adccommunitymod (AutomationDirect) asked a question.
Created Date: January 20,2020
Created By: Gizmobreaker
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Greetings, I have tried to search for this but I'm guessing that I am not using the correct terminology. I have years of on-and-off experience with Idec PLCs and the Do-More software is slightly different. I am looking for a list of my elements that I can edit, directly. For example, let's say that I have 10 limit switches and I want to assign matching C memory elements for them. I can add them to the ladder and define them as I go, but I would rather add them all at once so I don't have to remember my exact naming convention (i.e., all limit switches are linked to C350 thru C379). Later on, when I discover that I need to add 2 more switches, it would be useful to scroll thru the list and add them right after the existing ones without having to remember what range they occupy. Is this possible? I am using the Xref list but that does not seem to be editable. I can double-click in the Element column of the Xref and that opens the Element Browser but if I add something in the Browser, it doesn't show up in the Xref list until I use it plus the Browser does not show me a list of existing Elements unless they have nicknames. I suppose I could just create nicknames for everything but sometimes it's just not worth the creative effort to come up with meaningful names. I'm sure that I am overlooking something... Thanks, in advance. Marty
Created Date: January 20,2020
Created by: Gizmobreaker
Greetings,
I have tried to search for this but I'm guessing that I am not using the correct terminology. I have years of on-and-off experience with Idec PLCs and the Do-More software is slightly different. I am looking for a list of my elements that I can edit, directly. For example, let's say that I have 10 limit switches and I want to assign matching C memory elements for them. I can add them to the ladder and define them as I go, but I would rather add them all at once so I don't have to remember my exact naming convention (i.e., all limit switches are linked to C350 thru C379). Later on, when I discover that I need to add 2 more switches, it would be useful to scroll thru the list and add them right after the existing ones without having to remember what range they occupy.
Is this possible? I am using the Xref list but that does not seem to be editable. I can double-click in the Element column of the Xref and that opens the Element Browser but if I add something in the Browser, it doesn't show up in the Xref list until I use it plus the Browser does not show me a list of existing Elements unless they have nicknames. I suppose I could just create nicknames for everything but sometimes it's just not worth the creative effort to come up with meaningful names.
I'm sure that I am overlooking something...
Thanks, in advance.
Marty
Created Date: January 20,2020
Created by: RBPLC
Look in the "Documentation Editor " (it's the icon that says "Documentation " and looks like a piece of paper with a pencil or Ctrl+D). This will open the documentation tab and you can add single elements or ranges of elements as you so desire.
Created Date: January 20,2020
Created by: Gizmobreaker
Thank you. I did not have the tools bar on, so I could not see that icon. Found it in the Tools menu but only after searching for Documentation Editor in Help. That's exactly what I wanted. Much appreciated.
Created Date: January 20,2020
Created by: ControlsGuy
And even better, you can import docs from a CSV file, so you can use your Excel, Calc, Planmaker, etc., to edit the docs. Spreadsheets have drag-and-fill and various editing conveniences you won't get in a PLC programming software docs editor, so why not leverage it? I 've even used VBA to generate docs in a large program where there was some pattern to the naming. Now I did that using RSLogix 500, not DirectSoft or DMD, but in principle see no reason you couldn't do it.