Dialog call:You have opened a project. A layout space is open. You have selected a part for placement from the Insert menu. During the placing you select the popup menu Placement options.
This dialog allows you to set the options for the placement of parts in the 3D mounting layout.
Overview of the main dialog elements:
Part placement group box
Rotation angles 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, -45°, -90° and -135° can be selected from this drop-down list, and it is also possible to enter user-defined values here. Rotation is always around the handle and around the Z-axis.
The Angle setting is grayed out for enclosures and for devices with a variable length (wire duct, mounting rail, cable clamp rail, busbar system), and cannot be modified. With variable length devices, the 0°, 90°, 180° and -90° rotation angles are set by rotating the device in the appropriate direction with the mouse, if the starting point of part placement has been specified, but not yet the end point.
The Angle setting is grayed out during the placing, inserting, moving, and duplicating of cut-outs of the "Drill hole" and "Threaded hole" types and cannot be changed since these objects are fully symmetrical.
The handle defines the position of the device, relative to the cursor. Different handles are available from a drop-down list: "Lower left", "Lower center", etc.
The handles for part placements with a simplified representation (cuboid generated from part dimensions) are at the corner points on the base of the body.
During placement, handles can also be changed clockwise with [A].
Offset X / Offset Y / Offset Z:
You can enter an offset separately for each of the X, Y and Z directions in these fields. The fields are preset with the default value "0". Values can be entered as mm or inches. The base point for the offset is the part placement handle.
Offset values are managed differently during input of start and end point by means of the input box. As soon as the point coordinates are entered in the input box, the offset values that have been defined in the Placement options dialog are ignored and the item is placed on the entered coordinates.
With regard to mounting clearance:
If mounting clearances are defined in part definition, selecting this check box when changing the handle adds them to the handle coordinates as an offset.
With reference to original position:
This option is only available for the actions Move, Duplicate, Rotate, and Insert. If the check box is selected and the dialog has been closed with [OK], then the objects hanging on the cursor will immediately be moved by the set offset value. Placement with the mouse is not necessary here. The action is then completed.
You can define placement defaults in the properties of a handle. Here the mounting points and base points are defined that fit this handle. Using this check box, you can deactivate the extended logic during the placement of an item with an extended handle. This way, you can place the affected item even without placement restrictions.
If this check box is activated, only the mounting points or base points will be offered that have been entered in the properties of the affected handle. When placing a macro with extended handle logic (that is, when mounting points have been assigned), the Extended handle logic check box is always activated.
If the check box is deactivated, all possible mounting points and base points are displayed and used again.
Integrate into enclosure hierarchy:
This check box is only available when items with the "Mounting panel" and "Enclosure" function definition are placed. The check box can be used to specify how mounting panels and also complete enclosures are represented in the hierarchy of the layout space navigator. This setting thus also influences the behavior during the displacement of parts and for reports, for example mounting lists through the set property Item is fastened unmovably to the superior item.
- If the check box is activated, a mounting panel that is to be placed in an enclosure or an enclosure is integrated in the hierarchy of the layout space navigator below the item on which inserting took place. This setting allows, for example, mounting panels to be placed on each other with spacing, with each additionally placed mounting panel being located hierarchically below the mounting panel on which it was placed.
- If the check box is deactivated, the mounting panels and enclosures to be placed are integrated in the hierarchy directly below the layout space node. This setting allows mounting panels to be placed adjoined with them placed located in the same hierarchy level.
Note:
When moving items that are integrated in the enclosure hierarchy always move them together with the item to which they are hierarchically subordinated.
Items that are integrated below the layout space node do not have a superior item and are moved individually or in a multiple selection.
At mounting panels the Item is fastened unmovably to the superior item property is deactivated temporarily, if moving was carried out with Edit > Move or by using the [V] key. The mounting panel can then be moved with all the items placed on it.
At all the other items the set property can be deactivated temporarily by moving by means of Drag & Drop while holding the [Shift] key pressed.
Tip:
You can use the Move functionality if you want to change the hierarchy assignment of mounting panels or enclosures in existing projects subsequently. When the item is located at the cursor, select the Placement options popup menu item, activate the Integrate into enclosure hierarchy check box and move the item back to the previous position.
Multiple placement group box
With a multiple placement, this defines the distance between the individual part placements in mm or inches. Enter the desired value here.
The next setting Distance reference, has direct relevance to this setting.
Using this drop-down list, you specify what the distance set in the Distance field refers to.
- Intermediate space distance: The distance information relates to the distance between the edges immediately opposite one another (default setting).
- Center distance: The distance information relates to the distance from body center to body center.
The distance reference can be changed during a multiple placement and from then on, will apply to all the other part placements.
The choice of handle does not affect the behavior of this setting.
Defines the direction in which part placements are to be placed during a multiple placement. The following options are available in the drop-down list:
- From left to right: The first device hangs on the cursor and is placed. The other devices are automatically placed to the right of this.
- From right to left: The first device hangs on the cursor and is placed. The other devices are automatically placed to the left of this.
- From top to bottom: The first device hangs on the cursor and is placed. The other devices are automatically placed below this. This option is not available for enclosures and mounting panels.
- From bottom to top: The first device hangs on the cursor and is placed. The other devices are automatically placed above this. This option is not available for enclosures and mounting panels.
- Individual: Devices selected together are not automatically placed next to each other. Once the first item has been placed, the second item hangs on the cursor and can be placed anywhere else, until all the selected items have been placed or placement is canceled.
With the first four options, any distance between the devices that may have been specified, will be taken into account. The same, set handle will be used for all devices.
See also