EPLAN Page Types Reference
A comprehensive reference guide to the standard page types used in EPLAN Electric P8 projects, including descriptions, examples, standards compliance, and best practices for selection and implementation.
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EPLAN Page Types Reference
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EPLAN Page Types Reference
EPLAN Electric P8 — Page Types Reference
Software: EPLAN Electric P8 / EPLAN Platform Topic: All page types — Automatic pages, Document type, Function designation, Interactive pages, Location designation Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Overview
In EPLAN P8, every page in a project belongs to a page type. The page type determines:
- Whether the page is drawn manually or generated automatically
- What kind of content is allowed on the page
- How EPLAN processes and reports the page
- Where it appears in the page navigator filter
The 5 filter categories visible in the navigator are:
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Page Navigator Filter
├── Automatic pages ← Generated by EPLAN from form templates
├── Document type ← Pages classified by document standard
├── Function designation ← Pages grouped by functional assignment (=)
├── Interactive pages ← Manually drawn schematic pages
└── Location designation ← Pages grouped by installation location (+)
1. Interactive Pages
What They Are
Interactive pages are pages you draw and edit manually in the EPLAN schematic editor. They are the source of all engineering data — every report, every list, every auto-generated page reads its data from what you place here.
Interactive Page Subtypes
| Page Type | Code | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit diagram (multi-line) | 1 | Standard multi-line electrical schematic | Motor starters, control circuits, PLC I/O wiring |
| Circuit diagram (single-line) | 2 | Single-line power distribution diagram | Main power feeds, bus bars, switchgear overview |
| Circuit diagram (topology) | 3 | Routing topology page for cable paths | Cable routing paths, topology network definition |
| P&ID (piping & instrumentation) | 4 | Process flow and instrumentation diagram | Chemical plants, HVAC, water treatment, process loops |
| Fluid power (hydraulic/pneumatic) | 5 | Hydraulic or pneumatic circuit | Cylinders, valves, pressure circuits |
| Overview | 6 | Block/overview diagram — not fully connected | System architecture, functional block overview |
| PLC overview (graphic) | 7 | Graphical PLC hardware layout | PLC rack visualization, hardware assignment |
| Pre-planning | 8 | Planning objects — top-down engineering | Early phase: loops, pipe classes, substances |
| Mechanical | 9 | Mechanical layout or dimension drawing | Panel cutouts, mechanical arrangements |
| 2D panel layout | 10 | 2D cabinet/panel component layout | DIN rail layout, physical device arrangement |
| 3D mounting layout | 11 | EPLAN Pro Panel 3D view | 3D cabinet engineering |
Key Properties of Interactive Pages
- You draw, place symbols, and connect wires manually
- Every device placed here feeds into the project database
- Properties are edited via the device/connection properties dialogs
- Pages are identified by their full designator:
=GB1+ET1/3 - Changes here drive all auto-generated reports
How Interactive Pages Appear in Navigator
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Page Navigator
└── Interactive pages
└── =GB1 (Functional assignment)
└── +ET1 (Installation location)
├── /1 Circuit diagram — Main power feed
├── /2 Circuit diagram — Motor starter K1
├── /3 Circuit diagram — Motor starter K2
└── /4 PLC I/O diagram — DI card 1
2. Automatic Pages
What They Are
Automatic pages are generated by EPLAN using form templates (.f?? files). They do not exist until you run Utilities → Reports → Generate. They read all data from interactive pages and render it through a form layout.
You never draw on automatic pages. Any manual change is lost when reports are regenerated.
Automatic Page Subtypes
| Page Type | Form | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table of contents | .f01 | Auto-indexed list of all project pages | Always — every documentation package |
| Parts list | .f03 .f05 | Bill of materials — per page or summarized | Procurement, end of engineering |
| Device tag list | .f06 | All device tags with article data | Design review, asset management |
| Terminal diagram | .f11 | Per-terminal wiring diagram | Cabinet wiring, marshalling |
| Terminal-strip overview | .f10 | Strip layout with connections | Panel assembly |
| Cable diagram | .f04 | Per-cable conductor table | Installation, cable scheduling |
| Cable overview | .f04 | Summary of all cables | Procurement |
| Connection list | .f17 | Point-to-point wiring list | Shop floor wiring |
| PLC diagram | .f22 | PLC I/O card wiring | Automation commissioning |
| Structure identifier overview | .f08 | All =, +, - designators | Project structure review |
| Revision overview | .f02 | Revision history table | Document control |
| Plug/connector overview | .f07 | Multi-pin connector pin assignments | Harness / connector documentation |
| Potential overview | .f18 | All electrical potentials | Potential conflict checking |
How Automatic Pages Appear in Navigator
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Page Navigator
└── Automatic pages
├── Table of contents /TOC
├── Terminal diagram +ET1/T1
├── Terminal-strip overview +ET1/TO1
├── Cable diagram /C1
├── Parts list /PL
└── Connection list /CL
The Golden Rule
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❌ NEVER edit an automatic page directly
✅ ALWAYS edit the source interactive page, then regenerate
3. Document Type
What It Is
The Document type filter groups pages by their document classification — the type of technical document the page represents, independent of whether it is interactive or automatic.
This is the IEC 61082-based classification of the document content.
