Project Management

In project management, you can create your projects and organize them within an editable folder structure. Additionally, existing projects can be edited.
The following graphic illustrates a sample layout of such a project folder structure and some projects.

The project list can be managed in the current view using the following context menu.

New…
Opens the dialog for creating a new project.

Insert Copy…
Inserts a copy into the project list and opens the dialog for creating/changing a project. The name of the copy must be changed, but modifying other available options is optional.
The copy does not include records linked to the original project, such as drawings.

Edit…
Opens the dialog for modifying the settings of the selected project (the dialog is the same as for creating a project).

Delete
Deletes all selected projects and the data they contain, including all associated drawings, without any additional prompt!

Cut
Functions like the Windows cut feature, where an element is copied to the clipboard and deleted when pasted.

Copy
Functions like the Windows copy feature, copying an element to the clipboard.

Paste
Functions like the Windows paste feature, pasting an element from the clipboard.

Refresh
Refreshes the project list.

Select Folder from Selected Record
When elements (projects) from multiple nodes are displayed in the current view, you can select an element and use this function to select the corresponding node in the structure tree. This also refreshes/filters the project list.

Open Project Directory
Opens the project directory of the selected project in Windows Explorer.

Comparison: Evaluation Lists of several Projects (out of order!!!)
Opens the dialog for comparing evaluation lists of multiple projects.

Comparison: Evaluation Lists of this Project (out of order!!!)
Opens the dialog for comparing the evaluation lists of the selected project. This dialog is similar to the one for comparing several projects but with pre-filled settings for the selected project.

Export Project

DWGs can be transferred directly and imported into any project in another database using drag & drop.
Article data must then be transferred from the DWG file to the database.

Import a Project

Imports an export file of a project into Helios 3D, transferring all necessary data into the current database. The dialog will be displayed, allowing you to decide for each element whether it will be imported into the database, possibly overwriting an existing record (which allows updating older records), or if no action should be taken.

In the structure list of the import dialog, all importable elements are displayed. Elements that already exist under the corresponding internal database ID are shown in green text in the „Import“ column, while red item numbers indicate elements that do not yet exist and therefore, according to Helios 3D, need to be imported. For these elements, you have the option to insert a „New“ record.
An action selected for a parent entry in the structure list will automatically be applied to all subordinate nodes. This minimizes the number of manual selections you need to make, especially when performing multiple identical actions.

The possible options for handling data are:

• Select the action „New“ for all records not yet present in the database. This selection can then be manually edited before you start the import.

• Select the action „Overwrite“ for all records in the database with differing configurations. This selection can then be manually edited before you start the import.

• Reset all selected actions back to „No Action“.

Additional Data

Below the project list, there is „Additional Data“ for the selected project. This data is divided across several tabs, which are explained in the subsections below.
Since the Master Data and Record Info tabs only provide an overview of the project data, they do not need further explanation.

Creating a Project

If you want to create a project directly in a specific folder, first select that folder in the folder structure.
A project is created by right-clicking in the project list and selecting the menu item „New…“. This will open the dialog shown below.

Project Number:
You can enter a project number with up to 32 characters, unless it is managed automatically (if the option „Automatically manage project number“ is enabled in the system settings).

Project Name:
You can enter the project name with up to 64 characters.

Project Type:
Select a project type from the list (optional).

Country:
Select a country from the country list (optional).

Location:
Enter a location (optional).

Project Manager:
Enter a project manager (max. 64 characters) (optional).

Customer Number:
Select a customer from the customer management (optional).

Prototype Drawing:
Here you can select a prototype from the list that will be suggested by default when creating a new drawing.

Directory:
Here you can change the path for the project directory.

Drawings Tab

In this list, you can create and manage drawings for the selected project. A context menu of the drawing list is available for this purpose.

Drawing Master Data

In this section, you can enter all essential master data required for the drawing. The only mandatory field in the dialog below is the „Drawing number“ (the file name without its extension). Additionally, each project should include a designated reference drawing, as only this drawing will transfer its parts list information (such as the number of arrays, project wattage, and similar details) to the project record.

Drawing Number
The drawing number typically corresponds to the drawing name without the file extension. If the „Set Drawing Filename Equal to Drawing Number“ option is enabled in the system settings, the filename is automatically populated. The drawing number and filename are the only required fields.

Description
You can enter a description for the drawing here.

File Type
Here, you can select a file type. The only relevant option is „AutoCAD Drawing.“

Filename
If the „Set Drawing Filename Equal to Drawing Number“ option is enabled in the system settings, this entry will match the drawing number plus the file extension. This is the default setting.

Drawn by / Inspected by
Here, you can enter the names of the drafter and the inspector.

Reference Drawing
Reference drawings transfer their parts list information to the project whenever a new parts list is generated. This option must be enabled for the calculated values—such as project area, project wattage, the number of arrays and panels, and the count of inverters used—to appear in the master data of the project record.

Created / Edited
Displays the creation date and the date of the most recent modification of the DWG file.

Size in KB
Displays the file size.

Checked out at
Date and time when a drawing was checked out.

From Computer / User
Computer and user from whom the drawing was checked out.