In this dialog, you specify the formatting for a counter or a subcounter in the format group.

Overview of the main dialog elements:

Spare/page:

One spare value can be specified per page for the counter numbers. Only positive numbers are allowed and zero means no spare.

Based on the last count number on the page, the count numbers are reserved up to the next multiple of the spare value entered. On the next page the counter numbers begin with the correspondingly increased value. Thus, the spare value determines the maximum number of reserved count numbers.

Minimum number of digits:

Here you define the minimum number of characters to be used for the property value. Longer values are displayed in their full length. Only positive numeric values are permitted. A value of zero means that the field width is variable.

Filler character:

The value is padded with this character if the minimum number of digits is larger than the width of the value. A padding character cannot be entered for a variable number of digits (entry of "0" in the Minimum number of digits field).

Direction:

Specify the direction in which connections are numbered. Possible values are:

• By row: Numbering goes from left to right within the row.
• By column: Numbering goes from top to bottom within the column.
• According to plot frame logic: The plot frame determines whether numbering is performed by row or column.

Number by devices:

If this check box is selected, connections between two components are numbered in the order they appear in the schematic instead of the order in which they are specified under Direction. Connections between different components having the same identifying DT, but no displayed DT, are also taken into account. This thus affects components receiving an identical DT via DT adoption.

Use alphanumeric counter:

If this check box is selected the alphanumeric counter is used. If not, a numerical counter is used.

Alphanumeric counter:

When using the alphanumeric counter specify the characters here that are allowed to be used by the counter. Only alphanumeric characters are allowed.

Alphanumeric counters are sorted by character from left to right (in the same manner as Excel columns). If you have specified, for example, the characters "AKS", counting proceeds as follows: A, K, S, AA, AK, AS, KA, ..., AAA, AAK, AAS, AKA ..., AAAA, AAAK, ...

Reset per structure / page:

If this check box is selected, the counter starts again with the start value if the page or a structure identifier, for example, has changed. From [Settings], open the Settings: Counter reset range dialog where you define the criteria for resetting the counter. This allows you, for example, to begin with the start value respective per page or per plant. Resetting the counter only makes sense if the connection designations would otherwise not be the same (for example differ in their page number or the structure identifier for the plant). In order to differentiate between connections that would otherwise have the same name use a subcounter.

If the check box is deactivated, the connections selected for numbering are numbered consecutively.

Counter is a subcounter:

Select this check box to define a subcounter. The settings available for the subcounter depend on this setting. The subcounter ensures that connections that would otherwise have the same designation can differ.

If the check box is deselected the settings for the subcounter are grayed out.

Suppress first counter / subcounter:

If this check box is activated, the first counter or - if the Counter is a subcounter check box is activated - subcounter is suppressed.

For a subcounter, depending on the selected scope, the respective first subcounter is suppressed. For example no subcounter is displayed for the first respective connection per potential.

For a counter - if no counter reset range is specified - only the first counter in the project is suppressed. If the Reset per structure / page check box is additionally activated for a counter, the first counter is suppressed each time a criterion is fulfilled for the reset (e.g. per page or per plant).

Example:

You want to assign one connection designation per potential. You therefore have selected the "Potential / piping" entry in the Extent field for the affected connection group (e.g. "General connections") in the Connection numbering: Formats dialog. In addition each individual connection in the potential is to receive a subcounter. To do this you have specified a format group in the Selected formats field that consists of a counter, a separator and a subcounter.

For the subcounter select the "Individual connection" setting in the Range of the subcounter field. Also activate the check box Suppress first counter / subcounter.

The subcounter is then not displayed at the respective first connection per potential. So, for example, the connection designations "1. / 1.2 / 1.3" and "2. / 2.2 / 2.3" instead of "1.1 / 1.2 / 1.3" and "2.1 / 2.2 / 2.3" are displayed.

If the Including previous separator check box is additionally activated for the subcounter, the connection designations are, for example, "1 / 1.2 / 1.3" and "2 / 2.2 / 2.3".

Including previous separator:

Select this check box so that, together with the first counter or subcounter, the previous separator is also hidden.

Range of the subcounter:

Specify the range of the connections for which a subcounter is allocated.

See also

Connection Numbering

Dialog Settings: Connection numbering

Specifying Settings for Connection Numbering