Hexagon SDx2
Alternative: Bridge Legacy + Brownfield, Beyond Tag Text
Hexagon SDx2 is the right call inside the SmartPlant ecosystem: it lifts text tags from legacy documents into SmartPlant Foundation. But SDx2's scope is narrow, text extraction only. 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 for non-SmartPlant clients. Pathnovo extracts the full graph (symbols + topology + tags + 15+ document types) and feeds SDx2 + SAP PM + Maximo + AVEVA + Wrench + Aconex. Complementary, not competitive: most Hexagon customers run both for full asset coverage.
Symbol + Topology Recognition (Not Just Text)
SDx2 extracts text tags from legacy documents. Pathnovo extracts the complete P&ID graph: symbols (ISA 5.1 native), tags, line connections, instrument loops, equipment-to-line relationships, valve types, control logic, junction continuity. SDx2 + Pathnovo = full asset model; SDx2 alone = tag text only.
Isometric MTO Blue Ocean
SDx2 does not extract piping MTO from isometrics. Pathnovo holds this position alone globally per Excel S6 ranking #1: piping MTO from scanned PDF isometric drawings, no 3D model required. See /solutions/isometric-extraction.
HAZOP Register from PDF
SDx2 cannot extract from completed HAZOP study PDFs (800-3,000 pages). Pathnovo structures every node, deviation, consequence, safeguard, action, owner, and due date into a queryable register mapped to current P&ID revisions. OISD 118 + IEC 61882 compliant. See /solutions/hazop-safety-intelligence/register-extraction.
Mill Certificate Traceability with PO Matching
SDx2 has no mill cert capability. Pathnovo handles 180,000+ mill cert formats with EPC PO line-item matching, IBR Form IV register auto-population, and pre-inspection gap reports. See /solutions/mill-certificate-traceability.
Works Outside the SmartPlant Ecosystem
SDx2 is designed to populate Hexagon's own SmartPlant / ALI platform. Pathnovo works standalone with no Hexagon ecosystem dependency: drawings in, structured JSON / Excel / CFIHOS out. For mid-EPC contractors and owner-operators not committed to SmartPlant, SDx2 does not apply; Pathnovo does.
Mid-EPC Accessible Pricing
Hexagon enterprise licences start at $200K with 5+ month implementations and full enterprise scope. Pathnovo is credit-based, full platform included on every paid tier from ₹40,000/$1,200 per month (Starter), with a free 14-day trial. Indian / Gulf mid-EPC projects ($50M-$500M) cannot absorb Hexagon's commercial model; Pathnovo fits their budget natively.
Indian + Gulf Regulatory 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 with all four bundled into every Indian project. See /compliance/indian-epc-compliance-bundle.
48-Hour Managed Service
Pathnovo delivers first structured output within 48 hours of document upload, contractually guaranteed. SDx2 deployment is typically 5+ months: licence negotiation, Azure or on-prem setup, SmartPlant ecosystem configuration, integration testing, training. Different commercial model entirely.
Free 14-Day Trial
Hexagon evaluation typically requires a paid POC. Pathnovo's free 14-day trial includes 100 credits (~5 P&IDs) with full audit-trail accuracy report, no contract or credit card required.
Complementary to SDx2 (Not Replacement)
For Hexagon-committed customers, the optimal architecture is Pathnovo + SDx2: Pathnovo extracts the full graph from any source, SDx2 ingests into SmartPlant Foundation. Most Hexagon customers run both. See /integrations/hexagon-sdx for the joint deployment pattern.
| Feature | Pathnovo | Hexagon SDx2 (HxGN SDx) |
|---|---|---|
| Text tag extraction from legacy PDFs | ||
| P&ID symbol recognition | ||
| Topology + line connectivity extraction | ||
| ISA 5.1 native training | Partial | |
| CFIHOS 2.0 / ISO 15926 standard support | ||
| Multi-language extraction (Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic) | Limited | |
| Instrument index automation (full) | Partial via Smart Instrumentation (separate licence) | |
| Equipment list extraction | Partial | |
| Line list extraction | Partial | |
| Valve list extraction | Partial | |
| I/O list generation | Partial | |
| Datasheet register population | ||
| Piping MTO from scanned isometrics | ||
| Weld schedule + NDE plan generation | ||
| HAZOP register extraction from completed study PDFs | ||
| Mill certificate traceability (180,000+ formats) | ||
| Mill cert + EPC PO line-item matching | ||
| Vendor datasheet compliance check | ||
| MR package assembly from P&IDs | ||
| BOM generation from drawings | ||
| P&ID revision delta + PO impact | ||
| Tag-document register (live with McDermott) | ||
| Cross-document verification (P&ID vs datasheet vs line list) | ||
| C&E matrix vs P&ID verification | ||
| Works outside the SmartPlant ecosystem | ||
| SAP PM S/4HANA pre-certified | Partial via SmartPlant Foundation | |
| IBM Maximo pre-certified | ||
| AVEVA AIM data feed | ||
| Bentley iTwin / ProjectWise data feed | ||
| Cognite Data Fusion data feed | ||
| Wrench SmartProject integration (Indian EDMS leader) | ||
| Oracle Aconex integration | ||
| Hexagon SDx2 / SmartPlant Foundation data feed | Yes (data feed) | |
| Hexagon Smart 3D / Smart Instrumentation native | ||
| IBR Form III / Form IV register | ||
| OISD 118 HAZOP register + inter-distance encoding | ||
| PESO Form XIV / XV | ||
| CCOE licence register | ||
| Indian PSU rate-card compatibility | ||
| Free 14-day trial, 100 credits, no card | ||
| Transparent published pricing | Credit-based (Starter from ₹40,000/$1,200 per month) | Contact vendor ($200K-$1M+ licence) |
| Implementation timeline | 48 hours to first delivery | 5+ months |
| 99.5% contractual accuracy SLA with remedy clause | ||
| Named EPC customer outcomes | McDermott (10,247 tags / 600 P&IDs); GCKC (in build); Zetwerk (in build) | Chiyoda Qatar NFE LNG, GASCO, Ausenco, Adani Petrochem, Eskom |
| Pricing | Credit-based, from ₹40,000/$1,200/month for 1,000 credits. Free 14-day trial. | $200K-$1M+ enterprise licence + 5-month implementation (per industry analyst reports) |
P&ID Data Extraction (pillar)
Works without Hexagon ecosystem; SDx2 alternative for non-SmartPlant clients.
