concept
Piping Specs
What a CadActive piping spec is, what it contains, and how you author line-class specs in the web app.
A piping spec is a line class: an approved subset of your catalog. It names the spec, gives it an appearance (and optional mnemonic and layer), optionally points at a default insulation spec, and lists the pipe and fitting instances allowed when that spec is active in Creo.
A spec is not a catalog and not a project. The catalog is the full library. A spec is the allowed combination of items from that library. A project is a named collection of specs a designer can activate. See Piping Specs and Projects for the how-to overview, and Implementing Piping Catalogs for the catalog → spec → project order.
You author specs in the CadActive web app. You need a Piping license and Admin or Collaborator access. Build core elements and catalog families first so the spec has instances to pick.
Where you manage piping specs
Sign in to the CadActive web app.
Open Piping in the sidebar.
Under Specs, select Piping Specs.
The list shows Name, Mnemonic, pipe-instance count, fitting-instance count, and Appearance. You can show archived specs from the page header.
The Specs group also has Insulation Specs and Projects.
Spec properties
Create or edit a spec from the Piping Specs list.
Property | What you set |
|---|---|
Name | Spec name. Required. This is the line-class name designers see. |
Appearance | Color/appearance used for the spec. Required. |
Mnemonic | Optional short code for the spec. |
Layer Name | Optional Creo layer name for the spec. |
Default Insulation Spec | Optional insulation spec to use with this piping spec. Create insulation specs under Insulation Specs first. |
What a spec contains
Open a spec to assign catalog items. The spec edit pages are Spec - Pipes and Spec - Fittings. Use Manage Fittings / Manage Pipes to switch.
Check a pipe or fitting family to include it. Families with no instances cannot be added until you add instances on the catalog page.
Open a selected family to choose which instances belong to the spec. Only assigned instances are valid when that spec is active in Creo.
Archived families cannot be added or removed here. Unarchive them on the catalog page first, or leave them as they are.
The Piping Specs list columns Pipe Instances and Fitting Instances show how many instances are assigned.
Insulation specs
An insulation spec is a separate object under Specs → Insulation Specs. It has:
Insulation Code (required)
Insulation Family (optional catalog family)
Appearance (optional)
Insulation specs are not a substitute for piping specs. They describe insulation for a line class. Point a piping spec at one with Default Insulation Spec.
Create, copy, archive, delete
Create, edit, copy, or archive specs from the list. Copy is a way to start a variant.
You cannot delete a spec that still belongs to a project. Remove it from every project first.
How specs are used in Creo
Specs are not activated one-by-one. You attach specs to a project, download spec projects with Sync Piping Catalog, then run Select Piping Project. Routing and fitting insertion use that project’s specs, not the whole catalog.