Data Model Considerations: Defining Classes

 

The system data model is a key factor in the ease of use, performance and usability of the system. The fact that the SmarTeam system has a flexible data model is a huge advantage, but this advantage should be used correctly, taking into consideration how the CATIA Integration is affected.

This page deals with the definition of classes. For information about attributes, see Defining Attributes.

Number of Classes

A CATIA class represents data of CATIA documents in SmarTeam database. The following table describes the CATIA component types treated by SmarTeam - CATIA Integration:

CATIA Component Type Description Remarks
CATIA Product CATIA Product
CATIA Internal Component CATIA Internal Component Use only if Exposed Mode set to TRUE
CATIA Part CATIA Part
CATIA Drawing CATIA Drawing
CATIA Sheet CATIA Sheet Use only if Exposed Mode set to TRUE
CATIA Catalog CATIA Catalog
CATIA Material CATIA Material
CATIA Process CATIA Process
NC NC
CATIA V4 Model CATIA V4 Model
CATIA Representation CATIA Representation
CATIA Analysis Results CATIA Analysis Results
CATIA Analysis CATIA Analysis
CATIA Analysis Computations CATIA Analysis Computations
CATIA Analysis Input CATIA Analysis Input
CATIA System CATIA System
CATIA Feature Dictionary CATIA Feature Dictionary
CATIA Document CATIA Document
CATIA Process Library CATIA Process Library
Design Table Design Table
CATIA CADAM CATIA CADAM

We recommend to avoid a large number of classes, as it affects general performance and from the point of view of usability and understanding by the user, the interface may become too complicated. In the case of a specific data model for a customer, use only the classes that the user needs and remove unused classes in SmDemo (in case this database is used as a starting point for the implementation).

Recommendation

  • Define only SmarTeam classes that correspond to component types that you use in CATIA.
  • Alternatively, if certain component types may be used in the future; remove user's permissions from these classes to ensure that they do not confuse the end users.
 

Defining Composition Rules

The SmarTeam Data Model Designer allows you to define composition rules. It is recommended to allow only the relevant compositions as this has direct effect on performance. The following table displays the recommended composition for CATIA classes. For component types that do not appear in the table, do not set any composition.

Class CATIA Product Standard CATIA Product CATIA Internal Component CATIA Part Standard CATIA Part CATIA

Model

Class Component Type            
CATIA Product CATIA Product

V

V V V V V
Standard CATIA Product CATIA Product X

V

X X V X
CATIA Internal Component CATIA Product

V

V

V

V

V

V

CATIA Part CATIA Part X X X X X X
Standard CATIA Part CATIA Part X X X X X X
CATIA Model CATIA Model X X X X X X

How to define composition

In the Data Model Designer, define the link classes, their attributes and class composition. To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. From the SmarTeam Data Model Designer window, select Document Tree.

  2. Click the Composition tab.

  3. Set the appropriate compositions.

Defining Classes as Desktop Objects

When defining classes in the Data Model Designer, you may allow/not allow associating objects of this type with the project desktop by setting the Add as Top Level flag.

Assigning a Class to be top level has performance implications due to the special actions executed by SmarTeam during a lifecycle. When Out of Vault operations (Check Out, New Release) are performed on objects of classes that may be desktop objects, the system checks whether the particular object is a desktop object and re-link the newly-created version to the root of the projects to which it was previously linked.

Recommendation

Decide which classes should be allowed on the desktop and define only these classes as desktop objects. Try to minimize the number of classes allowed to be desktop objects.

 

How to allow a class to be a desktop object

  1. Check Add as Top Level for the classes as illustrated below:

Standard Parts

Standard parts are widely used by designers. The major advantage of using standard parts in CATIA is the reusability of the parts and the time it saves. It is critical that parts that fall into the category of standard parts do not change often, and will be correctly managed and controlled as they may affect almost all your designs

For more details, see the Standard Parts Library Methodology Guide. See also Managing Catalogs.

STANDARD PARTS REVISION MANAGEMENT

The following table provides a brief summary of the advantages and disadvantages of revision management of standard parts.

Using revision-managed parts

Advantages

Disadvantages

Secure vault storage Need to always copy standard part along with assembly to user work area
Multi-site replication along with vault

Using non-revision-managed parts

Advantages

Disadvantages

No need to move standard parts to user work area Standard parts reside in non-secure area, where users need write permission
  Cannot replicate standard parts in the Multi-site, as the parts do not reside in the vault

Recommendation

Although there are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, the most effective way to handle standard parts is in a revision-managed fashion even if no new revisions are generated for the standard part.

 

Assigning a Dedicated Class for Standard Parts

The SmarTeam administrator can assign either standard part class or distinguished standard parts by attributes. The following table summarize of advantages and disadvantages of both methods.

Standard part class

Advantages

Disadvantages

Lifecycle rules can be set differently for standard parts to support company rules

Cannot transfer regular parts to standard parts

To avoid unauthorized modification, authorization can be applied for standard parts

 

Visualization by icon in the SmarTeam tree for standard class part

 

Attribute based standard parts

Advantages

Disadvantages

Any type of part can be transferred to a standard part Cannot define Lifecycle rules for standard parts
  No authorization for standard parts
  No visualization in the SmarTeam tree

Recommendation

Currently, it is recommended to use the standard parts class to be able to define lifecycle rules for standard parts.

File Control Mechanism

In some cases, objects in certain classes are not file-managed, for example, folders in the documents tree. Removing the file control mechanism from a superclass and assigning file control to relevant classes only may have serious performance implications.

Recommendation

To ensure good performance for the CATIA integration, it is highly recommended that file management is defined at the super-class level. This should also be done for classes in your Documents super class, that do not manage any files. (These classes will not have any file attributes filled and the attributes will not be shown on the profile card).

How to define the File control mechanism

  1. In the Data Model Designer, set the File Control class mechanism for the Documents super class.

Working with Sheets and Internal Components

The SmarTeam - CATIA integration allows the creating of distinct objects for internal components in CATIA Product, and sheets in CATIA Drawing. In some cases, sheets and internal documents do not need to be managed separately.

Recommendation

Unless there is a specific need to manage internal components and/or drawing sheets as distinct objects, it is recommended to disable creating objects.

How to disable creating objects for internal components and drawing sheets

  1. Using the System Configuration Editor, set CATIA.ExposeMode to FALSE.

  2. Disable the CFO mechanism for CATIA Product and CATIA Drawing file types as follows: in SmarTeam, select Tools > Applications Setup.
    This displays the Application Tools window:

  3. For CATIA Product and CATIA Drawing file types, click the Tools button.

  4. From the dialog box that appears, click Modify.

  5. From the Update dialog box that appears, click the Advanced Setup tab and just clear Enable CFO for life cycle operations to disable the CFO mechanism for CATIA Product and CATIA Drawing file types.