Copy devices, subsystems and safety functions
When you are working on a project you sometimes want to copy devices, subsystems or safety projects. In this post you will learn how to use the copy function effectively including linking the original with the copy and how to save the copy under a new name.
Copying devices and subsystems
Copying devices
Devices and subsystems can be copied from account level to project level, and visa versa, and between projects. Here you see the copy button on a device page. It looks the same for a subsystem page.
When you click on the COPY button you can either copy the device to the account level or (from the account level or a project) to another project. In the next picture you see the option to copy a device to the account level. You click CONFIRM and the device will be added to your library of devices in your account.
The NEW NAME option allows you to give the copy a new name in the account or project you copy it to.
When you copy a device to a project you will see a pull down menu with the projects that are available to you. Depending on your user rights within the account you might see all or only the projects you have the rights for. You have the option to keep or remove the link between the original device and the copied device. Keeping the link has the advantage that when you update the data in the original device, you will be notified in all projects where you use this device that the data has been changed with the option to update the device with the new data. When you remove the origin link, you create a real copy of the device. It will not be updated when the original device is updated.
Copying subsystems
The copying of the subsystem functions in the same way as copying devices. Subsystems that contain devices created on project level and that are copied to new project will loose the link for this project device. See below.Copying project devices/subsystem
When you create a device/subsystem on project level, i.e., not an account device or QID device, then the link to the original is cleared when copying this project device/subsystem to another project.Copying safety functions
Safety functions can be copied between projects. You can also gave that copied safety function a new name for the selected project.
A few things good to know when you copy a safety function to another project:
- The tool will add a single copy of each device/subsystem to the target project. If target project already has a copy of this device/subsystem - a new one will not be added.
- All links to the original account/QID devices are saved in the target project.
- Since safety functions can contain devices/subsystems created on project level, i.e., not linked to account or QID, these devices/subsystems are copied as new project level devices/subsystem and are not linked to origin.