Devices can be electrical engineering devices, fluid power or also mechanical devices. Devices are placed on mounting rails, mounting panels or on the mounting surfaces of enclosure profiles in the 3D mounting layout. You can also place mounting panels, mounting rails, cable ducts and other mechanical components as devices.
Note:
Devices with miscellaneous mounting variants must have a suitable drilling pattern defined for each variant. (Manufacturing tab of the part). When placing such a part, a dialog is displayed in which you can select the drilling pattern to be used. If the Select drilling pattern selection dialog is no longer to be displayed, you can deactivate it using the Do not show this dialog again check box. In this case, the first drilling pattern entered at the part will always be used.
The drilling pattern selected during placement is entered in the properties of the part placement on the Parts tab in the Part reference data category in the Used drilling pattern field. The drilling pattern can be subsequently modified here. For this, all drilling patterns assigned to the part are offered for selection in a drop-down list.
Preconditions:
- You have opened a project.
- The layout space navigator is open and a layout space is open.
- Select the menu item Insert > Device.
- In the Part selection dialog, navigate through the tree structure, and select the desired device part.
- Click [OK].
The device hangs on the cursor as a transparent preview. If the device is defined with the height, width and depth part properties, it is displayed with the dimensions specified in the part. If a 3D macro is defined in the device, this is displayed on the cursor. The currently selected handle is displayed in red, and is also identified by a red square as a snap point. If the device has no defined part properties Height, Width, and Depth and also no assigned 3D macro, the Dimensions dialog is displayed in which you can manually enter the values for Height, Width, and Depth. After input, the device is displayed with the determined dimensions. - Press [A] to change the handle. Each time [A] is actuated, the handle changes from left to right, or to the next of the 9 possible points on the base.
- Select the Placement options popup menu item to call up the Placement options dialog. Here you can choose the handle and enter an offset.
- Click to place the device.
Tip:
When a device is placed, it is possible that mounting points, base points, the mounting grid and a mounting surface can lie at the same position over each other and that they can be used with equal rights for placement. In such a situation the found interactive points and surfaces are offered for selection in a selection list after being clicked. You can select the individual entries in the list by clicking on them or by using the cursor keys. The respective associated point or associated area is highlighted and a preview of the placement to be expected at this point is displayed.
Notes:
- If an enclosure base is to be placed from the Accessory placement dialog that is defined in parts management by means of the properties Width, Height, and Depth, the values of the Depth and Height properties of the part must be replaced, so that the accessory part is placed in the correct position.
- As well as the part properties Width, Height, and Depth, EPLAN Pro Panel also provides the option of displaying devices and items using qualified 3D graphical macros.
In order to create own devices, items and 3D graphics macros, 3D model data in STEP format can be imported into EPLAN Pro Panel. This data, normally provided by component manufacturers, is usually based on the component manufacturer's CAD design data, and is often complex and detailed.
Using complex, detailed 3D models as the basis for EPLAN 3D graphical macros is correspondingly RAM-intensive and can have a negative impact on the program's performance when editing projects in EPLAN.
To obtain further information about this topic as well recommendations please contact the EPLAN Support.
See also