Attribute Transfer for Part Generation

This task explains the procedure of attribute transfer that is necessary for generating piece parts.
Attribute transfer is needed because you will be generating parts from designs that are created using the Structure Functional Design and Ship Structure Detail Design products. The attributes (and their values) that you added in those applications will only be transferred here if you add them to the Structure Design Feature Dictionary. Attributes are added using standard Feature Dictionary procedures that are explained elsewhere in this manual. See Adding Properties to an Object Class for more information about adding attributes to the Feature Dictionary.

The term 'generating piece parts'  is used in the command because it is a shipbuilding industry term denoting the smallest individual component. For the purposes of this application a piece part is the same as a part, and the word part will be used here.

 

 

1. To begin with, add the attribute "category". When you are generating a part, the piece part generator adds a value to the attribute "category" by determining the category you selected in your design. For instance, if the category is "weather deck" in your design, the piece part generator will also  set the value of the attribute "category" to weather deck when the part is generated.

When adding this attribute to the Feature Dictionary, set the Type as string, and the Value as Unset.

NOTE: You must add the attribute "category" to each class that exists in this application - Plate and Shape.

  2. Add all the attributes you have in your design that you want to transfer to the generated part. These are attributes that were used when creating the design in the Structure Functional Design and Ship Structure Detail Design products.

Generally speaking you should use the same Type and Value as in Structure Functional Design and Ship Structure Detail Design. However, if you want to, you can set a default value that differs from what is defined in the original applications.

Structure Design only allows the two classes that are provided with this application - Plate and Shape. You cannot create others. Moreover, you cannot create subclasses. This is being pointed out because many other applications allow users to create both classes and subclasses.