Validation Options

To access this screen:

Using the Planning ribbon, click Validation. Select the Validation Options cog.

It is important your design data does not contain errors prior to processing. This screen is used to configure validation rules and constraints that will be applied on the next validation run.

Your application contains a range of validation options that allow you to check your FXS, Outline and Complex Solid design data before you commit it for processing. See Validate Planning Data.

All string-based design data (FXS, OUT, CXS) are validated and validation rules can be configured independently for each design type. Global 'all data' rules can also be set using the controls available on this screen.

Once your design data has been analysed, results are displayed for four result types:

All Design Strings (validation that is relevant to all design data types).
FXS (as a separate tab).
CXS (as a separate tab).
OUT (as a separate tab).

If you make changes to validation settings, they must be saved (or discarded). These options are highlighted following changes, and you will be alerted if you attempt to process validation with unsaved changes.

Once errors have been resolved (and subsequent validation shows no errors), design data is saved.

All Design Strings

This group of rules applies to all string-based design data.

Duplicate Strings: Check for any duplicate strings in your project design data. This is enabled by default and is highly recommended to avoid problems with erroneous activities and dependencies later on. If enabled, you can set a Precision Distance tolerance, below which string data will be regarded as duplicate.
Duplicate Edges on Strings: Detects the presence of duplicate edges within string data. As above, this is enabled by default and should be validated to ensure processing can generate sensible results. If enabled, you can define a Minimum Edge Length Required. If set, string edges must be greater than the specified length to be considered a duplicate of another edge.

Note: During validation and processing, string data is deemed to be "duplicate" (and removed) if detected within the same design file with the same planning attributes (matching & manual). Otherwise, conflicting strings (those sharing the same 3D space) are reported alongside their planning attributes for further investigation.

Fixed Cross Sectional (FXS) Designs

These rules are used to determine if FXS design data is suitable for processing or not:

Shared Edges: Check for FXS design strings that share edges with other FXS design strings. Duplicate edges within the same string are also reported as duplicate edges. Shared edges are generally bad news as they can give rise to overlapping volumes, and unexpected dependencies and downstream scheduling.
Minimum Length: Check for a minimum qualifying overall length for a fixed cross sectional string. Shorter strings will be reported.

Maximum Azimuth Change: Check for string edge azimuth changes that are above a given value (in degrees) and alert you if those directional changes are more severe, which could indicate technically impossible structures for scheduling. Set the threshold in degrees using this field.
Maximum Dip Change: As above, but checks to see if the dip of a string edge changes excessively between edges of the same string, which could indicate a nonsensical design element. Set the threshold in degrees using this field.

Maximum Horizontal Gradient: Set an upper limit for the deviation from horizontal that the design element is permitted so be if it is supposed to be horizontal. Set the threshold in degrees, ratio (1:n) or a percentage, using this field and the corresponding gradient type field that follows.
Minimum Vertical Dip: Set a lower limit for the dip permitted for vertical design elements (e.g. a shaft). Set the threshold in degrees using this field.
Crossover Vertical Separation: Define a vertical proximity check for FXS design strings. Strings that cross over within the specified vertical distance (which applies to segments of the same string, self-crossing). Smaller values will tend to report fewer instances of crossovers.

Cross overs (in Plan view)

FXS design string crossovers are rarely desirable. Validating crossovers (and removing them if necessary) ensures design strings do not cross other design data, which could result in overlapping activities and problems with spatial dependencies.

Ignore if vertical separation greater than: Define a vertical proximity check for FXS design strings. Strings that cross over within the specified distance of another in a vertical direction will be flagged for attention. Smaller values will tend to report fewer crossover instances (for the same data).

Outline (OUT) Designs

The following validation applies only to outline design data. As closed strings, additional validation can be performed.a

Shared Edges: Check for OUT design strings that share edges with other OUT design strings. Duplicate edges within the same string are also reported as duplicate edges. Shared edges are generally bad news as they can give rise to overlapping volumes, and unexpected dependencies and downstream scheduling.
Minimum Area: Set the minimum permitted area for an outline design string. Outlines with a smaller area will be listed as a warning, and can be manually removed if required.
Maximum Overlap Area: Set an overlap area value (in current world measurement units) above which outline strings will be considered overlapping. Qualifying strings will be highlighted in the validation report and may need modification prior to generating solids. Overlapping solids can cause erroneous activity planning results.
Crossover Vertical Separation: Define a vertical proximity check for OUT design strings. Strings that cross over within the specified vertical distance (which applies to segments of the same string, self-crossing). Smaller values will tend to report fewer instances of crossovers.

Cross overs (in Plan view):

As with FXS design strings, crossovers in outline strings are also rarely required.

Ignore if vertical separation greater than: Define a vertical proximity check for outline strings. Outlines that are closer (in a vertical direction) than the specified value will be listed as overlapping.

Tip: Setting a trivial non-zero tolerance will ensure crossovers are not incorrectly reported due to data rounding.

Complex Solid (CXS) Designs

Complex solid design data is checked for duplication during validation. This is to ensure resulting complex solid volumes don't have overlapping areas which could result in extraneous activities being scheduled later on, with double-reported volumes.

Shared Edges: Check for CXS design strings that share edges with other CXS design strings. Duplicate edges within the same string are also reported as duplicate edges. Shared edges are generally bad news as they can give rise to overlapping volumes, and unexpected dependencies and downstream scheduling.
Ignore duplicates with different group values: If selected (the default setting), CXS design data will be deemed to be okay if it duplicates other CXS data but carries a different GROUP value.
Minimum Area: Set the minimum permitted area for a CXS string. CXS strings with a smaller area will be reported.