Download How to clean up Plant 3D database after using Autodesk Vault

How to clean up Plant 3D database after using Autodesk Vault commands
First off I would like to say to avoid cleaning up the database after making the mistake of deleting or
renaming an Autodesk Plant 3D drawing using Autodesk Vault this should always be done through Plant
3D first before deleting from Vault. For those who have already made this mistake and would like to
know how to purge the database of non-associated data keep reading.
Issue
Deleting or Renaming a Plant 3D project drawing in Autodesk Vault will not update the Plant 3D
database causing a Vault Project Error (Object reference not set to an instance of an object.). Plant 3D
will display an error when the project manager tries to load the missing drawings once this occurs.
What this message means
When the Plant Project drawing was deleted or renamed in Vault it disconnects the drawing and all data
for that drawing in the database.
Re-creating the error
We have two drawing created in Plant 3D and uploaded to Autodesk Vault.
Created by Brian Tait
Plant 3D Data Manager showing components in the entire project each with a unique PnPID assigned to
a DWG Number.
Autodesk Vault Professional 2016
Open Autodesk Vault Professional 2016 and navigate to our Plant 3D project
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Delete drawing M6-56-5487 from Autodesk Vault
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Select Yes
Select Details
Expanded details
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Select Yes
We now see that drawing M6-56-5487 is deleted from Autodesk Vault
Autodesk Plant 3D
Now let’s go back into our Plant 3D project and refresh the project manager. We now get the Vault
Project Error (Object reference not set to an instance of an object.)
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Notice the new icon for drawing M6-56-5487
Created by Brian Tait
Created by Brian Tait
Vault Project Error (Failed to get file from Vault)
The is because we deleted the file in Vault
P&ID Drawing’s folder will not expand giving the Vault Project Error.
If you get to the step you are not able to work on any drawings within the P&ID folder.
Created by Brian Tait
*Delete your local working folder for Autodesk Vault
Autodesk Plant 3D Database
Open the Plant 3D database in Microsoft SQL Management Studio or any SQL editor software and run a
query on [dbo.PnPDrawings]. Locate M6-56-5487 or the drawing that was deleted and delete that line.
Created by Brian Tait
Autodesk Plant 3D
Created by Brian Tait
After deleting the drawing out of [dbo.PnPDrawings] you will be able to reload your Plant 3D/Vault
project.
Cleanup Database
Remember all of those components placed in drawing M6-56-5487. We will still need to purge all of
those components that are in the database that are not associated to a drawing anymore. Otherwise we
will not be able to use that tag number again within the current project. Let’s take a look at the data.
Open the Data Manager in Plant 3D and sort by DWG Number.
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You now see that all of the components that were in M6-56-5487 are not associated to a drawing but
are still in the database. Each one of these components has a unique identifier called PnPID. For
Example if we look at CH_GATE_VALVE with PnPID of 1514.
Export Engineering Items
Export Non Engineering Items
Save excel export to a location and open the spreadsheet.
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Unprotect the spreadsheet
Filter the data
Filter DWG Number for Blanks
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Now we have filtered all the components that need to be purged from the database for the table
CH_GATE_VALVE.
*This process will be repeated for all worksheets in the excel spreadsheet.
Run Queries and Delete Records
Run a query in SQL to find and delete the records.
Created by Brian Tait
Solutions to Fix
Solution 1
Autodesk Development Team create patch to add functionality to Autodesk Vault


Delete - Purge Plant 3D database of all objects associated to the drawing being deleted.
Rename – Update Plant 3D database to rename drawing after rename command in Autodesk
Vault.
Solution 2
Create a stored procedure in SQL to query Plant 3D database for PnPid’s that are not assigned to a
drawing.
Created by Brian Tait