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This task shows you
how to create a specifications catalog.An
example from the Piping workbench is used here. The process for other
workbenches is the same - simply use the relevant CATfct file and
terminology. For instance, in the Tubing workbench you would use Tubing
Part instead of Piping Part. See also Creating a
Specifications Catalog in the ENOVIA section. |
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A
manual procedure for creating a
specifications catalog also exists, but it is recommended that you use
the procedure described here. However, you should not mix the two. Do
not use the manual process to modify a specifications catalog created
using the automated process (which uses the Create/Modify Catalog
command described below). And vice versa. The sample specifications
catalog included with this application was created using the manual
procedure. You should take note of an important difference
between the two procedures: a specifications catalog that is created
with the Create/Modify Catalog command described here points to individual
parts. Therefore parts from more than one master catalog can be
included. A specifications catalog that is created with the
manual
procedure points to a master catalog - therefore
only parts from one catalog can be included in it.
A specifications
catalog allows you to specify which parts can be used for a certain project
or part of a project. The parts or the main catalog typically contains all
the parts available to you. However, in many circumstances you will only
want to use parts that have certain properties - if you are building a
system for conveying hot gases under pressure, for instance, you will only
want to use pipes and parts that have a certain heat tolerance, are made of
certain materials and have a certain pressure rating. You achieve this by
specifying in the specifications catalog what the properties should be for
the parts you want to use. The specifications catalog will not contain
copies of the parts, but when you place parts using it, you will only be
able to use parts from the main catalog that meet the criteria you have
specified in that specifications catalog.
The specifications catalog provides another
important function - it can generate new parts for a project without
increasing the number of parts in the main catalog. This is done because
the specifications catalog can apply a value to an attribute on a part
in the main catalog. This attribute
is referred to as generic attribute.
This can significantly reduce the number of parts you have in your main
catalog. The way it works is like this: say you have four projects in your
company that use pipe made of four different materials. You do not have to
create four main catalogs, or add four pipes to one catalog, each with a
different material defined. Instead what you can do is add one pipe to your
main catalog with the attribute 'materialcode' (or any term you choose)
but with no value defined for this attribute. Now, when you create the
attribute filter file (explained in Step 9 below) you list the material you
want for a particular project and put an asterisk after it. The material
you have listed will be defined for the property materialcode. All you have
to do is make four specifications with the four different materials you
need.
In addition to specifying the properties of parts, you also have to
associate rules tables. This application incorporates intelligent design
functions. This means that as you design, the application ensures your
designing meets certain criteria. These criteria are established by the
design rules. For instance, the design rules will match the threaded end of
a pipe to the threaded end of a part. (You can override the rules if you
want.)
When you use the provided template to create a specifications catalog
you can modify the design rules (see Modifying
Design Rules) but you cannot add new rules. |
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1. |
Click Start - Infrastructure - Catalog
Editor to start the Catalog Editor.
![](images/CU0402A_NLS.gif)
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2. |
Open the CATfct file associated with your
application. To do this, click the Open User Dictionary button
to display the
Open User Dictionary dialog box and navigate to the directory where your
CATfct files are. The default location is intel_a\resources\graphic.
In this example the CATPipingSample.CATfct file will be opened. |
![](../icons_C2/common/ainfo.gif) |
You can add default
rules to your specifications catalog (explained below). These rules appear
in a separate chapter named "Default". The rules in the Default chapter
will apply to all specifications that you create - if they are not
defined in that specification. When you are placing a part using a
particular specification, the application first determines if relevant
rules are defined under that specification. If they are defined then it
will use those rules. If they are not defined then it will use the rule
under the Default specification. This saves you having to associate rules
for each specification that you create. |
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3. |
Click the Add Catalog Template
button . The Add
Catalog Template dialog box displays, listing all CATfct files that are
open. In the image below only one file is open.
![](images/CU0403C_NLS.gif) |
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4. |
Select the application (Piping),
and then click on the down arrow in the Template Type field and make your
selection - in this case Material Specification. Enter a name for the
specifications catalog in the Template Name field. If you are creating
default rules you must enter the name Default. Click on the Browser
button next to the Part Type field and make your selection. In this case it
is Piping Part because this is a Piping specifications catalog. Click OK.
The Default chapter and the default design rules display in the
specifications tree.
![](images/CU0403D_NLS.gif)
In applications where you can create both a material specifications
catalog and insulation specifications catalog, there may be differences in
the design rules that appear in each type of catalog. |
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5. |
You now need
to associate the actual design rules table (which is how design rules are
defined) to each of the design rules in the specifications tree. Double
click on a rule and then click the Add Component button
. The Description
Definition dialog box displays.
![](images/CU0403E_NLS.gif)
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6. |
Click the Select Document
button. In the File Selection box that displays navigate to the directory
where the design rules tables are. They are CATProduct type files. (From
Release 13 you can link directly to the text tables that define each rule.)
The default directory is intel_a\startup\EquipmentandSystems\XXX\Specification
(where XXX is your application) and then the specification itself, say
Cs150r. Open the Cs150r directory and select the text file (or table) that
corresponds to the rule that you double-clicked, in this case
BranchingRules. Click Open on the File Selection box and OK on the
Description Definition box. The table will be associated with the rule and
display in the Catalog Editor.
