The client shows one breakdown element, also called node, at a time in the breakdown structure view of the left pane; the name of the current breakdown element is the blue text on the top of the pane (see Figure 18). The view below that blue name displays the set of children breakdown elements and the documents that belong to the current breakdown element, as described below.
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Figure 18. Breakdown StructureThe above picture shows a breakdown structure for a bike. The breakdown structure consists of three main sections (see red numbers 1, 2 and 3 on Figure 18):
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Each change within the breakdown structure results in a new version of this structure, except for updates to documents. For each new version the breakdown version number is incremented by one and is assigned to the root of the breakdown structure; see Figure 20, below.
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Figure 20. Breakdown structure versionsAny version may be set current by selecting it from the drop-down list. This version of the past may then be browsed with all its breakdown elements, documents, and property values. This may be repeated for any version from version 1 to the latest version. However, only the latest version may be changed; all other versions have read-only access. The read-only access is marked by the yellow lock sign to the right of all parent breakdown names that is also used for baselines, as described in Table 1.
When breakdown elements are created, the version number of the breakdown that their creation resulted in is added in parentheses to the end of the breakdown element name; see, for example, in Figure 26.
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This function replaces – temporarily – the name of the breakdown element where this function was invoked and its children by the value of a specified property. If the current breakdown element or some of its children do not have that property, that is, if a user-defined property is specified and this does not exist in all the involved breakdown element types, their names do not change.
The name of the attribute / property needs to be spelled exactly as listed in the breakdown properties panes; it is case sensitive. You may copy it from there and paste it into the input field; see Figure 23.
This change occurs only in the current client; it will be undone by an update of the client with server data, for example, by reloading the client webpage.
Image ModifiedFigure 23. Rename by attribute...
Allows the user to delete a breakdown element (see Figure 25).
Note: Remember that this function creates a new version of the breakdown structure in which the selected element has been removed. The removed element is still available, but only for reading, in the previous version of the breakdown.
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Figure 25. Delete element...
This function works together with different Paste-functions within the parent node menu; see chapter 3.4.2.3 . Use this command to copy and paste the selected element with all its child elements and documents, that is, a complete branch, to another location.
Note: A branch can be pasted into the same parent breakdown element. In this case you will get two breakdown elements with the same names, but with a sequence number to distinguish them in parentheses (see Figure 26).
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Figure 26. Two copies in the same parent...
The name of the current breakdown element, also called "Parent node" is listed below the breadcrumb. In the example in Figure 27 it is "BIKE SYSTEM". When a breakdown element is initially selected, its properties are displayed in the pane named "BREAKDOWN PROPERTIES". When one of the child elements of the current breakdown element are selected by single click, the "BREAKDOWN PROPERTIES" pane displays the properties of this child breakdown element. A second click on the same child name will make this child the current breakdown element.
Functions for the current breakdown element are available from the context menu right underneath its name (see Figure 27).
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Figure 27. Parent node contextWhen the three-dot icon has been selected, the following menu in Figure 28 appears.
Image ModifiedFigure 28. Parent node context menu...
Note: Breakdown elements have a system property called "Phase". The value of Phase is set by the project root menu item "Current project phase" (see chapter 3.7.1.9).
To create a requirement, use the Create element function with "Requirement" as type. The description of the element is used as requirement text (Figure 30). Any resources that are associated to this requirement can later be added to the element.
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Figure 30. Requirement elementThe parent node functionality of a requirement node are different than other breakdown elements (see Figure 31).
Figure 31. Requirement node menuWhen using "Create requirement" only breakdown elements of type requirement or its subtypes will be available (refer Figure 32).
Image ModifiedFigure 32. Requirement types...
This function is used after a Copy element or Cut element function; see "Child node functionalities" in chapter 3.4.2.1 . It copies or moves the element as child into the current breakdown element.
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This function relates the pasted element as "relating" to the current breakdown element. The current breakdown element is then considered to be "related" to the pasted element. The difference between "related" and "relating" is that if one element of the relationship is dependent upon the other, it is the "related" element; see definition in ISO 10303-41. The matter of dependency is given by the semantics of the "Role" attribute.
Select "Copy element" from a child node context menu. Go to another element and click on "Paste as a relating" and fill the form. The selection of "Role" values is defined in the reference data section. The attribute "Remark" may be left empty.
The new relationship is viewed by clicking on the hyperlink of the "Links" breakdown element system property, as shown below. "Relating" relationships are always marked as "direct" links; "related" relationships are marked as "backward" links.
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Figure 33. Establishing a backward/related relationship...
