Getting Started

1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 4

2. Handling Working Sets...................................................................... 4

3. The “Browser”: Project and Page Creation..................................... 5

3.1 The Browser .................................................................................................................. 5

3.2 Creating a New Project................................................................................................. 8

3.3 Modifying Project Properties..................................................................................... 10

3.4 Importing a Project ..................................................................................................... 11

3.5 Modifying Page Properties ........................................................................................ 11

3.6 Creating a Page........................................................................................................... 12

4. Graphical Editor ............................................................................... 14

4.1 Zooming & Panning.................................................................................................... 15

4.2 Placing Symbols ......................................................................................................... 16

4.3 Selecting, Moving and Deleting Objects .................................................................. 19

4.4 Modifying Device Data ............................................................................................... 20

4.5 Auto-Connecting Lines .............................................................................................. 21

5. Creating a Title Block ...................................................................... 23

5.1 Importing a Title Block ............................................................................................... 23

5.2 Modifying a Title Block............................................................................................... 24

5.3 Importing DWG Files as Title Blocks ........................................................................ 26

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6. Creating Symbols............................................................................. 27
6.1 Creating a Symbol Library ......................................................................................... 27

6.2 Copying Symbols ....................................................................................................... 28

6.3 Modifying Symbols..................................................................................................... 29

7. Modifying Forms .............................................................................. 31

7.1 Importing Forms ......................................................................................................... 31

7.2 Modifying Forms......................................................................................................... 32

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1. Introduction

This document is designed to help you getting started in EPLAN 21 and to

become familiar with the basic functions of EPLAN 21. It will give you a basic
understanding of EPLAN 21 and how it works, but it was not designed as a
complete instruction guide. For a complete description of all functions, please
refer to the online help or User Guide. Additionally, it is highly recommended that
you attend an EPLAN 21 training class since it will increase your productivity very
rapidly.

2. Handling Working Sets

EPLAN 21 uses a working set to hold information about projects. A working set
is a database that contains project and master data such as symbols, standard
sheets, forms and macros. It contains or will contain everything you need to
create a project from A to Z.
- To open a working set, pull down the File menu and select Open working set.
Choose the working set suitable to your standard (If a working set is still open,
close it beforehand by selecting Close all working sets).

- To create a new working set, pull down the File menu and select New working
set (If a working set is still open, close it beforehand by selecting Close all
working sets).

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 A working set is empty when it is created. The only symbol file available will be
the "internal" symbol file. There will be no forms, standard sheets or projects in
the working set.
There are two ways to fill the working set with forms, standard sheets, symbol
files and projects. You can create or import the files you need separately. You
can also create a new project based on a template. The system will then
automatically import the forms, standard sheets and symbols associated with the
project or template selected.

3. The “Browser”: Project and Page Creation

3.1 The Browser

To enter the Browser, pull down the File menu and select Browser. The system
will open the Browser.

The following illustration shows what the Browser looks like for a newly created
working set. As stated previously, one way to fill a working set is to create a
project.
The Browser allows you to manage and maintain the information contained
inside the working set.

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NOTE: As a default, EPLAN will start up and open the Browser with the last
edited page opened in the Graphical Editor. In this case, simply close the
Graphical Editor and you will have access to the Browser.

The behavior of the Browser is similar to the Explorer. Press the right
mouse button to open the pop-up menu that shows the editing options for
the highlighted object. Actions like drag & drop and double-clicking allow
for simple and intuitive editing.

You can view the project data either in tree or list view.

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The Preview tab card gives a graphical preview of the highlighted object;
multiple selections are also possible. A double-click on the preview opens the
corresponding Graphical Editor for each object. If, for example, a schematic
page is selected, the Graphical Page Editor is opened. However, if a symbol is
highlighted, the Symbol Editor will be launched.

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3.2 Creating a New Project
Projects are made of schematic pages, information about the components placed
on the schematics and generated documentation. The schematic pages are
drawn using the Graphical Editor. But projects are created and modified in the
Browser.
To create a project, right-click in the free/empty area of the left window, being
careful not to click on the List. The system will open a pop-up menu. Select New
and then Project.

The system will open the Select template dialog. This dialog will point to the
default template directory. You can change the directory to point to anywhere on
the network. Select the template you wish to use, then click on [Open].