![](images/CU0403F_NLS.gif)
If you click on the Reference tab you will be able to see the full
directory path.
NOTE: If you are working in the ENOVIA database then you cannot link
directly to a text file as explained above. Instead you must link to the
CATProduct containing the design rule. In addition, the text file must be
stored within the CATProduct (using the Duplicate in CATIA
option). The text file and the CATProduct should not have the same name. |
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7. |
Associate all the rules with the
corresponding tables using the procedure described above. |
![](../icons_C2/common/ainfo.gif) |
There is a slightly
different process for associating the FunctionalPhysicalMapping tables. If
you associate to the CATProduct then you need to associate with one file.
If you associate with the text files then you will need to associate with
one text file for each function, following the process given above. (From
Release 13 the sample catalog points to text files.) Also, in the
Description Definition dialog box you should make sure to enter the actual
function name in the Name field. For instance, if you are associating the
text table XXX_FunctionPhysical-Branch.txt, the function name for it is
XXXBranchFunc, where XXX is the application, such as Piping. |
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8. |
After you
have associated the rules you can create one or more specifications. To do
this, select the root chapter and click the Add Chapter button
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Enter a name in the Chapter Definition dialog box. |
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9. |
You need to take a couple of
preparatory steps before you begin the process of creating a specifications
catalog.
- All the parts you want the catalog to contain must be placed in a
directory (except in the ENOVIA environment - see below).
- You must create an attribute filter file - in text or Excel format.
The purpose of the file is to identify the parts that you want the
specification catalog to point to. You can place this file in any
location - but you need to navigate to it in the following step. Part of
a file is shown below:
![](images/CU0403J_NLS.gif)
The first line contains the properties, or keywords. You can add any
property that is defined for a part.
You can add "Min" or "Max" before a property to identify the minimum
or maximum value the catalog should point to. If a part has a property
value outside this range it will not be included.
Adding an asterisk in the column heading makes the property generic,
causing the value of the attribute to be used to create new parts during
parts placement. These parts are specific to the project and do not
increase the number of parts in the main catalog. If you add an asterisk
(*) after a property (in the column heading) then the value of that
property in the part will be replaced by the value you enter in this
file. You can also add the asterisk after a particular value. The value
has to be 'character type' - not a figure. So, if you place an asterisk
in the column heading then this behavior will apply to all parts. If you
place it against a particular value, then it will only apply to that
particular part. The usage is explained at the
beginning of this task.
NamingRuleKW: In this column, enter keywords separated by commas.
These keywords determine the part naming convention, as explained below.
Having this column, or defining a keyword, is optional. If you do not
have this column, or have it but do not define a keyword, then the part
will be named using the default behavior below.
- Default behavior: If you do not have this column, or a keyword
defined in it, the part name will be created using the values of all
attributes NOT defined in the filter.
- If you have one or more keywords defined, the part name will
include the values of all those key words PLUS the values of all
attributes NOT defined in the filter. The exception is if you
include the keyword PartNumber in the column. In this case only the
values of keywords defined in the column will be used in the part
name.
You can give the file any name. However, this file name must be used
in the Attribute Filter field of the Create/Modify Catalog dialog box.
The Create/Modify Catalog command uses this file to select only the parts
that meet the filter criteria defined in it. |
![](../icons_C2/common/ainfo.gif) |
The value of a part
attribute must be unset before it can be a generic attribute in the
catalog. A family/chapter created using the command Add Spec
Family cannot be used by the Create/Modify
Catalog command. Delete the family and recreate it using the Add
Application Chapter/Family command, or let the Create/Modify
Catalog command create the necessary families. |
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10. |
Click the Create/Modify
Catalog button .
The Create/Modify Catalog dialog box displays.
![](images/CU1302A_NLS.gif)
- Select the application in which you want to create the catalog by
clicking the down arrow in the Application field.
- In the Parts Directory field, navigate to the directory where your
parts are.
- If you want to add specific parts to your catalog then create a parts
list file with a text editor. Enter the names of the parts you want to
add, each name on a separate line. This is also the process used in
modifying a catalog.
- In the Attribute Filter field navigate to the file you created in
Step 9.
- If you want to have a log of the process then enter a file name and
location in the Message Log field. The file will be created.
- Check the Add Components only to Existing Families checkbox if you do
NOT want new families to be created - parts will only be added if a
family exists in the catalog. This should not be checked if you are
creating a new catalog.
For ENOVIA
If your catalog is in the ENOVIA database then you cannot point to a
directory. You need to use the following procedure. You may can
also use the method for creating specifications
catalogs described in the ENOVIA section.
- In the Create/Modify Catalog dialog box, for
Documents check the ENOVIA base option.
- Create a parts list this file must contain the file names of all
parts to be used. Enter the name and location of this file in the
Parts List field of the Create/Modify Catalog dialog
box.
- Enter the name and location of the attribute filter file in the
Attribute Filter field. Creating the file is explained in Step 9
above.
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11. |
Click OK to create the
catalog. Save it when done. This process can be used for one catalog, or
for several sub-catalogs. It is recommended that sub-catalogs be used when
the number of parts exceeds 500. |