The central dialog for inserting EPLAN functions into a functional or GRAFCET diagram is the device navigator. For this purpose, it does not matter whether the function has already been placed in the schematic or whether it is generated as a new, not yet placed, device via the New device popup menu item.

To place a function on the open page, select the function in the device navigator and then select the Place functional > With symbol graphic popup menu items. Subsequently, the property texts (Displayed DT, Function text, etc.) and – depending on the already mentioned project setting Functional placing with symbol graphic – the symbol graphic of the function will hang on the cursor and can be placed by you in the diagram.

During placing, the different property texts and – if also placed – the symbol graphic of the function are combined into a group. This way, you can edit, move or delete these properties jointly.

By default, the values of the Displayed DT, Function text and State properties are output for a function. The properties of a function displayed in the functional diagram depend on the special symbol selected.

It is crucial for a functional diagram to be able to indicate the state of a plant or a device. For this purpose, you can use the new indexed property State [1-10] (ID 20285), which you can select in the Properties dialog of a device via the Property selection dialog.

When creating symbol-based functional diagrams, you have the option of placing the graphic of a part macro in the functional diagram. To this purpose select a main function in the device navigator on which a macro has been stored via the part, and select the popup menu items Place functional > With macro graphic.

As part of this action, the functions underlying the macro are internally converted to a graphic. In the process, the first available representation type and the first available variant of the macro are used. The grouped graphic of the macro and the property texts of the main function hang on the cursor and can be placed in the diagram by you.

• In the placing of a function, the symbol of the function currently selected is used. If you have selected in the navigator tree a device hierarchy level, the symbol of the first main function will be used. When placing macros, it is always the part macro of the main function that is used, regardless of the function selected.
• If there is no symbol available for the function selected, or if no part macro has been stored, you will be prompted to select a symbol / macro.
• If a symbol graphic / macro graphic is larger than stated in the Target size for symbol / macro graphic project setting, the graphic will be scaled (reduced in size). Enlargement is not an option in this context.
• In addition, using the Position for symbol / macro graphic project setting, you can define the offset for the position of the symbol graphic / macro graphic to be placed. Base point for the offset is the insertion point of the special symbol for the property placement.

After you have placed the functions from EPLAN in the left, describing, area of the functional diagram, you must then insert the time / step scale as well as the process sequences into the diagram.

The forms supplied already contain a time/step scale. Values for the scale can be inserted, for example, by means of a macro. For this purpose, we provide you in the master data with the Numbers.ema macro with sample values.

You must draw the process sequences using graphical elements (e.g., polylines). EPLAN provides support to enable you to insert some typical elements of functional diagrams faster. Arrows, signal points, AND and OR operations can be drawn in the respective functional diagram by means of the corresponding menu items via the Insert > Operational sequence sheets menu path.

For GRAFCET diagrams, the menu path Insert > Operational sequence sheets > GRAFCET yields the menu items Step, Step with transition, Action, Action with connection, and Transition. When, while pasting a GRAFCET element, you press the [Tab] key, you can "leaf through" various preconfigured variants. This way, you can insert, for example, initial steps, inclusive steps, macro steps, etc. by selecting the appropriate rectangle.

The asterisk (*) in the GRAFCET elements inserted shows you that you can enter in this space texts such as step names, transition names or conditions or an action identifier. The different objects of a GRAFCET element are combined into a group. In order to enter a single text directly without undoing the grouping, keep the [SHIFT] key pressed and then open the Properties - Text dialog by clicking the respective asterisk.

You can insert additional information (e.g., comments, which must be placed in quotes) in the GRAFCET diagram as graphical texts.

You can insert the following special characters, among others, when creating texts in GRAFCET diagrams:

• Arrow up (↑)
• Arrow down (↓)
• Not equal to (≠).