Copying and merging an object

Objects can be copied and merged using the drag and drop functionality. During that process, the elements of the source object are copied and merged with the elements of the destination object. This can only be carried out within the Equipment folder. Copying and merging objects is also possible across projects.

The structure of the source object is only added to the structure of the destination object if the merge reference matches for both objects. The merge reference consists of the following attributes, if they are available on the object:

  • Object name (AID5) + TID (AID7) + Pin position (AID250)
  • or Position (AID261) + TID (AID7) + Pin position (AID250), if the object name is empty for the source and destination object.

If the merge references match, the destination object is kept and the associations (e.g. wire targets) of the source object are copied to the destination object if this is permitted for the destination object.

All source objects for which the merge references do not match are copied to the destination.

To copy and merge an object

  1. Select the source object in the navigation pane.
  2. Press Ctrl + M while moving the source object onto the parent object of the destination object.
  3. The cursor changes while hovering over a destination object.
  5. Release the mouse button to merge the source object and the destination object.
  6. The associated sheets of the source object are saved in the copy bin of the Documents folder.
  7. Allocated potentials of the source object are saved in the copy bin of the Equipment folder.

Example

A project has two units +EX1 and +EX2. Both units contain a motor -M5.1 with different pins.

Once +EX2 -M5.1 is copied and merged with +EX1, +EX1 -M5.1 also has the pins of +EX2 -M5.1.

As the merge references in the source and destination objects match for the PE and Single Line:Block Diagram pins, these pins are not copied into the structure of +EX1 -M5.1.

 

Copying and merging devices or sub-devices without a designation may lead to unpredictable results.