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All feedback, whether criticism or praise, has always been a strong motivator for me to revise this book. All of this additional data is available in the sample data.

In addition, some custom, non-standard shortcut keys were also used. The following text boxes are used to visually highlight notes, tips, etc. This box provides additional information and tips. EPLAN is usually already installed on the workstation. If rights management is not used, then EPLAN can be started by all users without requiring passwords, etc. User management an add-on that must be purchased separately and is not always included with every license is not described in this book.

Brief general information is provided as necessary at the appropriate points. EPLAN has no special requirements for the graphics card or other hardware components. A standard computer as used for Office applications, for example, is sufficient.

Certain add-ons, such as EPLAN Pro Panel and its extensions, have other hardware requirements that affect the graphics card and its drivers. I feel that a single-screen solution can no longer be recommended for EPLAN due to the many additional modular dialogs that can be displayed, such as the various navigators. There are only a few entries in the Windows registry, which is commendable and not always the case today.

Installation is usually started using the installation CD. The Setup. Installation after downloading the installation package from the EPLAN homepage works the same way the downloaded ZIP file unpacks the installation data into the same directories that would be on the installation DVD.

NET Framework. NET Framework is not installed, or is not installed in the required version, it must be installed before you can proceed with the installation of EPLAN.

When the Next button is clicked, the Target directories, settings dialog is displayed. This is where you set the program directory, the system master data directory, the company code, and the directories for user, workstation and company settings. You must also define the units of measurement for the system and the directory for the EPLAN original master data. EPLAN always suggests default directories for the installation. I always change these directories and of course the company code to my own target directories.

EPLAN continues with the installation and asks what program components, master data and languages should be installed. By design, EPLAN does not overwrite user-related master data because the user may have modified the original system master data and saved this under the original name assigned by EPLAN. During installation, EPLAN does not recognize whether this data has been changed and would therefore simply replace it. Usually the user does not want this to happen.

Here, you have to click Finish. If a license has not yet been installed, a one-time dialog requesting the validation code license number for the installed dongle hardware protection is displayed before the program starts. This especially applies to changes in the parts database. If you open the parts database with Version 2. However you will still be able to read it with the previous versions. Important points are the directory structure, settings, multiple starts, notes on project and page properties, notes on particular dialog properties, handling of schemes, forms, plot frames, symbol libraries and an overview of my personal shortcut keys.

This basic principle of allowing mistakes is illustrated in the following example. A contactor may have two auxiliary contacts in the schematic, with both of them initially having the same connection point designation. This type of error naturally appears in message management, but only as a message entry. This entry initially has no further consequences. When project editing has progressed far enough, or is finished, EPLAN can perform certain project checks. Erroneous entries such as those described above will be listed in the project, if they do not already exist in message management.

Of course this error must be fixed in order to have a correct practical reference. However, this is not compulsory. EPLAN allows the user to decide whether a project is error free or not and which priority a message error, warning, or note should have. With the Prevent errors check option, the above approach would not be possible. But this is a user-settable setting. The following example clarifies this principle. If I select three texts on a page and start the translation function, then exactly these three texts will be translated.

If I select this page in the page navigator, then the translation function will translate all texts on the entire page based on their settings. EPLAN is an online system. All references and device data are constantly i. The only limitations if you want to call them this relate to connection data. For performance reasons, these are only updated on request via a few specific actions.

EPLAN performs the rest completely independently. A typical example of this is the editing of a page followed by a page change. Here you need to manually start any required updating of the connections. However, this can negatively affect project performance. In my opinion, constant online updating of connections is not really necessary because relevant actions such as graphical project reports or automated procedures such as device numbering automatically update the connections before the actual action is performed.

This is not compulsory, and you have a completely free hand when editing a project. This means that external motor lists or other component lists can be read into the system as device lists, and the project can be started from this end. EPLAN allows the user a free choice here. Data, such as project or master data, can therefore be easily integrated into an existing company data storage structure.

I agree with this recommendation. Any further structuring or organization of the remaining master data is the responsibility of the user. EPLAN users can, of course, change these directory structures to suit their needs. For practical reasons, this should be done after the initial program start and before starting project management for the first time. A useful feature is that separate schemes can be created and configured for different directory settings here.

You can select a different directory here, or use the Create folder button to create a folder at the desired storage location. This means that a project is independent of the general system master data because EPLAN stores all required and used data within the project automatically upon first-time use. This is also true, for example, when the graphics of a company plot frame changes e.

