MBF Generation in Excel with Absolute Coordinates

The Model Batch File (MBF) is essentially a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file format. Given below is a sample MBF file that represents a piping/tubing layout in absolute coordinate system generated using Excel.

Project Name : harby-~1

VERSION

OPTIONS

HGRA,B319,Z

OPCODE

1,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,1.2

OPTEMP

70,7000,1,0,0,

OPPRES

1,0,1,1,0,

OPMISC

33,20,1,0,1,2,2,2,

MATERIAL

1,0.283,0.3,1,1,CS,A53-A,,

1,-20,2.99E+07,5.87E-06,12000,

1,70,2.95E+07,6.07E-06,12000,

1,200,2.88E+07,6.38E-06,12000,

1,300,2.83E+07,6.60E-06,12000,

1,400,2.77E+07,6.82E-06,12000,

1,500,2.73E+07,7.02E-06,12000,

1,600,2.67E+07,7.23E-06,12000,

1,650,2.61E+07,7.34E-06,12000,

1,700,2.55E+07,7.44E-06,11700,

1,750,2.49E+07,7.55E-06,10700,

1,800,2.42E+07,7.65E-06,9000,

PIPE

2,2.375,0.154,0,0,

1,1.315,0.133,0,0,

LOADS

1,70,0,1

LAYOUT

F10,KA,X78'0,Y4'9,Z-90'0"

T20*,M1,P2,X74.2084,Y4'9",Z-90'0",CL=1

T30*,X70.7084,Y4'9",Z-90'0"

T40*,KI,B3,X70.2084,Y4'9",Z-90'0"

T50*,X70.2084,Y5'3",Z-90'0"

T60*,X70.2084,Y17.6386,Z-90'0"

T70*,KI,B3,X70.2084,Y18.1386,Z-90'0"

T80*,X69.7084,Y18.1386,Z-90'0"

T90*,X42.7797,Y18.1386,Z-90'0"

T100*,KI,B3,X42.2797,Y18.1386,Z-90'0"

T110*,X42.2797,Y18.6386,Z-90'0"

T120*,KI,B3,X42.2797,Y19.1386,Z-90'0"

T130*,X42.2797,Y19.1386,Z-90'6"

T140*,X42.2797,Y19.1386,Z-98.3636

T150*,KI,B3,X42.2797,Y19.1386,Z-98.8636

T160*,X41.8088,Y19.3066,Z-98.8636

T170*,X12.9243,Y29.6085,Z-98.8636

T180*,KI,B3,X12.4534,Y29.7765,Z-98.8636

T190*,X12.2854,Y29.3056,Z-98.8636

T200*,X11.9777,Y28.443,Z-98.8636

T210*,KI,B3,X11.8097,Y27.9721,Z-98.8636

T220*,X11.8097,Y27.9721,Z-99.3636

T230*,X11.8097,Y27.9721,Z-101.6483

T240*,KI,B3,X11.8097,Y27.9721,Z-102.1483

T250*,X11.8097,Y28.4721,Z-102.1483

T260*,KI,B3,X11.8097,Y28.9721,Z-102.1483

T270*,X11.3097,Y28.9721,Z-102.1483

T280*,X0.8749,Y28.9721,Z-102.1483

T290*,KI,B3,X0.3749,Y28.9721,Z-102.1483

T300*,X0.3749,Y28.9721,Z-101.6483

T310*,X0.3749,Y28.9721,Z-89.6178

T320*,KI,B3,X0.3749,Y28.9721,Z-89.1178

T330*,X-0.1251,Y28.9721,Z-89.1178

T340*,X-33.4704,Y28.9721,Z-89.1178

T350*,KI,B3,X-33.9704,Y28.9721,Z-89.1178

T360*,X-33.9704,Y28.4721,Z-89.1178

T370*,X-33.9704,Y27'0",Z-89.1178

T380*,KI,B3,X-33.9704,Y26'6",Z-89.1178

T390*,X-33.9704,Y26'6",Z-89.6178

T400*,X-33.9704,Y26'6",Z-91.6072

T410*,X-33.9704,Y26'6",Z-91.9505

T420*,JD,X-33.9704,Y26'6",Z-92.2838,COD1=2.375,THK1=0.154,OD2=1.315,THK2=0.133

T430*,P1,X-33.9704,Y26'6",Z-94.3363,

T440*,KI,B1.5,X-33.9704,Y26'6",Z-94.5863

T450*,X-33.9704,Y26'9",Z-94.5863

T460*,X-33.9704,Y27'1",Z-94.5863

T470*,KI,B1.5,X-33.9704,Y27'4",Z-94.5863

T480*,X-33.9704,Y27'4",Z-94.8363

T490*,X-33.9704,Y27'4",Z-98.0863

L490,KA

Below are the key points to understand when working with this file:

1. Option: The "Option" section allows you to define the CAEPIPE Analysis Options such as Code, Temperature, Pressure, Dynamics, and Miscellaneous settings.

2. Material, Pipe and Load: These sections allow you to input materials, pipe section properties and loads for the CAEPIPE model.

3. Layout: This section contains the CAEPIPE layout data. If you observe closely the first column, you will notice an asterisk (*) that precedes the node number. This indicates that the DX, DY, DZ values provided in that line is absolute coordinates (and not relative to the previous node). This means that you can directly use coordinates extracted from your 3D piping/tubing software without any conversion to relative offsets DX, DY and DZ.

After completing the creation of CSV file, save it and change the extension from .csv to .mbf, emphasizing the fact that mbf file is the same as a CSV file. Then, import the .mbf file into CAEPIPE through the Layout Frame > Import option to generate the piping/tubing layout for analysis.