Trace Software: electrical CAD software designed for electrical and industrial installations

Creating and Managing P&ID Diagrams

Trace P&ID Pro is an application that runs on AutoCAD and is dedicated to creating industrial process design diagrams (Process and Instrumentation Diagrams, P&ID) and fluid circulation plans (Process Flow Diagrams, PCF).
Featuring specialised graphical functions, Trace P&ID Pro provides a spectacular improvement in the time required to design pipe networks, as well as define and manage the pipework components and materials used in studying the industrial processes.

The technology
The technology used in Trace P&ID Pro is based on graphical editor AutoCAD and a database that continually maintains all the project's geometric and technical data. Trace P&ID Pro dynamically manages the technical information associated with your P&ID diagrams, which are available for processing in real time and especially for routine processing in Excel.

The best of both worlds: AutoCAD for drawing and a database in Microsoft Access format for your data

An intuitive creation interface
Trace P&ID Pro features a particularly sophisticated man-machine interface and uses all the technical possibilities offered by the development system in AutoCAD. Using the everyday functions comes naturally and instantly.

Inserting symbols
Symbols are added dynamically by dragging and dropping from the library. The symbol is automatically positioned on the process lines and you can alternate the mirrors with a simple click (horizontal or vertical).

Cutting and rebuilding lines with symbols:
When adding or removing a symbol, the lines are automatically cut or rebuilt, and symbols can easily be dragged to a pipe line.

Intelligent cuts at intersections:
Similarly, lines are automatically cut and rebuilt at intersecting lines and when deleting or moving an intersecting line. The distance of the cut and the cut lines can be configured (horizontal lines cutting vertical lines or vice-versa), and you can also define a hierarchy for intersecting lines (strong lines cut weak lines).

Boiler appliances:
Particular care has gone towards their definition and especially their insertion phase. The product features a particularly innovative wizard for creating boiler appliances.

Context-sensitive menus:
Simply right-clicking on a Trace P&ID Pro symbol provides direct access to the symbol's properties, where you can modify its technical data.

Symbol library
Trace P&ID Pro comes with symbol libraries meeting the different international standards (ANSI, NF, DIN, etc.). An original tree-type classification by equipment family (gates, pumps, exchangers, etc.) and/or by standard provides quick access to the symbols. A symbol creation wizard automatically stores your new symbols in the library. The equipment families and standards are fully configurable.

Propagation and consistency checks
A major feature of Trace P&ID Pro is that it helps to make the circulation of the data entered more reliable by automatically cascading it and highlighting any inconsistencies. In particular, it checks the fluid direction, automatically defines the missing information and updates all project diagrams according to the information in the database.

Propagation and consistency checks are also available on the instrumentation bubbles. It propagates the loop number of the interconnected bubbles and thereby restricts the data entered by checking and respecting the consistency of the instrumentation loop.

An effective project manager
Trace P&ID Pro features a multi-level project manager providing a global view of the project and letting you organise all your plans, lists, Excel files and documents from the various sources comprising your project - a real advantage for archiving or sending the complete project to your employees or subcontractors.

The project manager lets you incorporate any type of document into the project.

Automatic list generation
Trace P&ID Pro automatically generates all the lists required for the project (list of the diagrams and technical data families), which are integrated into the project and formatted in dwg format. This is where the database-oriented technology comes into its own.

Bidirectional interface with Microsoft Excel

Trace P&ID Pro offers a bidirectional interface with Microsoft Excel, the only feature of its kind on the market. For each P&ID, Trace P&ID Pro creates an Excel file containing all the technical data of the equipment families used in the P&ID. You can modify the Excel file and re-import the changes into your project's database to update your diagrams.

Technical data management
Trace P&ID Pro has been designed to increase openness towards the company's different databases and encourage the enrichment of the projects' technical database. Combining a technical database open to your specific requirements with a multi-diagram propagation function guarantees the consistency of the data entered.

Trace P&ID Pro even lets you develop your own data management system using the built-in APIs (calculations specific to your business, selection of materials in your own databases according to the defined characteristics, etc.).

An equipment record personalised by the customer

A multi-user environment
In many projects, several designers are generally required to work together. Trace P&ID Pro is natively written in client/server mode, paving the way for collaborative work. This technique means that changes made by another user to your diagram are updated in real time (inter-folio reference arrows, propagation results, updated symbols, etc.).

Trace P&ID Pro also features its own rights management system, which restricts access by password and ensures data confidentiality.

Trace P&ID Pro: strengths

Easy learning curve

High productivity in designing diagrams

Open database for sharing your data
and ensuring data integrity

Sophisticated graphical drawing functions

Bidirectional interface with Excel

Propagation function for multi-folio information

Multi-standard, multi-language

Wizard for creating boiler components

Native collaborative version, client/server
architecture

Built-in document management

Easy and complete personalisation of the
project's configuration