GRAPHIC WINDOWS AND DATABASE OBJECTS

Figure 9.5.1: The Diagrams folder inside the Data Manager

9.5.2 Active Graphics, Graphics Board and Study Cases

The graphics that are displayed in an active project are determined by the active study case. The study case folder contains a folder called the ’Graphics Board’ folder (SetDesktop) in which references to the graphics to be displayed are contained. This folder is much like the ’Summary Grid’ folder which is also stored within the Study Case, and links active grids to the Study Case. Both the Graphics Board and Summary Grid are automatically created and maintained and should generally not be edited by the user.

Within a PowerFactory project, the Network Model folder contains a sub-folder called Diagrams. This sub-folder should generally also not be edited by the user as it is automatically created and maintained.

It contains the objects that represent single line and substation graphics (IntGrfnet objects). More than one graphic (single line or substation diagrams) may be created for a grid, either to display the different grid elements over several pages, or to display the same grid elements in different graphical arrangements.

Consider the ’Project’ that is shown in Figure9.5.2. The active study case is called Study Case_1 and the active grid has three single line graphics that have been created for it, Grid_1, Grid_2 and Grid_3.

The graphics board folder in the study case has a reference to only the Grid_1 graphic object and thus only this graphic for the grid will be shown when the study case is activated.

In the case of single line graphics, the references in the graphics board folder are created when the user adds a grid to a study case. PowerFactory will ask the user which graphics of the grid should be displayed. At any time later the user may display other graphics by right-clicking the grid and selecting Show Graphic from the context sensitive menu. Graphics may be removed from the active study case by right-clicking the tab at the bottom of the corresponding graphic page and selecting Remove Page(s).

The study case and graphics board folder will also contain references to any other graphics that have been created when the study case is active, such as Virtual Instrument Panels.

Figure 9.5.2: Relationship between the study case, graphics board and single line diagrams

9.5.3 Single Line Graphics and Data Objects

In a simple network there may be a 1:1 relationship between data objects and their graphical repre-sentations, i.e. every load, generator, terminal and line is represented once in the graphics. However, PowerFactory provides additional flexibility in this regard. Data objects may be represented graphically on more than one graphic, but only once per graphic. Thus a data object for one terminal can be repre-sented graphically on more than one graphic. All graphical representations contain the link to the same data object.

Furthermore, graphical symbols may be moved without losing the link to the data object they represent.

Likewise, data objects may be moved without affecting the graphic.

The graphics themselves are saved in the database tree, by default in the Diagrams folder of the Network Model. This simplifies finding the correct Single Line graphic representation of a particular grid, even in the case where there are several graphic representations for one grid.

When the drawing tools are used to place a new component (i.e. a line, transformer, etc.) a new data object is also created in the database tree. A Single Line Graphic object therefore has a reference to a grid folder. The new data objects are stored into the ’target’ folders that the graphics page are associated with. This information may be determined by right-clicking the graphic → Graphic Options, see Section10.5(Editing Data Objects in the Data Manager) for more information.

Since data objects may have more than one graphic representation the deletion of a graphic object should not mean that the data object will also be deleted. Hence the user may choose to delete only the graphical object (right-click menu → Delete Graphical Object only ). In this case the user is warned that the data object will not be deleted. This suggests that a user may delete all graphical objects related to a data object, with the data object still residing in the database and being considered for calculations.

9.5. GRAPHIC WINDOWS AND DATABASE OBJECTS

When an element is deleted completely (right menu option → Delete Element) a warning message will confirm the action. This warning may be switched off in the User Settings dialogue, General page,

“Always confirm deletion of Grid Data").

9.5.4 Editing and Selecting Objects

Once elements have been drawn on the graphic the data for the element may be viewed and edited by either double-clicking the graphic symbol under consideration, or by right-clicking it and selecting Edit Data.

The option Edit and Browse Data will show the element in a data manager environment. The object itself will be selected (highlighted) in the data manager and can be double-clicked to open the edit dialogue.

A new data manager will be opened if no data manager is presently active. If more than one symbol was selected when the edit data option was selected, a data browser will pop up listing the selected objects. The edit dialogues for each element may be opened from this data browser one by one, or the selected objects can be edited in the data browser directly, see Section10.5(Editing Data Objects in the Data Manager).

Finding specific elements in a large project may be difficult if one had to look through the single line diagram alone. PowerFactory includes the Mark in Graphic tool, to assist the user in finding elements within the graphic. To use this tool the user has to first search for the desired object in the Data Manager using any of the methods presented in Chapter10(Data Manager). Once a searched object/element is identified, it may be right-clicked and the option Mark in Graphic selected. This action will mark the selected object in the single line graphic where it appears.

