CAD tip # 13796:

Question CAD
% platform category

PCF file generated from AutoCAD Plant 3D is not compatible with my application.

PCF (Piping Component File) files are automatically created in Plant 3D when an isometric drawing is generated. However, you can also create them manually using Isos > Export > PCF Export.

The generated PCF files can be encoded in ASCII (single byte) or in Unicode. Multi-byte characters are supported in ASCII PCF files using escape sequences, but this limits the number of supported characters and may affect formatting. However, some piping applications, including Plant 3D 2011 and earlier, cannot read PCF files encoded in Unicode.

Format of the generated PCF file can be controlled with the PLANTPCFUNICODE variable. This variable is set to 0 (ASCII) by default, since Plant 3D 2024.1 then to 1 (Unicode). Please note this change when generating PCFs.

Plant3D

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25.7.2023 27292×

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AutoCAD Plant 3D

AEC Collection

applies to: AutoCAD Plant 3D 3D ·

See also:
Tip 13843:	Accented characters (umlauts) are incorrectly displayed in the material schedule on isometric drawing.
Tip 6330:	ISOGEN cannot read some ISO exports of piping from Inventor 2009.

Selected tip: Adding a new hatch pattern to Inventor.

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