There are four basic setting areas as described below. Storing this variety of project-related data naturally increases the data volume of the project. The following sections provides a brief overview of the settings. Many of these settings are explained in more detail in other chapters where they are actually used and can be more clearly explained.

The settings in the Projects node are available only if at least one project is open in the page navigator. In the project settings you can, for example, define whether the project master data should be automatically synchronized with the system master data when the project is opened. You should always carefully consider the use of this setting, and many other project settings i.

This entry for the global plot frame applies to all pages, even any report pages, if no other plot frame has been assigned via the page properties. After the settings are selected and entered, they are also stored with the current state in the project. There are numerous settings — too many to include in the scope of this book. For this reason, only specific, important project properties are listed and explained. If the parameter is changed, uppercase letters are not automatically converted to lowercase letters or vice versa.

It is only possible to work with either uppercase letters parameter activated or with uppercase and lowercase parameter not activated. This setting can also be used to define the devices that automatically receive a prefix on insertion. All settings are defined via filter schemes. You can use predefined schemes or define your own schemes. PLC numbering can be used to number the following devices among others : Terminals, pins, and general devices.

Offline numbering is used to subsequently give a schematic a different DT layout. For example, the devices were first numbered with the default [identifier counter]. However, the devices must now be numbered according to the scheme [page identifier column].

The default for the scheme is set here. However, this does not have to be used. The scheme for offline numbering can be changed at any later time. Such schemes are applied immediately when you create a schematic or insert symbols, macros or copy operations.

This setting also defines the identifier set used for the project or how identifiers are to be handled when inserting symbols or macros. The Display node also contains the display or format of numbers, time and date. However, this relates only to the display in the various navigators. Devices are not changed.

Note: This setting changes only the representation or display of the project structure or devices in the navigators. The page structure and the device tag structure are not changed. This T-node is also first placed and can then subsequently be changed to point wiring or a different target. This parameter has the effect that the representation remains as target wiring, regardless of how the T-node is internally set.

Internally, this type of junction can also be set for target wiring. It is not possible to change this while placing inserting in the schematic. After the T-node has been placed, the T-node [direction] dialog can be called up by double-clicking and the targets can be changed. This representation is then also shown in the schematic. This setting thus allows a mixed representation of target and point wiring. With these parameters, it is generally possible to switch between the point wiring and target wiring representations.

This means that if all T-nodes junctions were drawn with the point representation, the target wiring parameter allows the representation to be changed to target wiring. If this query parameter is not switched on, the T-node junction is first placed and can be changed later. Aside from the settings for the connection symbols, there are other additional general settings contained in this node. This setting also applies to plug and terminal designations. It is sufficient if the path function text is in the path of the plot frame.

Changing this setting has no effect on existing dimensions, and only affects dimensions that are subsequently inserted. If no changes are made to the device settings, for example to the cross-reference representation, the default settings are taken from these parameters depending on the symbol properties.

You can use predefined schemes or your own scheme. This is also where you will find the settings for importing text file connections and their information, such as source and target DT, conductor color and cross-section.

The Synchronize project master data when opening parameter means that when the project is opened, the project master data, e. The last setting, Synchronize stored parts when opening, means that parts are automatically synchronized with the master data.

Only then is the project master data updated, and only when it is older than the system master data. This script is used as the default setting for the Automated processing function.

Whereas the part selection is independent of the function definitions used in the schematic, device selection occurs based only on the function definitions belonging to the devices. A preselection of how EPLAN should handle the device selection is defined here: For example, are existing function data to be used and if so, which ones, etc.? Project checks are not essential and do not necessarily have to be performed. However, they do uncover possible editing or data entry errors during project editing and list the problem areas in message management.

This setting defines the project checks and the extent of each check for this project. The number of project check messages can also be limited here. This scheme is stored in the project the first time it is used, but is not automatically synchronized with a newer version of this project check. This is important to remember when it is used. Should a project be stored as a PDF upon completion? What combinations of letters and page names are allowed for subpages?

How should paths be numbered: by page, by project or by structure identifier? The most important parameter in these settings is the definition or 2. A separate plot frame can be defined for every page in the page properties independently of the global plot frame setting.