This function relates the pasted element as "related" to the current breakdown element. The current breakdown element is then considered to be "relating" to the pasted element. The difference between "related" and "relating" is that if one element of the relationship is dependent upon the other, it is the "related" element; see definition in ISO 10303-41. The matter of dependency is given by the semantics of the "Role" attribute.
Select "Copy element" from a child node context menu. Go to another element and click on "Paste as a related" and fill the form. The selection of "Role" values is defined in the reference data section. The attribute "Remark" may be left empty.
The new relationship is viewed by clicking on the hyperlink of the "Links" breakdown element system property, as shown below. This "related" relationship is marked as "backward" link in the copied and pasted element; the corresponding "relating" relationship is marked as "direct" in the target element.
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Figure 34. Establishing a direct/relating relationship...
Organizations that were created using the Catalogues icon can be added to the current breakdown element by this menu item. The role that the organization plays in this breakdown element is specified by selecting from the drop-down list of the input form; see Figure 35, below. The contents of the drop-down list is defined in the reference data section.
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Figure 35. Add organization to a breakdown elementNone, one or several organisations may be added. Details may be reviewed by the hyperlink to the right of the "Organisations" system property; see Figure 36. The second screenshot of the figure shows the pop-up window with details of the organisations.
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Image ModifiedFigure 36. Organisation system property with details...
EDMtruePLM distinguishes products and breakdowns. Types of products are defined in the Catalogue area and may be linked to breakdown elements.
Products that were created using the Catalogues icon can be added to the current breakdown element by this menu item.
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Figure 37. Product detailsThe product is pasted into the breakdown pane as shown on the left side in Figure 37. The product properties appear in a pane by itself, aside breakdown and document properties.
Generate document
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Each cell of the first row of the template must include a name of the user-defined property of the current breakdown element. Additionally, the following system properties may be added:
'Name' - filled from the node name,
'Description' - filled from the node description,
'Node_ID' - filled from the node ID (GUID).
In case, not all fields were filled from by properties of the current node and the node has direct relations, related nodes will be used for filling the empty fields.
Add data file
Data files / documents can be added to all nodes within the breakdown structure except for the root node. Documents are listed together with child breakdown elements. To add a data file, open the parent node menu and click on the Add data file item (see Figure 38).
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Figure 38. Add data fileTo add a data file either use the browser button or just drop the file in the pop-up form. The following is a brief description of each input field.
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This function displays the position of the current breakdown element with all its parents and with its direct children; that is, possibly many levels up, but only one level down (Figure 39).
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Figure 39. Show element in context...
This function displays the branch of the current breakdown element (Figure 40). The root of the branch is the selected parent node. Its direct children are presented; further levels of child breakdown elements may be opened interactively.
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Figure 40. Show BOM...
User changes to the properties of a breakdown element are recorded. This function displays a list of such changes to the current breakdown element; see Figure 41 for an example.
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Figure 41. Breakdown element change log...
A baseline is a version of the breakdown structure with a user-given name. To create a baseline, fill in the input form shown in Figure 42.
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Figure 42. Create baseline...
This menu item is only visible if the current breakdown element is defined to be a subdomain. If so, details about the subdomain are displayed as shown below in Figure 43.
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Figure 43. Subdomain info...
Before a subdomain is created, the Subdomain management menu item has only the Create subdomain item (see Figure 44).
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Figure 44. Subdomain managementAfter the subdomain is created the menu item will show three other items as shown below in Figure 45.
Image ModifiedFigure 45. Subdomain options...
Click on the Create subdomain to create a subdomain (see Figure 46).
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Figure 46. Create subdomain...
Will delete the subdomain (see Figure 47). Project members and subdomain leader will no longer have access to the breakdown structure if they are not part of any other subdomain.
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Figure 47. Delete subdomain...
Allows to add, remove, and configure the users within the subdomain (see Figure 49). Before adding users, you must have added subdomain roles to the reference data through the reference data section. To assign the defined roles to the subdomain use the Subdomain roles menu item.
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Figure 49. Subdomain membersUse the ADD button to add project members to the subdomain. Select the user and assign a role to the user as shown in Figure 50 below.
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Figure 50. Add subdomain membersDescription of the icons in the above form
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Multiple users can be assigned to the subdomain with different roles; see Figure 51, below.
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Figure 51. Subdomain members details...
This menu item allows to import an AP242 BO model in XML format (ISO 10303-3001, .stpx file type) to the breakdown structure (see Figure 53 and Figure 54).
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Figure 53. Import from AP242 BO model
Image ModifiedFigure 54. Import AP242 BO model example...
