Comments Navigator Available Again and Extended

In the new version of the EPLAN platform you now have the possibility again to import comments that were inserted into PDF files, for example by means of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. In addition you can also insert comments yourself in an EPLAN project.

The imported and inserted comments are visible for all users working on the project. Comments can either be exchanged directly in EPLAN or via a PDF file between a project editor and a project redliner.

A comments navigator is now also available again for the management of these comments.

Benefit:

The documentation and the traceability of decisions and modifications in the project are improved through the integration of comments into an EPLAN project. You can use comments to record and track important information and discussions.

You can also use comments to identify errors, discuss solutions, or make suggestions for improvements. The integration of comments can facilitate collaboration in the team. Use the insertion and editing of comments to exchange your knowledge and ideas and thus improve the collaboration in the team.

Extension in the ribbon

The two new commands Navigator and Import are now available for the management of comments in the ribbon in the Tools tab in the new command group Comments.

Alternatively you can also show or hide the comments navigator in the View tab in the command group Navigators by means of the drop-down button Open. In addition, the import of comments in the Backstage view Import for project data is possible by using the PDF comments button.

All comments that exist in the opened project are displayed in the comments navigator. In the tree view of the navigator, the comments within the project structure are arranged below the respective project pages to which they refer. The replies contained in the comments (icon ) are displayed below the comments identified by the icon .

Showing and hiding comments

The comments inserted in EPLAN and the imported PDF comments are displayed by default on the "EPLAN519, Graphic.Comments" layer. You can, for example, use the layer management to specify whether this layer and thus the comments are to be displayed and/or printed.

Editing comments

Comments can now be deleted in the comments navigator and in the graphical editor. To this purpose the popup menu item Delete is now available in the popup menu of the navigator and of the graphical editor.

In the property dialog of the comments you can now not only change the status in the Comment tab but also edit the comment text and the reply texts.

The replies are displayed in a table with the three columns Reply text, Author and Date and time. If the comment text or the reply texts are modified, the author and the modification date are also adapted.

In contrast to the old comments, a multilingual input is now also possible for the comment text and the reply texts, and these texts can be translated.

The entries in the Status field have been extended to include the status "In progress" and the status "Finished" has been renamed to "Completed".

The status can be displayed as an additional column in the list of the comments navigator and/or used as a filter criterion for the filter of the comments navigator.

Inserting comments as text

In addition you can now also insert comments in EPLAN itself. Comments are inserted into a project page via the following command path: Tab Insert > Command group Text > Comment.

Inserting comments as rectangles or polygons

Like the comments in a PDF file, you can also insert the comments in an EPLAN project with a special graphic. The insertion of comments as rectangles or as polygons is now possible (Tab Insert > Command group Text > Drop-down button Comment > Rectangle or Polygon). After inserting the graphic, the property dialog for the comments is opened to enter a comment text.

Formatting comments

The familiar Format tab is now available in the property dialog of a comment in order to format a comment text or the associated graphic of a comment. The hierarchy levels and display properties displayed here depends on the respective comment.

New line type for the cloud-shaped representation

To improve the import of PDF comments and to allow comments in the form of a "cloud", a new line type has been added for the cloud-shaped representation of rectangles and polygons.

This cloud-shaped line type is available in the property dialog of the comments on the Format tab for the display property Line type in the drop-down list below the existing line types (number "56"). Such a display is also possible for other graphics with line segments.

Editing history of comments

You can view the editing history of a comment in the new History tab. Every change of the properties of a comment and the associated replies are recorded (Author, Comment text, Status, Reply text, Date and time). For better transparency, modifications with the same modification date are placed below each other.

Unplaced comments

In the comments navigator you can use the popup menu item New to create an unplaced textual comment. After the selection of the popup menu item the property dialog of the comments is opened for the entry of the comment text.

Unplaced comments are sorted into the tree view of the navigator below the "Unplaced" hierarchy level. You can place an unplaced comment on a project page using Drag & Drop.

You can use the command Delete placement to remove the display of a textual comment on the project page again. The comment is then retained as an unplaced comment. The placement cannot be deleted for comments with graphic (rectangle, polygon).

Restored compression setting

A compression setting for comments is now also available again in the dialog Settings: Compression. The Remove comments setting is located below the hierarchy level Comments. If this setting is activated, all comments (placed and unplaced) are removed from the project.

Note:

In EPLAN Electric P8 Compact, only importing comments and displaying them in the comments navigator is included in the functionality. For the new functionalities (insertion of new comments in the graphical editor, editing of comments in the property dialog, etc.) you require the Elements "Collaboration".