The page settings always have priority over the global project settings. New entries addition of symbol libraries are automatically stored in the project after the setting is saved. The Part reference tab has five freely definable supplementary fields. Freely definable means that users of the User supplementary field 1 property can provide their own name for the project. This name, and not the previous name, is then displayed in the relevant areas.

This helps avoid incorrect entries and tedious extra work to fix values that have been assigned to the wrong properties. You also have to define a source language here. This helps to prevent operating errors, e. This way, translations can no longer be entered by mistake. Properties set to active are translated, and when the check box is deselected, they are not translated.

This allows specific properties to be excluded from translation. However, it generally relates to a page type. If page types are excluded from a translation, then they are not translated during an automatic translation run. CFG in a workstation-specific manner by computer. If you place these settings on a network drive, for example, then you can call up your own EPLAN configuration from any computer in the network. This may be intentional, but it may also be the case that these reports should not be graphically changed by EPLAN, e.

This parameter should then be switched off by deselecting the option check box. This parameter should also be switched off for performance reasons if project editing becomes very slow EPLAN must constantly update the data in the background and then update the report as soon as it is opened — this requires a fast computer.

This also applies to the Update connections when switching pages setting. The Update connections throughout the project manually setting has the following effect: If this setting is active, the connections will be updated throughout the entire project. If the setting is inactive, only the selected connections one or several pages or selected devices, etc. The workspace can be changed at any time during project editing. Workspaces will be handled in more detail later in section 2.

Some of these entries are used for the page or project properties, and others are used for system messages, for example when a conflict with another user occurs during project editing.

These entries are also useful for forms, plot frames, etc. The Reactivate suppressed messages setting is interesting. If this is set, then dialogs whose displays have been deactivated are once more displayed. Apart from this, there is also the Display in title bar setting. Here you can define what information is to appear in the title bar: only the current page, only the project name and the current page, or the project name including project path and the currently open page. I have found the 4; 2; 1; 0.

These entries remain empty until a change of standard has occurred. This area is only filled with data when a change of standard has occurred. Similar to project master data, if no change of standard has been performed then this area is empty. The interface settings are defined in this area.

These settings are adopted as default values if no other settings are used during the direct output. These settings affect a number of different areas, such as functions, pages, and connections. This can also be an external PPC system. The shortcut keys can be individually assigned or deleted here, or the keyboard assignments can be restored to the default settings.

You can also use your own schemes to change all the directories in a single step. The foreign languages available in the database are displayed simultaneously. The parameter also allows default settings for importing new translations and defines the behavior when texts are entered AutoComplete or AutoCorrect. These ten different fonts allow you to later switch from one font to another in the entire project without any problems, provided the affected object uses one of the global fonts.

You can create your own schemes for comparisons. EPLAN can be started as often as desired. One of the practical benefits of EPLAN multiple starts is that you can have parts management and the dictionary open at the same time, allowing you to enter missing entries without having to interrupt your work on open projects.

When you are finished editing, for example in parts management, you of course should and must synchronize this data with the project and decide where these parts are to be stored. This can be done automatically on each subsequent start. Here too, you must carefully consider whether automation at this point is actually useful.

EPLAN lets the user decide. This logical information must be specified for the symbols, forms, or plot frames so that it is visible. This is done by assigning properties. Every property has a property name and an associated property number known as an ID, and possibly also an index that is only valid for this specific property. You can use the property number to gain an approximate idea of the area that the property belongs to project, page, etc.

The property value assigned to each property is unique to the property. EPLAN generally distinguishes between several different types of properties. There are Project properties relevant project information such as the project name; , Page properties properties of a page in the project itself, e.

The Special text — Project properties dialog will open. Here you can select the desired project property and accept it by clicking OK. The project property is loaded into the Property field of the Special text — Project properties dialog.

When you have finished entering data, you confirm by clicking OK. The project property now hangs on the cursor and can be placed. Project properties can be added to the project via the graphical button in the project properties. Now click the button to open the Property selection dialog. Select the Configure command in the popup menu. The Property arrangement dialog opens.

The graphical buttons can be used to arrange the properties as you wish. Page properties can also be used everywhere.

In the Property field, you can use the button to open the Property selection dialog. When you click OK, the selected property is loaded into the Property field of the Special text — Page property dialog. The special text now hangs on the cursor and can be placed as desired. Some symbol properties, such as connection point designations or device tags, can be accessed directly. You click the graphical button on the Property device type tab.

