Creating a Simple Filter

 

This task explains how to create a simple filter in a catalog.

If a chapter contains a large number of entities, one of the most effective ways of finding the entities you need is to narrow the selection criteria by means of the keywords you initially used to create the catalog.
Note that the search is case sensitive and therefore the string to be searched must be entered accordingly in the search field.
 

Have the ALL_FASTENERS.catalog open.

  1. In the Catalog tree, double-click on a family name or icon, e.g. SCREWS.
    The entities contained in the selected family appear in the form of a table on the right-hand side of the navigator.



    For any description contained in the selected family the filter functionality evaluates the logical expression you enter and then displays the entities complying with the criteria you used.

  2. Let's take a simple expression first. Enter the following expressions:

    • x.DIAMETER==4mm (for numerical values)
    • x.TYPE=="FHC" (for the comparison of character strings)
    • x.DIAMETER >=x.LENGTH (for the comparison of values between different keywords)
       
    In expressions, "x." must precede each chapter keyword name.


    The results will be as follows, correspondingly:










    Now let's take an example showing simple expressions connected by logical operators.

     

  3. Enter (x.DIAMETER<=4)AND(x.TYPE=="FHC") for the comparison of numerical values and character strings). The result is as follows:

    Here are some examples showing more complex expressions:

  4. Enter an expression comprising arithmetic operators, e.g.
    (x.DIAMETER + x.LENGTH)>=10mm.
    The result will be as follows:



     

  5. Enter an expression comprising arithmetic operators such as: min (x.DIAMETER, x.LENGTH)>=6mm.
    Note: This particular formula is not applicable to our example.

  6. Enter an expression comprising arithmetic operators such as: x.DESIGNATION.Search ("FHC")>=0mm.
    The result will be as follows:

  1. To display the filter history, click the Filter selection button.

  2. When you have identified the entity you require you can:

    • either edit it by selecting the line where it appears and clicking the Open button
    • or copy it into an appropriate document (see Inserting CATPart or CATProduct Documents from a Catalog in the Version 5 - Assembly Design User's Guide).

Keywords that include characters other than upper or lowercase alphabet characters and numbers from 0 through 9 must begin and end with double quotes.
For more information about expressions,  see the following chapters in the Version 5 - Knowledge Advisor Programming Guide:
  • Constants, Units and Operators
  • Mathematical Functions
  • String Functions