About Diagram Types and Multiple Shapes
Each shape that you create has a diagram type associated with it. The diagram type of a shape instance is inherited from the catalog item. You can set the diagram type of an item's shape using the Properties dialog box only if the item's shape has no instances. Similarly, you can set the diagram type of a groupshape, only if the groupshape has no instances and no member shapes.
When creating more than one shape for an artifact, it is important to add the same ports or other objects to subsequent shapes. This prevents the creation of extraneous logical data that can wrongly affect the BOM of the design and be passed on to Cabling and/or Piping. For example, add a port or another object to the first shape you create. When you create the subsequent shapes for the same artifact, create the shape geometry and click
to open the
Add Member Shapes dialog box to add the port or object. The ports or other objects that do not have an instance in the new shape are called shapeless members. They are members of the block or group but do not appear in the open shape until you place them in the required location.
Blocks and groups can have different shapes for different diagram types. For example, the same block can have a block diagram shape, a circuit diagram shape, and a wiring diagram shape.
To place additional shapes of a block or group placed as an instance in the design in different diagram types, select the item in the
Report results dialog box and click
. In the
Select Shape dialog box, click the
All Types option to display all shapes for all diagram types. When you select a shape, you can only place it in the diagram type of the selected shape.
| Fibers and connections between ports are specific to a single diagram type. |