Document Type Categories
| Document Type | Description | Typical Page Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit documentation | Electrical connection diagrams | Circuit diagrams, connection lists |
| Location documentation | Physical layout and installation docs | 2D panel layout, terminal diagrams |
| Function documentation | Functional block and overview docs | Overview pages, P&IDs |
| Parts documentation | BOM and parts reference docs | Parts lists, device tag lists |
| General documentation | Non-technical document pages | Title pages, safety instructions, cover sheets |
| Fluid documentation | Hydraulic and pneumatic documents | Fluid power diagrams |
| Process documentation | Process flow and instrumentation | P&IDs, loop diagrams |
When to Use the Document Type Filter
- When searching for a specific class of document across a large project
- When exporting specific document types to a client (e.g., only circuit documentation)
- When applying DMS (document management) classification tags
- Formal project documentation packages that separate electrical from process documents
Setting Document Type on a Page
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Right-click page → Properties → Page type tab
→ Document type: [select from list]
4. Function Designation
What It Is
Function designation groups pages by their higher-level functional assignment — the = identifier in the EPLAN reference designation system (IEC 81346).
The = identifier defines what a device or system does — its functional role.
Examples of Function Designations
| Designator | Functional Assignment |
|---|---|
=GB1 | Drive system / Motor control |
=QA1 | Power supply system |
=TA1 | Signal and control system |
=HA1 | Lighting system |
=MA1 | Measurement and instrumentation |
How Function Designation Appears in Navigator
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Page Navigator
└── Function designation
├── =GB1 Drive system
│ ├── /1 Circuit diagram — Power feed
│ ├── /2 Circuit diagram — Motor starter K1
│ └── /3 PLC I/O — Motor signals
├── =QA1 Power supply
│ └── /1 Single-line — Main distribution
└── =TA1 Control system
├── /1 Circuit diagram — Emergency stop loop
└── /2 Circuit diagram — PLC power supply
When to Use the Function Designation Filter
- Navigating large projects organized by functional systems
- Reviewing all pages belonging to one functional group (e.g., all drive system pages)
- Generating reports filtered to one function (e.g., BOM for
=GB1only) - Cross-discipline review — process engineer reviews
=MA1measurement pages only
Setting Function Designation on a Page
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Right-click page → Properties → Structure tab
→ Higher-level function (=): [enter designator, e.g. GB1]
→ Description: [enter human-readable name]
5. Location Designation
What It Is
Location designation groups pages by their installation location — the + identifier in the EPLAN reference designation system (IEC 81346).
The + identifier defines where a device is physically installed.
Examples of Location Designations
| Designator | Installation Location |
|---|---|
+ET1 | Control cabinet 1 (Electrical panel) |
+ET2 | Control cabinet 2 |
+MCC | Motor control center |
+JB1 | Junction box 1 |
+FIELD | Field / plant floor |
+LCP | Local control panel |
How Location Designation Appears in Navigator
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Page Navigator
└── Location designation
├── +ET1 Control cabinet 1
│ ├── /1 Circuit diagram — Cabinet power entry
│ ├── /2 Circuit diagram — Motor starters
│ ├── /T1 Terminal diagram — X1
│ └── /TO1 Terminal-strip overview — X1
├── +MCC Motor control center
│ └── /1 Single-line — MCC busbar
└── +FIELD Field instruments
└── /1 Circuit diagram — Field junction box JB1
When to Use the Location Designation Filter
- Navigating all documentation for one physical cabinet or panel
- Generating location-specific reports (terminal diagrams only for
+ET1) - Reviewing what is installed in a specific location before a site visit
- Separating documentation packages for different buildings or areas
Setting Location Designation on a Page
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Right-click page → Properties → Structure tab
→ Installation location (+): [enter designator, e.g. ET1]
→ Description: [enter human-readable name, e.g. Control cabinet 1]
The Full Page Structure — All Three Identifiers Together
A complete EPLAN page designator combines all three levels:
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= GB1 + ET1 / 3
─── ─── ─
│ │ └── Page number within this location/function
│ └───────── Installation location: Control cabinet 1
└───────────────── Functional assignment: Drive system
Full page name: =GB1+ET1/3
The Function designation filter shows you all pages under =GB1 The Location designation filter shows you all pages under +ET1 These are two different views of the same pages — the page =GB1+ET1/3 appears in BOTH filters.
Page Type Filter — Practical Use Cases
| Task | Best Filter to Use |
|---|---|
| I want to draw a new schematic | Interactive pages |
| I want to check my terminal reports | Automatic pages |
| I want to find all power supply pages | Function designation → =QA1 |
| I want to find all pages for cabinet ET1 | Location designation → +ET1 |
| I want all P&IDs in the project | Document type → Process documentation |
| I want to find what EPLAN auto-generated | Automatic pages |
| I want to print only wiring documents | Document type → Circuit documentation |
Page Type vs Page Filter — Key Distinction
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Page type | The fundamental category of the page (circuit diagram, terminal diagram, etc.) — set in page properties |
| Page filter | The navigator view that groups pages by Automatic/Interactive/Document/Function/Location — a display filter only |
Changing the filter does NOT change the page type. It only changes what the navigator shows you.
Summary Table
| Filter | Groups By | IEC Basis | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive pages | Pages you draw manually | — | Schematic editing |
| Automatic pages | Pages EPLAN generates | — | Report review |
| Document type | Content classification | IEC 61082 | Documentation management |
| Function designation | = identifier | IEC 81346 | Functional system navigation |
| Location designation | + identifier | IEC 81346 | Physical location navigation |
Related Files
| File | Description |
|---|---|
README_Interactive_vs_AutoGenerated.md | Deep dive: interactive vs auto-generated pages |
README_Form_Layout_and_Types.md | All .f00–.f34 form types |
README_All_Categories_2026.md | All property categories |
README_Expert_Properties.md | Expert properties including structure identifiers |
README_Page_Types.md | This file |
EPLAN Electric P8 — Engineering Reference Documentation
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