied by all major plant design software vendors and produce automatic isometrics from design systems.

master runs assembly

Known as tube and pipe runs assembly. A tube and pipe container for individual runs, flexible house assemblies and routes, as well as populated conduit parts and fittings.

A tube and pipe assembly can only have one master runs assembly primary occurrence (adaptive) but it can have multiple secondary occurrences of the master runs assembly secondary occurrences (non-adaptive).

MaxEP (Maximum Engagement Position)

The distance along the connection axis from the connection point to the maximum engagement position distance that the pipe is inserted into a fitting. The MaxEP work point can be an existing work point on the connection axis or can be created by the intersection of a specific planar face and the connection axis.

A fixed MaxEP distance can only be changed using the Tube and Pipe Authoring dialog box; if it is not fixed, it can be set to be a percentage of NS.

MinEP (Minimum Engagement Position)

The distance along the connection axis from the connection point to the minimum engagement position distance that the pipe is inserted into a fitting. The MinEP work point can be an existing work point on the connection axis or can be created by the intersection of a specific planar face and the connection axis.

It can be set to a percentage of the MaxEP distance.

Minimum bend radius

The smallest radius to which a wire, cable, or flexible hose that can be bent. The minimum bend radius varies with different cable and material types.

PCF (Piping Component File)

A text ISONGEN file format from Alias, Ltd. that provides Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for the transfer of pipeline content and configuration information, between a 3D Piping Design System and ISOGEN.

placed fitting

A fitting that is inserted into an assembly from the Content Center using AutoDrop or from your project work space using the Place Fitting command. It can be a library or non-library part, typically used to branch off tube and pipe routes.

primary occurrence

The driving occurrence of an exclusive tube and pipe or cable and harness components. It is the only occurrence in which Routed Systems editing is allowed. The primary occurrence drives the definition of all other occurrences.

route

In tube and pipe design, a route is a wire frame (centerline) representation of the run. The route updates associatively to location changes of end terminations. A route may be defined using manual, semi-automatic, or automatic methods.

In cable and harness design, route refers to the process of inserting wires into segments.

secondary occurrence

Any non-primary occurrence of an AIP component with a file name of top_assembly_filename <N> in the Model browser, in which <n> is the occurrence number. Secondary occurrences are not adaptive and cannot be edited. Changes to a primary occurrence automatically update all secondary occurrences.

shared route point

A route point that is shared by the joint auto region and parametric region. It follows the naming schema of auto route points and is contained in both auto route region and route sketch.

sketched dimension

See driving dimension.

sketched route

Also known as parametric route. A route that is manually created using geometric constraints, dimension constraints, custom bends, geometry snapping, or direction axes of the 3D Orthogonal Route tool. The route may dynamically update to assembly changes as auto route regions do unless it is fully constrained.

See: auto route node

start fitting

A fitting that is specified in the style to populate the component at the start route point of flexible hose routes. It must be tube and pipe components with two connections. If the start fitting is suppressed, the end fitting is automatically suppressed.

tube and pipe parts

conduit parts and fittings that are used to populate routes and runs in tube and pipe design.

XYZ format

A bend output format from numerically controlled bending equipment that includes a point identification along with Cartesian X, Y and Z values for each bend point with a bend radius value. A header and footer string may also include information such as total number of points, number of straight segments, and total center line length.

YBC format

A bend output format from numerically controlled bending equipment that includes a point identification along with values for the straight length between bends (Y), any rotation between the bends (B) and the angle of arc of the bend (C) with a bend radius value. A header and footer string may also include information such as total number of points, number of straight segments, and total center line length. It is also referred to as LRA format (Length, Rotation and Angle).