This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info / Copyright

Designer: Basics

In DesignerConfigurators and sets of rules are defined on the basis of EPLAN macros in Designer. These form the basis for the configuration and the automatic generation of the project documentation. you define and edit the rules on which the configurators are based, which the responsible engineer configures in Project BuilderThe project-specific configuration and the automatic generation of the project documentation takes place in the Project Builder on the basis of the configurators and sets of rules defined in the Designer.. To this purpose you create Macro-Typicals, Typical-Groups and configurators and specify rules for their usage. The engineer enriches the configurators in the Project Builder with project-specific information. On the basis of these configurators the engineer subsequently generates the project documentation for different product variants.

The following elements are available to this purpose:

• Macro-Typicals

A Macro-TypicalA Macro-Typical is an organization structure that contains information about the structure and the usage of the macros that are needed in the project. Each Macro-Typical maps a part of the machine / plant that is to be configured. is an organization structure that contains information about the structure and the usage of various project components. Each Macro-Typical maps a part of the product that is to be configured. It can represent the technical context of a product function, for example a feed-in transport or an aligning gauge. However, it can contain a technical task such as the machine topology or a PLC control.

• Typical-Groups

A Typical-GroupA Typical-Group is an organizational element that serves to group Macro-Typicals and other Typical-Groups. is an organizational element that serves to group individual product functions. It contains all the Macro-Typicals or Typical-Groups that have a relationship to the product that is to be configured. In this case the product represents the superordinate relationship set. In a Typical-Group you realize the logical relations between the individual product functions, for example between the feed-in transport and EMERGENCY-OFF system. In addition you can define the user interface of a configurator in the Project Builder through the usage of configuration variables in Typical-Groups.

• Configurators

A configurator maps all the possible variants of the product completely that are to be configured. It contains all the Macro-Typicals and Typical-Groups that are configured in the Project Builder. Only by adding the elements to a configurator, do you enable them for usage in the Project Builder.

In Macro-Typicals you specify which macros are to be used for which purpose. To this purpose you define default values, use configuration variables and determine the positions of the macros in the schematic. However, you can also leave these actions to the engineer in the Project Builder. The possibilities that the engineer has depends on the structure that you define in the Designer:

• Define whether a macro can or must be used.
• The engineer cannot access all those variables for which you have specified default values.
• With configuration variables you give the engineer access to macro variables to which the engineer would otherwise not have access.
• Specify the position of a macro or leave the decision to the engineer.
• Group elements and specify rules for their usage in order to map parts of the product that are to be configured.
• Use configuration variables and a simple formula language to map the cross-relations between the various product functions (in Typical-Groups) or between different elements of the schematic (in Macro-Typicals).
• Create dynamic user interfaces for your configurators by defining rules for the visibility of configuration variables.

With these means you specify which elements are displayed to the engineer and by which means the engineer can influence them. Your rules determine the graphical user interface of the Project Builder which the engineer uses to configure the project.