Find answers on Revit pipe connections, PCF export, piping isometrics, stress analysis, parameter mapping and import checks, plus compatibility, trials, licences and learning.
Review Connection Manager guidance for mixed joints, selective flanges, coupling and union placement, pipe specifications, connection checks and configured automation alongside Dynamo and native Revit tools. Explore Revit-to-PCF preparation, SKEY and component identity, parameter mapping, batch export and revisions. Review Plant 3D isometrics, CAESAR II, AutoPIPE and FluidFlow import responsibilities alongside compatibility, trial, licence and learning answers.
PipeEX PCF Export 2.0 is released and available on request. Connection Manager is available on request for trials and demos with static licences only. Tool Palette and Family Manager remain separate development previews.
PipeEX prepares, checks, repairs and exports connected Revit piping routes to PCF, the Piping Component File format used to transfer piping information between compatible engineering applications. The PCF carries geometry, connectivity, coordinates and mapped parameters into Plant 3D isometrics, CAESAR II or AutoPIPE stress analysis, FluidFlow pressure-drop calculations, and other applications that read PCF files.
Version 1.3 introduced reusable mapping and repeat export. Version 2.0 checks the route before export: it groups issues that prevent export into repairable areas, opens the relevant workspace, and lets you check the route again before writing the PCF.
For some projects, the native Revit options are enough. Use PipeEX when you need reusable project mapping, one workspace for preparation and checking, guided repair, and repeatable export after revisions. Compare both approaches on the product page and keep the engineering review your project requires in the receiving application.
No. PipeEX transfers structured data into the receiving application, but your team still owns isometric layout, stress-analysis setup, hydraulic inputs, pressure-drop review, and engineering judgement. Each solution page states what the receiving application and engineering team must complete.
Yes. PipeEX Connection Manager applies the joint arrangements you configure for different connector end types. Define the permitted ends on each side, choose the properties to check and select the components to insert. Welded, threaded, flanged and wafer arrangements can use separate rules. The required families and parameter data must already be available in your Revit project.
See mixed pipe connection examplesConnection Manager can insert the component list configured for a matching joint, including flange, gasket and bolt-set families. With Connect automatically enabled, it checks aligned connector pairs when elements are placed or changed. Use one shared component list or separate lists for each side. Test a representative assembly to confirm family selection, quantity and orientation before wider use.
Explore automatic joint component placementYes. Connection Manager interval rules insert a configured joint arrangement along matching straight pipe runs. Set the spacing, nominal size range and pipe conditions. Fittings and accessories mark the ends of each straight run, and resulting pipe lengths do not exceed the chosen spacing. This does not optimise stock lengths or produce a complete fabrication package.
See interval connection rulesYes. In Connection Manager, a match group maps the Revit fields that represent the same property. For example, a Size group can read DN and NominalDiameter as nominal diameter fields in different families. Select that group for the connection types that need the check. The parameter data must already exist in the project; the plug-in does not create missing fields.
Review family parameter mappingConnection Manager checks the properties and permitted combinations your team configures. Match groups compare mapped values on both sides, while allowed-match rules can restrict pressure values for a given size. With Validate before connecting enabled, a pair that fails the selected checks is left unchanged. These checks do not perform pressure design or verify compliance with a piping code.
Review connection checks and their limitsConnection Manager can reconnect the run when an inserted component is deleted, with both Connect automatically and Restore system after component deletion enabled. This applies to the documented connection process. It does not repair every disconnected pipe system or replace Revit system checks.
Check supported reconnection behaviourWith Disconnect invalid connections enabled, Connection Manager breaks an existing joint when no configured connection type permits it any longer, for example after an end-type parameter changes. This is a separate setting from the matching checks performed before connecting. Your team defines the permitted arrangements and reviews the model after changes.
Review how connection rules respond to changesYes, where the families are loaded in the active project and provide the connector and parameter data required by your rules. Connection Manager uses the configured family selection source and component lists. It does not load missing families or create missing parameters. Refresh the project lists after adding families or fields, then test a typical joint before applying the settings more widely.
Check family and project setup requirementsFor wafer-face connections, Connection Manager adds a configured base bolt length to the distance between the wafer-face connectors across the clamped components. It applies your rounding setting and records the result in the selected parameter. Each clamped face receives its configured components, with one bolt set through the assembly. Your team must check the arrangement; this is not an independently verified structural or code-compliant bolt design.