When performing this command ensure that the object itself is selected, as shown in Figure9.5.3. The menu will be different to that seen when selecting an individual field, as shown in Figure9.5.4.

Figure 9.5.3: Selecting an object correctly to Mark in Graphic

Figure 9.5.4: Selecting an object incorrectly to Mark in Graphic

Note: The position of an object in the database tree can be found by:

-Opening the edit dialogue. The full path is shown in the header of the dialogue.

-Right-clicking the object and selecting Edit and Browse. This will open a new database browser when required, and will focus on the selected object.

9.5.5 Creating a New Project

A new project may be created by selecting File → New on the main menu. This creates a new Project folder and a dialogue is displayed where the user can define a grid folder in the Project folder. Finally the Graphic page in which the single line diagram will be displayed.

9.5.6 Creating New Graphic Windows

A new graphic window can be created using theNew command dialogue. This dialogue may be opened using one of the following methods:

• By pressing the icon.

• By pressing the keyboard shortcutCtrl+N.

• By selecting from the Insert menu on the main menu.

The ComNew dialogue must be configured to create the desired new object and the new object should be named appropriately. Ensure that the correct target folder for the new object is selected. Graphical objects that may be created using this dialogue (DiaPagetyp) are:

Grid Creates a new grid folder and a new Single Line Graphic object in that folder. The (empty) single line graphic will be displayed.

Block Diagram Creates a new Block Diagram folder in the selected folder and a new Block Diagram Graphic object. The (empty) block diagram graphic will be displayed.

9.5. GRAPHIC WINDOWS AND DATABASE OBJECTS

Virtual Instrument Panel Creates a new Virtual Instrument Page object. The (empty) Virtual Instrument Page will be displayed.

Single Line Diagram Creates a Single Line Graphic in the target folder. Before the graphic is inserted, the user is prompted to select the relevant grid.

The target folder will be set to the ∖User folder by default, but may be changed to any folder in the database tree. The new grid, Block Diagram or Virtual Instruments folder will be created in the target folder.

In all cases, a new graphics board object is also created, because graphic pages can only be shown as a page in a graphics board. An exception is the creation of a new page, while in a graphics board. This can be done by pressing the icon on the graphics board toolbar. This will add the new graphics page to the existing graphics board.

Further information about how to draw network components is given in the following sections.

9.5.7 Basic Functionality

Each of the four graphic window types are edited and used in much the same way. This section gives a description of what is common to all graphic windows. Specific behaviour and functionality of the graphic windows themselves are described other sections of the manual.

9.5.8 Page Tab

The page tab of the graphic window displays the name of the graphics in the graphics board. The sequence of the graphics in the graphics board may be changed by the user. A page tab is clicked and moved by dragging and dropping. An arrow marks the insert position during drag and drop. Another way to change the order of the graphics is to select the option Move/Copy Page(s) of the context sensitive menu. In addition virtual instrument panels can be copied very easily. To do so theCtrl key is pressed during drag and drop. The icon copies a virtual instrument panel and inserts the copy alongside the original panel.

The page tab menu is accessed by a right-click on the page tab of the graphic windows. The following commands are found:

• Insert Page → Create New Page creates a new page (the icon in the toolbar will do the same).

• Insert Page → Open Existing Page opens a page or graphic that has already been created but which is not yet displayed (the icon in the toolbar will do the same).

• Rename Page presents a dialogue to change the name of the graphic.

• Move/Copy Page(s) displays a dialogue to move or copy the selected page. Copy is only available for virtual instrument panels.

9.5.9 Drawing Toolboxes

Each graphics window has a specific Drawing Tool Box. This toolbox has buttons for new network symbols and for non-network symbols. See Figure9.5.5for two examples.

(a) Single Line Diagrams (b) Block Diagrams

Figure 9.5.5: Drawing Toolbox examples

The toolboxes have:

• Network or block diagram symbols, which are linked to a database object: terminals, busbars, lines, transformers, switches, adders, multipliers, etc.

• Graphical add-on symbols: text, polygons, rectangles, circles, etc.

The toolboxes are only visible when the graphics freeze mode is off. The graphics freeze mode is turned on and off with the icon (found at the main icon bar of the graphical window).

9.5.10 Active Grid Folder (Target Folder)

On the status bar of PowerFactory (Figure9.5.6), the active grid folder is displayed on the left-most field, indicating the target folder (grid) that will be modified when you make changes in the network diagram.

To change the active target folder, double-click this field and then select the desired target folder. This can be useful if the user intends to place new elements on a single line diagram, but have the element stored in a different grid folder in the data manager.

Figure 9.5.6: The Status Bar