Content

2.6.7 Buttons (small black triangles) ............ 50

Preface and Thanks................................................... 1
2.6.8 Filter Dialogs .......................................... 51
Important Notes.......................................................2
2.6.9 Popup Menu Functions......................... 51
1 Installing EPLAN Electric P8 ................... 3 2.7 Master Data ............................................ 52
1.1 Hardware....................................................3 2.8 Operation ................................................ 53
1.2 The Installation .........................................3 2.8.1 Using the keyboard ............................... 53
1.3 Important note for Version 1.8.x users10 2.8.2 Using the mouse .................................... 54
2.9 The User Interface - More Useful
2 System knowledge – and more ............ 11 Information ............................................ 54
2.1 Five basic principles in EPLAN Electric 2.9.1 Working with Workspaces ................... 55
P8............................................................. 11 2.9.2 Dialog Display........................................ 56
2.2 Directory structure, storage locations. 12
2.3 Settings – General ................................. 15 3 Projects and Managing Projects ...........61
2.3.1 Settings – Project................................... 16 3.1 Project Types .......................................... 62
2.3.2 Settings – User ....................................... 28 3.1.1 Project types in EPLAN......................... 63
2.3.3 Settings – Workstation ......................... 36 3.1.2 Project templates and basic projects... 64

2.3.4 Settings – Company .............................. 37 3.2 Creating a New Project ......................... 66

2.4 EPLAN and Multiple Starts .................. 39 3.2.1 A new project (from a basic project) .. 67

2.5 Properties................................................ 39 3.2.2 A new project (with project wizard) ... 69

2.5.1 Project properties................................... 40 3.3 The Project Management...................... 76

2.5.2 Page Properties ...................................... 42 3.3.1 All Your Projects under Control.......... 76

2.5.3 Symbol properties.................................. 43 3.3.2 Buttons in the Project Management ... 79

2.5.4 Plot Frame Properties............................ 45 3.3.3 Filters in the Project Management ...... 83

2.5.5 Plot frame properties............................. 45 3.3.4 Creating a Project (Project Management)

2.6 Icons, Popup Menus in Dialogs ........... 45
2.6.1 Icons in Device Dialogs ........................ 46
2.6.2 Icons in Dialogs (Configuring)............. 47
2.6.3 Icons in Dialogs such as Filter Schemes
................................................................. 47
2.6.4 The Small Blue Triangle ....................... 48
2.6.5 Property Arrangements (Symbols) ...... 48
2.6.6 Formatting Properties ........................... 49
................................................................. 84
3.3.5 Copying a Project (Project Management)
................................................................. 85
3.3.6 Copying Projects (Explorer) ................. 87
4 The Graphical Editor................................89
4.1 Pages under Control in the Page
Navigator ................................................ 89
4.1.1 Page types............................................... 89

V
Content

4.1.2 The page navigator................................ 90 4.10 The EPLAN Data Portal....................... 142
4.2 General Functions ............................... 102 4.10.1 What is the EPLAN Data Portal?....... 142
4.2.1 The menus in EPLAN .......................... 103 4.10.2 The installation .................................... 143
4.2.2 The status bar....................................... 103 4.10.3 Before the first start ............................ 145
4.3 Grid and Increments............................ 104 4.10.4 Menu items of the EPLAN Data Portal
4.3.1 Graphical coordinate system.............. 105 ............................................................... 146
4.3.2 Logical coordinate system.................. 106 4.10.5 How the Portal works ......................... 147
4.4 Grid........................................................ 106 4.11 Macros................................................... 150
4.5 Increments, Coordinate Input ............ 108 4.11.1 Types of macros................................... 150
4.5.1 Increment.............................................. 108 4.11.2 Macros with value sets ....................... 156
4.5.2 Coordinate input.................................. 109 4.12 Project Options..................................... 160
4.5.3 Relative coordinate input ................... 109 4.12.1 What are project options? .................. 160
4.5.4 Moving the base point ........................ 110 4.12.2 Terms used in the Options module area
............................................................... 160
4.6 Graphical Editing Functions .............. 111
4.6.1 Lines, circles, rectangles, and more .. 111 5 Navigators – Project Data Overviews165
4.6.2 Grouping and ungrouping ................. 113 5.1 Navigator Fundamentals .................... 165
4.6.3 Copying, deleting, selecting ............... 115 5.2 Project data – Devices......................... 171
4.6.4 Dimensioning and the object snap 5.2.1 Devices – Exchange ............................ 172
function................................................. 116
5.2.2 Devices – Assigning Main Function . 173
4.7 Texts ...................................................... 118
5.2.3 Devices – Cross-referencing DTs ....... 175
4.7.1 Normal (free) texts............................... 119
5.2.4 Devices – Synchronize function texts176
4.7.2 Path function texts.............................. 119
5.2.5 Devices – Interconnect devices.......... 177
4.7.3 Special texts ......................................... 120
5.2.6 Devices – Number (offline)................. 180
4.7.4 The Properties – Text dialog .............. 121
5.2.7 Device navigator – New ..................... 182
4.8 Symbols ................................................ 127
5.2.8 Device navigator – New device ......... 183
4.8.1 Inserting and editing symbols ........... 128
5.2.9 Device navigator – Place.................... 184
4.8.2 Properties (components) dialog –
5.2.10 Device navigator – Rename ............... 184
[Device] tab .......................................... 129
5.3 Project data – Terminal strips and
4.8.3 The Display tab .................................... 131
terminals ............................................... 185
4.8.4 The Symbol / Function data tab........ 134
5.3.1 Terminal strips – Edit.......................... 185
4.8.5 The Parts tab ........................................ 136
5.3.2 Terminal strips – Correct .................... 187
4.9 Cross-references................................... 137
5.3.3 Terminal strips – Number terminals . 189
4.9.1 Motor overload switch contact image
5.3.4 Terminal strip navigator – New......... 190
example................................................. 137
4.9.2 Coil contact image example............... 141

