To import data from EPLAN Electric P8 into a workspace / workdesk, either an EPLAN Electric P8 project *.elk or an EPLAN Harness proD *.hpdex file can be used. To export the *.hpdex file from EPLAN Electric P8, select the Project data > Connections > Export > Wire harness data menu items. For more information on wire harness data export from EPLAN Electric P8 please consult the help documentation of EPLAN Electric P8.
All objects imported from EPLAN Electric P8 into a workspace / workdesk have the EPLAN export check box activated in the Properties panel.
Prerequisite:
A workspace / workdesk is opened.
Importing EPLAN Electric P8 project directly / using a *.hpdex file
- Select the File > Import from EPLAN menu items.
The Import from EPLAN wizard is opened. - Select the EPLAN project option to directly import data from an EPLAN project, and browse to the *.elk file.
- Activate the Use rapid prototype parts check box to use rapid prototype parts for parts that have no part number in the EPLAN Master Data database.
- Select the type of license to be used when importing data from the EPLAN Electric P8 project by selecting it in the Select license type drop-down list. Depending on the licensed and installed products on your computer, the following licenses may be available:
- EPLAN Electric P8
- EPLAN Pro Panel
- EPLAN Fluid.
- Click [Next].
- Select the appropriate license when the Select license dialog comes up.
- In the Data filter step of the wizard, select the All wire harnesses option to include all wire harnesses, or simply select the desired wire harnesses to be imported individually from the list.
- Activate the Include objects unassigned to any wire harness check box to also import parts which don't have any wire harness assigned.
- Activate / deactivate the Include direct connections check box to include / exclude direct connections; note that direct connections are imported as wires.
- Click [Finish].
EPLAN Data import panel toolbar
- Click the button to either reload or load a new EPLAN Platform project or *.hpdex file.
- Click the button to refresh the Import from EPLAN panel. The refresh action restores the panel to an up-to-date state, e.g. if an object has been deleted from the workspace / workdesk.
- Click the button to disconnect the EPLAN Platform project from the workspace / workdesk or *.hpdex file. When the EPLAN Platform project is imported, a different one cannot be selected in the Import from EPLAN wizard. Clicking this button removes all parts from the EPLAN import panel in the workspace / workdesk, and a different EPLAN project can be selected during import.
- Enter text into the text field and click the button to search for an object.
The result of the search is displayed in both the Connectable objects and the Wires / cables tables.
Actions available for objects in the EPLAN Data import panel
If you right-click on an item in the EPLAN import panel, there are several actions available in the popup menu:
- Exclude / include: A part can be included in / excluded from placement. This action is available if you right-click the part itself. If the part is excluded from placement, it gets grayed out including its sub-items such as the part number and the attached parts . Attached parts can be excluded individually from placement. Excluded parts can be included again by selecting the Include menu item.
- Place: A part is placed via this command.
- Mark for deletion / Unmark for deletion: A part which was not placed yet can be marked for deletion; this activates the Marked for deletion check box in EPLAN Electric P8 when EPLAN Harness proD project data is imported to EPLAN Electric P8. If the part is marked for deletion, all its sub-items get marked for deletion, too. Attached parts can be marked for deletion individually. The Mark for deletion status can be undone by selecting the Unmark for deletion menu item.
- Actions can be carried out for multiple parts at once if the parts are selected with the [Ctrl] or [Shift] key.
States of objects
- Click the button to place the main objects and their associated subobjects (such as attached parts) at once.
- Click the button to place an individual object. Some attached parts can be placed only after their main object has been placed. This button is, e.g., available for cavity seals when a connector is placed. They can, however, only be placed if there are placed wires.
- The icon indicates an individual object such as a connector, a terminal, a wire, etc.
- The icon indicates an attached part (Accessories hierarchy level in the EPLAN Electric P8 parts management). The attached part can only be placed if the main object has already been placed.
- Click the button to replace an object. The button is available if the part number of an existing object does not match with an object synchronized from the EPLAN Electric P8 workspace / workdesk or if it is a rapid prototype object.
- Click the button to reconnect a wire. The button is available if the wires were reconnected to a different pin in the workspace / workdesk. If an object is replaced in the workspace / workdesk, the P8-specific Full DT property is retained.
- Click the button to delete an object. The button is available if a previously placed object was deleted in the EPLAN Electric P8 project / *.hpdex file and the project is reloaded again in the workspace / workdesk. (The icon is an indication that the object should be deleted in EPLAN Harness proD.)
- To exclude objects from placement / to determine objects as "to be placed" if they were previously excluded, right-click the object in the EPLAN import panel and select the Exclude / include popup menu item. Objects can be excluded or included in both the Connectable objects and the Wires / cables tables.
Importing different *.hpdex files
If one *.hpdex file was imported and parts were placed and a *.hpdex file from a different EPLAN Electric P8 project is imported, the [Delete] or [Replace] (if they have the same name) button becomes available in the EPLAN import panel for the parts which are not part of the original EPLAN Electric P8 project / *.hpdex file. Unplaced parts are removed directly from the EPLAN import panel.
Wires / cables table
If the AutoPlace wires check box is activated and suitable connectable objects are placed, the wires and cables are automatically placed. If a cable has a shield, the cable and the shield have to be placed manually (see below).
Placing cables
- To automatically place cables, activate the AutoPlace wires check box and place the source / target connectable objects.
- To place a cable with all its layers (shields, twists), click the button within the cable. This button becomes available once the source / target connectable objects are placed into the workspace / workdesk. If this button is used, the cable wires become automatically connected regardless of whether the AutoPlace wires check box is activated or not. If the cable does not have a shield, it is placed automatically. Cables with a shield have to be placed manually. Once the shield is placed in the workspace / workdesk, the cable wires are automatically placed. The shield does not have to be placed visibly.
- To place an empty cable, click the button within the cable. It does not matter if the source / target connectable objects were placed before placing the cable. If the source / target connectable objects were placed after placing the empty cable, the wires are connected if the AutoPlace wires check box is activated.
Placing rapid prototype parts
- If the object is not a rapid prototype object and is found in the active library, it can be placed. Optionally, a part can be changed to "rapid prototype" by activating the Rapid prototype check box. As a rapid prototype part, the following part types can be placed from the EPLAN import panel: connectors, connectable objects, terminals, cables, wires.
- If the object is a rapid prototype object, rapid prototype object placement is activated.
- If the object is not a rapid prototype object and is not found in the active library, the Part navigator dialog is opened for you to select and place the desired object.
- Connector and cable rapid prototypes can be placed as ribbon connectors and ribbon cables by activating the Ribbon connectable object and Place rapid prototype ribbon cable check boxes in the Rapid prototype command bar.
Note:
Once a cable is placed as a rapid prototype ribbon cable, it will be marked as a ribbon cable in the EPLAN import panel even if it is deleted from the workspace. To change it back to a regular cable reload the project using the button.
See also
EPLAN Harness proD and EPLAN Electric P8 Project Data Exchange Overview