Boundary Input (.rpb file)

Each boundary element is specified in the boundary element file (.rpb file) on a separate line (no RETURN or LINEFEED allowed) in the following format:

<element name>, <element type>, <location descr #1>,
<location descr #2>

<element name> is a unique identifier for the specified boundary element; it must be unique amongst all boundaries, pipelines, equipment, inlines, nozzles and structures.
<element type> is one of four possible types of boundary component that can be used in this file: end_of_pipeway, end_at_bent, outlet, and floating_end.
<location descr #1> tells the element location with respect to a pipeway, the direction of the boundary in the case of an Outlet, or the number of inline components upstream of the floating_end boundary when the pipeline was cut for a fenced submodel.
For end_of_pipeway boundaries, possible values are:
- start
- end
- E (for East/West pipeways only)
- W (for East/West pipeways only)
- N (for North/South pipeways only)
- S (for North/South pipeways only)
- up (for vertical pipeways and vertical chases only)
- down (for vertical pipeways and vertical chases only)
Note: These values are not case sensitive.
For end_at_bent boundaries, the value is Bent <pipeway bent number> + <offset distance from bent>.
- EXAMPLE:EAB1, END_AT_BENT, Bent 3 + 20.0, main
- Boundary EAB1, is an End at Bent located at bent 3 plus 20 inches on the main pipeway.
For outlet boundaries, possible values are:
- E (for East/West pipeways only)
- W (for East/West pipeways only)
- N (for North/South pipeways only)
- S (for North/South pipeways only)
- up (for vertical pipeways and vertical chases only)
- down (for vertical pipeways and vertical chases only)
<location descr #2> is the name of a pipeway that an end_of_pipeway or end_at_bent boundary is placed on, or the number of inline components downstream of a floating_end boundary when the pipeline was cut for a fenced submodel. It is not used for Outlet boundaries.

Floating End Boundaries

Floating_end boundaries are automatically generated with a user cuts a pipeline to generate a fenced submodel. So that changes to inline components within a fenced submodel are properly integrated when the submodel is reintegrated with the larger model, entries in the .rpb file may include arguments indicating the number of inlines before and after the boundary when the model data was originally fenced.

For example,

pipe1/TERMINUS, FLOATING_END, 2, 1

states that there were two inlines upstream and one downstream of the floating end boundary that was generated by cutting pipe1.

Because of this new file format, as well as a change in how frozen inlines are saved in the plot script file, models saved within a 4.1.16 environment may not be completely compatible with older versions of PlantWise.