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The ANSI templates are for the North American market. They are based on title
blocks using ladders and a JIC compliant symbol library.
After the ANSI you will see the device numbering format used in the template.
F1A is a device named with a prefix (F for fuse, MTR for motor, etc., a counter
and a suffix (i.e. PB1, CR1, CR1FWD, MTR1, etc.)
F303A is a device named with a prefix, a page, a row number and a suffix. (i.e.
CR1204, MTR1206, MS2303FWD, etc.)
The most commonly used template in North America is “ANSI_F303A_TB1.TPL.”
Select it and click on [OPEN].
The system will ask you for the name of the project. Simply type in the name of
your project and click on [OK].

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The system will then import all the required forms, standard sheets (title blocks)
and symbols associated with the template into the working set.

When completed, the system will display a tree of elements in the left-hand
column with the project’s name highlighted. The project’s properties will be
displayed in the right-hand column.

3.3 Modifying Project Properties

In the right part of the Browser, the properties of the highlighted object is
displayed in the Properties tab card and can be edited there. To edit properties,
simply highlight the property you wish to modify and change the value next to the
pull down list.

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3.4 Importing a Project
To import a project, right click in the left window, being careful not to click on the
List. The system will open a pop-up menu. Select Import and then Project.

The system will open the Import dialog. This dialog will point to the default
project directory. You can change the directory to point to anywhere on the
network. Select the project you wish to work with. Then click on [Open].
Any forms, standard sheets, and/or symbols associated with the project and that
are not in the current working set will be imported. The system will then read and
create the project pages based on the imported data.

3.5 Modifying Page Properties

You can also edit page properties such as description or drawing number. By
selecting a page in the Browser, you can access the properties for that page.
Just select a property and modify it.

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3.6 Creating a Page
Pages are also managed and edited in the Browser. You can create, copy or
delete pages.
To create a page, right click in the left window, being careful to click on a page of
the project you want to add pages to. The system will open a pop-up menu.
Select New.

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The system will open the Create page dialog. By default, the system offers a
schematic page type.

Select the Page properties tab and there you can enter information for the page
such as Page description, Page name, etc.

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4. Graphical Editor

The Graphical Editor is used to edit any of the graphical information, whether it is
a schematic, symbol, form or standard sheet. The functions available within the
editor change slightly depending on which type of information is being edited. It
is possible to have multiple copies of the graphical editor activated at one time.
To enter the Graphical Editor, highlight the project you want to edit. Then pull
down the Edit menu of the Browser dialog and select Graphical editor.

The system will open the Graphical Editor with the first page of the project
displayed.

An alternative way to enter the Graphical Editor is to double click on the

page you want to edit.

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4.1 Zooming & Panning
The Graphical Editor supports zoom via mouse wheel:
Scroll upwards Zoom into page (enlarge)
Scroll downwards Zoom out of page (reduce)
Move page downwards (visible screen area is
+ scroll upwards
moved upwards)
Move page upwards (visible screen area is moved
+ scroll downwards
downwards)
Move page to the right (visible screen area is
+ scroll upwards
moved to the left)
Move page to the left (visible screen area is moved
+ scroll downwards
to the right)

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When zooming by means of the mouse wheel, the position of the mouse pointer
is taken into account.
If you keep the middle mouse button pressed down while moving the mouse
pointer, the page contents are shifted (PAN function). When doing this, the page
contents are not updated until you have released the mouse button. Please note
that -- depending on the mouse driver -- various configurations of the middle
mouse button are possible. You may have to change the configuration to be able
to use the PAN function.

4.2 Placing Symbols

You can place a symbol by using the pull down menus or by using the toolbars.
If the connection points of symbols are vertical or horizontal to each other,
EPLAN 21 automatically creates connecting lines.
Placing Symbols Using the Menus
To place a component, pull down the Insert menu and select Symbols. This will
open the Symbol selection dialog.

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Click on the symbol you wish to place and then click on [Apply].

Alternatively, you can insert the symbol from within the preview via click
& drop.

The system will attach the symbol to your cursor.

To select symbol orientation, hold down the key and move the mouse
around the symbol in a circular motion. This will rotate the symbol through the
defined variants. When the symbol is oriented and positioned where you want it,
release the key, position the mouse over the position you want and click to
place it on the page.
A dialog box is displayed for specific component types (i.e. terminals, coils, etc.)
allowing you to create new components or use existing ones. Select the Create
new device option and confirm by clicking [OK].

