Project Structure

Project Structure

EPLAN Training

Project Structure

Defining the Project Structure .....................................................................3

Defining a User-defined Project Structure..................................................6

2.1

Define user-defined prefixes and separators ............................................8

Changing the Device Structure Later........................................................10

3.1

Change the device structure from the project properties ........................10

Copying Pages Between Different Project Structures.............................13

Displaying Structure Identifiers in the Navigators...................................18

5.1

Hide / reveal structure identifiers.............................................................19

5.2

Change the ordering ...............................................................................21

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

EPLAN Training

Project Structure

Defining the Project Structure

The project structure is composed of page and device structures. The device
structure itself also consists of further individual structures, for example "general
devices", "terminal strips", "cable", "black box", etc. Each of these structures can be
separately defined.
Page structure and device structure together can only be defined when creating a
project using the project wizard! In addition to this, it is possible to subsequently
change the device structure using the project properties dialog or the project
management dialog.
You define the page and device structures using identifier schemes. The use of the
various identifier blocks is defined in these schemes, which you fill with the
appropriate structure identifiers. EPLAN provides pre-defined identifier schemes. In
addition to this, you can define user-defined identifier schemes for your own project
structures.
Precondition:
You are creating a new project using Project> New (Wizard) and are currently in the
project wizard in the Create project dialog. You have selected a template and have
clicked [Next] until the Structure tab is in the foreground.

EPLAN Training

Project Structure
1. Select one of the available identifier schemes from the Page structure dropdown list, or click [...], in order to specify a user-defined page structure in the
subsequent Page structure dialog.

2. Select one of the available designation schemes from a drop-down list for a
device, for instance for General devices, or click [...] in order to specify a
user-defined device structure in the following dialog, Device structure.

3. If desired, repeat the selection for additional devices.

EPLAN Training

Project Structure
4. If you would like to use sub-identifiers, use [...] and then select a separator in
the subsequent dialog.

5. Use the Superior check box to define whether terminal strips, plugs, cables,
and / or interruption points are to be handled in reports according to the
default identifier scheme or as fully numbered devices.

6. Click [Next] or [Back] to make further settings or click [Finish] to create the
new project with the selected structure.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

EPLAN Training

Project Structure

Defining a User-defined Project Structure

As well as the pre-defined identifier schemes for the project structure, you can also
create user-defined schemes and use them to define your own project structures. As
well as the "functional assignment", "higher-level function", "installation site", "higherlevel function number" and "document type", the user-defined identifier structure also
encompasses a user-defined identifier block for which you can freely define the
prefix. You can only specify a user-defined project structure, which consists of a userdefined page structure and a user-defined device structure, when creating a project
using the wizard. In contrast to this, a user-defined device structure can be
subsequently changed using the project properties dialog or the project management
dialog. The definition of all structures follows the same procedure.
Precondition:
You are in the Structure tab of the Create project (project wizard) dialog.
1. Click [...] next to the page structure field or next to one of the device fields.

2. In the Page structure dialog, or the Device structure dialog, click

(New).

3. In the subsequent New scheme dialog, define a new scheme and click [OK].
EPLAN Training

Project Structure
The dialog is then closed. In the Page structure or Device structure
dialogs, all identifier blocks can now be edited.

4. Use the drop-down list to assign every identifier block one of the three
possible properties "Identifying", "Describing" or "Not available".

EPLAN Training

Project Structure
5. If you wish to use a project structure according to the power station identifier
system (KKS), in the Page structure dialog, use the Document type in the
front check box to set the position of the "Document type" identifier block.

6. Click [OK].
EPLAN saves your settings in the new identifier scheme. The Page
structure or Device structure dialog is then closed.

2.1

Define user-defined prefixes and separators

In a user-defined project structure, you can define selectable and / or user-defined

prefixes and / or separators for identifier blocks. However, this is not possible for all
identifier blocks since some identifiers are pre-defined. The relationships are
described in the following table:
Identifier block
Functional assignment
Higher-level function
Installation site

Prefixes
==
#

Separator for sub-identifiers

.
==

.
==
.
++
++
EPLAN Training

==

Project Structure
Mounting location

.
+

Higher-level function number User-defined

Blank
Document type
&
User-defined
User-defined User-defined
Note:

Prefixes and separators for identifier blocks can only be selected, or user-defined
entered, when the respective identifier block was specified with the "Identifying" or
"Describing" property when the new identifier scheme was created.