Review wafer assemblies and bolt-length settingsConnection Manager settings are saved in your PipeEX profile. Select the same profile on the other computer and wait for synchronisation to finish. The active Revit project must also contain the families and parameter data required by those settings. Test the resulting connections when moving between projects or computers.
See how connection settings are saved and reusedRevit Routing Preferences select fittings by pipe type and can add a configured flange. Use Connection Manager when you need permitted end-type combinations, mapped property checks and component lists applied at aligned connector pairs, or joints inserted at intervals along matching straight runs. Revit continues to own system connectivity and routing behaviour, and your team remains responsible for engineering review.
Compare native Revit and Connection ManagerCheck that Connect automatically and the interval rule's On switch are enabled. Confirm that the pipe meets the nominal size range and conditions, and that the selected connection type is still available. Connection Manager uses the first enabled rule that matches a straight run, so an earlier rule may take priority. Save any corrected settings before testing again.
Review interval setup and troubleshootingDefine the end-type combinations that require a flanged arrangement and assign the component list to those combinations. Keep welded or threaded arrangements separate. Connection Manager applies the matching rule at aligned connector pairs, rather than adding the same detail at every fitting. Equipment and accessory families must expose the mapped connector data; test each representative family and review the resulting arrangement.
Review selective flange and mixed-joint rulesUse an interval rule to split or divide straight pipework into shorter lengths and insert the configured joint components. A loaded coupling or union family can be selected where it suits the permitted end types and required family data. Set the joint spacing and pipe conditions, then check placement on a representative run. This is configured joint insertion, not stock-length optimisation or a complete spool fabrication package.
Explore pipe splitting and joint insertionYes. Each interval rule has its own joint spacing, nominal diameter range and pipe conditions. For example, a PipeSpec condition can select one piping specification; wildcard values can match a group of specification codes. Put specific rules above general ones because the first enabled matching rule is used. All listed conditions must be satisfied, and resulting straight pipe lengths do not exceed the selected spacing.
Review spacing, size ranges and pipe conditionsYes. Choose one shared component list or separate component lists for Side 1 and Side 2. This lets a configured joint use different family components on its two faces. Review the quantity and orientation on each side before wider use. For a wafer assembly, each clamped face receives its specified components and one bolt set passes through the complete clamped assembly.
See component lists and wafer arrangementsMap the end-type parameters for each connector in lookup order. Connection Manager uses the first mapped parameter containing a value, so a preferred field can take priority over a fallback field. Where connector order differs between families, enable numbering from connector descriptions: a number such as #4 identifies the mapping row to use. These settings read existing family data; they do not create or modify the family connectors.
Review connector numbering and parameter lookupCheck that Connect automatically is enabled and the settings are saved. Connector pairs must be within the configured Alignment tolerance, entered in feet. A permitted connection type must match the mapped end codes, and enabled size or other property checks must pass. Proximity alone does not establish a valid joint. Review the family data and failed checks before increasing the tolerance or changing a rule.
Check automatic connection requirementsConnection Manager is a Revit piping plug-in configured through its settings screens. Use end-type rules, property checks, component lists and interval rules for the documented joint placement and pipe splitting tasks without building a Dynamo graph for those tasks. It does not replace every custom Revit script or automate arbitrary routing geometry. Bring a representative connection case so PipeEX can confirm the relevant scope.
Compare configured piping automation with your taskNo. Connection Manager is not a general pipe-system repair or auto-routing tool. A Revit warning such as No auto-route solution was found still needs investigation of the native routing preferences, available fitting families and connector sizes. Connection Manager handles configured arrangements at aligned connector pairs. Its optional reconnection applies when an inserted component is deleted, with the documented automatic and restoration settings enabled.
Review connection and reconnection limitsThe documented scope is standard Revit system pipes and loadable component families. MEP Fabrication Parts and ITM services are outside this scope. Interval splitting can help divide straight runs into suitable lengths for fabrication or transport, but it does not turn the model into fabrication parts, optimise cutting stock or create a complete fabrication deliverable.
