CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
9 March 2005
Product News
Intergraph SmartPlant Foundation 3.6.2 Expands Integration Capabilities
Intergraph Corporation is shipping the 3.6.2 version of SmartPlant® Foundation, the global E-engineering and integration hub for the process, power and marine industries. The new version includes integration with PDS® (Plant Design System), a fast Web viewer for 3D data and graphics, instrument process data sheet templates and other improvements such as PDF document generation, e-mail digests of task notifications and direct file transfer and replication. SmartPlant Foundation offers the only streaming view technology that specifically meets the demanding requirements of the process, power and marine industries.
For plant owner/operators, the new features enable multi-disciplinary engineering access to essential handover information for operation and maintenance use-without separate installation of the design applications. For engineering firms, the new version (ppm.intergraph.com/smartplant/foundation) expands global worksharing through access to key PDS 3D and logical design data, helps reduce risk through information integrity and accelerates information handover at project completion. SmartPlant Foundation 3.6.2 helps reduce time to market, maximize productivity, increase revenue and ensure regulatory compliance.
PDS Integrates with Workflows
PDS now publishes isometric and orthographic drawings, SmartPlant Review 3D models and various reports to SmartPlant Foundation workflows. The associated pipeline, instrument and equipment items are displayed as automatically generated hotspots on documents and 3D models, as well as correlated by tag to existing plant objects residing in SmartPlant Foundation originating from SmartPlant P&ID and SmartPlant Instrumentation. PDS integration adds key engineering information to SmartPlant Foundation, making data globally available to both up- and downstream tasks for design, construction and operation. The new PDS integration widens information access, which is crucial in supporting global cross-discipline decision-making to enable efficient creation, management and use of facility life cycle engineering information.
Web Viewer Instantaneously Displays 3D Data
Version 3.6.2 provides a highly-efficient Web viewer for displaying 3D data and models over narrow- or wideband connections without the need of a separate application such as PDS, SmartPlant Instrumentation or SmartPlant P&ID. With no waiting, the viewer rapidly displays items of interest with smooth navigation among model objects and views while retaining full dimensional and visual accuracy. Users-especially those in the owner/operator environment-can find, display and use information for remote review and maintenance and operation tasks to support identification, correlation and decision-making.
Unique selective streaming technology displays models of unlimited size from a variety of file formats and runs as a window within the SmartPlant Foundation desktop client and Microsoft Internet Explorer user interface, even over a 52 kbps dialup line. Viewing capabilities are supported by common hardware ranging from laptops in the field to high-end PCs in the engineering office. For users requiring additional capabilities, SmartPlant Foundation integrates with SmartPlant Review to enable graphical schedule review, animation, photorealistic and hidden-line image generation and related tasks.
Additional Features Round Out Release
Additional features including instrument process datasheet templates, automatic PDF file generation, e-mail digests and direct file transfer and replication make SmartPlant Foundation even more useful and flexible in a wide range of workflows. The 3.6.2 version delivers a set of instrument process datasheet templates to allow publish and retrieve of instrument data with SmartPlant Instrumentation. The templates are part of the continuing development of a comprehensive library of datasheets for a variety of disciplines and applications.
Users can automatically or manually generate portable document format (PDF) files as attachments to transmittals. The scheduler service, also a new feature in version 3.6.2, asynchronously produces the PDF files. This capability answers the need of users who require PDF documents for review or forwarding. Instead of receiving a number of e-mail notifications of task, change or approval requests, users can choose to receive a fewer number of e-mails containing consolidated action notifications. The feature not only provides convenience but also reduces inbox clutter and helps conserve network bandwidth. Direct file transfer and replication (remote vaulting) capability enables document files to be stored and accessed locally while retaining the benefits of a central database and server, so that the latest versions are always available.
Training and APEX Conference Workshops Scheduled
Beginning later in March, Intergraph is offering a variety of training courses on SmartPlant Foundation that include version 3.6.2 topics. Courses range from administration and configuration to data modeling and integration adapter authoring. See ppm.intergraph.com/training for course, schedule and registration details. Intergraph also is featuring SmartPlant Foundation workshops during the APEX New Orleans industry conference (ppm.intergraph.com/apex/neworleans), August 22-24.
Forms Nucleus of the SmartPlant Enterprise
SmartPlant Foundation (ppm.intergraph.com/sp_foundation.asp) is the integration, information access and workflow control hub of the SmartPlant Enterprise. The nucleus of a common, open architecture that extends across all Intergraph engineering design, operation support and information management solutions, SmartPlant Foundation enables creation of the plant information asset for strategic business advantage. It encompasses a plant's initial design, construction and ongoing operating modifications, defining and driving electronic work processes, tracking changes, managing engineering revisions and enabling integration to third-party engineering and business systems. SmartPlant Foundation helps reduce time to market, maximize productivity, increase revenue and ensure regulatory compliance. While assuring data accuracy and consistency, SmartPlant Foundation supports best practice work processes and optimal decision-making for engineering and plant operation. The SmartPlant Enterprise (ppm.intergraph.com/businesses) is Intergraph's comprehensive suite of intelligent, data-centric engineering software integrated through SmartPlant Foundation.
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