| Applies To | |||
| Product(s): | Bentley Navigator V8i | ||
| Version(s): | 08.11.07.XX | ||
| Environment: | N/A | ||
| Area: | N/A | ||
| Subarea: | N/A | ||
| Original Author: | Richard DeLong, Bentley Technical Support Group | ||
Overview
Since the XM version of Navigator, the Clash Detection has had some major changes to it. In this TechNote, we go over the basic steps to running the Clash Detection tool as well as a few tips on running it.
The Interface
The first thing that most users of the XM version will notice is that the Clash Detection interface has gone through some major changes. With the new interface, it is much easier to see what is being compare to what and the results of this comparison. It also for quick job creations.
Creating a Job
In Navigator V8i, we run the clash detection on a Job. A Job is just a selection of components that a used in the clash detection. This is saved so that it can be looked back at. Also, depending on what Criteria is used to create the job, sometimes all that is needed to update a Job's results when new components are added is to just run the Job again. This does depend on what components are added into the model and how the Job was created. To start off creating a Job, just click the New button, or go to Job>New.
Once this is done, the Job will be listed in the left hand plane. From there, we can select the job and start making the needed changes to the setup.
In this example, we will do a clash detection between some Piping, Equipment, and some Steel. There will be a special condition added to this job. We don't want the Steel to check for any Clashes with itself, but we do want both the Equipment and Piping to do this. To do this, we will place all the Equipment and Piping models (listed under the References group) into Set A and all the Steel models under Set B. We will then check the 'Self Check' option in Set A. This tells the program to run the clash detection on that set against itself. So how the clash detection should run is one component in Set A VS one component in Set B and one component from Set A VS another component in Set A.
One other thing to notice is that the objects in the model change color to correspond to the set they are in as seen below -
To run this Job, just hit the Process button in the bottom right - 
This will prompt the Clash Detection Progress dialog which will run through the clashes.
View Results
Once it is done, the results will be displayed in the Results tab, which the program will take you to once the process is complete. Here one can see all the clashes that the program detected in these Sets. Clicking on a clash will focus the view of the model on those components and display information on the components as seen here -
The Element info displayed below the results shows the information for each component or object in the clash. Also, the status of the clash can be changed by clicking on the field which will display a drop list. This allows the user to set the Status of the clash quickly.
Creating a Markup
Usually, the next thing that a user will do once they have all the clashes listed is to create a Markup on the clash. This will create a snap shot of the clash and allow drafters to get information about it, such as were the clash is located so that they can repair the clash in the model. This is done by selecting the desired clash and hitting the Markup icon (). Once the Markup is created, it can be viewed by either going into the Markup dialog, which is access through Tools>Redline>Markup>Markups Dialog or by double clicking the icon that is placed in the model around the area of the clash.
Markups can also be viewed in most of the applications that create documents that Navigator can look at. For example, if a Markup is creating on a MicroStation model, this can be referenced into the MicroStation model to show the designer the exact location of the Markup. It will also highlight the components that deal with the clash. Other applications, such as AutoCAD based ones like AutoPLANT, do not have this feature yet, so the user will need to create a pdf of the markup so that the drafter can look that over in a PDF viewer while working on the model.
Other Notes on Clash Detection
Other things that can be done with the new Clash Detection include using Named Groups or Levels for the selection, setting the Rules for the Clashes, and Soft Clearance. Using Levels and Named Groups can help greatly in setting up specific clashes. In the first example, References were used which included everything in that reference model. What if the user doesn't wish to include some of the Equipment in one of the References or has some objects that are slabs in the reference that they know will clash because they are just place holders and they are not need to be in the report. This can easily be done using the Named Groups feature, as well as the Level selection if the objects are on different levels and the user is aware of which level each is on. Named Groups are groupings of components or objects in the model. There may be a few already created when working with a new model based on how Navigator handles the group features of the application that created the model, but it is usually best to create new ones to use with the Clash Detection so that it is known which components or objects are actually in the selection. These can be made by using the Item Sets feature in Navigator. Below is an example of some that were created based on Line Numbers for pipe -
The Rules that the Job will use to determine the clashes in the Job can be located in the Rules tab. Navigator has a number of default rules setup before hand, based on the Applications used to create the original model. The below example is from an AutoPLANT model which needs to ignore Bolts and Gaskets in the model as clashes. This can bee seen in the first two lines -
These Rules can be turned on and off by pressing the Check button next to the rule. It is also possible to create new rules, but this can be very difficult and it is recommended to be used by Advanced users only. The Tolerance for clashes can also be set here.
Soft Clearance, which is located back in the Criteria tab is another very helpful feature. This option allows the setting of a distance from the components to act as a clash. This is handy when needing space for a worker or piece of equipment to pass by the component or object. A good example of this would be if a walk way is needed between to runs of pipe that is around 5 feet. Setting either one of the Soft Clearances to 5:0 or both to 2:6 will show if at any point the pipes are to close to one another.
External Links
Bentley Technical Support KnowledgeBase
Comments or Corrections?
Bentley's Technical Support Group requests that you please confine any comments you have on this Wiki entry to this "Comments or Corrections?" section. THANK YOU!