Seeking suggestions for showing 3D pipe routing

Joe Dunfee

 In the past, when I had to show a 3D pipe routing, I would use 2D polylines, because they could have both width and thickness.  This would give them the appearance similar to a small rectangle extruded along a polyline.  Of course, this was not ideal, since I would have preferred that they looked like round pipes.  

I have considered using 3D polylines, but those cannot have thickness or width values like a 2D polyline. I might also have extruded a circle along a 3D polyline, but then I would not be able to stretch the results.

The only approach that seems to be left is to use 3D polylines, and assign a lineweight and have lineweight display on.  But, that means the width of the 3d polyline changes as I zoom in and out.

Can anyone suggest alternative approaches using stock BricsCAD ?  3D plan design or piping software is not attractive, both because of cost, and the time spent learning it.

Thanks for any suggestions,

-Joe

Roy Klein Gebbinck

You can also draw 2D polylines in a different UCS than the WCS.

Joe Dunfee

 Yes, I currently draw the 2D polylines in various UCS's.  If the pipe must be in multiple planes, then I just do separate polylines and just make them touch at the ends.  But, that is not ideal, since I color code lines, it is nicer to be able to select just one object, and then change its color.

I think ideally I wish it was possible to stretch solids.  That would solve a lot of design challenges when you use solids.

-Joe