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PDMS DATABASES
Data and Information
Data is a recognizable graphic entity that may be a number, letter, special letter or symbol. A single entity is known as a
character. Information is obtained by organizing data so that they are associated with meaning. There are four basic types
digital information: text, graphic, audio, and video. When two or more characters are meaningfully combined, text
information is formed. Graphics are painted, drawn or photographic images. The images can be created as digital images or
converted to digital images by scanning. Audio is sound pressure variation in an elastic medium with a frequency range of
2 to 20 kHz. Video is animated graphics with or without sounds. In animation, a time dimension is added to 2D or 3D
images with or without sound. Graphics are inherently information objects because drawings, paintings and pictures have
meaning associated with them at creation. The clarity and legibility of text information is greatly enhanced by graphic
elements. When sound is added to graphic and text information, greater impact and retention is achieved. Video makes
graphic and sound information come alive because moving images create greater impressions on the human mind.

Databases
A database is a collection of data and information about items of interest. Modern databases are electronic. That means data
and information are stored in electronic media. The main advantages of databases are that 1) data is structured and well
organized; 2) data can be entered, modified, and stored safely; 3) authorized users can have access to the same data and
information content; 4) centralized management of data is possible; 5) data redundancy or duplication is minimized; 6) data
and information can be integrated from different databases; 7) there is more effective use of resources. A selected set of
data for a specific purpose creates a view from the database. The view could be modified or turned into a report. Different
types of reports can be generated from the same database.

There are different types of databases such as flat, relational, network, hierarchical, object, etc. A flat database is a
storehouse of data without inherent tie among files or tables. Each file or table is separate and independent. AutoCAD files
and Spreadsheet files like those of Microsoft Excel are examples. Relational database is a database with some kind of
relationship or link between structured tables. Each table is made up of one or more records. A record is a set of data that
describes a unit of information about an item or object. Microsoft Access is an example of a relational database. Network
databases represent data as records at two main levels of record type and recordset. The record type is generic while the
recordset has a-one-to many type of relationship with other records. Hierarchical databases represent data in a treelike
structure with each level containing a number of related records. The folder or directory structure is a good illustration of a
hierarchical database. Most CAD packages for solid modeling have a hierarchical database. An object-oriented database
stores data as objects. Data structure, values and actions can be stored in an object database. It is a sophisticated database.

PDMS
PDMS stands for Plant Design Management System, a 3D process plant modeling software from AVEVA Group Plc. It has
applications and reference data for most engineering disciplines in design such as Equipment, Pipework, Structures,
HVAC, etc. Graphics are produced from a single coherent data model for an entire plant. Reports from PDMS are available
in the form of text, 3D illustration graphics and 2D dimensioned drawings. It was first launched in 1976 and has backward
compatibility with earlier versions and some other leading industry products. The current version is PDMS 12.

PDMS Database Sets

The structure of PDMS database is hierarchical. There are two sets of databases in PDMS. These are Design and Reference
databases. The design database stores user’s generated data and information. A design project may have multiple databases
based on disciplines. PDMS design databases contain 3D model data and information. The reference database stores read-
only data and information. Data and information from these databases are pulled into design databases. The data in the
reference databases can not be modified by the designers.

Every object in a PDMS database is called an “element”. The elements in different design disciplines have special names.
For example, in Equipment module, there are equipment, sub-equipment, and primitive elements. In Pipework module,
there are pipes, branches, and component elements. Each element has specified attributes and is associated with a unique ID
(a number) at creation.

PDMS Database Hierarchy

PDMS database is hierarchical, that means lower level data are contained in upper level data. Imagine the database to be a
data space divided into sections. Smaller sections are contained in bigger sections. The smaller the section is, the farther it
is from the base or root data space as shown in Fig. 1. The root data space is the “World”. The “World” data space is
divided into “Site” data spaces. A “Site” data space can be divided into “Zone” data spaces. A “Zone” data space can be
divided into smaller data spaces as needed in a project, often along the collaborating disciplines for the project. The
“World”, “Site” and “Zone” data spaces are common to all collaborating disciplines. The “World” data space is fixed. It is
populated by creating “Site”, “Zone” and lower data spaces. You must be at the “World” level to be able to create a “Site”
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data space. Similarly, you must be at the “Site” level to be able to create a “Zone” data space. During design modeling, the
data representing and describing the model are stored at the appropriate level in the database.

WORLD

SITE SITE

ZONE ZONE

EQUIPMENT PIPE

Fig. 1: PDMS Design Database Hierarchy

ZONE SITE

ZONE WORLD

Fig. 2: Layout of PDMS Database

Fig. 2 shows a simplified layout view of PDMS database. It is clear from this figure that the “World” data space contains all
data in the different sections or levels. The user does not create the “World” data space, it is the default data space once
PDMS is installed and configured. It is the top-level element in PDMS database and cannot be deleted by the user. The user
creates a ”Site”, “Zone”, etc as necessary for a project. Typically, the name of “Site” would be the project name or the user
name. Sometimes, it may be the name of a portion of a large project. A “Site” is not necessarily a physical area or job site.
Similarly, a “Zone” is just a collection of similar or related items for easy reference. Since PDMS Design module has
applications for different design disciplines such as Equipment, Pipework, Structures, HVAC, etc, a zone may be named as
one of the disciplines in a project. Note that if a “Site” is deleted in the database, all the zones contained in it will be lost! It
is safer to work at the lowest level to avoid unwanted loss of data.

The Design module of PDMS is used to build a 3D plant model whose data may be stored in one or more databases. It can
be used to create new design elements, modify existing design elements, query and interactively view design elements,
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creates reports and check for clashes. Components can be selected from one or more reference databases and inserted in a
required position during a design project.

Main Design View

Fig. 3 is the main graphic view. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the menu items and options in this view. The
Design menu provides access to different design disciplines. The title bar of the form displays the current application
selection. The default application from this menu is General Application as can be seen in Fig. 3 (the drawing shown is a
plan view of a project in development). Design activities are done in the work area (black background, it can be changed to
white). The Display menu offers options on what graphic models may be shown on the screen. The Edit menu provides
access to modification options on models. The View menu offers options on how graphic models may be shown on the
screen, etc.

Fig. 3: Main graphic view

Database Navigation
The PDMS database can be navigated with the aid of the Design Explorer and or the Members forms. The Design Explorer
is a graphic-based form that provides access to all the model elements in the database. It is similar to the Windows
Explorer. The Members List is a text-based form and like the Design Explorer, it provides access to all the model elements
in the database. The Members List is accessed from the main menu:

Menu > Display > Members

Elements in a “Zone” are said to be owned by the zone. For example, equipment like a pump unit created in a zone, is
owned by that zone, that is, the zone is the owner. Selecting a zone means all the elements in it are automatically selected.
The selected item is referred as the Current Element (CE). The CE is the active element that can be modified.

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Fig 4: Design Explorer

Fig 5: Members + Drawlist