Isometric Extraction (Pathnovo blue ocean)
Excel S6 #1 ranked workflow. SDx2 coverage: ❌ None.
HAZOP Action Register Extraction
800-3,000 page HAZOP study PDFs structured. SDx2 does not address this.
Mill Certificate Traceability
180,000+ formats with EPC PO matching. SDx2 has no mill cert capability.
Tag-Document Register
Live with McDermott. The foundation that SDx2 depends on but cannot build alone.
Asset Information Management
AIM platform feed: Pathnovo extracts → SDx2 / AVEVA AIM / Cognite ingests.
Indian EPC Compliance Bundle
IBR + OISD 118 + PESO + CCOE in one extraction. SDx2 has no equivalent.
Hexagon SDx Integration
Joint Pathnovo + SDx2 deployment pattern.
SmartPlant P&ID Alternative
Related authoring-tool comparison.
SmartPlant Instrumentation Alternative
Related authoring-tool comparison.
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/isometric-extraction.
Can Pathnovo data feed into Hexagon SmartPlant + SDx2?
Yes. Pathnovo exports to Hexagon SmartPlant-compatible formats (SDx data take-on schema, SmartPlant P&ID, SmartPlant Instrumentation, SmartPlant Foundation). For hybrid environments where some plants are on SmartPlant and others are not, Pathnovo provides a uniform extraction layer that populates Hexagon SDx2 + AVEVA AIM + SAP PM + Maximo + Wrench + Aconex from one extraction pass. See /integrations/hexagon-sdx.
What does Hexagon SDx2 cost?
Hexagon licensing is enterprise-tier and not publicly published. Industry analyst reports indicate $200K to $1M+ for typical EPC scope including SmartPlant Foundation, ALI modules, and SDx2 add-on, with 5+ month implementation. Pathnovo's credit-based pricing (Starter from ₹40,000/$1,200 per month) and free 14-day trial with 100 credits make it accessible at mid-EPC scale.
Is Hexagon's SmartPlant being discontinued or transitioned to SDx2?
No, but Hexagon is consolidating its data future around HxGN SDx2 (Smart Digital Reality 2.0). Existing SmartPlant deployments continue to be supported. Owner-operators planning a 5-10 year horizon should evaluate whether to stay SmartPlant-native, migrate fully to SDx2, or adopt Pathnovo as a neutral extraction layer that works across both and any third-party data. See /alternatives/smartplant-pid for the legacy SmartPlant P&ID comparison.
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, isometric MTO extraction, HAZOP register digitisation, or mill cert PO matching), Pathnovo is the better choice. Many Indian PSU refiners evaluate both; most choose Pathnovo for the broader scope and lower implementation cost.
Can Pathnovo replace SmartPlant Foundation?
No. SmartPlant Foundation is the asset information storage and access layer for Hexagon-authored data. Pathnovo extracts data from documents, including documents not authored in SmartPlant. The two are complementary: Pathnovo populates SmartPlant Foundation with structured data extracted from legacy / non-Hexagon sources. See /alternatives/smartplant-pid + /alternatives/smartplant-instrumentation for related authoring-tool comparisons.
Does Pathnovo support Hexagon's Chiyoda Qatar NFE LNG / GASCO / Adani / Eskom-style enterprise scope?
Yes. Pathnovo's engagement scale spans McDermott (10,247 tags / 600 P&IDs / 99.5% measured accuracy), GCKC and Zetwerk (in build), and is positioned for Indian PSU + Gulf mega-projects of equivalent or larger scope. Hexagon SDx2's enterprise customer footprint and Pathnovo's mid-EPC + Indian / Gulf focus reach different buyer segments; both can coexist on the same project at different deployment depths.
Pathnovo + SDx2 joint deployment pattern?
Pathnovo extracts the full P&ID graph (symbols + topology + tags) from any source format including legacy SmartPlant exports, third-party CAD, and PDF / scanned drawings. The structured output is delivered to SDx2 in its data take-on schema, where SmartPlant Foundation ingests for downstream Hexagon ecosystem consumption. Pathnovo + SDx2 = full asset model; SDx2 alone = tag text only. For owner-operators committed to SmartPlant long-term, this is the recommended architecture. See /integrations/hexagon-sdx for the technical details.
What are Pathnovo's named customer outcomes vs Hexagon's?
Hexagon SDx2 named customers per Excel S2: Chiyoda (Qatar NFE LNG), GASCO, Ausenco, Adani Petrochem, Eskom on $500M+ capex projects. Pathnovo named outcomes: McDermott live engagement at 10,247 tags / 600 P&IDs / 99.5% measured accuracy; GCKC and Zetwerk in build; multi-EPC Indian PSU pipeline. Both are real engagement footprints; Hexagon's is larger by capex scale, Pathnovo's is broader by document scope (15+ types vs SmartPlant's authoring-only focus) and includes the Indian regulatory layer Hexagon does not address.
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