In the world of piping design, components are added hourly, and it's essential to manage these additions effectively to support various functions like purchasing, fabricating, and maintaining compliance.
This is where bulk extractions, also known as Material Take-offs (MTOs), come into play.
MTOWorx operates independently withing AutoCAD PLANT 3D and CADWorx PLANT.
It is used for managing these material snapshots and periodic change control reporting on differences.
Optionally, MTOWorx communicates with SaaS Mechanical, one of the cloud solutions offered by ECE.
SaaS Mechanical integration allows facilitates the storage, access and editing of historical MTOs in the cloud that list piping and electrical parts required for construction as related to MTOs.
MTOWorx operate within AutoCAD servicing CADWorx and AutoCAD PLANT 3D models identically, so it standardizes methods. By comparing material snapshots against 3D models, MTOWorx provides a clear report of part additions, increases, decreases or deletions in the material lists using preconfigured Excel templates.
The benefits of MTOWorx Snapshots extend beyond just tracking changes.
They are pivotal in generating material requisitions and purchase orders.
Material planners can easily append CAD data, adjusting quantities and part numbers as needed.
Additionally, work orders often require CAD data to include extra details like work order numbers, vendor information, and due dates, which MTOWorx efficiently supports.
One of the standout features of MTOWorx is its capability to genrate reports that use Excel templates as their foundation.
These templates produce Excel files with CAD data, and integration with SaaS Mechanical extend that with unit cost, alternative descriptions, and other lookup values from its Parts Catalog.
MTOWorx templates are tailored to meet various requirements from simple review worksheets to complex Loadsheets for seamless electronic exchange with ERP/MRP systems like SAP, SmartGEP, and JDE.
MTOWorx is a powerful, but simple to use, tool for managing material take-offs on projects of any size.
The ability to create flexible and detailed Excel files through templates ensures that your material management processes are efficient, and deliverables are just the way you want them.
Setup & Configuration
CWX and P3D
There is absolutely no configuration or setup required within CADWorx PLANT or AutoCAD PLANT 3D.
MTOWorx knows which application is active and automatically adjusts the palette interface to the active program.
Worx Settings
Set Snapshot Options
There are 3 groups of settings to consider; 1) Piping, 2) Steel, & 3) Bolt Control and Length settings.
CWX and P3D Snapshots will include default fields for Piping and Steel.
Additional fields may be added for each group. Add columns to roll up or accumulated against them where there are needs to group by properties like Line Number, Drawing Number, and the other options.
Note, The MTOWorx Compare Processor must find columns in Snapshots equal to the current Worx Settings! If there is a mismatch between these setting and historical snapshots, the compare processor will display a warning.
Snapshot Program Codes Filters
CWX & P3D parts can be suppressed by Program Code Filters.
By default, all 200+ program codes are set to be accumulated. Under each group, unchecking specific component types unchecking will suppress component types from all snapshot accumulations. For example, this is one way to suppress (24) Stud Bolts (173) Weld and (199) Weld Gap as shown below.
Setup Excel 'Load Sheet' Templates
Configure six Excel workbooks templates to produce MTO Reports. Why six? Because it seems like everyone wants a six-pack of some sort.
Template configuration includes setting data start-row, choosing an Excel template file to load, enabling information fields, and assigning them to workbook columns.
Optionally, SaaS Mechanical offers connection to its parts catalog unit price, alternative descriptions, alternative part numbers and lookup lists. Those column types are AutoLookup and SocketWorxList.
Simply add and remove fields to format Excel output by assigning them to workbook columns and enabling them under the Field Settings section.
Creating Snapshots
There are so many reasons to take material take-off snapshots while engineering and designing piping systems. 
These Excel workbooks contain all the parts from the active CWX or P3D model, inclusive of XREF files.
Choose two output types: 'All Parts' and 'Pipe Only'.
Each satisfy numerous use cases when combined with all the Worx Settings accumulation controls.
The pipe-only option includes the unique CAD Identifier, or GUID, so that cut lengths are processed against them.
Compare All
After MTOWorx Snapshots exist, they can be loaded by clicking the Scale or compare processor.
Choose the snapshot to use and MTOWorx returns result in this easy to read and export interface.
Compare results are displayed and they contain 5 quantity assessments.
- No Change, no color change, and quantity equals zero
- Increased, Text color set to green
- Decreased, text color set to red
- Added, background color set to green
- Deleted, background color set to red
4. Producing Reports
Choose from multiple output options if part numbers are part of your deliverables.
All output saves to to Excel workbooks, inclusive of the parts where QTY = 0, or no changes found.
The Compare processor offers numerous part category filters to suppress them from export. They are dynamic so toggle to refine reporting.
Get the most of MTOWorx and enhance with connecting to SaaS Mechanical.