Linking and Embedding Objects - Intergraph Smart P&ID - 11 - Help - Intergraph

Intergraph Smart P&ID Help

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Smart P&ID Version
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This software is compatible with Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) software. You can transfer text, numbers, or images between drawings or documents that were created with this software and other OLE applications. You can move whole documents around or just parts of a document that you select. The information that you move is an object.

For example, you can use Microsoft Word to make a comment and then display the comment in your drawing, or you can insert a Microsoft Excel worksheet into a drawing. You can even create a drawing that contains another drawing, notes from Microsoft Word, and an Excel worksheet.

You can insert information created in another application with one of many methods:

  • You can cut and paste an item to delete it from one location and move it to another location.

  • You can copy and paste an item to duplicate it in another location.

  • Linking stores data in one location and places a copy with a link in another location. When you change the original data, the copy can be updated either automatically or manually.

  • Embedding copies information and stores the information in another document that was created in a different application. If you change the embedded object, the original information does not change and vice versa.

Linking or Embedding

An object is data from one application that you insert in a drawing. You can link or embed information between drawings or documents that were created with this software and OLE software.

Linking stores data in one location and places a copy and a link in another location. The linked data is stored in the source document itself. When you paste the information in the destination document with the Paste Link option, a reference point or box is inserted into the destination document. This box displays the information that you pasted. When you change the original data, the pasted data is updated either automatically or manually. You can edit the linked information by opening the source document. You can insert linked information with the Paste Special command on the Edit menu. You can link an entire document to another document by inserting the information with the Insert > Object command on the Edit menu.

Embedding copies data in one document and stores the information in another document. If you change the copied data, the original information does not change, and vice versa. You can embed information with the Paste Special command on the Edit menu. You can embed an entire document inside another document by inserting the information with the Insert > Object command on the Edit menu.

If you want to keep the document size small, then link the data to another document. Linked information increases the document size only by the size of the displayed image, not by the size of the data itself. Linking is also useful when you want to share information in many different places and set that information to update automatically. For example, if you want to display a drawing in several different reports that you created in Microsoft Word, you could link the drawing inside the documents that contained the reports. Then, later, you could update the drawing by editing it in this software. Each report would automatically display the results of the drawing updates.

If document size is not an important factor, then use embedding. Embedded objects make the file size larger.

Embedding is useful when the person viewing the document with the embedded information does not have access to the software that created the object. The person can still view the information if it is embedded in the document. For example, if you wanted to send out several drawings for review, you could embed each drawing into a Microsoft Word document and send the Microsoft Word document to each reviewer.

Embedded information is also a good choice if the information does not need updating.

Embedding by Cutting or Copying, and Pasting

The easiest way to embed an object is to use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands on the Edit menu in any OLE software. If you copy or paste information into an application in which you cannot edit the information, the software automatically embeds the information in the document. You can then edit the embedded information with the software that created it. If you cannot edit the information, the information appears as a static picture.

  • If you want to copy the information, and not remove it from its original location, press CTRL while dragging.

  • On the Paste Special dialog be sure that you select Paste and not Paste Link.

  • Or if you want to link the object, select Paste Link on the dialog.

Linking or Embedding an Object

If you want to insert an existing document, you can use Edit > Insert > Object, too. On the dialog, select the Create from File option and then enter the name, or browse to the document. The entire document is embedded into the drawing.

  • If you want to embed the existing object, make sure you have not selected Link on the dialog .

  • If you want to link the existing object, select Link on the dialog.

Editing a Linked or Embedded Object

To edit an object, you can double-click the object to open the software that created the object. If you do not have the source software installed, you cannot edit the object. The menus and toolbars of the current software are temporarily replaced by the menus and toolbars of the software that just opened.

Linked or embedded files are not transferred by Workshare. You must transfer those files manually, and they should be located in the same directory as the drawing files.

  • You can select commands on a shortcut menu to activate the software that created the object. To get the shortcut menu, right-click the embedded object.

  • You can type a URL with http syntax in the Description dialog to link World Wide Web documents to an item.

  • Symbols in drawings usually point to the catalog associated with the current plant. If items inadvertently point to the wrong catalog, you can correct this problem by using the CheckFilePathsCmd macro.