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 You can modify any of the attributes in the dialog such as “DT prefix,”
”Counter,” etc. in the pull down list.

Placing Symbols Using the Toolbars

The right-hand toolbar in the project Graphical Editor can be used to select
symbols. If the button has a small red arrow pointing to the right, the button will
bring up another toolbar.
Clicking on the button will attach the symbol to your cursor and you can then
place it on the page.

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A dialog box is displayed for specific component types (i.e. terminals, coils, etc.)
allowing you to create new components or use existing ones. Select the Create
new device option and confirm by clicking [OK].

Using a 0.5” or 0.25” grid will make the symbol placement and auto-
connecting a lot easier.

4.3 Selecting, Moving and Deleting Objects

Graphical objects are edited in the Graphical Editor. Functions such as editing
are activated by double-clicking on the symbol; further Windows-file commands
like "cut & paste" or "drag & drop" can also be carried out using the standard
Windows shortcuts + X to cut, + C to copy and + V to paste.
Selecting Objects
Click on an object to select it. To select several objects, keep the key
pressed down while selecting the individual objects. You can also select objects
by dragging a window around them. From left to right you need to select the

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whole object and from right to left you just need to cross the object for the
selection to happen.
Moving Objects
To move an object, select it and use the mouse to drag it to the desired position.
Deleting Objects
To delete an object, highlight it, pull down the Edit menu and select Delete.
When deleting components you have two possibilities:
By default, the component is completely removed from the project, i.e. both the
graphics and the data assigned to the component are deleted.
However, there is the option to protect components against changes by marking
them as "defined." If this is the case, only the graphical representation is
deleted, not the component.

4.4 Modifying Device Data

The device data dialog is used to enter all the information about a component.
Usually the dialog will have tabs for device information, properties, display,
symbol data, and parts. Occasionally tabs will be added or removed depending
on the device’s functionality.
To enter the device data dialog select the component you wish to edit. Pull down
the Project data menu and select Device data.
Alternatively, you can double click on the symbol you wish to edit.

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4.5 Auto-Connecting Lines
In EPLAN 21, the system will automatically connect two symbols that are lined
up, either horizontally or vertically, through the connection points of those
symbols. To redirect the line the user needs to use connecting symbols.

These connectors are used to redirect the auto-connecting lines. By pressing

and holding the CTRL key before placing the symbol, the system will rotate or

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change the style of the symbol. Once the user has found the right orientation, he
can release the CTRL and use the mouse to locate and drop the symbol at the
right position.

All the red circles are the corners or T-connectors used.

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5. Creating a Title Block
5.1 Importing a Title Block
In the Browser you can open the folder called “Standard Sheets.” There, you will
find the title blocks with the sheet borders currently used in your project.

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You can select an existing title block, copy it and rename it to a name such as
“Company_OriginalName.” This way you will know what title block was used as
the original model. For a two-ladder, the best title block available is the
“ANSID201_REV,” for a single ladder you should use the “ANSID101.” These
are both D size plot frames that printout proportionally on an 11” x 17” page using
the current symbol library.

You can import additional sheet borders with title blocks using the right-click of
the mouse and selecting Import.
Import all the title blocks and navigate through them to find the closest one for
you.

5.2 Modifying a Title Block

Once you copied and renamed the title block, you can double click on it and
access the Graphical Editor to modify it.

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There are two areas you can modify in a title block.
- Graphical Elements
- EPLAN 21 Properties
To modify the graphical elements, you can use the toolbars to access graphical
elements and place them in the title block. You can also select any existing
graphical element and modify it. You can also delete the existing EPLAN 21 logo
and replace with your own by inserting a bitmap or another picture file.

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By selecting the menu Insert and Special texts, you can choose which attribute
you wish to display in the title block and where you want to display it. You can
choose between project attributes and page attributes. These will then be filled
automatically when the title block is used in a project.