Check the supported Revit modelling scopeYes. In Search filter mode, Connection Manager selects loaded families whose configured filter parameter matches the required component. In Sets Browser mode, it uses the active family set shown in the plug-in, which can group the families permitted for a project. Keep the correct Revit project open and refresh the lists after adding families or fields. The plug-in does not supply or load a missing component library.
Review family selection and project prerequisitesPipeEX PCF Export prepares connected Revit piping routes and writes geometry and selected parameters to PCF, the Piping Component File format. Choose a representative route, define the fields required by your receiving application, map the Revit sources, then check and repair export issues before writing the file. Review the imported pipes, fittings, branches and accessories in the target application before wider use.
Follow the Revit-to-PCF export guideExport a reviewed Revit piping route as PCF with PipeEX, then use the file for isometric production in AutoCAD Plant 3D. PCF supplies connected geometry and mapped component data. The Plant 3D team reviews imported components and specification substitutions, configures the isometric style, and completes sheet layout, annotations, weld numbering and spool conventions. PipeEX PCF Export does not produce the final isometric drawing itself.
Review Revit-to-Plant 3D isometric productionYes. PipeEX exports reviewed Revit geometry, coordinates and selected parameters as PCF for import into CAESAR II. This provides a starting model for the stress engineer. Review the conversion and complete restraints, supports, operating conditions, load cases and code checks in CAESAR II. Export-readiness checks do not calculate pipe stress or approve the analytical model.
Review the Revit-to-CAESAR II scopeUse PipeEX to write a reviewed piping route as PCF, then import it into AutoPIPE. Compare geometry, coordinates, sizes, branches and mapped component data with the Revit source. The stress engineer completes supports, restraints, operating loads and analytical assumptions in AutoPIPE. Confirm the receiving version and component interpretation with one representative export before applying the mapping across a project.
Review the Revit-to-AutoPIPE transferPipeEX writes piping geometry and selected parameters as PCF for a FluidFlow import starting point. Confirm that PCF import is available in the FluidFlow version being evaluated, then review imported diameters, materials and component types. The hydraulic engineer adds fluid properties, boundary conditions and hydraulic-loss inputs and reviews the calculation. PipeEX PCF Export does not calculate pressure drop or automatically supply every analysis input.
Review Revit-to-FluidFlow hydraulic analysisOBJECT-TYPE and SKEY are required export identity fields checked by PipeEX PCF Export 2.0. Review the active mapping profile and the Revit values assigned to the affected components. Use Quick Fill, mapping or the indicated repair workspace where appropriate, review the proposed values, and rerun the check. A valid export identity must also be interpreted correctly by the receiving application; it does not guarantee the final isometric symbol or analysis representation.
Review PCF identity and readiness checksPCF needs a coherent description of the selected piping route. PipeEX checks route connectivity and connector correspondence before export. Inspect the failing point, confirm the intended pipe and fitting connections, and follow the indicated model inspection or focused repair step. Recheck the affected scope after correcting it. An export check does not establish that every Revit system or engineering connection is correct.
Review route connectivity and focused repairCompare the selected Revit route, the exported PCF text and the receiving application's import result. Confirm that the component belongs to the export scope, has the required identity and mapped values, and passes the relevant classification and connector checks. Record unsupported components, substitutions and import warnings in the target application. PipeEX helps check and repair the source export data; the receiving application's component interpretation must also be reviewed.
Review export data and component checksDefine the PCF fields required for the project and give each field a named Revit parameter source in the mapping profile. The evaluation worksheet includes PIPING-SPEC, line number, nominal size, material, insulation and component tag. Some fields are project-dependent. Review empty-value handling and check which fields the receiving application actually reads; mapping a value does not create a matching Plant 3D specification or a complete analysis setup.
Use the PCF mapping worksheet and checklistQuick Fill helps complete model data needed for export. Limit the scope to the agreed families, types or instances, and review proposed values before writing them. Keep the intended Revit document active and writable. Review any unresolved rows, then rerun the relevant readiness check. Values still need to come from the project standard or an agreed engineering source.
Review model preparation and Quick FillPCF Export 2.0 checks connector size and alignment, route connectivity and connector correspondence, and component classification and category matches. The validation results group issues and point to the relevant repair or inspection step. Correct the source data and rerun the check before export. These are export-readiness checks; they do not verify a piping code, pressure design or the receiving application's final model.
