Block Properties: Principle

User-defined block properties

As of Version 2024 block properties can be defined as project-specific user-defined properties. User-defined properties offer different advantages:

Only a single property is required for the definition and the display.
You can assign a freely selectable, multilingual displayed name.
The properties are also inserted when macros are inserted.

The definition of which properties are combined in the block property is carried out in exactly the same way as for the indexed block properties in the dialog Format.

Indexed block properties

Up to 100 indexed block properties are available in EPLAN. For every block property there is an associated, indexed format property. The two properties Block property [n] and Block property: Format [n] with the same index value form a single unit. The format property determines which properties are compiled in the block property. The associated block property shows the result in the graphical editor or in reports.

Display and updating

Block properties are not multilingual. The result is always a simple character string. The language in which the individual nested properties are written in the result, can be individually specified for each property. If "all display languages" are selected for a property, all specified display languages are written in the result one after another with a line break.

Block properties are automatically updated if they are displayed or queried. Nesting is possible at indirect properties: If a block property refers to another block property, the second is updated first, if the first is not up-to-date.

Block properties are placed on a separate layer. You can thus show block properties in a special color and - if you are only using the block properties for indirect properties - you can see from the color in the schematic that the information displayed cannot be edited on this object.

Indirect properties

Indirect properties are used to access properties of objects that are connected to the object to be displayed. This is possible via the block properties.

The following other objects are connected to one object:

The project in which the object is located
The page on which the object is placed
Objects connected to this object through other connections
Connections and cables connected to the object
Main function data
Parts entered for the object.

Indirect properties can be selected in the format property by navigating using the (Next level) and (Previous level) buttons.

Note:

If you use an indirect property in a macro at which the user-defined property of another object is referenced via a block format, this user-defined property is also stored in the macro and is also found as the used user-defined property. This also applies to user-defined block properties and calculation properties that are created as user-defined block properties. Block properties that are defined as project properties (meaning for the "Project" object) are not stored in the macros, but are found when the usage is checked.

Determining automatic function texts via a block property

You have the possibility to create an automatic function text with different properties and separators by using a block property at the functions in the graphical editor. To this purpose the property Block property: Format (function text, automatic) (ID 20545) is available on the first tab in the property dialog for the properties table.

As usual with the format properties you use the subsequent dialog Format to specify the properties and separators that are summarized in the block property. The new format element "Path function text" is available in this dialog for the functions. By using the interface (Next level) you can access the associated path function text and select it as the format element for the automatic function text.

The display of this function text defined by using the block property in the graphical editor is carried out via the placed property Function text (automatic). If a manual function text was entered at a function additionally, the Function text (automatic) property displays this text.

The new check run message 007033 is available in the message class 007 "Devices" in order to find such functions in a project, at which the function text was both entered manually and defined via the block property.