Civil 3D Pressure Pipe Catalog Editor

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Kyle Kondo

The pressure pipe catalog editor (Autodesk.Aec.Content.CatalogEditor.exe) can be found in the installation directory for Civil 3D:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013

As of now, this program allows you to edit existing parts, but not create them.  This means that this is not truly a Part Builder yet.

All Civil 3D pressure pipe catalogs are stored inside of a SQLite file.  The default location for this file on 64 bit Windows 7 is the following directory:

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D 2013\enu\Pressure Pipes Catalog

This is the file you’ll open up in the Autodesk.Aec.Content.CatalogEditor.exe.  Using the editor to change any of the values is fairly straight forward.  Be careful though, as the parameters are not linked as they are in the gravity systems part builder.  For example, if you change the Thickness of a pipe, do not expect the Diameter Outside to change.

Creating Parts

Creating a new pipe with a new size can be accomplished by using the Import Part command.  If you create a new part without a .CONTENT file, then it’s going to create a pipe.  If you do have a .CONTENT file, we would assume that you could create different types of parts.  So far, we have not found any CONTENT files to create parts from.

SQLite

As a curious final note, this SQLite file is the same type of file where Map 3D stores the Industry Standard Data Model (Topobase) information when you embed the data in a dwg file.  In fact, if you open the Pressure Pipe’s Part Catalog file up in a SQLite viewer, you’ll find that the schema is built off of the Topobase table structure.

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2 Responses to Civil 3D Pressure Pipe Catalog Editor

  1. Mike Hart says:
    April 26, 2012 at 11:03 am

    The .CONTENT file is create in autocad using the part publishing wizard. I have been able to get a fire hydrant to come in but have not been able to actually use it in a pressure pipe network. I started with the 3d hydrant found in the multiview block and just connected an ACP point to the bottom where i wanted the network to attach.

    • Kyle says:
      April 26, 2012 at 11:39 am

      Hello Mike,

      Thanks for posting, that was very helpful. I tried the PartPublishingWizard and ended up pretty successful.

      I followed the guide here.
      C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013\Sample\Civil 3D API\Part Publishing Wizard\PartPublishingWizardUsersGuide.

      After bringing my CONTENT file into the Content Catalog Editor and saving it. I was only able to use the new appurtenance in Civil 3D. First I had to set my part catalog, and then create a new parts list. After that, I was then able to use that appurtenance I imported into the sqlite file.

      Sincerely,
      Kyle