5.3 Importing DWG Files as Title Blocks

You can import a DWG file and use it as a base for your title block. Simply
import a standard sheet from the Browser. Right click on a standard sheet in the
Browser and select the DXF or DWG extension, not a PLT file. EPLAN will then
create a title block with that DXF or DWG.
Now, instead of trying to modify the imported DXF or DWG title block, simply
copy all the required graphical elements and paste them into an existing standard
sheet that you previously copied and renamed
“Company_OriginalTitleBlockname.”
If it is too small just scale it up or down to fit into the same title block. To scale
the plot frame, simply select all the graphical elements and right-click on the
mouse and select Scale. Then you can enter a scale factor. After that, proceed
the same way as described in section 5.2.

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6. Creating Symbols
Before you start creating a symbol, make sure it really needs to be a
symbol. In most of the cases you can create a macro and keep the
existing libraries untouched. Macros can easily be created using black
boxes and graphical elements to define them. These can be directly
generated out of the Graphical Editor while creating your schematics.

6.1 Creating a Symbol Library

To modify a symbol, first you will need a new symbol library. To create a new
symbol library you simply right-click on the Symbol file and select New.

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Then you select a template for your symbol library. Select the
“SYMFILE_EN.SYM” as the template.

Then enter a name for the symbol library such as “COMPANYNAME_ELEC.”

This way you will know it was made specifically for your company.

6.2 Copying Symbols

Now you are ready to copy existing symbols from different libraries. Select the
closest symbol in any existing library, simply copy it and then paste it in your new
library. After that you are ready to start modifying the symbols.

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6.3 Modifying Symbols
Double-click on the symbol you want to modify and you will access the Symbol
Editor. There are three areas to be taken care of when modifying a symbol.

- Graphical Elements
- EPLAN 21 Attributes
- Connection Points
The graphical elements can be copied over from any existing AutoCAD drawing
that you first import into EPLAN 21. You can also use the EPLAN 21 graphical
elements to design your own. You will find these elements on the toolbars
around the Graphical Editor.

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The EPLAN 21 attributes are the attributes that get filled in when you drop a
symbol on a schematic page. In the Symbol Editor these will act as placeholders
for device or component information.
To add additional placeholders, just copy any existing one and paste it around
the symbol. Then double-click on it and select the attribute you want to display
from the pull-down list.

If you see numbers instead of names for the properties around the
symbol, simply go to the menu View and uncheck the option “Display
properties as numbers.”

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 Placing these attributes around the symbol will define their position around the
symbol when you place that symbol in the schematics.
The connection points are what generate the auto-connecting lines in the
schematics. To modify the connection points, you first need to “lock” the symbol
for editing. This is done in the Browser by setting a symbol setting property to
“Yes.” The property in question is the “Symbol locked” property that is found in
the symbol settings.

You can then add, remove or rotate the connection points if required.

Make sure you “LOCK” your symbol for editing, and then “UNLOCK” the
symbol if you wish to place it in the schematics. Otherwise EPLAN 21
will not let you place the symbol.

7. Modifying Forms
7.1 Importing Forms
First import all the existing EPLAN 21 forms. You can do this by right-clicking on
the Forms folder in the Tree view.

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Once you imported all the forms, look at the one closest to what you would like to
create, copy it and paste it in the same folder. Rename using the same
convention of “CompanyName_ExistingFormName.” This will make it easier to
trace the original form used as a base.

7.2 Modifying Forms

Once you copied your form, double click on it and you are ready to modify it.

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There are two areas in the Form Editor:
- Graphical Elements
- EPLAN 21 Attributes
The graphical elements in the Graphical Editor are easily modified by dragging,
extending and modifying the attributes of the existing graphical element. You
can also use the graphical elements found on the toolbar to add graphics,
pictures or text to your form.
In addition, you will find numbers. These are the placeholders for information to
be generated in the form. Each number is an EPLAN 21 attribute that will display
the information contained in the project.
To insert these attributes you must go to the menu Insert and select the type of
attribute you wish to insert.

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Depending on what type of form you are trying to create or modify, you will have
access to different types of placeholders. For wire list you will see all the wire
attributes, for parts lists you will see all the parts attributes, etc.
Finally, you want to define form properties that will define how many rows and
columns you will have in your form. This is done in the Browser by clicking on
your form and then you can modify the attributes for the row height, column
width, number of columns and number of rows. This will define how many times
the placeholder information is going to be generated in each form.

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EPLAN Software & Services LLC
100 Galleria Officentre, Suite 428
Southfield, MI 48034 USA

Phone: 248-945-9204
Fax: 248-945-9210

Email: support@eplan.us
Web: www.eplan.us

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