VI

5.3.5 Terminal strip navigator – New
functions............................................... 190
5.3.6 Terminal strip navigator – Generate
terminal strip definition ..................... 192
5.3.7 Terminal strip navigator – Generate
terminal strip definition ..................... 192
5.3.8 Terminal strip navigator – Place ....... 192
5.3.9 Terminal strip navigator – Edit ......... 194
5.3.10 Terminal strip navigator –Number
terminals ............................................... 194
5.4 Project data – Plugs, sockets and more
............................................................... 195
5.4.1 Plugs – Edit .......................................... 195
5.4.2 Plugs – Correct..................................... 196
5.4.3 Plugs – Number pins........................... 196
5.4.4 Plug navigator – New ......................... 197
5.4.5 Plug navigator – New functions........ 197
5.4.6 Plug navigator – Generate plug
definition .............................................. 198
5.4.7 Plug navigator – Generate pin .......... 198
5.4.8 Plug navigator – Place........................ 199
5.5 Project data – PLC ............................... 199
5.5.1 PLC – Writing back connection point
descriptions .......................................... 201
5.5.2 PLC – Set data types ........................... 202
5.5.3 PLC – Address / Assignment lists...... 203
5.5.4 PLC – Address ...................................... 206
5.5.5 PLC – Use existing addresses blockwise
............................................................... 207
5.5.6 PLC – Use connection points blockwise
............................................................... 209
5.5.7 PLC navigator – New .......................... 210
5.5.8 PLC navigator – New functions......... 211
5.5.9 PLC navigator – New device .............. 212
5.5.10 PLC navigator – View ......................... 213
5.6 Project data – Cables and Conductors213
Content
5.6.1 Cable – Edit .......................................... 214
5.6.2 Cable – Number ................................... 215
5.6.3 Cables – Automatically generate cables
............................................................... 217
5.6.4 Cables – Automatic cable selection .. 219
5.6.5 Cables – Delete automatically generated
cables ..................................................... 220
5.6.6 Cables – Automatic -> Manual............ 221
5.6.7 Cables – Assign conductors – Keep
existing properties ................................ 222
5.6.8 Cable navigator – New ......................... 223
5.6.9 Cable navigator – Place........................ 223
5.6.10 Cable navigator – Number cable DT.... 224
5.6.11 Cable navigator – Number DT ............. 224
5.7 The Assign Function in Different
Navigators ............................................. 225
6 Graphical and External Reports......... 227
6.1 What Are Reports? .............................. 228
6.2 Report Types......................................... 228
6.3 Types of Graphical Reports ................ 228
6.3.1 Report types (forms) ............................ 228
6.4 Settings (Output Options) ................... 240
6.4.1 Project setting Output to pages ......... 240
6.4.2 Project setting Display / Output ........ 245
6.4.3 Project setting Parts ............................ 247
6.5 Generating Reports.............................. 247
6.5.1 The Reports dialog............................... 248
6.5.2 Generate reports without templates .. 249
6.5.3 Popup menus in the Reports tab ....... 253
6.5.4 Generate reports with templates........ 254
6.6 Other Functions ................................... 258
6.6.1 Generate project reports ..................... 259
6.6.2 Update ................................................... 259
6.6.3 Settings for automatic updates.......... 259
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Content
6.7 Labeling ................................................ 260
6.7.1 Settings ................................................. 260
6.8 Externally Editing Properties ............. 267
6.8.1 Export data........................................... 268
6.8.2 Import.................................................... 273
7 Management Tasks in EPLAN ..............275
7.1 The Structure Identifier Management275
7.1.1 Tabs in the structure identifier
management......................................... 276
7.1.2 The graphical buttons ......................... 279
7.1.3 Sort menu ............................................. 281
7.1.4 Extras menu ......................................... 282
7.2 The Message Management ................. 284