Proceed as follows:
Precondition:
You have created a new scheme for the page or device structure. You are in the
Structure tab of the Create project dialog.
1. Click [...] next to the Separator field.
2. In the Extended project structures dialog, select a main separator for the
functional assignment, higher-level function number, document type,
and user-defined identifier blocks, or enter an identifier of you own choice
where this is permitted.
3. Proceed in the same manner for the separator for the sub-identifier.
4. Click [OK].
EPLAN adopts the prefix and separator settings for each identifier block.
Note:
The following prefix and separator characters may not be used for identifier blocks
because they are already used for other purposes:
/ Separator before page name
\ Directory structure
? Placeholder for offline numbering
: Separator for connection point designation.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

EPLAN Training

Project Structure

Changing the Device Structure Later

The project structure is composed of page and device structures. Both structures can
only be changed together using the project wizard when a project is created.
However, EPLAN allows the device structure, which is composed of a multitude of
individual structures, to be changed at any time. The changes can be made in the
project properties dialog or project management dialog. EPLAN then automatically
adjusts all modified individual device structures in the project and, if available, adopts
the settings into the project management.

3.1

Change the device structure from the project

properties

Precondition:
You have selected a project in the tree view of the page navigator.
Popup menu> Project> Properties

EPLAN Training

10

Project Structure
1. In the Project settings: 'project name' dialog, select the Structure tab.

2. Click [Edit].
All fields for the device structure can now be edited. The field for the page
structure remains grayed-out and can't be edited.

3. Select one of the available designation schemes from a drop-down list for a
device, for instance for General devices, or click [...] in order to specify a
user-defined device structure in the following dialog, Device structure.

EPLAN Training

11

Project Structure
4. If desired, repeat the selection for additional devices.

5. If you would like to use sub-identifiers, use [...] and then select a separator in
the subsequent dialog.

6. Use the Superior check box to define whether terminal strips, plugs, cables,
and / or interruption points are to be handled in reports according to the
default identifier scheme or as fully numbered devices.

7. Click [OK].
EPLAN adopts the new device tag structure.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

EPLAN Training

12

Project Structure

Copying Pages Between Different Project

Structures

You can copy pages from one project into another project, even when the two
projects have different page structures.
Precondition:
In the navigator dialog Pages - 'project name' you have selected a page from the
source project.

EPLAN Training

13

Project Structure
1. Select Popup menu > Copy.
The selected page is copied into the Clipboard.

EPLAN Training

14

Project Structure
2. Open the target project.

3. Select Popup menu > Paste.

The Adjust page structure dialog opens. The page names of the source
and target pages and the appropriate identifier structures of both projects are
listed here.

EPLAN Training

15

Project Structure
4. If the target project has an identifier structure with a higher hierarchy structure
than the target project, then you must enter the appropriate structure
identifiers for the missing identifier blocks of the pages to be copied.

5. To number the pages, click [Number].

6. In the Number pages dialog, select the numbering method for the pages to be
inserted and click [OK].

7. If you wish to discard the selected numbering settings and return to the
original settings, select [Reset].

8. Click [OK].

EPLAN Training

16

Project Structure
EPLAN inserts the pages into the target project, with adjusted identifiers
and numbering.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

EPLAN Training

17

Project Structure

Displaying Structure Identifiers in the

Navigators

All structure identifiers used are displayed in the Pages - 'project name' and
Devices - 'project name' navigator dialogs. To simplify the view of the project pages
and the project data, you can hide or reveal all structure identifiers for one or more
identifier blocks. You can also change the order of the structure identifiers.
Preconditions:

You have opened a project.

You have specified the project structure.

Page> Navigator

EPLAN Training

18

Project Structure

5.1

Hide / reveal structure identifiers

1. Decide which structure identifiers in an identifier block are to be displayed and

which not.

2. Select the menu item Options> Settings.

EPLAN Training

19

Project Structure
3. Select Projects> 'project name'> Display> Project structure.

4. To hide the structure identifiers for an identifier block, select the desired
identifier block and deselect the check box in front of it.

5. To reveal the structure identifiers for an identifier block, select the desired
identifier block and select the check box in front of it.

6. Click [OK].

7. Press [F5] to update the view.

EPLAN Training

20

Project Structure

5.2

Change the ordering

1. Decide how the ordering of the structure identifiers of an identifier block is to

be changed.

2. Select the menu item Options> Settings.

3. Select Projects> 'project name'> Display> Project structure.

4. To change the ordering of the identifier blocks, select an identifier block and
click
(Move up) or
(Move down) until the identifier block is at the desired
position.

5. Click [OK].

6. Press [F5] to update the view.

EPLAN Training

21

Project Structure

EPLAN Training

22