How To Split an Installation Drawing into Fabrication Spools

‍Whether you drew the drawing using SpoolFab or imported it from a PCF file, you can split it into spools. For how to import from a PCF, see article K0066.

An installation drawing often contains too many items to be handled as one fabrication spool. Here is a worked example of splitting one into spools.

First, make sure the installation drawing has been saved.  Then select File, Split into Spools.

A list of prospective spools appears on the right side of the display as shown above. Twelve of the items have tentatively been assigned to Spool A, and four items to Spool D. Spools B and C each consist of a blind flange. The twelve items on Spool A are shown in blue. Clicking on Spool B, Spool C etc. in the list highlights the items on that spool.

Let us suppose we decide that Spool A is a bit too bulky for convenient transportation, so we want a different arrangement. Click the Resume button, which is on the right edge of the display, below the bottom of the list of spools.

Select Tools, Add/Remove Breakpoints. The cursor changes to a cross. Decide where you would like to divide the spool and click on the joint between two neighboring items. This often amounts to clicking on a weld. The weld is converted into a field weld. If you change your mind, just click the same location again to reverse the selection.

If at least one of the involved items is a pipe, you get the opportunity to add trim at that point.

Prompt for Trim:

Breakpoint without Trim:

Breakpoint with Trim:

Let us assume that no trim is needed in this case, so we have a breakpoint without trim.

Select File, Resave, then File, Spilt into Spools.

Prospective Spool A now has seven items instead of twelve. Those items are shown in blue.

If you prefer that the five items assigned to spool D be referred toas Spool B instead, click where it says “Spool D 5 items” and then click twice on the
Move Up button. The result is shown below.

Once you are satisfied with the arrangement, click on “Spool A 7 items”, then click the Save Spool… button.

If you have not yet chosen a layout for fabrication drawings, you will be prompted to do so now.

The Save As dialog appears:

Notice that the default control number for Spool A consists of the last five characters of the INST drawing number, plus the letter A.

Edit the control number if necessary, then hit OK. <cf>

Spool A then appears on its own, in black as shown below.

Click on “Spool B 5 items”. Then hit Save Spool… and save Spool B in the same way.

Do the same for spools C, D and E.

Once you have saved all five spools, click the Resume button.

Select File, Resave.

This is a good time to label the installation drawing to show how it was broken into spools. Select Tools, Label Item…, Add Control #Label as shown below. The cursor changes to a pointing hand.

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Click on the tag of any item forming part of Spool A. The control number label appears in red as shown below. <cf>

Use the spacebar and the arrow keys to adjust the label’s size, location and orientation so as to make it clear which spool it refers to, as per the example.

Press Enter to accept the location of the label. <cf>

Place labels for the other four spools in the same way.

Here is the result:

Select File, Resave. Select File, Exit to close the INST drawing.
Click on Fabrication Drawings.
Open drawing 00001A.

Note that the drawing seems rather small and poorly located on the page. Don’t worry about that, we will fix it shortly.

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Select File, Make New List and select the five spools we just created, see below: <cf>

Select File, Batch Operation. Make the selections highlighted below, then hit Proceed… <cf>

The batch process scales up and centers each of the five drawings and creates a weld map.