PowerFactory Introduction

This document presents an overview of basic PowerFactory concepts, including menus, windows and toolbars,
as well as the structure of the database as seen by the user.

1 General Design of PowerFactory

The PowerFactory default layout of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) is shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1: PowerFactory Default Graphical User Interface

[1] Menu Bar

[5] Status Bar

[6] Project Overview

1.1 Menu Bar

The menu bar contains the main PowerFactory menus. Each menu entry has a drop-down list of menu options.
Menu options that are shown in grey are disabled, and will only be enabled when projects (see section 4) or
calculation modes are active.

1.2 Main Toolbox 1

The main PowerFactory toolbox 1 provides the user with quick access to the main commands available in the
program. Icons (buttons) that appear grey are not currently active. All command icons have balloon help text
which is displayed when the cursor is hovered over the icon.

To use a command icon, click on it with the left mouse button. Those icons that are associated with the
execution of a task will automatically return to a non-depressed state when that task is finished. Some
command icons will remain depressed, such as the button to Maximise Output Window. When pressed again,
the button will return to the original (non-depressed) state.

Figure 1.2: Main Toolbox

The above figure shows the main icons which by default are always visible.

1.3 Main Toolbox 2 (Functions)

In order to minimise the number of icons displayed on the main toolbar, some icons are grouped based on the
type of analysis, and are only displayed when the relevant category is selected from the Change Toolbox icon
( ). In Figure 1.1, Contingency Analysis was selected, and therefore only icons relevant for this type of study
are displayed.

Note that the visibility of icons to an individual user may depend on the User Profile. Refer to the User Manual,
section User Interface Customisation, for more details about this.

If there is not enough space to display all icons (e.g. due to the display resolution), this toolbar is displayed
with small ’up’ and ’down’ arrow buttons, with which the rest of the buttons can be accessed. It is also possible
to move the complete toolbox to a different position: on the main toolbar, the two toolboxes are separated by a
barrier , and can be moved by clicking on the barrier and dragging it to the required location.

1.4 Output Window

The output window displays information such as error messages, warnings, command messages, device
documentation, results of calculations, and generated reports.

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By default, it is “docked” into position, but it can be resized or moved around as required. A window is moved
by clicking on the top portion of the window and dragging it to the required position. This can simply be an
“undocked” location, but if the tool window approaches a position where it can be docked, this will be indicated
by a blue background.

1.5 Status Bar

The status bar provides feedback about the present status of PowerFactory. For example, it indicates the
status of the calculations, the target folder for new elements, the position of the cursor either in the graphics
window or in the output window and the study case time.

1.6 Project Overview

The Project Overview window displays an overview of the main project folders, allowing the user to assess the
state of the project at a glance and allows easy interaction with the project data. Information will only be seen
if a project is active.

1.7 Drawing Tools

The Drawing Tools window contains icons linked to elements that can be added into the diagram. Different
icons are shown depending on the selected type of graphic. The drawing tool icons will only be seen if a
project is active.

2 PowerFactory Database

The data in PowerFactory is stored inside a set of hierarchical directories. The top level structure consists of
the following folders:

• Configuration: contains company specific customising for user groups, user default settings, project
templates and class templates for objects.
• System: contains objects that are used internally by PowerFactory. The system folder contains default
settings provided by DIgSILENT and these should not be changed. They are automatically updated upon
migration to a new PowerFactory version.
• DIgSILENT Library: contains all standard types and models provided with PowerFactory.
• User accounts: contain user project folders and associated objects and settings. By default, when
PowerFactory is installed, a user with the Windows username is created.

The hierarchial structure of the PowerFactory database, and the objects contained within it, can be viewed and
edited using a Data Manager, as described in the next section.

3 Data Manager

The Data Manager enables the user to access the complete database and so manage all the data and settings.
The Data Manager uses a tree representation similar to the Windows explorer and can be accessed by clicking
the button Open Data Manager , which is the first button of the main toolbar.

The Data Manager, shown in Figure 3.1, has two windows:

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• The database tree window (left pane) which shows a tree representation of the whole database

• The database browser window (right pane) which shows the contents of the folder selected in the
database tree window.

Figure 3.1: PowerFactory Data Manager

The user in Figure 3.1 is called “DIgSILENT”.

The Data Manager can also be used to view and organise the data inside the projects. A project is in
PowerFactory the so called “working file”, where all the data related to a specific “study” or “network” is stored.
A user can have several projects and these are not created by default when installing PowerFactory. A quick
overview of the Project is presented in the next section.

4 Project

The Project contains the complete set of data that is associated with a network model, including elements,
types, topological connection, diagrams, calculation commands and calculation results. The use of projects in
PowerFactory can be thought of as being similar to the use of files in other programs.

Projects can be imported and exported for data exchange. The high-level structure of the project, shown in
Figure 4.1, includes the following components:

• Library: contains all types that are specific for the project
• Network Model: represents the grid and the electrical components.
• Study Cases: define the network model configuration and calculation commands settings for the partic-
ular case.

• Settings: project settings such as colouring, filters, etc. are stored in this folder.

Figure 4.1: Top Level Project Structure

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The structure of project data depends on the complexity of the network, use of the model, and user preferences.

Right clicking on a project displays the context menu which can be used, for example, to activate, deactivate,
import and export the project.

5 Graphic Window

The graphic window in PowerFactory displays the network diagram that is stored in the database graphically,
as shown in Figure 5.1. Networks can be displayed in various types of diagrams:

• Schematic single line diagrams

• Geographic diagrams that are geo-referenced based in GIS data

Grids, network parts or individual elements can be displayed in single diagrams and multiple diagrams at the
same time. Thus, it is possible to have for example a schematic single line and geographic diagram of the
same network.

Figure 5.1: Graphic window in PowerFactory (example of a schematic and geographic diagram)

Network diagrams can be built manually in the graphic windows using the elements on the drawing toolbar.
Or generated automatically using the corresponding function. More information about building networks is
available in the User Manual, chapter Building Networks.

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6 PowerFactory Documentation

The information provided in this document is just a high-level introduction to PowerFactory. There is much
more information available, depending on what you are looking for; the following documents can be accessed
either directly from PowerFactory or from the DIgSILENT download area ([Link]
en/[Link]).

• Tutorials: step by step description of several tasks in PowerFactory. Help → Tutorial. . .

• Examples: the window PowerFactory Examples provides a list of application examples of PowerFac-
tory calculation functions. Every example comes with an explanatory document. Additionally, videos
demostrate the software handling and its functionalities. File → Examples. . .
• User Manual: all the functions, objects and settings of PowerFactory are described in the User Manual.
Pressing the key F1 while working with PowerFactory will lead directly to the related topic inside the User
Manual. Help → User Manual
• Technical References: description of the models implemented in PowerFactory for the different power
systems components. Help → Technical References
• What’s New: document and video provided with every annual release. Help → What’s New

• Release Notes: for all new versions and updates of the program Release Notes are provided, which
document the implemented changes. Help → Release Notes
• Knowledge base: a database of information, based on an FAQ format, available for any users (whether
registered or not) in [Link]
• Scripting References: description and examples of DPL and Python commands. Help → Scripting
References
• Additional Packages: documents with additional description and /or examples of the PowerFactory
Interfaces. Help → Additional Packages

Apart from the mentioned documentation, DIgSILENT provides Direct Technical Support, where PowerFac-
tory experts offer direct assistance to registered users with valid guarantee/maintenance. The Support Centre
is located on the website [Link]