Dialog call:You have opened a project. You have selected the desired elements or pages that are to be saved as a macro.
- Edit > Create window macro / symbol macro
- Page > Page macro > Create
- Project data > Pre-planning > Pre-planning macro > Create
In this dialog you save the previously selected elements or pages as a macro.
Overview of the main dialog elements:
This field shows the directory, including the drive and file path where the macro is to be saved. You can also change this directory setting as required.
Specify the macro file name here or click [...] to select it yourself. When the same macro type is saved again, the name and other settings (Directory, Variant etc.) are preset to the values of the most recently stored macro.
Cannot be selected for page macros and pre-planning macros! The representation type of the macro is used for sorting, i.e., it helps you manage your macros. It has no effect on the functions within the macro, these retain their own respective representation types. This allows all macros belonging to a part to be stored in a single file. Up to 26 representation type variants are possible for a single macro. The representation type is set to default values according to the selected functions or the page type. Select the desired entry from the drop-down list:
- Multi-line: For macros placed on multi-line schematic pages.
- Multi-line Fluid: For macros placed on multi-line Fluid power schematic pages.
- Overview: For macros placed on overview pages.
- Pair cross-reference: For macros used to implement a pair cross-reference.
- Single-line: For macros placed on single-line schematic pages.
- Topology: For macros placed on topology pages.
- P&I diagram: For macros placed on P&I diagram pages.
- Functional: For macros placed in operational sequence sheets.
- Graphic: For macros containing only graphical components. Graphical components are not included in reports, check runs, or the creation of cross-references and are also not acquired as targets.
- Part placement: For macros placed on mounting panels.
- Panel layout: For macros placed on panel layout pages.
- Pre-planning: For macros inserted in the pre-planning navigator.
Note:
If a function has several representation types, whose common properties contain varying data, the representation type will determine which properties will be considered during reporting. EPLAN uses the specified sequence of the representation types for its global editing and reporting.
Cannot be selected for page macros and pre-planning macros! Use the drop-down list to specify the variant designation for the macro to be created. "Variant A" is the default.
Note:
Angle and other macro variants are not created automatically, but must be manually generated by you on the project pages, and then finally stored under the same name with a different variant designation. Up to 26 representation type variants are possible for a single macro. If you have created different variants of a macro, then you can choose between the variants when inserting.
If you select an existing macro variant, then after clicking [OK] you will have to confirm the prompt to overwrite the old macro variant.
Here you enter a recognizable description for the macro file. This text is displayed below the graphical preview in a comments field when inserting the macro.
Popup menu:
The popup menu provides - depending on the field type (date, integer, multilingual, etc.) - the following menu items:
Cannot be activated for page macros and pre-planning macros! If the check box is selected, the macro will optically adjust in a way that the original dimensions will stay unchanged when inserted, but it will be displayed on the page larger or smaller depending on the scale selected.
If the check box is not selected, the macro will be reduced or enlarged according to the specified page scale.
The following graphical elements will be saved as window macro test.ema.
Case 1: When saving test.ema the check box is activated, the page scale of the page the macro has been inserted into is "1:5".
Case 2: When saving test.ema the check box is deactivated, the page scale of the page the macro has been inserted into is "1:5".
For page macros, the number of pages to be stored in the macro is displayed.
If you have only selected one page in the page navigator, or if you have placed the cursor on an open page, the field is enabled. Click the arrows to change the default setting "1". The pages are then written together into the macro, beginning at the selected page and according to the number of pages specified.
Click this button to perform the following actions:
- Define handle: Cannot be activated for page macros and pre-planning macros! The handle is defined as the point where the cursor "sticks" when the macro is inserted. Normally, the macro hangs at the "top, left" on the first insertion point.
Choose this option if you want to position the handle yourself. The Save as dialog is briefly closed. Move the cursor to the desired position and, with a mouse click on the project page, define the position where the handle of the macro is to be located. EPLAN then displays the Save as dialog again and you can complete the macro.
You can reposition the handle as often as you wish. Its position when creating the macro, and later in the macro preview, is indicated by a special graphical symbol. - Assign parts data: Cannot be activated at pre-planning macros! You may assign parts data to the property of an object in the subsequent Parts data assignment dialog.
See also