& Construction

Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
& Manufacturing

Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Use the Skeletonizer app to locate and reduce similar pipes in a series.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
4 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
The InfoWater Pro Skeletonizer app can reduce the number of elements and the complexity of a model
00:09
while maintaining its hydraulic equivalency.
00:11
The Skeletonizer offers highly sophisticated and fully customizable trimming reduction, merging,
00:18
and network skeletonization based on user-specified criteria.
00:23
The sequence of skeletonizing is important to maintain a representative hydraulic model.
00:28
The first step is network trimming, followed by network reduction and network merging.
00:35
Network Reduction allows you to identify and combine pipe segments with the same diameter and roughness coefficient,
00:42
as well as other specific criteria.
00:45
These pipe segments are typically in series with each other.
00:48
To begin Network Reduction, from the InfoWater Pro ribbon, Project panel, click Apps to open the App Manager dialog.
00:57
Click Skeletonizer.
01:00
The Skeletonizer dialog opens.
01:03
In general, it is best practice to create a Domain of a smaller portion of your model to which the Network Reduction operation will be applied.
01:11
Click Edit Domain and the Domain Manager dialog appears.
01:16
Add your model elements to a desired Domain using the Domain Manager tools.
01:21
Once you create your Domain of elements, close the dialog and the Skeletonizer dialog reappears.
01:28
Click the Options button to open the Network Skeletonization Options dialog, and refer to the Series Pipe Reduce Options group box.
01:37
From the Pipe ID/Attribute Retain Choice: drop-down, select the criteria to be used to establish the ID of the new combined pipe.
01:46
From the Demand Distribution Method: drop-down, select the method by which demands on existing nodes
01:52
will be reallocated to new pipe end nodes.
01:54
Check the Re-calculate Pipe Length option if desired.
01:59
Maximum Reduction Levels refers to the number of iterations to be performed on pipes in series meeting the other specified criteria.
02:07
If no maximum trim level is specified, the process continues until no additional reduction levels are found.
02:14
Elevation Difference prevents combining pipes whose end nodes have elevation differences greater than the specified criteria.
02:22
If a Diameter Difference is specified, adjacent pipes whose diameters differ by more than the specified criteria will not be combined.
02:30
The preferences in the Common Options group box are typically checked to ensure continuity
02:36
and reduce the risk of deleting pipes with either simple or logical controls.
02:41
Once the Pipe Reduction options are set, click OK to close the Network Skeletonization Options dialog.
02:47
In the Skeletonizer dialog, select the Series Pipe Reduction criteria
02:52
by highlighting data fields in the Matching Data Fields Selection pane.
02:56
Hold CTRL and click to select multiple fields.
03:00
Click Reduce in the Skeletonizer dialog, then OK if prompted.
03:04
Close the dialog when the operation is complete.
03:07
Spot check your network to verify that the desired pipes were combined,
03:11
and that demands were automatically transferred from deleted nodes to the main line nodes to which the Reduced pipes now connect.
Video transcript
00:03
The InfoWater Pro Skeletonizer app can reduce the number of elements and the complexity of a model
00:09
while maintaining its hydraulic equivalency.
00:11
The Skeletonizer offers highly sophisticated and fully customizable trimming reduction, merging,
00:18
and network skeletonization based on user-specified criteria.
00:23
The sequence of skeletonizing is important to maintain a representative hydraulic model.
00:28
The first step is network trimming, followed by network reduction and network merging.
00:35
Network Reduction allows you to identify and combine pipe segments with the same diameter and roughness coefficient,
00:42
as well as other specific criteria.
00:45
These pipe segments are typically in series with each other.
00:48
To begin Network Reduction, from the InfoWater Pro ribbon, Project panel, click Apps to open the App Manager dialog.
00:57
Click Skeletonizer.
01:00
The Skeletonizer dialog opens.
01:03
In general, it is best practice to create a Domain of a smaller portion of your model to which the Network Reduction operation will be applied.
01:11
Click Edit Domain and the Domain Manager dialog appears.
01:16
Add your model elements to a desired Domain using the Domain Manager tools.
01:21
Once you create your Domain of elements, close the dialog and the Skeletonizer dialog reappears.
01:28
Click the Options button to open the Network Skeletonization Options dialog, and refer to the Series Pipe Reduce Options group box.
01:37
From the Pipe ID/Attribute Retain Choice: drop-down, select the criteria to be used to establish the ID of the new combined pipe.
01:46
From the Demand Distribution Method: drop-down, select the method by which demands on existing nodes
01:52
will be reallocated to new pipe end nodes.
01:54
Check the Re-calculate Pipe Length option if desired.
01:59
Maximum Reduction Levels refers to the number of iterations to be performed on pipes in series meeting the other specified criteria.
02:07
If no maximum trim level is specified, the process continues until no additional reduction levels are found.
02:14
Elevation Difference prevents combining pipes whose end nodes have elevation differences greater than the specified criteria.
02:22
If a Diameter Difference is specified, adjacent pipes whose diameters differ by more than the specified criteria will not be combined.
02:30
The preferences in the Common Options group box are typically checked to ensure continuity
02:36
and reduce the risk of deleting pipes with either simple or logical controls.
02:41
Once the Pipe Reduction options are set, click OK to close the Network Skeletonization Options dialog.
02:47
In the Skeletonizer dialog, select the Series Pipe Reduction criteria
02:52
by highlighting data fields in the Matching Data Fields Selection pane.
02:56
Hold CTRL and click to select multiple fields.
03:00
Click Reduce in the Skeletonizer dialog, then OK if prompted.
03:04
Close the dialog when the operation is complete.
03:07
Spot check your network to verify that the desired pipes were combined,
03:11
and that demands were automatically transferred from deleted nodes to the main line nodes to which the Reduced pipes now connect.
The InfoWater Pro Skeletonizer app can reduce the number of elements and the complexity of a model while maintaining its hydraulic equivalency. The Skeletonizer offers fully customizable trimming, reduction, merging, and network skeletonization based on user-specified criteria. After performing a network trimming operation in the Skeletonizer, the next step is to reduce pipes.
This example uses network reduction in the Skeletonizer to identify and combine pipe segments with the same diameter and roughness coefficient, as well as other specific criteria. These pipe segments are typically in series with each other.
When using the Skeletonizer it is usually best practice to create a domain of a smaller portion of the model to which the network trimming operation will be applied.
If no maximum trim level is specified, the process continues until no additional reduction levels are found.
This ensures continuity and reduces the risk of deleting pipes with either simple or logical controls.
To select the Series Pipe Reduction criteria:
How to buy
Privacy | Do not sell or share my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use | Legal | © 2025 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved
Sign in for the best experience
Save your progress
Get access to courses
Receive personalized recommendations
May we collect and use your data?
Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement.May we collect and use your data to tailor your experience?
Explore the benefits of a customized experience by managing your privacy settings for this site or visit our Privacy Statement to learn more about your options.