Definition of Block Properties as User-Defined Properties

Block properties can now also be defined via the user-defined properties for the project. Block properties are used to format and display several direct and/or indirect properties together. The user-defined block properties can be displayed in the schematic and output in forms.

User-defined properties for the parts management or for part references cannot be defined as block properties.

Benefit:

When the previous, indexed block properties were used, the name was preset and two associated properties always had to be used (one for determining the format and one for the display). If block properties are now defined as user-defined properties, only a single property is required for the definition and the display. User-defined block properties have a freely selectable, multilingual displayed name and are also inserted when macros are inserted.

New "Block property" display type in the dialog "Configure properties"

Block properties for different objects such as functions, projects, connections, etc. can be defined in the dialog Configure properties. The assignment is effected via the drop-down list Assignment. The "Block property" display type is not available for the "Part reference" assignment and in the parts management.

Block properties are generally in a single language. To define a user-defined property as a block property, select the entry "Monolingual text" or "Value with unit" in the Field type drop-down list. The new entry "Block property" is available for these field types in the drop-down list Display type. If this display type is selected, you can open the dialog Format in the new field Block format by using the [...] button. In this dialog you specify which properties are combined in the block property. The procedure corresponds to the specification of the format for the previous indexed block properties.

A block property defined as a user-defined property can be selected at the objects for which the block property was assigned (function, project, page, etc.). The block property is write-protected at the object itself and displays the value in accordance with the specified block format.

New "Block format" field in the dialog "Configure properties"

The new field Block format is available for the definition of user-defined block properties. If you have selected the "Block property" entry in the Display type field, use the [...] button to open the dialog Format. In this dialog you can also use the "Calculation" format element to create Calculation formulas for user-defined block properties.

After you have specified the format for the block property, a preview of the format is displayed in the Block format field. The selected format elements are displayed with their schematic representation. The format in this field can be edited directly. You can delete a format entered here, edit it manually, or copy it into the Block format field of another user-defined property of the "Block property" display type.

Usage of user-defined block properties in macros

Previously user-defined properties that were referenced in block properties were not taken into consideration during the usage and the export of macros.

If you now use an indirect property in a macro at which the user-defined property of another object is referenced via a block format, this user-defined property is also stored in the macro and is also found as the used user-defined property. This also applies to user-defined block properties and calculation properties that are created as user-defined block properties. Block properties that are defined as project properties (meaning for the "Project" object) are not stored in the macros, but are found when the usage is checked.