Defining Contextual Links: Editing and Replacing Commands

This command called "Define Contextual Links" uses the existing panel of the "Change Context" command. Therefore, the command can be used in the Change Context command. New buttons have been created in the Change Context window: Edit and Replace.

The Define Contextual Link command enables to define (change) all the contextual links before and during the Change Context command. You can also make the operation on contextual parts, to modify unsolved links. You have the possibility to:

  • re-root each link, using the Edit button, pointing in 3D space or in graph
  • re-root links, using the Replace button, changing one or many instance names
  • change the numbers of each link, using Replace.

Contextual Links:

For contextual parts, the reference keeps a link with the Original or Definition Instance (or Original Part).

For each part, every instance keeps a link with its reference. But the Contextual Reference (or Contextual Part) has only one link, with a single instance that is contextual. This unique link allows you to know the name of the document (CATProduct) on which the part 's external geometry rests.

There is a distinction between the Original Instance and the subsequent Contextual References because the geometrical definition of contextual Parts depends on neighboring components (support) in the Assembly. The Geometry of the Contextual Part depends on another instance in the same Assembly (second link).

Three Instances of Contextual Part exist:

  Definition Instance This icon shows that the Part Reference is contextual and this Instance is the Definition Instance. The green gear and the blue chain signify the "original" instance of a part that is contextual (driven by another part, built with another part's data) in a CATProduct.
  Instance of the Definition Instance This contextual part, represented by the white gear and the green arrow, is an Instance of the Definition Instance, coming from the Contextual Part. The geometry of this instance is connected with the Definition Instance (contextual link). Note that you can edit this contextual part.
  Other Instance of the Contextual Part The brown gear and the red flash signify that the Part reference is contextual and that this instance is not used in the Part Definition. Note that you can edit this Contextual Part. This symbol can appear when you copy / paste or insert a Contextual Part into another CATProduct without taking into account the contextual links.

In this case the user needs to resort to the "Define Contextual Links" or "Isolate Part" commands in order to redefine the context of the Part and this red flash will be turned into a blue chain or green arrow.

For more information, please read the following scenarios: Defining Contextual Links: Editing and Replacing Commands, and Isolating a Part in Product Structure User' Guide.
Open the DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct document.

How to Replace a Part or a Publication

  1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links. The following dialog box is displayed:

  2. In the Change Context dialog box, select the Publication path of Solid.1 and click the Replace button.

  3. Select another component in the Specification Tree, for instance the Publication: PartBody, which will be the new pointed element.

Only the selection of a Publication (not other element) is possible in the Specification Tree (not in 3D).
And you can immediately visualize the expected status: Connected.
  1. Before going to the next task, please close DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct without saving it.

How to Edit a Part or a Publication

First example:

Open the DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct document.

  1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links.

  2. In the Change Context dialog box, select the Publication path of Solid.1 and click the Edit button, the following window appears displaying the graphical view of the external references, which you can compare with the product structure graph. The Edit button allows to re-root the external links of a contextual part with other elements.

    The part Support2.1 and the Publications PartBody are highlighted in red because Support2.1 should be under Compo2.CATProduct.

  3. On the contextual menu of Support2.1, select the Insert Node before command to add a node, SubCompo2.CATProduct between Compo2.1 and Support2.1. You can directly select SubCompo2.CATProduct in the Specification Tree.

    And you obtain:

    Both the Part and the Publication are no longer highlighted. Their links are restored. Thanks to the creation of the new node SubCompo2.1.

  4. Click OK. The Solid.1 is reconnected and it acquires a new pointed element, PartBody, and a new pointed instance, Support2.1:

  5. Click OK.

  6. Before going to the next example, please close DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct without saving it.

Second example:

Open the DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct document.

  1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links.

  2. In the Change Context dialog box, select both Datum.1 and Curve.2 and click the Edit button:

    The following window appears:

    The reference of Support4.1 cannot be found under Compo1.1 because it has been renamed: Support.1.

  3. Select Support4.1 and the contextual command Replace Node:

  4. Select another component in the Specification Tree: Support1.1, which will be the new pointed element. And the link is restored.

  5. Click OK.

  6. The other solution is to Edit the node of Support4.1, as shown below:

  7. And you can enter a new name, for instance: Support.1. Click OK.

    And you obtain:

  8. Click OK. The new pointed instance is Support.1 and the new pointed elements are Sketch.1 and VDirection.

  9. Before going to the next example, please close DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct without saving it.

Third example:

Open the DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct document.

  1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links.

  2. In the Change Context dialog box, select Surface.2 and click the Edit button:

    The following window appears:

    The reference of Support1.1 cannot be found under SubCompo2 because its position has changed: it is under Compo2.1 and not under SubCompo2.1.

  3. Select Support1.1 and the contextual command Replace Node.

  4. Select Support1.1 in the Specification Tree or select another Publication under Support1.1: Extrude2. And you obtain:

    The other solution is to delete Subcompo2:

    As a consequence, Support1.1 is directly under Compo2.1:

  5. Click OK and the links are reconnected between Support1.1 and Compo2.1.

  6. Finally, you can update your document.

The Edit functionality is the same with Publications.
Always the top most Publication in the scope of the common reference product is used to define the Contextual Link. The top most Publication represents the better logical access to a given geometry while the internal path to this geometry is not exposed for the user point of view. When it exists, the Publication at the Assembly level is then selected.