Here you can select the desired property or properties to be used in the symbol properties and confirm by pressing OK. The property has now been added. It is also possible to adjust the sequence in which properties are displayed in a symbol. To do this, you either right click and use the popup menu or click the button. Select the Configure entry in the menu that opens up. Here you can now use the familiar graphical buttons to move or sort the properties.

Forms reports are distinguished by report type. Some properties are shared by all types of forms, but there are also properties that apply only to specific report types. Form properties can only be edited in the form editor. An example of this is the Path areas property and its size. Plot frame properties can only be edited in the plot frame editor. This is not unusual in such an extensive program.

At this point, I would like to draw special attention to a number of dialog elements that occur repeatedly in many dialogs. It is therefore important to know what they mean and how they can be used. Graphical buttons play an important role because they provide easy access to most of the functions and procedures in EPLAN.

This means that they always have the same structure, regardless of whether it is a device dialog for a motor overload switch or a transformer or any other component. Here is a list of the most commonly used buttons and what they mean. The number of buttons can vary here.

Move the selected entries to the start of the list Move the selected entries to the end of the list Swap two selected entries swap positions In contrast to the graphical buttons in the device dialog, multiple entries can be selected here. The functions provided by the other graphical buttons have already been described. Additional buttons in the Filter or Sorting dialogs: Edit entry Copy entry 2. Clicking the button itself displays the same popup menu. It is very useful in dialogs that open files or directories.

Here you can quickly set the default directories, without having to click all the way through to the default directory. The default setting is defined in the symbol structure and cannot be changed here. To change these default settings, you have to edit the symbols.

I recommend that you do not make any changes to the symbol libraries that came with EPLAN since changes may make them incompatible with newer versions of EPLAN symbol libraries, making synchronization impossible. Once they have been changed, they initially appear in the property arrangement with the designation User-defined. This returns all manually changed settings on a symbol back to the default values defined for the symbol.

This user-defined arrangement can also be saved via the button and then called up or set at similar symbols. You can assign a descriptive name to the property arrangement. After you click OK, this property arrangement is saved, entered into the selection field and is then available to all symbol variants. The Use as default option allows EPLAN to immediately the next time you insert the same symbol and automatically use your own property arrangement. Though the dialogs may be somewhat different, the basic principle always remains very similar.

A normal text dialog is used as an example here. To format the text according to your personal wishes, you need to switch to the Format tab. You can freely format the text you just entered. You can edit all selection fields or select default values.

These schemes are then always available for new versions, other projects or other workstations depending on the installation. This way, during an import, only those scheme types that can actually be imported into the current scheme are displayed. System master data is stored in the directories with the associated user directory that were set during installation. In addition to the user-specific system master data, the original EPLAN system master data is also installed in the EPLAN original master data directory depending on the directory selected during the installation.

In case of a new installation or installation of an update, the user-specific system master data is not overwritten or updated. In the following dialog, you can then update your own system master data accordingly. System master data contains data such as symbol libraries with the associated symbols, function definitions, forms and plot frames. Project master data is the other type of master data. Project master data, after initial use, is moved from the system master data and stored in the project; after it is stored it is independent of the system master data.

However, to increase your own working speed, EPLAN is very flexible in allowing functions accessed with the mouse to also be accessed via definable keyboard shortcuts. Normally functions can be assigned to a keyboard shortcut if they are also accessible in the main menus, such as Page, Project etc. This function can be assigned a keyboard shortcut because it is a normal menu command. It is possible, but not recommended.

Here are a number of recommended keyboard shortcuts that have proven useful in practice. Admittedly, many menu items are easier to reach with the mouse than with cryptic key combinations that one usually cannot remember. This makes it possible to always call up your own user interface configuration when you start up EPLAN on the same computer. EPLAN allows you to create separate workspaces for particular areas that contain exactly these desired toolbars, views or dialogs.

A new workspace is created via the button. You should enter a name in the empty Name field and a sensible description for the workspace in the Description field.

EPLAN has a number of different dialog representations in the navigators to ensure information is clearly displayed. Similar to Windows Explorer, all information is displayed in a tree with small symbols.

No changes to the form and content of the tree view are possible. EPLAN provides no options for this here. This is where you can define how devices should be shown in the tree view, for example, by identifier or by the page prefix. This representation type offers many more customization options to suit your working habits.

