The H-Factor

Importing Parts into HydraLIST

January 24, 2024
As new products are released by manufacturers, we add them to files that can be imported into HydraLIST. Why don't we add them to the HydraLIST database directly? Two reasons:
1. We don't want to overload the database with thousands and thousands of items that may not be used by most of our customer base
2. Many customers customize their databases, so they do not use our updated databases anyways
So, we create Import files. These Import files are added to HydraLIST updates and installs at periodic intervals.

Here's how to use them with such a new file for Victaulic UMC valves, for example:

Step 0: Copying an Import file to your computer (not necessary if said file is already there due to an update)

If we send to such a file, put it in the relevant folder, or ask us for advice. For example, I sent a customer an Import file for Victaulic's UMC valves. I told them to put it here:

Note the folder structure. Put the file where it makes most sense to put it. It is not critical that you select a particular folder, but it helps to have it in the folder that makes the most sense.

Step 1: Entering the Database to Import the parts

Importing parts into HydraLIST is done using the General Data button in HydraLIST:

That opens up our database entry program.

Step 2: Importing the parts

Pick the Import Data button:

This brings up the folder structure referred to in Step 0. Go into the folder you expect to find the part file. In this example, I am selecting the 4-Valves_Accessories folder and then the example file: Vic_UMandUMC_4V32_20240122.txt

In this example, I am selecting the 4-Valves_Accessories folder and then the example file: Vic_UMandUMC_4V32_20240122.txt. Pick the Open file to bring that data in

The data screen will show all the parts contained within that file:

Step 3: Saving the imported data

You must save the added data or it will not be there when you search for it later. Pick the Save Spread Sheet button

Step 4: Pick the Project Data button to finish updating the new database. when asked if you want to create a backup of the database, we suggest you pick Yes

Step 5: Searching to ensure that the parts made it into the database

Switch to the Miscellaneous tab. Type in a few letters from at least one part description that you imported, into the Part Number Search field. In this example I typed in UMC. Pick the Find button right under that entry. All items containing that string should appear in the currently selected Section ID

Note: If you find there are parts we do not have, but you use frequently, or you are looking for new parts released by manufacturers, please contact us and we can get those to you.
Managing DefLine Polyline Widths

August 30, 2023

Customer X called today to ask if he could reduce the width of the polylines that are part of our DefLines (Drop Windows, System Boundaries, AFF/BTS, etc).

There is no setting in our programs to do so, but there is an easy way to change them after the fact. After some chatting back and forth the answer is to use Select Similar and the Properties box to change these to the width he wanted.

Select Similar is a great tool added to AutoCAD a few years ago. You select an object like a line, a polyline, a block or text or whatever. You then right-click and pick Select Similar from the right-click dialog box. All objects that match that object will be highlighted. If you pick a line, then all lines in the same layer as the one picked will be selected. You can change the things Sel Sim considers similar by using the SE option inside the command.

So, to change the widths of our DefLine polylines, pick one such defline and right-click. Pick Select Similar

You will notice all such items will be selected (highlighted). Now, pick Properties:

Locate the constantWidth specification in the Geometry section and type in what you would like the new value to be. Close the Properties dialog and you are all set.

You can do the same with Ceiling Height boundaries, System Boundaries, and the like.
Converting Text to MText

August 14, 2023

So, my co-worker (who shall remain nameless) sent me an annotated drawing with notes on how to properly model trapeze hangers for coordination. The notes were written as individual lines of text. This annoys me:

I like working with MTEXT so much more. MTEXT allows for formatting, fonts, underlining, numbering and more.

I thought I remembered that there was an Express Tool in AutoCAD that will convert TEXT to MTEXT – and, there was!

It is here:

It lets you grab any number of lines – these will be converted into one MTEXT object.

After some editing:
Fitting Lengths in HydraCALC – Why don’t they match what’s in the database?

July 7, 2023

This from a customer in Sweden (paraphrased). This in metric, but the math is the same in US units:

On the Fittings Used Summary, it says that a 65mm Tee has the equivalent pipe length 3.8m but in the calculation says 7.497m. And it´s the same for a 65mm 90 degree screwed elbow…the equivalent pipe length says 0.88m but in the final calculation on page 4 it says 1,736m

Why are these numbers different? And how can we change so that they are the same?

