Hexagon SDx2
Alternative for Non-SmartPlant Environments
Hexagon SDx2 is powerful inside the SmartPlant ecosystem: it lifts text tags from legacy documents into SmartPlant. But it does not do symbol recognition, does not extract piping MTO from isometrics, does not extract HAZOP registers, does not do mill certificate PO matching, and does not work outside the SmartPlant stack. For the majority of Indian and Gulf mid-EPC projects that do not own SmartPlant, SDx2 is not applicable. Pathnovo is the native extraction engine for these environments.
Works Outside SmartPlant
SDx2 is designed to populate Hexagon's own SmartPlant / ALI platform. Pathnovo works standalone (drawings in, structured JSON / Excel / CFIHOS out), without any Hexagon ecosystem dependency. Delivers to SAP, Maximo, AVEVA NET, Wrench SmartProject, or plain Excel.
Symbol Recognition and Full Extraction
SDx2 extracts text tags. Pathnovo extracts symbols, tags, line connections, instrument loops, equipment relationships: the full P&ID graph. Piping MTO from scanned isometrics, HAZOP action registers, mill certificate heat-to-PO matching: all beyond SDx2's scope.
Mid-EPC Pricing, Not Enterprise-Only
Hexagon licences start at $200K and implementations run 5+ months. Pathnovo starts at $95 / drawing with pilots from $1,200. Indian / Gulf mid-EPC projects ($50M-$500M) cannot absorb Hexagon's commercial model; Pathnovo fits their budget natively.
India / Gulf Compliance Native
SDx2 has no native support for IBR, OISD 118, PESO, or CCOE: the four compliance regimes that matter for Indian process plants. Pathnovo is built Indian-regulation-first. See /compliance/indian-epc-compliance-bundle for the integrated workflow.
| Feature | Pathnovo | Hexagon SDx2 |
|---|---|---|
| Text tag extraction from legacy documents | ||
| P&ID symbol recognition | ||
| Piping MTO from scanned isometrics | ||
| HAZOP action register extraction | ||
| Mill certificate traceability + PO matching | ||
| IBR / OISD 118 / PESO / CCOE compliance | ||
| Works without Hexagon SmartPlant ecosystem | ||
| SAP PM / Maximo / AVEVA integration | SmartPlant ecosystem only | |
| 99.5% accuracy SLA (contractual) | ||
| Managed service delivery | ||
| India / Gulf EPC focus | Global enterprise only | |
| Implementation timeline | 48 hours to first delivery | 5+ months |
| Transparent pricing | $95 / drawing | $200K+ licence + $1M+ implementation |
| Pricing | $95 / drawing or project fixed fee | $200K-$1M+ licence + 5-month implementation |
Is Hexagon SDx2 a replacement for Hexagon SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI)?
No. SDx2 is an AI extension that sits alongside SmartPlant: it lifts text tags from legacy documents into the SmartPlant / ALI environment. SPI (SmartPlant Instrumentation) remains the authoring tool. If you already own SmartPlant and need to onboard legacy text data, SDx2 is the right tool. If you do not own SmartPlant, SDx2 does not apply: Pathnovo is the extraction engine for non-SmartPlant environments.
Does Hexagon SDx2 extract piping MTO from isometric drawings?
No. SDx2 focuses on text extraction to populate SmartPlant data model fields. It does not perform the drawing topology recognition required for isometric MTO extraction. Pathnovo is the only vendor globally with a production managed service for piping MTO from scanned isometric drawings: see /solutions/piping-mto-extraction/mto-from-isometric.
Can Pathnovo data feed into Hexagon SmartPlant?
Yes. Pathnovo exports to Hexagon SmartPlant-compatible formats (SDx, SP P&ID, SPI). For hybrid environments where some plants are on SmartPlant and others are not, Pathnovo provides a uniform extraction layer that populates Hexagon, AVEVA, SAP, Maximo, or any downstream platform as needed.
What is the implementation difference?
Hexagon SDx2 deployment is typically 5+ months of licence negotiation, Azure / on-prem setup, SmartPlant ecosystem configuration, and integration testing. Pathnovo delivers first structured output within 48 hours of engagement start: managed service model means no client-side implementation work required.
Which should an Indian PSU refinery choose: SDx2 or Pathnovo?
Depends on incumbent platform. If the refinery already runs Hexagon SmartPlant and wants to digitise legacy text data into that platform, SDx2 is the fit. If the refinery runs AVEVA, Siemens COMOS, or mixed / no central engineering platform (or if it needs IBR / OISD 118 / PESO / CCOE compliance automation), Pathnovo is the better choice. Many Indian PSU refiners evaluate both; most choose Pathnovo for the broader scope and lower implementation cost.
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