7.2.1 The visual appearance of the message
management......................................... 285
7.2.2 Project checks ...................................... 286
7.2.3 Message classes and message categories
............................................................... 286
7.2.4 Filters in the message management.. 290
7.2.5 Various ways of editing messages .... 291
7.3 Layer Management.............................. 292
7.3.1 Standard layers .................................... 292
7.3.2 Export and import layers.................... 293
7.3.3 Create and delete your own layers.... 294
7.3.4 Uses of layers ....................................... 296
7.4 Parts Management............................... 300
7.4.1 Structure of the parts management .. 302
7.4.2 Tabs in the parts management .......... 303
7.4.3 Create a part ......................................... 307
8 DXF, DWG, PDF, Images – Exporting,
Importing, Printing ...............................311
8.1 Exporting and Importing DXF / DWG
Files ....................................................... 311
8.1.1 Exporting DXF and DWG files .......... 311
VIII
8.1.2 Importing DXF and DWG Files ......... 314
8.2 Image Files ........................................... 316
8.2.1 Exporting image files.......................... 316
8.2.2 Inserting image files (Importing)....... 319
8.3 PDF Files............................................... 321
8.3.1 Exporting PDF files ............................. 322
8.3.2 Inserting PDF files (importing) .......... 323
8.4 General Printing .................................. 327
8.4.1 The print dialog and its options ........ 327
8.5 Exporting and Importing Project Data
............................................................... 330
8.5.1 Exporting project data ........................ 330
8.5.2 Importing project data ........................ 330
8.6 Special Function Print attached
documents ............................................ 331
8.7 Special Function Import PDF comments
............................................................... 332
8.7.1 Importing commented PDF documents
............................................................... 332
8.7.2 Deleting PDF comments ..................... 334
9 Backing up, Restoring, and Mailing Data
................................................................... 335
9.1 Zipping and Unzipping Projects........ 335
9.2 Backing up and Restoring Projects ... 337
9.2.1 Backing up Projects............................. 338
9.2.2 Restoring Projects................................ 343
9.3 Other Important Settings .................... 344
9.3.1 Default Settings for Data Backups (User)
............................................................... 344
9.3.2 Compressing Project (remove
unnecessary data) ................................ 345
9.3.3 Automated Processing – Compressing
and Backing Up a Project................... 347
9.4 Backing Up and Restoring Master Data
............................................................... 350
 Content

9.4.1 Backing up Master Data ..................... 351

9.4.2 Restoring Master Data......................... 354
9.4.3 User Settings for Master Data............ 355
9.5 Sending by E-mail............................... 356
9.6 Data Backup with a Script.................. 357

10 Master Data Editors ..............................359

10.1 Preparatory Measures.......................... 360
10.2 Form Overview Project ....................... 360
10.3 Forms..................................................... 362
10.3.1 Creating a new form (from a copy)... 363
10.3.2 Editing an existing form .................... 368
10.3.3 Creating a new form ........................... 369
10.4 Plot frames ........................................... 370
10.4.1 Creating a new plot frame (from a copy)
............................................................... 370
10.4.2 Editing an existing plot frame........... 372
10.4.3 Creating a new plot frame.................. 373

11 Importing Old EPLAN Data ...........................375

11.1 Importing EPLAN 21 Data.................. 375
11.1.1 Symbol libraries................................... 377
11.1.2 Plot frames ........................................... 378
11.1.3 Forms..................................................... 379
11.1.4 Parts data / plug data ......................... 380
11.1.5 Dictionaries .......................................... 381
11.1.6 Macros................................................... 382
11.1.7 Projects (complete) .............................. 384

Index ...................................................................387

IX