Connections join the ports of two symbols: a pipe from a pump to a tank, a cable from a breaker to a motor, a signal wire from a transmitter to a controller. They route themselves around the drawing, take the colour of what flows in them, and animate while the equipment runs. A drawing holds up to 300 connections.
Kinds of connection
| Kind | For |
|---|---|
| Pipe | Liquids and gases in fixed piping |
| Hose | Flexible lines |
| Cable | Power cables |
| Signal wire | Instrument and control wiring |
| Strip | A strip or web running through a line of rollers (metal, paper, film) |
| Thin line | A plain line with an arrow, for information flow |
| Single-line | Electrical single-line diagrams |
The palette’s Connections family also has pipe, hose, cable and wire pieces (straight, elbow, tee, cross) that you place as symbols, for example to draw a manifold by hand.
Draw a connection
- Pick the Connect tool (
C) and choose the Connection kind in the toolbar. - Click the first symbol, then the symbol to join it to (“Now click the symbol to join
to (Escape cancels)”). Or drag from a port circle on one symbol to a port circle on another. - The connection routes itself between the two ports.
Faster: select exactly two symbols and press K (Connect the two selected symbols).
Each symbol has ports on its sides (left, right, top, bottom). A connection is stored as its two ends, for example from pump1.r to tank1.b.
The editor refuses:
- “A connection joins two different symbols”
- “These two ports are already joined”
- A connection beyond the drawing’s limit of 300.
Shape the route
| To | Do |
|---|---|
| Move the middle of a Z-shaped route | Drag the handle on the middle leg (Move the middle leg), or set Middle leg at in the inspector |
| Move an end to another port | Drag the end handle (Move the connection end) onto another port |
| Delete a connection | Select it and press Delete |
Deleting a symbol deletes its connections. A connection that ends on a symbol that is no longer on the canvas is listed under Problems.
Connection settings
Select a connection to edit it in the inspector:
| Setting | Values and defaults |
|---|---|
| Kind | One of the kinds above; Pipe by default |
| Medium | The state decides (default), Cold (blue), Hot (red), Water (primary), A colour of my own with a Medium colour |
| Flow arrow | Off. On: an arrowhead on straight pipes and wires. |
| State from row | Empty by default (see below) |
A symbol placed on a line takes the medium of the first connection that touches it, so a pipe and the valve in it agree.
How a connection follows live state
A connection has no device value of its own by default. It follows its “from” symbol: while the pump at its start runs, the pipe shows flow; while the pump is in warning or alarm, the pipe takes that colour; when the pump is off, the line is passive. It takes the from symbol’s state, colours and motion, but never its hidden state, dimming, blinking, label or medium.
To give a connection its own state, set State from row to an id. The connection then reads that row (for example a flow meter’s or a valve’s), and rules can target it by that id. See Symbol rules.
Flow animation
Running parts animate: flow moves along pipes, fans and pumps turn, reels spin. The card’s Animate running parts setting turns this off. Rules can set the Speed (% of nominal) (0 stands still; up to 400) and the Direction (Forward or Reverse) of a symbol or connection.
Calm look (the drawing’s settings) draws running parts in plain ink instead of green, so only warnings and alarms carry colour.
Example: a pump station
- Place a Ground reservoir, two Motor pump symbols and a Water tower.
- Connect the reservoir’s right port to each pump’s left port with Pipe.
- Connect each pump’s right port to the tower with Pipe, and tick Flow arrow on both.
- Leave State from row empty: each discharge pipe now shows flow exactly while its pump runs.
- Save, then connect the pumps’ Running fields to the station’s device on its Views.
Troubleshooting
| What you see | Cause |
|---|---|
| A pipe never shows flow | Its from symbol is not running, or the connection was drawn from the tank to the pump. Redraw it from the pump, or set State from row. |
| “Connection N ends on a symbol that is not on the canvas” | A symbol was deleted or renamed. Delete or reconnect the connection. |
| The route crosses a symbol | Drag the middle leg, or move a symbol. |