Opening Sub-Trees

This task explains how to open the sub-tree of the selected item in a specific window. This functionality is not available for all workbenches. For instance, you cannot use it when working with Drafting, V4 Integration, Material Library or Catalog Editor.
Open the Seat.CATProduct document.

  1. With the specification tree visible, click the part instance named "seat" then right-click and select Open Sub-Tree.

    A new window containing the sub-tree of "seat" is displayed:
    The window that opens is named after the top-level element contained in the window from which the command has been run. In our example, the top-level element is "Product1".

    The sub-tree window is just a pop-up window: it is used for visualizing sub-trees during the session but it is not kept from one session to another.
    You cannot open the same sub-tree several times. If you try to do so, the window of the sub-tree you are trying to re-open will be displayed in foreground.

  2. Press F3 to hide the specification tree. You notice that the sub-tree window is still visible.

  3. Press F3 again to show the specification tree again.

  4. In "Product1" window, click the + sign next to "Geometrical Set.1" then select "Surface.3": the selected element is highlighted in both the sub-tree window and the specification tree but also in the geometry area.

    You can also right-click an element from the sub-tree window then use the contextual commands. The commands available from the contextual menu are identical to those displayed when right-clicking the element directly from the specification tree.

  5. In the specification tree, select "PartBody" then right-click and select Open Sub-Tree: the new window is superposed onto the window you opened previously and appears in foreground.

  6. To close a sub-tree, click the cross in the top-right corner of the window.

More about the Open Sub-Tree Command
 
  • multi-selection is not supported
  • the standard size of the window is 250x400 pixels but you can resize it if needed. However, this customized size only applies to the current window, each new window you may open afterwards will have the standard size
  • selecting Window > Tile Horizontally/Vertically or Window > Cascade has no effect on the windows displaying the sub-trees
  • when working with several document windows, you need to activate a window to show all the sub-trees that have been opened for this window, the last activated sub-tree being displayed in foreground. Inversely, when a window is not active anymore, all the sub-trees linked to this window are hidden.
    In the example below, the window named "Seat.CATProduct" is active and so, the sub-trees linked to this window are displayed whereas those of the "Seat.CATPart" window are not visible: