RBD Block Library File Overview
An
RBD Block Library file stores the blocks that you want to easily retrieve and insert into other block diagrams in your System files. You can create any number of RBD Block Library files. Enabled RBD Block Library files are searched in the order specified in the Project properties. For more information, see
Setting the Search Order for System and Library Files.
The
RBD Blocks table in this support file uses the same
Table Format file specified as the
RBD Blocks table in the
System file. However, you cannot use the
Format Builder in the
RBD Block Library file to customize this
Table Format file. You can customize this table using the
Format Builder only from the
RBD Blocks table for the
System file. For more information, see
Table Format Files. The
RBD Block Definition pane provides for viewing and modifying the visual and calculation properties for the active block.
The following table describes the panes in the RBD Block Library file.
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Pane
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Differences
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RBD Blocks
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Displays a table listing all blocks inserted in the file. Although this table uses the same Table Format file as the RBD Blocks table in the System file, for Identifier, the value shown is the library identifier that was assigned to the figure when it was inserted in this library file.
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RBD Block Definition
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Provides buttons for editing the visual and calculation properties for the block selected in the RBD Blocks table. The Preview area displays a sample of the selected block based on its currently specified visual properties. When you click a button to view or modify visual or calculation properties, not all property pages and/or properties are available. For example, in the Calculation Properties window, the Links, Results, and Costs pages are not shown. This is because linking and block calculations are possible only for blocks inserted into System files. For property descriptions, see:
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The commands on the shortcut menu for blocks in the RBD Diagram Library file are a subset of the commands on the shortcut menu for blocks in the System file.
When you insert a block directly in an RBD Block Library file, the properties for the default block style are assigned to it. When you insert a System file block into an RBD Block Library file, the properties for the System file block are assigned to it. When an RBD Block Library file is open, selecting > displays its properties. Under > , you can view and modify default styles for all block diagram objects. Under Identifiers , you can view and modify block and component identifiers.
Reporting on the RBD Block Library file works in the same manner as reporting on the System file. However, Report Design files must be made specifically for RBD Block Library files. You cannot use the Report Design files made for System files to report on RBD Block Library files.
While RBD Block Library files can be placed in the Common Library, you cannot open them from there. You can only open RBD Block Library files when a standard Project is open so that the Table Format and other support files that they require are available. For more information, see
Common Library.
Importing to and exporting from these files are supported. Because Import/Export Template files for blocks and block maintenance affect System files by default, to import to or export from an
RBD Block Library file, the file must be open and active. For more information, see
Importing and Exporting.