EPLAN has a settings database in which user preferences such as used fonts, colors, etc. are stored.
In the GUI it is visible under the ribbon item File > Settings....
Using the API, we can modify the database and also create custom values for use in API applications.
We can distinguish the following categories of settings:
For more details, please refer to the "Settings: Operation" chapter of the EPLAN Help.
The settings database is organized in a tree structure: Particular branches refer to similar settings and leaves store relevant values.
Using the export functionality we can access their values, even those that are not visible in the Options > Settings dialog. The format of the file is XML, and here is its XML schema definition:
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <xs:schema attributeFormDefault="unqualified" elementFormDefault="qualified" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"> <xs:group name="levlSettingGroup"> <xs:sequence> <xs:element name="Setting"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="Val" type="xs:anyType" /> </xs:sequence> <xs:attribute name="name" use="required"> <xs:simpleType> <xs:restriction base="xs:string"> <xs:pattern value="[a-zA-ZäöüÄÖÜ0-9_\s\+\-#\[\]]*"/> </xs:restriction> </xs:simpleType> </xs:attribute> <xs:attribute name="type" use="required"> <xs:simpleType> <xs:restriction base="xs:string"> <xs:enumeration value="bool"/> <xs:enumeration value="int"/> <xs:enumeration value="unsigned int"/> <xs:enumeration value="long"/> <xs:enumeration value="unsigned long"/> <xs:enumeration value="double"/> <xs:enumeration value="string"/> <xs:enumeration value="mlstring"/> </xs:restriction> </xs:simpleType> </xs:attribute> <xs:attribute name="info" type="xs:string" use="optional" /> <xs:attribute name="desc" type="xs:string" use="optional" /> <xs:attribute name="range" type="xs:string" use="optional" /> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> </xs:sequence> </xs:group> <xs:attributeGroup name="levlAttrGroup"> <xs:attribute name="name" use="required"> <xs:simpleType> <xs:restriction base="xs:string"> <xs:pattern value="[a-zA-ZäöüÄÖÜß0-9_\s\+\-#\[\](),\/@:;\*&]*"/> </xs:restriction> </xs:simpleType> </xs:attribute> <xs:attribute name="info" type="xs:string" use="optional" /> <xs:attribute name="nodekind" type="xs:string" use="optional" /> </xs:attributeGroup> <xs:element name="Settings"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="5" name="CAT"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="MOD"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV1"> <xs:complexType mixed="true"> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV2"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV3"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV4"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV5"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV6"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV7"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV8"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV9"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"> <xs:element name="LEV10"> <xs:complexType> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> <xs:group ref="levlSettingGroup"/> </xs:choice> </xs:sequence> <xs:attributeGroup ref="levlAttrGroup"/> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> </xs:sequence> <xs:attribute name="name" use="required"> <xs:simpleType> <xs:restriction base="xs:string"> <xs:enumeration value="COMPANY"/> <xs:enumeration value="INSTALL"/> <xs:enumeration value="PROJECT"/> <xs:enumeration value="STATION"/> <xs:enumeration value="USER"/> </xs:restriction> </xs:simpleType> </xs:attribute> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> </xs:sequence> <xs:attribute name="format" type="xs:unsignedByte" use="required" /> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> </xs:schema> |
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Here is a simplified description of the settings file:
Here is an example of a simple user setting from the User > Display > Identifier branch:
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <Settings ver="2.4.1" format="2"> <CAT name="USER"> <MOD name="PLEditorGui"> <Setting name="SortMode" type="int"> <Val>1</Val> </Setting> </MOD> </CAT> </Settings> |
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Below is another example of workstation settings (Workstation > Graphical editing > Print):
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <Settings ver="2.4.1" format="2"> <CAT name="STATION"> <MOD name="Print"> <Setting name="BlackWhite" type="bool"> <Val>1</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="BottomMargin" type="double" range="0/1000"> <Val>0</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="ConsiderPageScale" type="bool"> <Val>1</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="FitToPage" type="bool"> <Val>1</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="KeepAspectRatio" type="bool"> <Val>1</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="LeftMargin" type="double" range="0/1000"> <Val>0</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="Position" type="unsigned long" range="0/8"> <Val>0</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="RightMargin" type="double" range="0/1000"> <Val>0</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="ScaleHorizontal" type="double" range="0.001/1000"> <Val>1.0</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="ScaleVertical" type="double" range="0.001/1000"> <Val>1.0</Val> </Setting> <Setting name="TopMargin" type="double" range="0/1000"> <Val>0</Val> </Setting> </MOD> </CAT> </Settings> |
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Here is example of indexed settings from Company > Graphical editing > Fonts.
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <Settings ver="2.4.3" format="2"> <CAT name="COMPANY"> <MOD name="GedViewer"> <Setting name="Fonts" type="mlstring"> <Val>??_??@Arial;</Val> <Val>??_??@Verdana;</Val> <Val>??_??@Georgia;</Val> <Val>??_??@Tahoma;zh_CN@??;</Val> <Val>??_??@Tahoma;zh_CN@??;</Val> <Val>??_??@Tahoma;zh_CN@??;</Val> <Val>??_??@Tahoma;zh_CN@??;</Val> <Val>??_??@Tahoma;zh_CN@??;</Val> <Val>??_??@Tahoma;zh_CN@??;</Val> <Val>??_??@Tahoma;zh_CN@??;</Val> </Setting> </MOD> </CAT> </Settings> |
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Settings – functions for reading, writing and creating User, Company or Workstation settings.
ProjectSettings – functions for reading, writing and creating project dependant settings. Refer to the "See Also" section.
SettingNode – functions for managing the settings hierarchy (only User, Company or Workstation settings).
SchemeSetting – functions for managing a settings group (scheme). Only for User, Company or Workstation settings.
ProjectSchemeSetting – the same as SchemeSetting but for project settings.
ProjectSettingNode – the same as SettingNode but for project settings.
Adding, setting and getting settings:
Example of merging nodes using SettingNode:
You can also combine settings into a group under a specific name – it is called a "schema". It is possible to have multiple groups under different names, but with the same settings structure. One of the groups is an active scheme.
As mentioned above, each setting has a default value. To return a setting to its default value, you must get the setting's default value and set it to the setting:
To make it easier for the API user to find a particular settings key, the settings dialog provides a hidden feature. If you set the Boolean setting USER.EnfMVC.ContextMenuSetting.ShowExtended to "true", you will get an additional context menu item in the settings dialog that shows you the path of the selected setting.
Due to changes in EPLAN, settings may change their type or name or some settings may be removed completely. We cannot guarantee the long-term compatibility of the settings. When updating to a newer version, please check your source code to see whether the settings you are using still working.
Indexed settings always have continuous indexes. If a value is removed, the following values move up to fill the gap. This means that if you want to get all the values of an indexed property, all you have to do is loop from index 0 to the number returned by GetCountOfValues(...) minus one. If you try to get the value from an index where no value exists, a BaseException is thrown.