As with the tree view, EPLAN shows all devices here as well again depending on the navigator that was selected. The cable navigator shows only cables, the terminal navigator shows only devices with the terminal function type, etc. To add more information, you right click to call up the popup menu or press the button and then select Configure columns. You can now select or deselect columns and change their order. Click the OK button to save the settings. You now have a personalized list view.

Here it is possible to preselect, for instance by selecting the Cable node. In the lower area, the preselected parts are shown in a clear list with additional specific information.

Edit in table is usually accessed from the tree view by right clicking to access the popup menu or via the button. Unlike the previous representations tree or list view , only the devices and their functions that were previously selected in the navigator are displayed. All editing functions, such as Copy, Paste and Edit, can be used when editing tables. The only limitations are the naming conventions of the Windows system being used.

When the page and device structures are defined, a project has all the properties it needs, such as the device structure the structure identifier, e. Data added later, such as forms, is also stored in the project.

This ensures that this project can later be edited with exactly the same data used when the project was created, or which was generated at the beginning of project editing, or was later stored in the project. A macro project is used for creating and automatically generating window macros, and for managing macros. Logical functions such as cross-references or connection information are not supported in a macro project nor are they displayed.

If necessary, a schematic project can easily be modified by changing the property from schematic project to macro project. Master data e. And of course the system master data can also be manually synchronized with the project master data. It is also possible to synchronize in the other direction, to synchronize the project master data with the system master data.

This is the case, for example, when connection points are added to existing, placed 3. Explorer by double clicking the Projectname. Another possibility is to drag Projectname. EPLAN then opens the project. EPLAN distinguishes between the project types described in the following section. EPLAN manages different project types as schematic projects. All other types of projects e. A project template contains preconfigured values. Later, when using the template for a new project, the project and page structure can be changed one time.

But project templates can also contain pages. In the Create project template dialog that is displayed, you need to define the storage location and the name of the new project template. It is a good idea to create a project templates directory below the root directory, possibly with separate folders for each customer.

Basic projects are, for example, projects prefilled with appropriate customer values such as a predefined page structure, sample pages, graphical report templates, various master data, and much more. EPLAN then executes a number of functions to create the basic project. Afterward, the Create basic project dialog opens and this is where you define the directory and the project name of the basic project to be created.

Once basic projects or project templates have been created, they cannot be later changed i. However, they can be overwritten with new or modified data. There are two ways of doing this directly from project editing. EPLAN comes with several basic projects and project templates. The third way to create a new project is via the optional project management.

A new project based on an existing basic project or project template can be created here just as fast as via the Project menu. Of course it is also possible to simply copy a project and give it a different name. This can be a project template or a basic project. You simply click the More button.

In this example, the basic project Handbook. You can select the relevant project type in the File type field. EPLAN then returns to the Create project dialog and imports the selected basic project or the template project into the Template field.

The new project is created from the selected basic project. This may take a while depending on the hardware and the storage location server, local. You do not necessarily need to edit these at the moment.

This can be done later during project editing. The project properties can now be adjusted or completely changed on the Properties, Structure etc. There is one limitation: The structure of the pages, located in the Structure tab, can no longer be changed grayed out. It is fixed because the page structure was defined in the basic project. The project can now be edited. This dialog contains several tabs Project, Structure or Numbering and Properties.

You must enter data into at least the Project tab the PPE tab is only visible when you have a license for this. The Extras button allows you to view a summary of the project in the browser.

However, this only functions after the first Project tab has been successfully completed. The Back button returns you to the previous tab. Here too, this only functions when all necessary information has been entered in the Project tab and EPLAN has created the project, or if you can move to the next tab by pressing Next.

Once all necessary entries have been made on the current tab, the Next button becomes enabled and you can switch to the next tab. The Finish button has a special function.

It allows the project creation to be finished without making any further manual entries. The Cancel button is used to stop and exit the New project wizard at any time. Back to the tabs: The Project tab is the main core of the project wizard.

The information required on this tab is mandatory for creating a new project. These tabs can be edited or changed later Exceptions: the Structure tab and the Pages selection field cannot be changed at a later point in time.

Note: The project name is not checked to see if it already exists until a template project template or basic project has been selected and the Next button has been clicked.

The action can then still be cancelled. This can, of course, be changed to any other name. The usual range of templates and basic projects are available for selection. Any storage location can be selected using the button. EPLAN requires no information other than these three entries. In this case clicking F the Finish button , EPLAN would just use the settings on the other tabs for the new project, generate the project, and close the project wizard. You can, but do not have to, fill in the information under Specify creation date and Specify creator.