This menu item allows to import a requirement file of type Req-IF (see Figure 55). Req-IF (Requirements Interchange Format) is an XML file format controlled by the Object Management Group (OMG) that can be used to exchange requirements, along with its associated metadata, between software tools from different vendors.
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Figure 55. Import from Req-IF...
EDMtruePLM is a product data management system, which collects product data into a breakdown structure that consists of breakdown elements. Each breakdown element may include sub-elements and documents. Documents are stored under each element. This allows the system to keep track of all files and their relevance for breakdown elements.
See Figure 56, below, for the menu with document / data file related functions.
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Figure 56. Data file menu...
EDMtruePLM supports exclusive document editing that only allows one user to edit a document at a single time. To have exclusive rights to edit a specified document the user needs to check out the document, which is done through the data file context menu "Checkout file" command. To store the updated content of the document to the server use the "Checkin" command in the document's context menu. After checkout, the lock icon will be placed in front of the data file as shown below in Figure 57.
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Figure 57. Checkout of a fileTo unlock the file, use the
Undo checkout command or check in the file.
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- The file is copied to the database.
- The version of the file is updated.
- The lock on the file is removed.
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Figure 58. Checkin of a fileStatus: change the status tag to one of the items in the drop-down list; status values are defined in the reference data section.
Create new revision: to track document changes, EDMtruePLM distinguishes revisions (major changes) and versions of a document. The version tag will increase automatically after each checkin. The revision tag increases when the user ticks off the box in Figure 58.
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This command changes access rights to the selected file to read only. The file name changes colour from black to grey; see Figure 59, below. The file cannot be changed until the menu item "Clear file read only" is selected.
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Figure 59. Read only file...
Shows all the versions of the selected document in a pop-up window; see Figure 60, below.
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Figure 60. View HistoryThe user can download a specific version of the document by clicking on the Save icon; there is no further user interaction involved.
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Sticky notes are reminder notes for documents. The input form in Figure 61 will pop up to allow the attachment of notes to data files.
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Figure 61. Sticky NotesUse the "New"-button and then the "Submit"-button to add a note (see Figure 62).
Image ModifiedFigure 62. Create new noteAll notes of the data file are collected in a single sticky note form. A yellow line icon with a number identifies documents that already have sticky notes (see Figure 63).
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Image ModifiedFigure 63. Sticky note form...
"Dependencies" is a type of relationship between two files as shown below in Figure 64. An "affecting" file is the master file, an "affected" one a dependent file. When an affecting file has been edited, the user will be reminded by red flags to check all affected files whether they need to be updated, too.
Figure 64. DependenciesBy clicking on the menu item, the dependency form will appear and will allow the user to view the dependencies of the file or to remove them.
Note: The document version changes when a document dependency relationship is created/deleted.
- Paste file as affected: Attaches the latest copied file as an affected data file. This means that the pasted file is dependent on the current document.
- Paste file as affecting: Attaches the latest copied file as an affecting data file. This means that the current file is dependent on the pasted file.
- Red Flags: Red flags are notifications to the user to check a file that may be impacted by a change done to an affecting file. When a file that is affecting other files is checked in, the dependent files are assigned red flags (see Figure 65). Subsequent changes to the affecting file will result for each affected file in one red flag per version or release that was checked in.
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Figure 65. Red FlagRemoving red flags: To remove the red flag, open the Dependency form of the affected file; see below, Figure 66.
Image ModifiedFigure 66. Removed red flagsClick on an affecting file with a red flag; this will open the red flag drop list as shown in Figure 67.
Image ModifiedFigure 67. Dependencies tab menuTo remove a red flag, click on the tick mark of the red flag item in the drop list.
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The overview in Table 1, below, summarizes the meaning of icons used with breakdown elements and data files in the breakdown structure pane.
Table 1. Icons for breakdown elements and data filesBreakdown elements may be assigned the following icons: |
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| The brown folder icon represents one type of breakdown element; other types are assigned other icons. New types of breakdown elements are created in the reference data section; icons are assigned automatically. |
Subdomain root as parent
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Subdomain root as child
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| When the breakdown pane shows a baseline, the yellow lock is assigned to the parent breakdown element that is the root of the baseline branch. The lock icon is chosen to show that baselines can only be accessed for reading, not for writing. |
Data files may be assigned the following icons: |
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| Data file icons indicate the type of data file.
Revision and version ids follow the data file title.
The lock icon indicates that the file is checked out.
The red flag icon shows that a file that this file is dependent on has been updated. |
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| The blue circle indicates the number of sticky notes for the data file. |
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