Building a process diagram
- Lay out the line. Place pipes, elbows, tees and crosses edge to edge on the grid. Use the same Pipe Size on pieces that meet, so the walls line up.
- Bind each piece to a field. Pipes, pumps and meters follow a number (flow, speed). Fittings, valves and actuators follow a condition.
- Dock the instruments. Valves and the Coupling (Axis Mount) have a collar on top. Put a handwheel, lever, motor, coil, gauge or sensor in the cell directly above it and it sits on the collar.
- Add the overlays. The Agitator and the Liquid Stream are transparent: place them over a tank or at the end of a pipe.
Condition — an operator and a value compared with the field: > 0 means "flowing whenever the value is above zero", == 1 means "open when the board sends 1". While the condition is true the piece shows its flow, open or running color; otherwise its idle color.
A vessel whose liquid level follows the value — in 11 shapes, from a plain box to a barrel, a flask or a cone.
- Min / Max Value
- Empty and full.
- Scale Ticks
- Marks on the side at values you list, e.g.
25,50,75.
- Low / High Alert
- The liquid takes the alert color past these values.
- Show Value
- Turn it off to free the bottom row for a pipe or a stream.
A pipe section with animated flow; the speed follows the value.
- Min / Max Value
- No flow at Min, full speed at Max.
- Flow Direction
- Which way the liquid moves.
- Show Flow Bubbles
- Turn off for solids (grain, pellets).
The same pipe, vertical.
- Min / Max Value / Flow Direction
- As on the horizontal pipe.
Joins two pipe sections, horizontal or vertical; stretches edge to edge.
- Condition
- Shows the flow color while it is true — see conditions.
A 90° bend, in four orientations.
- Rotation
- Which two sides it connects.
A straight run with a side branch.
- Branch Direction
- Which side the branch leaves from.
A four-way junction.
Joins a pipe of one size to a pipe of another.
- From Size / To Size
- The two pipe sizes it connects.
An inline valve that shows open or closed. Its collar on top takes a handwheel, lever, motor or coil.
- Condition
- When true the valve shows open (open color), otherwise closed.
A three-port valve that shows which way it routes the flow.
- Straight / Divert / All Open
- One condition per state; the highest matching state wins, and with none matching the valve shows closed.
A coupling with a mounting axis on top — the place to dock an instrument (gauge, sensor, motor) over the pipe.
A centrifugal pump whose impeller spins while it runs; inline, or elbow (suction from the side, discharge upward).
- Running Condition
- When true the impeller turns and the pump takes the running color.
- Layout
- Inline or Elbow.
A one-way valve; the arrow shows the only direction flow can take.
- Flow Condition
- When true it shows the flow color.
An inline meter whose needle follows the value.
- Min / Max Value / Unit Label
- The scale of the dial.
A manual handwheel docked on a valve or axis coupling; shows open or closed from its field.
- Condition
- Open while true.
A manual lever docked on a valve or axis coupling; shows open or closed.
- Condition
- Open while true.
A small electric actuator that spins while running, docked on a valve or axis coupling.
- Condition
- Running while true.
A solenoid that glows when energized, docked on a valve or axis coupling.
- Condition
- Energized while true.
A small dial for pressure, temperature, level or flow, docked on a valve or axis coupling; the needle follows the value.
- Min / Max Value / Unit Label
- The scale of the dial.
A generic instrument docked on the line — an icon, or a short tag such as PT or TT.
- Tag
- Up to 3 characters; shown when no icon is set.
- Alert Condition
- Takes the alert color while true.
A mixer impeller that spins while running. It is transparent — place it over a Tank.
- Min / Max Value
- Stopped at Min, full speed at Max.
Liquid pouring out of a pipe end — for example into a tank below. Transparent; place it where the pipe ends.
- Min / Max Value
- A trickle at Min, a full stream at Max.
- Direction
- Which way it pours: down, up, left or right.