Ideal Piping Design, PSA, and BIM Software Set

[Thepiedpipingengineer]

If you were about to build a piping design, PSA, and BIM team with the software of your choice, what set would you choose?

At this time, my ideal set looks like: Revit for Design, AutoPIPE for PSA, and NavisWorks for viewing and coordinating.

Thoughts?

 

[EngrPaper]

The software suite has to be fit to purpose for the project. In the heavy industry side where I work, it usually runs like this:

Piping: PDMS, SmartPlant, AutoCAD Plant3D, CADWorx on top of AutoCAD
Pipe Stress: Caesar II (never have actually come across any firm that uses something else)
Common Model: Navisworks.

Navisworks isn't really a BIM software, more just a compilation of other softwares and whatever data they put forward in their model. For piping, I am kind of partial to Plant3D, but I am not usually the one selecting the software. Often client requests can even dictate that.

 

[Gator]

Keep in mind that PDMS and SmartPlant (or whatever they're being called these days, gotta keep rebranding so no one knows what you're talking about) are in a completely different league from the other two.

 

[EngrPaper]

@Gator - True, but I've used both for similar sized projects at different firms. Just depends on what's in use. PDMS and SmartPlant (or is it now S3D or something) have massive overhead setup issues, but Plant3D and CADWorx are relatively plug and play.

 

[Thepiedpipingengineer]

"Piping: PDMS, SmartPlant, AutoCAD Plant3D, CADWorx on top of AutoCAD" - I have seen all of those but only personally played with Plant3D and Revit.
"Pipe Stress: Caesar II (never have actually come across any firm that uses something else)" - In my experience, it is pretty split and pretty much governed by industry. Refining and Power (and Paper?) like C2. Nuclear, Semi-Conductors, and others like AutoPIPE. I know C2 is maybe more powerful, but AutoPIPE is more user friendly especially with output and results navigation.
"Common Model: Navisworks." - Pretty much this and I am trying to get my current firm to embrace it for our jobs because NavisWorks Manage is the bread and butter of project common models.