Aveva E3d Macros May 2026

Mastering AVEVA E3D Macros: The Ultimate Guide to Automation and Efficiency

Summary

You don't need to be a programmer to benefit from E3D macros. You just need to identify a task you do more than three times a day.

1. Open Notepad.
2. Type NEW ... POS ... CREATE ... FINISH.
3. Save as .mac.
4. Type MACRO filename in E3D.

Stop modeling one beam at a time. Start automating.

Do you have a killer macro for E3D/PDMS? Share your syntax in the comments below! aveva e3d macros

2. Understanding the Macro File (.mac)

• A macro is a plain text file (.mac) containing E3D command language (PML or simple command syntax).
• Stored typically in %E3D_PROJECT%\MACROS\ or a user-defined path.
• Can be created via:
  • Text editor (Notepad++, VS Code)
  • Recording actions in E3D (MACRO RECORD / MACRO STOP)
  • Exporting from PML functions

Part 3: Creating Your First Macro (Step-by-Step)

Let's build a practical macro that creates a vertical vessel shell.

A. Batch Processing of Scenarios

Instead of manually creating a new file for every combination of hole size, pressure, and wind speed, a macro allows the user to define a "base case" and iterate over a list of variables. Mastering AVEVA E3D Macros: The Ultimate Guide to

• Example: Defining a macro to loop through 10 different wind speeds (ranging from 1.5 m/s to 15 m/s) for a single gas release scenario, automatically saving the results for each.

Real-World Example: Nozzle Creation Macro

Here is a macro used daily in plant design to create standard nozzles.

-- macro: nozzle.mac (Usage: MACRO nozzle A 150 1000 N 200) $ Name, Size, East, North, Up, Direction
DEFINE N_NAME  'ARGV[1]'
DEFINE N_SIZE   ARGV[2]
DEFINE N_EAST   ARGV[3]
DEFINE N_NORTH  ARGV[4]
DEFINE N_UP     ARGV[5]
DEFINE N_DIR    'ARGV[6]'
NEW NOZZ
NAME #N_NAME
SPREF "FLANGE-RF-" + #N_SIZE
POS E #N_EAST N #N_NORTH U #N_UP
DIRECTION #N_DIR
LENGTH 150
CREATE
FINISH Open Notepad
$ Example: MACRO nozzle H-101 300 2000 500 1500 N

Part 2: The 5 Pillars of E3D Macro Efficiency

Pitfall 4: Relative vs. Absolute coordinates

Macros do not automatically reset the current position. If your macro assumes you are at U 0, but the user last clicked U 5000, your objects will float. Fix: Always set an explicit origin or use BY vs TO carefully.

3. Key Syntax & Commands

• Basic structure:

  -- Comment line
  NEW EQUI
  NAME 'P-101'
  POS 0 0 0
  

• Common commands:
  • NEW EQUI / NEW PIPE – create equipment or pipe
  • ATTR – set attributes (e.g., size, material)
  • POS / ORI – position and orientation
  • CONN – add connection points
  • DO ... ENDDO – loops
  • IF ... THEN ... ENDIF – conditional logic