How to use Automated Catalog Replacement
Fundamentals
Automated catalog replacement via the Auto Catalog Replace function allows you to replace or change the catalog information of multiple components across your project drawings in a single operation in the same fashion as the singular catalog reselection of Global Editor (e.g. if a RelayType1 has 4 subcomponents, Auto Catalog Replace will replace each with matching subcomponents from the chosen replacement catalog specification).
Auto Catalog Replace works from an catalog replacement input file where you specify the catalog replacements that you want to make.
Auto Catalog Replace can be run from an Ebase command line parameter. When the function is operated from the command line it will operate silently with no pop-up messages. Successful replacement should be verified from the log files.
Procedure
If you have chosen to manually update the image files you must run the DWGs->DBF function before using Auto Catalog Replace. By default you do not need to run this function before Auto Catalog Replace, as it will update the image files automatically.
Press the button.
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The Auto Catalog Replace function will extract the image files if image files are to be updated automatically. Otherwise it will use the existing image files. If the image files for your project are not up to date and manual update was turned on then it will ask you to update your project like shown in figure below.
Choose the Auto Catalog Replace input file to be used for catalog replacement.
The catalog replacement will start changing the catalog information and display a message like that shown below when it is finished.
If there are any warnings or errors, Ebase will display the catalog replacement log in your text editor. The log is not displayed if all of the replacements were successful. You can open the log file manually from your current project folder to verify the replacement results. Auto Catalog Replace generates a separate log file for each input file processed. The log file will have the same name as the input file with the file extension ".log", e.g. the log file for an input file named CATREPLACE_Input.dbf will be CATREPLACE_Input.log.
If you have chosen to manually update the image files, then you must use the DBF->DWGs function to write the changes back to the drawing files.
Auto catalog Replace input file
The Auto Catalog Replace function obtains the list of catalog replacements that it must make from the chosen input file. It will read each line of the input file and will perform the specified catalog replacement like Global Editor’s replacement of a selected component including all of its subcomponents.
Input file structure
| Field | Description | Note |
|---|---|---|
| TABLE | Partial image file name to be used for replacement. This must be the text that follows the $ in the image file name, e.g. "Device", "Instr", "Wire". | Optional If the TABLE field is blank the replacement will be done in all of the image files. |
| OLD_CATNO | Existing catalog number (CATNO attribute value) that needs to be replaced. | Required |
| NEW_CATNO | New catalog number (CATNO attribute value) to be assigned as the replacement. | Required |
| OLD_MFG | Existing manufacturer code (MFG attribute values) that needs to be replaced. | Required |
| NEW_MFG | New manufacturer code (MFG attribute values) to be assigned as the replacement. | Required |
| OLD_EXTRAP | Existing extra parts (EXTRAPARTS attribute value) that need to be replaced. | Optional The EXTRAPARTS value of the component must match the whole of this value to cause a replacement of the extra parts. |
| NEW_EXTRAP | New extra parts (EXTRAPARTS attribute value) to be assigned as the replacement. | Optional |
| FILTER | Filter for the components that will be affected by the replacement specified in this input file record based on an attribute name and a pattern that the value in that attribute must match. e.g. If you want to apply the catalog replacement to only components with names that start with letter "S", you can put "TAGNAME = S*" into the FILTER field. |
Optional |
See also
How to Extract Drawing Data to Databases