bug report - copy schematic

[xaviermdq]

Hi:
I'm testing Multisim 10.1 and I found an error when trying to copy a schematic.
How to reproduce bug:
- Place CD2027 (FF JK) part A and B. You have U1A and U1B
- Select both parts (or select all)
- Copy

When you paste in other software (Word for example) appears correctly labels, footprint
pin names but symbol pìn names are the same in both parts!. I check with other parts and
have the same problem.
I copy schematic very often because the copy is in vectorized form. The
only workaround with this issue is copying in bitmap form (capturing screen or
using "Tools->Capture Screen Area" option).
Sorry for my english.
Best regards,
Javier
Argentina

[xaviermdq]

Sorry for double post. 

The first was made in IE7 and gives me an error and the second was made in Opera with the problem that when I press Enter the line of text go down instead of cursor.

[lacy]

I have tried what you describe and I can verify that I get the same results. This is definitely a software issue that NI will have to examine. Thanks for reporting this to them and the forum.

[Osvaldo_Santos]

Hi Javier,

I can't found the component CD2027 in Multisim 10.1. Is this a third part library? Can you make it avaliable?

Thanks,

Best Regards,

Osvaldo.

[xaviermdq]

Sorry Osvaldo, I mean CD4027 dual JK Flip Flop (4027Bx_x in CMOS_x groups)

[Osvaldo_Santos]

Hi Javier,

I tested the procedure that you described, and i get the same behavour. This behavour occurs when you command a copy function from multisim the multisim stores in the clipboard area the pseudo image of the part or the selection in Multisim, so, when you actually paste "in Multisim", it will review more information attached to the component so as to define the pins names for example. When you paste "outside of Multisim" the rest of the information attached is lost, since other software does not understands Multisim net system or pin systems, this informations are very particular to Multisim Software.

The better way to copy a schematic from Multisim to another software is really use the Capture Screen Area tool. This tool was created just to solve these incompatibility issue.

I hope it may help you to clarify the Multisim behavour.

Regards,

Osvaldo Santos

[xaviermdq]

Hi Osvaldo,

I think is a bug and not a Multisim behavior because all the information is copied correctly except the symbol pin names.
When you copy a circuit to clipboard there are 3 elements: bitmap, enhaced metafile (circuit in a vectorized form) and binary multisim data. When you paste inside Multisim it uses binary data, but when you paste in Word, for example, uses enhaced metafile. The bug is in the function of multisim that converts propietary binary data to enhaced metafile.
As I said before, I use this method to export circuits because the image is vectorized and the "Capture Screen Area" produces a bitmap data that is not very useful when you are making a document (enhaced metafile look
better than bitmap).

Best regards,
Javier
Argentina

[Osvaldo_Santos]

Hi Javer,

The content stored on the clipboard is not a only a metafile, there are additional informations, like pin names, stored in diferent ways, not in the image, that are recognized by Multisim, and not by MS office package. You can confirm this information placing a copy of the U1A and U1B in the Multisim and place the same clipboard content in the MS office. You will see that in the Multisim the full information are recovered from the clipboard, but in the MS Office package, the pin name informations are lost. This functionality is not supported by Multisim.

Due these incompability issue Multisim created the Capture Screen Area tool, thath provides a bitmap file of your schematic, and for while it is the way to avoid this incompatibility.

Regards,

[xaviermdq]

Hi Osvaldo,

> The content stored on the clipboard is not a only a metafile, there are additional
> informations, like pin names, stored in diferent ways, not in the image, that are
> recognized by Multisim, and not by MS office package

Ok. The same I say in my previous post:

"When you copy a circuit to clipboard there are 3 elements: bitmap, enhaced metafile (circuit in a vectorized form) and binary multisim data"

The binary multisim data have all the information that use Multisim internally: component ubication, component properties, etc, etc,
If you copy some circuit to clipboard, Multisim generates:

DATA1 - BITMAP
DATA2 - ENHACED METAFILE
DATA3 - METAFILE
DATA4 - MULTISIM DATA
and other data (DIB bitmap and OLE data)

You can see clipboard as a folder in wich each file is the data you copied in different formats. For example, if you copy text in ANSI form (english text), you get 2 "files": text in ANSI form and text in UNICODE form.

When you paste inside Multisim, it uses DATA4 (Multisim internal data with components, properties, fonts, layouts, etc, etc). When you paste inside Word, it recognice DATA1, DATA2 and DATA3 but DATA2 takes precedence and you will see circuit image in your Word document.

> You can confirm this information placing a copy of the U1A and U1B in the Multisim 
> and place the same clipboard content in the MS office. You will see that in the Multisim
> the full information are recovered from the clipboard, but in the MS Office package,
> the pin name informations are lost. This functionality is not supported by Multisim.

You describe exactly the problem I have mencioned above and that I think is a bug and not an incompatibility because (to anyone how develops Multisim, please correct me) Multisim generates bitmap and metafile from the circuit models, wires, junctions, text, and
all graphical data.

Best regards,
Javier