The answer lies in NFPA (where else?).

Paragraph 22.4.3.1.3.1 of NFPA13:2010 states that for internal diameters other than Schedule 40 steel pipe the equivalent lengths given in Table 22.4.3.1.1 must be adjusted according to the formula given in that paragraph. The next paragraph (22.4.3.1.3.2) states that this new value must be further adjusted by the C-Factor if no C=120. Fittings whose values are supplied by a manufacturer that has already adjusted them do not need to be further adjusted.

These two adjustments change the equivalent length stored in HydraCALC's Pipe/Fittings data. So, these two calculation reports the customer is referring to often display different values.

This can be turned off, however, for those jurisdictions that do not require such an adjustment, or for fittings that have already been adjusted by the manufacturer.

When the job is calculated, you can deselect the Auto Adjust Fittings Lengths option. This will give you the stored database values:

This option resets itself with each calculation, but you can turn that option off by default by using the Edit User Options tool in the Options drop down menu:

Set the Auto Adjust Fittings option to False

This adjustment can also be blocked when inputting new pipe and fittings into the Pipe/Fittings data. The highlighted column is named Y/N Mark. An 'N'' means to not adjust the fitting as mentioned above. This is most prevalent with CPVC fittings, as the manufacturers publish values that take the pipe diameter into account.

Additional information can be found in this blog post: How Fitting Equivalent Length Modifiers Work
Hydratec Learning Resources

March 1, 2023

We have an ever-expanding repertoire of support options. Here is the menu:

For All Programs:

HydraCARDs: A Knowledge Base of all known solutions to problems users might encounter can be accessed from the HydraCARDs shortcut on the desktop or this link: HydraCARDs

This blog has entries for hundreds of topics on all of our programs, in addition to Microsoft, Autodesk and General Technology topics

Blog: https://hydratec.blogs.com/the_h_factor/

Index of Blog Topics: https://www.hydratecinc.com/topics

Getting the Latest Versions

Note: The Hydratec Customer Area can be accessed from our Homepage. Pick the Login button at upper right. You will then see a button to Login to ShareFile. This blog post covers how to set up an account and use our customer support area: Using the Hydratec Subscription Center

HydraCAD for AutoCAD

Manual: An electronic manual is placed on your computer when you install the software. You can access the HydraCAD manual on the Documentation flyout of the HydraCAD dropdown menu

Tutorials: An electronic set of tutorials is placed on your computer when you install the software. You can access the HydraCAD tutorials on the Documentation flyout of the HydraCAD dropdown menu

Help File: The help file can be accessed from the last item on the HydraCAD dropdown menu. All dialog boxes in HydraCAD have Help buttons which will display the help file pages for that topic

Instructional Videos: These are found in two places. Some videos are placed on your computer when you install the software. You will find these on the Documentation flyout in the How-to Videos on that flyout. Additional, very extensive Instructional Videos are found online in our ShareFile download area. Your company has access to this site and you may allow multiple users to sign up through our website. They are found in the HydraCAD->Instructional Videos folder on that site

How-To-Documents: These are also installed and can be found on the Documentation flyout of the HydraCAD pulldown menu in the How-to Documents and How-to Videos item

Knowledge Base: The HydraCARDs knowledge base of all known solutions to problems users might encounter can be accessed from the HydraCAD dropdown menu via the Support Flyout

HydraCALC

Manual: An electronic manual is placed on your computer when you install the software. You can access the HydraCALC manual from the Help dropdown menu

Tutorials: Five tutorials are found in the above HydraCALC manual

Help File: The help file can be accessed from the Help dropdown menu

Instructional Videos: These are found in two places. Some videos are placed on your computer when you install the software. You will find these on the Help dropdown menu. Additional, very extensive Instructional Videos are found online in our ShareFile download area. Your company has access to this site and you may allow multiple users to sign up through our website. They are found in the HydraCALC->Instructional Videos folder on that site

Knowledge Base: The HydraCARDs knowledge base of all known solutions to problems users might encounter can be accessed from the Help dropdown menu

HydraLIST

Manual: Electronic manuals are placed on your computer when you install the software. You can access the HydraLIST manuals from the Help dropdown menu

Tutorials: A tutorial is found in the above HydraLIST manual

Help File: The help file can be accessed from the Help dropdown menu

Instructional Videos: Extensive Instructional Videos are found online in our ShareFile download area. Your company has access to this site and you may allow multiple users to sign up through our website. They are found in the HydraLIST->Instructional Videos folder on that site

Knowledge Base: The HydraCARDs knowledge base of all known solutions to problems users might encounter can be accessed from the desktop shortcut
More Than 200 Passes Error in HydraCALC and Using the Find Disconnect Tool

October 20, 2022

Occasionally users may get a 'Job has gone 200 or more passes without balancing." error message. This means, usually, that there are disconnected pipes in the job (pipes that may have flow in them, but do not connect to the piping between the Remote Point). You can try picking Yes to have it continue to try, but that usually doesn't work to resolve the situation.

Take a look at the calculation below. If you look long enough, and trace the piping, you can see what wrong.

In a bigger job, however, that can be difficult. But there is a tool to help.

In the Utilities dropdown menu, the tool is Find Special Disconnect

Select it, and you will be given a dialog with a few options. Select the Show Disconnected option and then pick Find Disconnects. This should notify you of the 'orphaned' pipe. In the capture below, it appears a block of piping related to reference point H and reference point I is a bit adrift.

Another tool is the Show Potentials option. Selecting that gives a list of nodes that might need to be connected to the rest

Picking the Highlight Potentials button displays this graphically, to help you see better where the piping in question lies.

Adding a pipe that connects G and H will resolve the problem.

Note: There are other reasons to get the original error, but our programmers have resolved a few of them, so they should not present themselves on your machine.
Managing the HydraCALC Database

October 17, 2022

We regularly update the HydraCALC database to add and make changes to fittings, pipe types, valves, backflow preventors and technical data sheets in PDF format for all of these.

We make this database available for download in the Customer Support area of our website, which can be found at www.HydraCAD.com. Enter the Customer Support area by picking the Login button at the upper right of our home page. Then, navigate to the folder seen below by selecting HydraCALC, then Complete Data Update

Download the .zip file to a location on your hard drive. Then, extract the contents to a new folder on a drive. Then, run the SETUP.EXE to install the new data.

Note that this will replace any changes you may have made to our database. So, you may want to keep a copy of your changes so that you can reapply them. Or, simply request that we add the items you may have modified to our regular database, and that way you will not have to worry about that.

The key database file which users may have modified for HydraCALC is Master.DAT which resides in the \HES\HydraCALC\Ver50\Data\Setup folder. This file contains all your pipe, fitting and valve data and is well worth protecting. This file is automatically backed up when you run the Complete Data Update, but we suggest that you back this file up whenever you make your own changes and keep the backup in a distant and safe location.
Viewing a Simplified Revit Model

August 15, 2022

From a Customer:

"We’re engineers. As such our expectations for plans are a little different than installers. We need to use clear, consistent 2-dimensional symbols and simple lines to represent pipes without fittings. Right now all of our projects are showing top-down 3d models in plan view and every single pipe fitting. This makes it challenging to review the components for ourselves and our jurisdictional reviewers.

Is there a function we’re missing that would allow us to simplify the plan views?"

There is:

Each view in Revit has three (3) potential detail levels. The detail level button is here:

The Choices

Detail Level FINE

Detail Level MEDIUM

Detail Level COARSE

Simply choose the detail level that works best for you.
How Listing Tags Work to Determine Stocklist Entry Order and Type

July 1, 2022

Previously I mentioned Listing Order. This post takes things up one level to discuss just what ends up where when a job is AutoListed.

From the HydraCAD Manual / Electronic Help:

It is important to understand how the Listing tags work in order to achieve a successful AutoList run. There are two types of Listing tags. One for welded pipe (mains and welded branch lines) and one for non-welded pipes (threaded or plastic lines.)

The Listing ID for a main usually begins with a space followed by a letter. This is noted throughout this chapter as _A (Space A) wherever such a main ID is used. The green line before the A in the above picture represents this idea. The 01 in the above image represents the zeroth (0) fabrication method (first of five FIG Groups, set through the Listing Tag Setup dialog) followed by a 1 which means Welded.

The Listing ID for a line usually begins with a number. The 22 in the above image represents the second (2) fabrication method (third of five FIG Groups, set through the Listing Tag Setup dialog) followed by a 2 which means Threaded.

