Definition Referencing

 

In PSCAD versions X4 or greater, users may reference any definition from a any component instance.  Obviously, the definition must be compatible with the instance for this to work, but this feature can be convenient when working with several versions of the same definition.  Referencing definitions is also important when copying and pasting module components or transmission segments between projects.

Reference List

All definitions that share the same name in any loaded project in the workspace will appear in the reference list.  For example, a user has loaded the master library and a custom library in the workspace, where a custom component definition called resistor is stored.  Of course, a definition called resistor also exists in the master library.  The user wants to switch freely between these two definitions while working in a case project.

 

Right-click on the component instance in question and select Switch Reference....

 

 

As can be seen above, both resistor definitions have been detected.  From here you may freely switch between definitions.

Edit Reference

If a component instance is not currently referenced to a definition, or if you want to point to a specific definition of a different name, then use Edit Reference....  This will invoke the Edit Reference dialog in which you can adjust both the namespace and definition name.

Re-Map References

Sometimes you may need to change the namespace name of a library project. If there are any component instances with definitions referencing this namespace, they will become de-referenced and appear as place cards.

 

 

If this happens, you can re-map all component instances in a project simultaneously. Right-click on the project in the workspace window and select Re-Map References to bring up the associated dialog:

 

 

The following list describes the functions of this dialog:

EXAMPLE:

 

A project contains 100 instances of a component, whose definition name is MyDefn, residing in a case project called MyCase. Another definition, again called MyDefn has been copied to a library project with namespace MyLibrary. It is desired to re-reference all 100 instances of the component to the MyDefn definition in the library project. The Re-Map References should then look like this: