# Installation

## Setup

Requirements:

-   Supported operating systems:
    -   Microsoft Windows XP
    -   Microsoft Windows Server 2003
    -   Microsoft Windows Vista
    -   Microsoft Windows 7 or later
-   PDS version later than 6.4
-   Microsoft Office 2000, Microsoft Office XP, or Microsoft Office 2003
-   MicroStation SE or later

Administrator rights are required on each computer in order to install CAXperts **PDS2SDNF**. **Run as** is not supported.

### Uninstall

To uninstall the software, select **Control Panel** from the Start menu.
Then do one of the following:

-   Windows 7: in large or small icon view, click **Programs and Features**. If you are using category view, under **Programs**, click **Uninstall a program**.

-   Windows Vista: in classic view, double-click **Programs and Features**. In Control Panel Home view, under **Programs**, click **Uninstall a program**.

-   Windows XP/2000: (Double) click the **Add or remove programs** icon.

Select the program you want to remove and click **Uninstall/Remove**. Alternatively, right-click the program and select **Uninstall**.

### Setup command line (for administrators)

The following command line options are supported by the installer:

#### `/S:<<optional ini file>>`

Allows the installation to be run in silent mode. No screens or dialogues are shown.

This command line option also has an optional INI file that can be
passed containing session variable values. For example:

\"C:\\output\\setup.exe\" \"/S:C:\\setupvars.ini\"

This will cause the session variables in the INI file to be used for the
setup. The INI file should be in the format:

\[SetupValues\]

%AppFolder%=C:\\Program Files\\MyProduct

#### /U:\<\<XML config file\>\>

This command line option must be used when calling the uninstall program
from the command line. This command also has an optional XML file that
can be passed containing session variable values. For example:

\"C:\\Program Files\\MyProduct\\uninstall.exe\" \"/U:C:\\Program Files\\MyProduct\\irunin.xml\"

## Configuration

Before working with **PDS2SDNF**, `Pds2Sdnf.ini` must be configured.

There are some general conventions:

![](./media/PDS2SDNF_image6.png)

1.  Supports are represented by three crossed profiles after the SDNF file has been imported into TEKLA Structures. `Support Length = 500` is the length of one profile in MicroStation subunits, `[mm]`.

2.  This is the output folder. When the export process starts, the user is prompted for the output directory.

3.  Any attribute from `PDTable 12` can be written into the `PieceMark` field in SDNF. This `PieceMark` value is imported into TEKLA Structures as the `Name` attribute. Every imported component from PDS Piping then shows the value from `PDTable 12`, column 2, `T12C2`, `line_number_label`, as shown in the figure below. In the properties dialogue, it is represented by the `Name` attribute.
![](./media/PDS2SDNF_image7.png)

4.  For pipe supports, every attribute from `PDTable 80` can be written into the `PieceMark` field in SDNF. This `PieceMark` value is imported into TEKLA Structures as the `Name` attribute. Every imported support from PDS Piping then shows the value from `PDTable 80`, column 2, `T80C2`, `pipe_support_no`, as shown in the figure below. In the properties dialogue, it is represented by the `Name` attribute:
    > <img src="./media/PDS2SDNF_image8.jpg" width="345" height="454">

5.  If a PDS project has a Plant Coordinate System with a Plant Monument point not at `0,0,0`, this is recognised by the `DVCS` value of the corresponding project, `DVCS_Project1`. Coordinates in the Plant Coordinate System, `PCS`, are relative to the plant monument. For example, if the plant monument has been changed from its default setting of `0,0,0` to `E. 30000m`, `N. 25000m`, and `EL. 1000m`, then a point `1000m` east and `1000m` north of the plant monument would be at `E. 31000m`, `N. 26000m`, and `EL. 1000m` in the Plant Coordinate System. In this case, the entry in `PDS2SDNF.ini` is:

    ```ini
    [DVCS_Project1]
    ;Master unit
    X=30000
    Y=25000
    Z=1000
    ```

## Working with PDS2SDNF

When you start **PDS2SDNF**, the main window appears:

<img src="./media/PDS2SDNF_image9.png" width="455" height="500">

First, a PDS project must be selected.

If **Automatically Reload Last Project at Start** is selected in the **File** menu, the last opened PDS project is loaded automatically.

The next step is to select the models to be exported from the tree view:

![](./media/PDS2SDNF_image10.png)

These selected models can then be exported to SDNF. The user is prompted for an output directory:

![](./media/PDS2SDNF_image11.png)

For each PDS model, a separate `.dat` file with the corresponding PDS model name is generated in the output directory. All PDS primitives are exported to SDNF, including their PDS database values.

These files can be imported directly into CAD programs that can read SDNF.