You cannot have two Listing tags with the same Listing ID whether they are mains or lines. The AutoList program will detect Listing tags on your drawing and begin to gather information in the direction that the Listing tag is pointed. The direction that the tag is inserted is the direction you want the listing to be done, usually the direction of the water flow in the system.

You may be able to stocklist a threaded sprinkler system with a welded main by placing a single Listing tag at the start of the system piping. You can also divide the system into listed areas by inserting multiple Listing tags and using Stop Signs if necessary.

When a main is tagged, the listing program will travel down that main until one of four things happen:

1.       It runs out of main. In real life, the main usually runs out at a cap.

2.       It encounters another listing tag on the main. The first tag is usually pointing in the same direction as the next tag encountered.

3.       It encounters a Stop sign or Fake tag.

4.       All of the other pipes connected at a junction have already been listed. AutoList will not list anything which has already been listed.

When a line or riser nipple is tagged, the listing program will travel down that line until one of four things happen:

1.       It runs out of line. The line usually runs out at a sprinkler.

2.       It encounters another listing tag on the line. The first tag should be pointing in the same direction as the next tag encountered.

3.       It encounters a Stop sign or Fake tag.

4.       It runs into a main. It will stop here, since the mains are usually listed before the lines, and AutoList will not list anything which has already been listed.

The one thing that determines whether piping is a main or a line is the listing tag. Welded tags are usually associated with welded mains and welded branch lines. Threaded tags are usually associated with threaded or plastic/copper lines. If the lines are to be welded, they are for all practical purposes mains and should be tagged with welded tags. These lines should be drawn in the lines layer (SPRKDAT2). Note: Your choice of main and line numbers critically affects the order in which the stocklist is produced and reported.

Lines are normally drawn in SPRKDAT2 (yellow) and mains in SPRKDAT1 (white). This does not mean that things drawn in SPRKDAT2 can't be listed as mains; this is quite common when the "main" is 1 ½” inches in diameter or larger. When a main is drawn normally (SPRKDAT1), any lines connected to it will automatically be numbered, listed, and consolidated. These lines will be threaded. If the main is drawn in the lines layer, or if the line fabrication method is other than threaded, you must tag the lines yourself. Armovers (SPRKDAT3 green) are treated line threaded lines. Underground (SPRKDAT4 dark blue) are not designed to be listed by AutoList.

As a recap from the previous post on listing order:

Tagged welded piping always lists before tagged threaded piping. Within either type of fabrication, the naming of the tag further determines the order of listing. Numbered tags list before lettered tags. Lower numbered tags list before higher numbered ones (1 before 2). Likewise, lower lettered tags list before higher lettered ones (A before B). A space before a letter or number will make that tag take precedence over all others. A general rule worth following is to name the mains the lowest, the riser nipples higher and the lines the highest. Always use a space before a main identifier, and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Listing Order for Welded Piping

June 29, 2022
How does AutoList decide what order to list piping in?

Here are the general listing rules that pertain to the order:
1. Welded piping (whether lines or mains) lists before Threaded piping
2. Welded piping is listed in alphanumeric order (specifically, the ASCII order)
Per the ASCII order, numbers list before letters. Punctuation marks, including spaces “ “ list before either (because spaces come before numbers in the ASCII chart).

You want the mains to list first, then the welded lines and then the riser nipples.

Label accordingly using this scheme:

Label the Mains as such “ A”, “ B”, “ C” etc. notice the SPACE before each letter in those three examples. This forces the mains to list first.

Label the welded lines using a letter before a number, such as “L1”, “L2”, “L3”, etc.

Label the riser nipples using a letter before a number, ensuring the letter(s) used come after the letters used on the welded lines (RN comes after L), such as “RN1”, “RN2”, “RN3”, etc.

From the manual:

“Tagged welded piping always lists before tagged threaded piping. Within either type of fabrication, the naming of the tag further determines the order of listing. Numbered tags list before lettered tags. Lower numbered tags list before higher numbered ones (1 before 2). Likewise, lower lettered tags list before higher lettered ones (A before B). A space before a letter or number will make that tag take precedence over all others. A general rule worth following is to name the mains the lowest, the riser nipples higher and the lines the highest. Always use a space before a main identifier, and you shouldn’t have any problems.”

I will soon be posting about what rules apply to listing in general, as the order is only part of it….

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