Nexal®
Help / Plant 3D Plugin

Plugin help · AutoCAD® Plant 3D™

Nexal for Plant 3D™

The Nexal plugin brings your connected engineering model directly into AutoCAD® Plant 3D™. Generate a complete P&ID from a share code, reconcile changes back into the drawing, and carry your engineering data into the drawing’s object properties.

Getting started

After installing the plugin, open AutoCAD Plant 3D. The Nexal ribbon tab loads automatically on startup. The tab is organised as a left-to-right workflow: Share Code, Generate, Title Block, Metadata, Reconcile, and About.

  1. In your Nexal project, open the P&ID and select Sync to produce a share code (for example, NX-XXXXXXXX).
  2. In Plant 3D, open the Nexal ribbon tab.
  3. Paste the share code into the Share Code box.
  4. Click Generate to build the P&ID.

Commands

GenerateShare code → P&ID

Reads the connected model behind your share code and builds a complete, standards-based P&ID, equipment, valves, instruments, tees, pipe runs, line sizes and tags, directly into the drawing. No manual placement or re-drawing.

ReconcileApply changes

When the design changes in Nexal, generate an updated share code and click Reconcile. New components are added and updates flow through, while your existing geometry and layout are preserved. The drawing stays in sync rather than being rebuilt.

MetadataObject properties

Writes component, asset and supplier information from the connected model into the Plant 3D object properties, manufacturer, model number, supplier and more. Supplier data captured later in the project flows in on the next sync.

Title BlockSheet details

Populates the sheet’s title block with project details from Nexal.

Typical workflow

  1. Generate. Paste a share code and build the P&ID.
  2. Metadata. Populate object properties with component, asset and supplier data.
  3. Title Block. Populate the sheet title block.
  4. Reconcile. As the design evolves, paste an updated code to apply changes with geometry preserved.

Troubleshooting

The Nexal ribbon tab doesn’t appear

Fully close and restart Plant 3D. The tab loads on startup. Confirm the plugin is installed in %APPDATA%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\. On first load you may see an “unsigned publisher” prompt; choose Always Load.

“Please enter a Nexal share code”

The Share Code box is empty. Paste a valid code from your Nexal project, then run the command again.

“Invalid or unrecognised share code”

The code isn’t in the expected format or can’t be found. Check it matches NX- followed by 8 characters, and that it was copied in full from Nexal.

“Could not reach Nexal”

Check your internet connection and try again. The plugin needs to reach the Nexal service to resolve a share code.

Support

For help, contact support@nexaltechnologies.com or visit nexaltechnologies.com. See our privacy policy.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, and Plant 3D are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.