Under schematic macros we understand 2D macros which can be placed as window and/or symbol macros for the configuration of schematics, for example on schematic pages.
You now no longer require multiple parts with different schematic macros in EPLAN so that you can consider different standards and company standards during this configuration. Instead you can store multiple specific schematic macros for standards and/or company standards in the parts management at a part.
New properties in the parts management for schematic macros
The parts management has been extended so that you can store multiple schematic macros for different official standards and also for customer-specific company standards (BMW, ABB, etc.) at a part. The following new properties are available in the Properties tab in the hierarchy level Data:
- Schematic macro: GB/CCC (ID 22873)
- Schematic macro: GOST (ID 22874)
- Schematic macro: IEC (ID 22870)
- Schematic macro: NFPA inch (ID 22872)
- Schematic macro: NFPA mm (ID 22871)
- Schematic macros for company standard (ID 22882)
To store a macro for the properties Schematic macro: GB/CCC to Schematic macro: NFPA mm click 
in the Value column to select the desired macro via the file selection dialog.
In the new property Schematic macros for company standard you can store up to ten different company standards with associated schematic macros for a part. In the Value column click [...] to open the subsequent dialog Property: Schematic macros for company standard. There you enter the name of the company standard in the first column and in the second column select the associated macros via .
Note:
Whether a schematic macro is used for a company standard, for a standard or whether the schematic macro stored for the property Schematic macro (ID 22145) is used when inserting macros, depends on the new project-specific settings in the group box Preferred standards for inserting schematic macros.
Renamed columns for function templates
The storage of standard-specific schematic macros is neither possible nor planned in the future for the function templates in the tab of the same name. Since the storing of a symbol macro and/or a symbol at a function template is not the method recommended by us for working with international standards, the associated columns have now been renamed to Symbol (compatibility) and Symbol macro (compatibility).
Settings for inserting the schematic macros
In order to use the schematic macros for company standards and standards that are stored at a part in the parts management during inserting, you have to set for the project the guidelines that are to be applied. To this purpose the new group box Preferred standards for inserting schematic macros is available in the project settings (command path: File > Settings > Projects > "Project name" > Management > General).
Here you specify which company standard or which standard is to be used for the insertion of macros. If a schematic macro is stored in the Properties tab of the Parts management at a part for the respective company standard or the respective standard then this macro is used. This applies for all actions where macros and devices are inserted (for example via the Insert center) or devices are placed (for example from a navigator). An exception is the placement of mechanical devices in the 2D panel layout and 3D mounting layout. The settings specified here are not considered in this case.
The following sequence applies for the insertion of macros for the mentioned actions:
- Schematic macro for company standard
- Schematic macro for standard
- Schematic macro
This means that during the insertion of macros the schematic macro is used for the company standard by preference. If no company standard is set or no schematic macro is available for the company standard, the macro of the preferred standard is used. If no standard is selected or if no corresponding schematic macro is available, the macro entered in the Schematic macro (ID 22145) property is used.
You can enter the name of a company standard in the Company standard field. If this name is also entered in the parts management in the Property: Schematic macros for company standard dialog and a schematic macro is stored there for this name, this schematic macro is used when inserting macros.
You specify which standard is to be used when inserting macros by means of the drop-down list Standard. If you select, for example, the "IEC" entry here, the macro which is stored at the part in the Schematic macro: IEC property is inserted.
Filtering the Insert center according to standard-specific macros
If a company standard or a standard is set in the group box Preferred standards for inserting schematic macros, all schematic macros which correspond to the company standard or standard are displayed in the Insert center. In addition, the schematic macros that neither have a company standard nor a standard are also shown.
If no company standard or no standard is specified in this group box, all schematic macros are displayed in the Insert center.
An activated filter is displayed in the title bar of the Insert center through a percentage sign "%" (e.g. %IEC).
The respective standard must be saved at the macro so that filtering is possible. The new project-specific settings in the group box Standard for generating schematic macros are available to this purpose.
Settings for generating schematic macros
The dialog Settings: General has been extended with the additional group box Standard for generating schematic macros. By means of these settings you specify which company standard or which standard is to be saved during the automatic generation of schematic macros in the macro project at the respective schematic macro.
To this purpose either enter the desired designation in the Company standard field or select the desired standard in the Standard field. Both fields cannot be filled at the same time.
The setting for the company standard or for the standard is saved at the macro boxes of all generated schematic macros when generating schematic macros. The corresponding value is transferred into the new properties Macro: Company standard (ID 23017) or Macro: Standard (ID 23016).
Displaying the new properties
The new properties Macro: Company standard and Macro: Standard are also available at the following parts:
- As additional text in the tree or as additional columns in the list of the macro navigator. The display must be configured accordingly to this purpose.
- As new filter criteria for the filter of the macro navigator.
- As additional columns of the property table in the information area of the Insert center at a selection in the folder "Window macros / symbol macros".
- At the macro box in the Display tab as property texts of a property arrangement. This is used to display the standards saved at the macro box in the Graphical editor. The layer "EPLAN400" is used for both properties.
- As information in the preview window of the dialog Select macro.
Note:
In a macro project these properties are empty or the entry "No standard" is displayed since the properties are not saved until the macros at the macro box are generated.
New check run
The new check run 501037 is additionally available in the message class 501 "Part master data". With this check run you can determine whether schematic macros with the correct standard are stored at the parts for the properties Schematic macro: GB/CCC to Schematic macro: NFPA mm.
An error message is always displayed for a part when the standard-specific property where the schematic macro is stored in the parts management does not correspond to the company standard or the standard that is saved in the schematic macro.
Schematic macros without company standard or standard always correspond. This means that if such a schematic macro is stored at one of the part properties Schematic macro: GB/CCC to Schematic macro: NFPA mm, no associated message is output.
See also
Tab Properties (parts management)
Schematic Macros: Consideration of Company Standards and Standards