Note: These fields cannot be changed later on. It is therefore very important to make sure you enter the correct data. The Import project dialog is displayed. The process can be cancelled here if desired. Depending on the amount of data, the import may take a while.

You can still select, for instance, a different template project or storage location by clicking the Back button. On the Structure tab, you define the subsequent page structure and the structure of the individual device groups for the project. Note: Once you have saved the structure set for the pages, it cannot be changed. This applies only to the structure settings of pages.

All other structure settings, such as general devices, can be changed later. Example: The Higher-level function and mounting location scheme was set for interruption points. The Superior option was also set. The possible changes, however, depend on the page scheme set. Certain preconditions exist here for the nesting of devices.

Note: Apart from the page structure, which is the most important property, all other settings can be changed at a later date. It is a good idea to select at least the Higher-level function and mounting location scheme. When such a scheme is set, EPLAN does not necessarily expect a higher-level function or mounting location this is also true for other structure identifiers. Therefore, you can also use this scheme to create schematics with consecutively numbered pages.

If you later discover that one of the two identifiers is to be used after all, the pages can still easily be changed to the desired higher-level function or mounting location structure. The Synchronize master data dialog opens. The standard plot frame can be selected from the system master data pool and is then stored by EPLAN in the project automatically. The path numbering can be globally set as page-based here default value Page-oriented: every page then begins, for example, with path 1 and ends with path 10 , or the path numbering is to function across all pages.

Across pages default value Project-oriented means that the paths are numbered across all pages. For example, path 1 starts on page 1 and path 30 ends on page 3. Note: All these settings can be modified as desired later on in the project settings. On this tab, you can also use in the drop-down field to specify a predefined DT numbering scheme for how new devices are to be numbered online when they are inserted.

Here too you can select existing schemes from the selection list. You can also use the button to select a scheme from the selection list.

They can be applied or changed at this point. You use the New button to create new schemes and later assign them to the project. You should use a unified directory structure to make exported schemes easier to find. All fields on the Numbering tab have now been entered. Clicking the Next button takes you to the Properties tab, which contains general, non-essential descriptive information about the project.

For example, to fill the plot frame with information, such as customer name or the name of the person responsible for the project, from the project properties, this information must be entered in the project properties. This is not essential at this point because this is only descriptive information about the project that can be entered at a later date. When you click the Finish button, the project is generated and can be opened in the page navigator the page overview.

The graphical editor contains all the functions you need to edit a project. To provide a certain level of clarity and make it easy to edit the page properties, EPLAN has a page navigator. The small symbols preceding the names graphically differentiate identifiers and pages. The sorting of the identifiers is defined in structure identifier management, i. EPLAN examines these page types for logical information and evaluates them accordingly cross-references, etc. The Graphical page type or the model view, on the other hand, are purely graphical non-logical pages that initially do not contain logical information.

EPLAN also makes a distinction between pages that can be edited interactive pages and pages that are generated automatic pages. The Panel layout page type is an example of an interactive page and the Terminal diagram page type is an example of a generated automatic page. The exception is that there is no page type in the layout space. The layout space is the basis of the 3D representation of enclosures or other components used for the panel layout; here it only provides a view of the 3D data and its further processing.

You access the popup menu functions via the right mouse button or the page navigator. The procedure is the same when using the popup menu, except that in this case you select the New menu entry. The New page dialog then opens. New page dialog There are now two ways to integrate the new page into an existing page structure.

You can define the full page name in the Full page name field. You can either manually change the existing entry or enter a completely new value with a prefix for the structure identifier.

Alternatively, you can use the button to call up the Full page name dialog. EPLAN opens the Full page name dialog, whereby every identifier has its own input field and own selection button, which can be used to branch to the selection dialog for the selected identifier.

Clicking OK applies the selected identifiers. Note: If an existing identifier cannot be applied, then the new identifier can also be directly entered into the [Identifier type] input field in the Full page name dialog.

EPLAN saves new identifiers in the order defined in the settings. There are no other query dialogs. If all settings and entries have been entered in the New page dialog and any missing structure identifiers have been created, the dialog can be closed. This is nothing new. The Open in new window menu item in the page navigator popup menu is more interesting and useful. This menu item allows you to open several pages or even open the same page several times.

