Generating PFS diagrams from engineering data

1. A method for iteratively generating a process flow schema (PFS) diagram from engineering data, comprising:

accessing, by an application executing on a computing device, a subset of engineering data in a three-dimensional (3D) model of an industrial process, the subset of engineering data describing a plurality of components of the industrial process;

initially generating, by an automatic layout generator of the application, a layout of the PFS diagram by determining relative positions of components in the PFS diagram from the subset of engineering data, wherein the initially generating allows unconstrained connection positions on components and any spacing of connections;

constraining connection positions on components in the PFS diagram;

regenerating, by the automatic layout generator, the layout based on the constrained connection positions;

changing sizes of the components in the PFS diagram to provide a minimum spacing of connections;

further regenerating, by the automatic layout generator, the layout based on the changed sizes of the components that provide the minimum spacing of connections;

rendering the PFS diagram based on the layout; and

displaying the rendered PFS diagram in a user interface and/or storing the rendered PFS diagram to memory of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the application, user preferences in the user interface, the user preferences including a component type selection,

wherein the plurality of components described by the subset of engineering data are chosen based on the component type selection.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the application, user preferences in the user interface, the user preferences including at least a direction of the layout,

wherein the connection positions are constrained based on the direction of the layout.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regenerating is an incremental refinement that updates connection positions on components and lines between components in the layout, but maintains relative positions of components unchanged in the layout.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the incremental refinement updates connection positions on components to constrain the connections positions to one of left/right or top/bottom.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the further regenerating is an incremental refinement that updates sizes of components and lines between components in the layout, but maintains connection positions on components and relative positions of components unchanged in the layout.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the incremental refinement updates sizes of components to one of make components smaller/larger or wider/taller depending on a number of connections.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rendering the PFS diagram further comprises:

selecting a text size for components and line labels in the PFS diagram.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PFS diagram is a piping and instrument drawing (P&ID).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D model is part of a digital twin of the industrial process maintained by the application.

11. A method for iteratively generating a process flow schema (PFS) diagram from engineering data, comprising:

accessing, by an application executing on a computing device, a subset of engineering data in a three-dimensional (3D) model of an industrial process, the subset of engineering data describing a plurality of components of the industrial process;

iteratively defining, by the application, a layout of a PFS diagram by solving one at a time for a plurality of unknown qualities of the PFS diagram, wherein the iteratively defining comprises:

initially generating, by an automatic layout generator of the application, a layout of the PFS diagram by determining relative positions of components in the PFS diagram from the subset of engineering data, wherein the initially generating allows unconstrained connection positions on components and any spacing of connections,

constraining connection positions on components in the PFS diagram,

regenerating, by the automatic layout generator, the layout based on the constrained connection positions,

changing sizes of the components in the PFS diagram to provide a minimum spacing of connections, and

regenerating, by the automatic layout generator, the layout based on the changed sizes of the components that provide the minimum spacing of connections;

rendering the PFS diagram based on the layout; and

displaying the rendered PFS diagram in a user interface and/or storing the rendered PFS diagram to memory of the computing device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the application, user preferences in the user interface, the user preferences including a component type selection,

wherein the plurality of components described by the subset of engineering data are chosen based on the component type selection.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the application, user preferences in the user interface, the user preferences including at least a direction of the layout,

wherein the connection positions are constrained based on the direction of the layout.

14. A non-transitory electronic device readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed on one or more processors are operable to:

access engineering data in a three-dimensional (3D) model of an industrial process, the engineering data describing a plurality of components of the industrial process;

initially generate a layout of a PFS diagram by determining relative positions of components in the PFS diagram from the subset of engineering data, wherein the initial generation allows unconstrained connection positions on components and any spacing of connections;

constrain connection positions on components in the PFS diagram;

regenerate the layout based on the constrained connection positions;

change sizes of the components in the PFS diagram to provide a minimum spacing of connections;

further regenerate the layout based on the changed sizes of the components that provide the minimum spacing of connections; and

render the PFS diagram based on the layout.

15. The non-transitory electronic device readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions when executed are further operable to:

receive user preferences including at least a direction of the layout,

wherein the connection positions are constrained based on the direction of the layout.

16. The non-transitory electronic device readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions when executed are further operable to:

receive user preferences including a component type selection,

wherein the plurality of components described by the subset of engineering data are chosen based on the component type selection.

17. The non-transitory electronic device readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions that when executed are operable to regenerate are operable to update connection positions on components and lines between components in the layout, but maintain relative positions of components unchanged in the layout.

18. The non-transitory electronic device readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions that when executed are operable to further regenerate are operable to update sizes of components and lines between components in the layout, but maintain connection positions on components and relative positions of components unchanged in the layout.

19. The non-transitory electronic device readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions when executed are further operable to:

select a text size for components and line labels in the PFS diagram.