Making Off Sheet Connections

Connections between different systems are made via off sheet connectors in a dedicated Assembly Product document.

The systems containing the off sheet connectors, or markers used to establish connections, are imported into the Assembly Product document. 

Assembly Product documents can be saved, with imported systems, in CATProduct type files with one document per file.

To be able to establish off sheet connections:

  • Signals must be of the same type
  • Off sheet connector names must be identical.
This task explains how to make off sheet connections.
You must have a minimum of two systems with off sheet connectors already created.

  1. Click the New Document button I_New.gif (120 bytes) in the Standard toolbar to create a dedicated document.
    The New Document dialog box appears.

  2. Set the Document Type to Assembly Product and identify your document, then click OK.

  3. Right-click the document you just created in the tree view and select Import Existing Component from the contextual menu.

    The Select a CATProduct file... dialog box appears.

  4. Ctrl-click or shift-click the systems containing off sheet connectors.

    Selected systems are imported into the document.
    You are now ready to establish off sheet connections.

  5. Select one of the systems you have just imported.

  6. Click the Resolve Links View button I_CreateLinks.gif (603 bytes) in the Workshop Commands toolbar:

    The Resolve Links view is displayed to the right of the tree view.
    The top part lists off sheet connectors for which no connection has been made.
    Note: Off sheet connectors associated with more than one component are only listed once.

  7. Make off sheet connections:

    • Click Automatic Resolution to have the application automatically make them,

      Or,

    • Make the connection manually:

    1. Select an unresolved off sheet connector:

      Compatible off sheet connectors which have not yet been connected are displayed in the middle part of the view and those which have already been connected but to which you can add connections are displayed in the bottom part of the view.

    2. Select a compatible off sheet connector.
      To be able to establish off sheet connections, signals must be of the same type and connector names must be identical.

    3. Click Resolve

      The connection is added to the Signals folder of the system selected. 

      Note: The symbol identifying the off sheet connection signal differs from those used for other types of signal. All components assigned to signal off sheet connectors are also identified in the tree view.