The procedure is simple. In the page navigator, you select the page or pages it is possible to open several pages at once , right click to open the popup menu and select Open in new window. EPLAN then opens all selected pages. With three pages, the sequence starts at page 1 followed by page 2, page 3, back to page 1, etc. EPLAN then closes all selected pages. To create a new page that uses the content of an existing page, you need to copy one or more pages.

EPLAN then draws a thick gray border around the page to show it is selected. Copying pages within a project and across projects Fig. EPLAN always suggests the highest free page name available in this structure.

Once all entries are correct, you click OK to apply the page. After selecting the desired setting, you exit the dialog by clicking OK. EPLAN then copies the source page, generates a new target page, and sorts it into the page structure.

Again the following applies when copying pages: Without asking for confirmation, EPLAN automatically sorts new identifiers into the existing structure alphabetically or at the end, depending on the setting. They can be resorted later in structure identifier management. You can, of course, copy more than one page. After you make all desired entries and confirm any subsequent dialogs, these pages are inserted into the EPLAN project in the selected structure.

These two commands always relate to the selected pages. All page-related commands, i. Since you can open and edit several projects at once in the EPLAN page navigator, it is very useful to have a function that lets you conveniently copy pages from one project to another. As already mentioned, a project does not need to be open in the page navigator in order to copy pages from it. The lower area of the Copy pages dialog shows additional information about the selected page.

A preview for the selected pages can also be activated. The right field in the Copy pages dialog is fixed and always indicates the current project. It cannot be changed. You can use the any other project. Initially, only projects currently open in the page navigator are listed. In this dialog, you can select and open one or more projects to be used in the Project selection dialog. First you select the project s , then click Open to add the selected project s to the Project selection dialog.

Note: Only one project at a time can be added to the selection for the Copy pages dialog. However, EPLAN remembers the projects that were added to the Project selection dialog so that later copying can take place without having to re-select a project. When you need to copy many subpages and convert them to main pages, for example.

Any follow-up dialogs, such as the Insertion mode dialog, must be confirmed as required. This completes the copying of pages from external projects. You can now copy pages from other projects. If this is not required, you can exit the Copy pages dialog with the Close button. EPLAN closes the dialog and all temporarily opened projects and returns to graphical editing of the currently opened project. This page name can include alphanumeric characters. The page name number is renamed using the Rename page menu item.

In the page navigator, you can also simply select the page and press the F2 key. EPLAN then lets you change the page name number without directly opening the page properties of this page. Pressing Enter saves the changed page name number. Renaming the page name number Fig. Sometimes you need to delete them.

You are already familiar with the procedure. The pages to be deleted are selected in the page navigator and then deleted using the Delete function in the page navigator popup menu or by pressing the DEL key. Before the actual deletion, EPLAN displays a Delete pages dialog with a warning message asking if the page s should actually be deleted. Note: I recommend that you read the messages carefully before blindly clicking Yes or Yes to all.

Note: The following is very important and should be noted when deleting pages. It makes a difference how pages are selected in thepage navigator. Only these four pages will be deleted. In Fig. Unintentional deletion of pages is usually noticed immediately, since the page navigator is updated after a deletion and the missing pages, higher-level functions, or locations are or should be immediately obvious.

Note: If the project was closed in the interim, the deleted pages are irretrievably lost! This prevents accidental deletion of entire projects from the page navigator popup menu. It closes open pages. The Close function is accessible in the Page menu and also via the page navigator popup menu. It is possible to select several open pages in the page navigator and close them all at once. The Close function only closes the project page s and not the project, not even if it is selected.

The Full page name can be changed for example, you could change the page number from 2 to 3, which will move the page or modify the Page description. The Properties area displays additional properties, such as page scale Scale or the currently set grid Grid. These properties can all be edited when they are not grayed out.

New properties are added via the button. Here you can select the desired properties multiple selections are possible and apply them in the Page properties display by clicking the OK button. If several pages are selected in the page navigator and the popup menu is then used to call the Properties function, then the properties of all selected pages can be edited in a single step.

Edit the properties of multiple pages Fig. When all entries are complete, you can exit the Page properties dialog by clicking OK. EPLAN saves all entries and then closes the dialog. Double-clicking an empty area will not open the page properties. To do so, you first create a filter scheme and then activate the quick entry column.

You only have to set one, like here in the Page type. You simply activate the required value, here the to-be-filtered page type. Note: The filter function from previous versions prior to the Versions 2. This can still be used to filter search results or to find and filter specific structure identifiers. The main area is the working area for editing the schematic the graphical editor. A number of dialogs can be associated with the main area. These range from the page navigator to user-defined toolbars.

