Application

Overview of Graphics Editor
5
About Symbols
117
Siemens Industry, Inc. Graphics Editor Version 2.1
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Building Technologies 2015-06-23
You can replace a Symbol of an existing Symbol instance with another Symbol by
simply selecting the Symbol instance on a graphic and replacing it with a selected
Symbol from the Symbol Library. The object type and substitution associations will be
kept. For example, you can replace a fan Symbol with a pump Symbol on a graphic
and not lose any of the values you wish to view. A Symbol associated with a Function
type, can be associated with a specific
Style , so that when that Style is selected in the
Symbol Style Filter , the default Symbol associated with that Style type, displays on the
canvas.
Symbol and Symbol Instance Attributes
Graphic Symbols have the following attributes:
 Are initiated, evaluated, and edited in the Graphics Editor.
 Associated to object types in the Models & Functions application and support
property substitutions.
 Composed of drawing elements and images.
 Have names and are stored as XAML streams
 Have layers.
 Saved and archived for retrieval from the Graphics Library Browser.
 Cannot be resized; a Symbol Instance, however, can be resized.
 Have a background color, but, a Symbol instances has no background color.
A Symbol instance is a Symbol that has been added to and displays in a graphic. It is
essentially a copy of the originating Symbol--a graphic page and all the elements
associated with it. The exception is that any layers in the original Symbol are removed
from the Symbol instance.
Symbol versus Symbol Instance
Symbols, when deposited onto a graphic, become Symbol instances. To understand
some of the attribute differences between the two, see the following table:
Symbol
Symbol Instance
Composed of drawing elements and images. Occurrences of an existing Symbol.
Has a name and is stored as a XAML stream.
Supports background color. Transparent by default; color background not supported.
Can have layers. Have no layers. Removes any existing layers.
Can’t be resized Resizable.
Can contain other Symbols (nested).
Table of Symbol and Symbol Attributes
5.10.2 Generic Symbol
A generic Symbol is a concept that allows you to create one type of Symbol that can
support an object that has 1, 2, or more properties with changing values. Depending on
the object, the Symbol will not display the elements of the graphic that do not have a
data point associated them.
For example, you want to create one Symbol that you can associate with either a 1-
stage pump or a 2-stage pump. A Symbol is created for the 2-stage pump.
This is done by extending the expression syntax with the use of the question mark in
the expression. For each property, you create,, you add another