See the PCF export-readiness checksCompare one representative Revit route with the PCF text and the imported geometry. Check coordinates, lengths, nominal sizes and the units interpreted by the receiving application. Review import settings, substitutions and warnings before deciding whether to change the Revit source, mapping or target setup. Keep the same revision identifier on the evidence so the comparison uses the intended file. Do not assume a successful import guarantees identical interpretation.
Follow the export and import review guidePipeEX provides a batch export workspace for selected piping systems and their validation status. Confirm the active project mapping and review each selected system's readiness before exporting the agreed scope. Keep files identifiable by system and revision, and check representative results in the receiving application. Batch export does not remove the need to review incomplete data or application-specific import warnings.
Review the PCF batch export workspaceYes. Save the project mapping profile and repeat the prepare, check, repair and export steps after a model revision. Rerun readiness checks, export with a revision identifier, and confirm the intended change in the receiving application. Keep corrections in the source model or mapping so they carry into later exports. This is repeat export using saved settings; it is not automatic live synchronisation with the target model.
Review reusable mapping and repeat exportPipeEX PCF Export is a Revit plug-in with a guided preparation, mapping, checking, repair and export workspace. Basic Revit piping knowledge is enough to begin; PCF authoring expertise and a custom Dynamo graph or macro are not required for its documented export process. Compare the available native options and PipeEX on a representative route with the receiving application's required fields defined.
Review the guided Revit PCF export processPipeEX PCF Export writes reviewed Revit piping geometry and selected parameters to PCF. This product does not provide a PCF import into Revit or automatic reverse synchronisation from Plant 3D, CAESAR II or AutoPIPE. If the requirement is to rebuild Revit pipes from a PCF file or bring changes back into Revit, identify that as a separate task when discussing the project scope.
Check the PCF Export product scopeUse PCF when the receiving engineering application needs structured piping geometry, connectivity and mapped component parameters for isometric or analysis work. PipeEX PCF Export supplies that piping exchange file. A DWG or IFC requirement should be assessed separately against the coordination or drawing task; PCF export is not a general model-format converter. Confirm the target application's import requirements before preparing the route.
Review the piping information PCF transfersPipeEX exports piping geometry and selected parameters for the receiving application to interpret. For Plant 3D isometrics, the project team completes specification substitutions, isometric styles, annotations and spool conventions, then reviews the drawing and bill of materials against the source. A successful PCF export does not approve fabrication quantities, cutting lists, weld numbering or final fabrication deliverables.
Review isometric and fabrication responsibilitiesRevit 2023–2026 are supported for PipeEX PCF Export. Use the installer build that matches your Revit version. Include your Revit version in a Connection Manager request so PipeEX can confirm compatibility for the version offered.
PCF Export does not transmit Revit project, model, or PCF data to PipeEX or any other recipient. Because it does not transmit that data, PipeEX has no server storage or retention of it. PCF Export does not use that data for support, analytics, product improvement, or model training.
PipeEX documents and tests complete export sequences for Plant 3D, CAESAR II and AutoPIPE. FluidFlow officially supports PCF import for piping layouts, components, and elevation data. Evaluate a representative project and supply the hydraulic inputs the receiving application needs before relying on the pressure-drop results.
Before export, version 2.0 checks required export identity, component classification, connector correspondence and sizing, and mapping readiness. Your project team still decides whether the receiving application has accepted the result.
Request a 15–20 minute walkthrough with your Revit version, receiving application, and evaluation goal. The product team will review availability and scope, then confirm any trial access in writing. A scoped trial has a cumulative export quota of up to 1,000 components in total; use that allowance to record what reaches the receiving application.
PipeEX does not publish prices. Request a written per-product quote and include the users, required features, licence type, deployment, support, and implementation scope.
Choose a static licence when it will stay with one machine or named user and will not be shared concurrently. Choose a floating licence when a team needs a shared pool with one active user per seat. The written quote confirms the product, seats, and deployment terms.
An active subscription includes standard product support, the named builds, and updates released during that term.
Yes. Review the current learning paths, workflow guidance, and listed downloads before requesting product access. Trial access and commercial terms are handled separately.
Start with the Revit piping fundamentals in the current video catalogue. Then open the solution page for your receiving application to see what the PCF transfers and the work that remains in that application.
No. The public videos and workflow pages explain the engineering context without requiring PipeEX product access.