The graphical editor is not restricted to a single representation. The familiar idea of workspaces can be used to rapidly switch the entire EPLAN user interface from one representation to another, including all the associated dialogs, toolbars, etc.

The most important function of the title bar is the display of the currently open project name. This display can be customized by the user. The information logic shows the page type and the scale of this page. The example shows an open logical page at a scale of This does not apply to all functions, but looking at the status bar can be a great help for some EPLAN actions.

The last characters in the status bar have the following meaning: The hash means that the project contains connections that have not been updated. This is easy to remember and the command then only requires a single keystroke. This opens the Synchronize master data dialog. The current system messages can then be read here.

When the System messages dialog is closed, the icon disappears until the next system message occurs. There are different points of view: the graphical system and the logical systems for the areas of electrical engineering, fluid power and process engineering. This means that when the page scale changes, the page is enlarged upwards and to the right.

These positions are always measured from the original element and its origin usually the so-called insertion point in different directions. The grid is visually displayed with small dots. They can all be assigned to a keyboard shortcut as well.

This book will recommend solution approaches and demonstrate solutions that will help simplify your everyday work. It will help you make necessary decisions. I would also like to sincerely thank my family, especially my wife Susanne.

They have always been, and continue to be, very patient with me. I would also like to thank all of the readers who have made this book a success. All feed- back, whether criticism or praise, has always been a strong motivator for me to revise this book. Furthermore, the book assumes that the user has all of the user rights in EPLAN and is logged in as the local administrator. Some of the settings used in this book, such as those for filters or schemes, differ from the standard EPLAN installation.

All of this additional data is available in the sample data. In addition, some custom, non-standard shortcut keys were also used. The following text boxes are used to visually highlight notes, tips, etc. This box provides additional information and tips. By design, EPLAN does not overwrite user-related master data because the user may have modified the original system master data and saved this under the original name assigned by EPLAN.

During installation, EPLAN does not recognize whether this data has been changed on purpose and would therefore simply replace it. Usually the user does not want this to happen. If a license has not yet been installed, a dialog prompting or requesting a selection of the appropriate license is displayed before the program starts. What combinations of letters and page names are allowed for subpages? How should paths be numbered: by page, by project or by struc- ture identifier?

The most important parameter in these settings is the definition or sub- sequent changing of the global plot frame for the project. A separate plot frame can be defined for every page in the page properties independently of the global plot frame setting. The page settings always have priority over the global project settings. New entries addi- tion of symbol libraries are automatically stored in the project after the setting is saved. Settings for displaying translation lan- guages displaying translations in the project are also configured here.

You also have to define a source language here. This helps to prevent operating errors, e. Any storage location can be selected using the button. The usual range of templates and basic projects are available for selection. NOTE: These fields cannot be changed later on. It is therefore very impor- tant to make sure you enter the correct data. After defining the above entries, you need to select a template. This can be a project tem- plate or a basic project.

You simply click the More button. You can select the relevant project type in the File type field. EPLAN then returns to the Create project dialog and imports the selected basic project or the template project into the Template field. The new project is created from the selected basic project. This may take a while depend- ing on the hardware and the storage location server, local.

You do not necessarily need to edit these at the moment. This can be done later during project editing. The project proper- ties can now be adjusted or completely changed on the Properties, Structure etc. There is one limitation: The structure of the pages, located in the Structure tab, can no longer be changed grayed out.

It is fixed because the page structure was defined in the basic project. The project can now be edited. This makes it possible, like with terminals, to use the same designation several times PE rail , and the check run will not find any duplicate connection point designations. Click the Part number field and then use the button that appears to switch to parts man- agement. In parts management, you Fig. Parts management automatically closes after the part is applied.

In contrast to simple part selection, this will offer only devices for selection that fit the exist- ing functions of the symbol in the project.

EPLAN data fields and external data fields are assigned in this scheme. Here, the type of data source, the data source itself and, of course, the import scheme field assignment are configured. It is also possible to select a different function definition instead of the default terminal. Generate functions Just click the button.

However, this is not a precondition. All function definitions can be easily changed later using block editing in the terminal strip navigator.

We return once more to generation of the functions: The functions can only be generated when all entered data is correct EPLAN will enable the OK button.