Figure 1: Grey water system with
non-intersecting, sloped pipes.
Figure 2: Orthographic view of pipe
system.
Figure 3: Branch line with copied
main line.
Figure 4: Temporary UCS used for line
trimming.
Figure 5: Extended branch Centreline
with new UCS.
Figure 6: Temporary elbow extension
line rotated 45 degrees.
Figure 7: New UCS rotated about
Y-axis by 90 degrees.
Figure 8: Construction circle drawn
to locate main line intersection.
Figure 9: Branch connected to main. |
Version: ShipConstructor 2004
Module: Pipe
Many
times pipe designers must connect two pipes, which lie
on completely different, non-perpendicular planes.
Consider a typical grey water system
that has an elevated, sloped, branch section that must
connect into another sloped mainline that lies below.
Your task would be to locate the point on the mainline
where an elbow, rotated about the branch axis connects.
Anyone who has tried to perform such a task has likely
been frustrated.
Follow along as we show you how to
connect the two sloped branch pipes using a 45 elbow.
Observe the extreme slope of the
pipes in orthographic projection shown in figure 2.
- Set UCS to World.
- Locate pipes “Main” and
“Branch” that lie on different planes and slopes.
- Draw a line on both pipe
centerlines. These will be used as construction
lines.
- Locate a point to be used for
the elbow location. Point must be on the same
centerline as the branch pipe. (Any angle elbow can
be used but a 45 elbow will be used for this
example.)
- Hide pipes temporarily in
order to work with the construction lines only.
- Copy the main line to the end
of the branch line, temporarily, in order to create
a temporary UCS.
Now create a UCS using the 3point
option. Command: UCS/New/3point. For the origin select
the elbow location. The branch should specify the X-axis
and the copied main line should specify the Y-axis,
giving you something similar to that shown below in
Figure 4.
Set view to plan using the menu
command View/3D Views/Plan View/Current UCS. This will
allow the extend function to extend the branch line to
the main line using apparent intersections.
- While in the plan view of
this temporary UCS, extend the branch Centerline to
Main Centerline as shown in Figure 5 – item 1.
- Move/Copy Main Centerline to
end point of extended Branch Centerline (Figure 5 –
item 2)
- Draw Line from end of Branch
Centerline Perpendicular to Main Centerline. (Figure
5 – item 3).
- Break Branch Centerline at
Elbow Location (Figure 5 – item 4).
- Create new UCS using the
command UCS/New/3point. Select the branch as the
X-axis and the copied main as the Y-axis as shown in
Figure 5.
Rotate the broken branch line
around elbow location 45 and extend line or fillet as
shown.
Create new UCS as Shown in Figure
7. Use the 3point option again and choose the
perpendicular to the main as the X-Axis and the copied
main as the Y-axis.
- Draw circle using points “A”
and “B” as shown in figure 8.
- Draw line from points “C” and
“D”, this line is at 45 to the branch and
intersects the main line.
- Unhide pipes.
- Saddle pipe along line D-C
- Use corner mode to place
elbow
- Connect pipes to elbow
Done.
- Mr.
Walter Langer, Software Developer
English 
Chinese
Japanese
Russian
News & Events
