Project root context menus

Owned by Mona (Unlicensed)
Last updated: May 05, 2021
6 min read

After creation of a project a root node is established by the application, which represents the top of the breakdown structure. This project root has different features compared to its child breakdown elements; these features are reflected by two context menus associated with it:

  1. When the project is opened and the root node has not yet been selected, the menu in Figure 99 is available.
  2. When the root node has been selected to show or to be able to create children, its context menu changes to the one in Figure 103.


The menu in Figure 99 becomes also available by selecting the left-most constituent of the breadcrumb path, which represents the project root.

Project root menu

This chapter describes the menu items of the project root as shown in Figure 99. Some of the items are applicable to an ordinary breakdown element when it plays the role of a child node.

Figure 99. Initial project root context menu

Rename element

See description in chapter 3.4.2.2.1 .

Rename by attribute

See description in chapter 3.4.2.2.2 .

Edit element

See description in chapter 3.4.2.2.3 .

Versions

See description in chapter 3.4.2.1 .

Export to STEP PDM-file

The current model will be exported in the ISO 10303-242 MIM/P21-format.
The function is executed immediately after selection, without any further user interaction.
It creates a zip-file with the name of the current project postfixed by "_pdm". The zip-package contains the following files:

  1. A STEP P21-file according to the EXPRESS-schema "PDM_SCHEMA" with the file name <project_name>.stp . It contains the complete current version of the breakdown structure, but in the PDM_SCHEMA representation; that is, interpreted as an assembly structure using next_assembly_usage_occurrence. Documents are referenced to be in the folder where the file will be unzipped. Files of type PDM_SCHEMA are compliant with ISO 10303-242 and its predecessors (AP203 and AP214).
  2. A STEP P21-file according to the EXPRESS-schema "ISO_12006_3_VERSION_14" with the name <project_name>_RDL.stp, which contains the Reference Data Library (RDL) associated with the breakdown structure.
  3. A file with name "TRUEplm_project_name.txt". It contains only one line with the name of the project.
  4. A file with the name "PLMexport_file_descriptions.txt". It contains the mappings of the EDMtruePLM internal names of files referenced by entity instances in the PDM_SCHEMA P21-file to the original user-defined names.
  5. All the digital files referred to by the breakdown structure. All REPRESENTING_DOCUMENT instances of the AP239/PLCS database are converted to PRODUCT_DEFINITION_WITH_ASSOCIATED_DOCUMENTS instances. PRODUCT_DEFINITION_WITH_ASSOCIATED_DOCUMENTS.id represents EDMtruePLM names of files in the package. The files are stored in the zip-file with these internal names. See "PLMexport_file_descriptions.txt" for the original user-defined names.

Such exported PDM-files may be used for local project creation (chapter 3.2.4.2), as initial population of new globally defined projects (chapter 4.1.4) and for import as a branch into an existing breakdown (chapter 3.4.2.3.16).

Export structure to text file

The function is executed immediately after selection, without any further user interaction.
It creates a zip-file with the name of the current project postfixed by "_txt". The zip-package contains the following files:

  1. A text file that is structured according to the description in chapter 5 "Annex Guide – Text file structure". It contains the complete current version of the breakdown structure; documents are referenced to be in the folder where the file will be unzipped.
  2. A STEP P21-file according to the EXPRESS-schema "ISO_12006_3_VERSION_14" with the name <project_name>_RDL.stp, which contains the Reference Data Library (RDL) associated with the breakdown structure.
  3. A file with name "project_name.txt". It contains only one line with the name of the project.
  4. All the digital files referred to by the breakdown structure. The files are stored in the zip-file with the original user-defined names.

Such structured text files may be used for local project creation; see chapter 3.2.4.3 .

Export project to DEX

The current model will be exported in the ISO 10303-239 (PLCS) format. When selecting the DEX export menu item a pop-up window appears; see Figure 100.
If the checkbox is empty, the model will be exported as a PLCS breakdown structure. Documents will be included in the zip-file in the same way as for PDM-files; see items #4 and #5 in chapter 3.7.1.5, above.
If the checkbox is selected, the breakdown structure will be interpreted as a product assembly and will correspondingly be represented using the Next_assembly_usage concept of the AP239 ARM. Document files will in this case not be included in the zip-file.
Click "OK" to continue.

Figure 100. Export to DEX input form
The function creates a zip-file with the name of the current project postfixed by "_dex". The zip-package contains the following files:

  1. A STEP P21-file according to the EXPRESS-schema "AD_PROD_BREAKDOWN_DEX" with name <project_name>.stp . It contains the complete breakdown structure, but documents are not included. Files of type AD_PROD_BREAKDOWN_DEX are compliant with ISO 10303-239, PLCS.
  2. A STEP file with name <project_name>_RDL.stp, which contains the RDL associated with breakdown structure.
  3. A file with name "TRUEplm_project_name.txt". It contains only one line with the name of the project.

Such exported DEX-files may be used for local project creation (chapter 3.2.4.5) and as initial population of new globally defined projects (chapter 4.1.4).

Import CSV file

EDMtruePLM offers an import file format based on comma separated values (csv). This format is especially useful to add data to branches of an existing breakdown. The function is launched from the breakdown root menu even though it may cause changes to a branch far down in the breakdown.
The format is specified as follows:

  • /// - starts comments (text to the right of the three slashes is not interpreted)
  • CONFIG - key word to introduce the optional configuration section. A character directly following the keyword specifies the delimiter used in the entire CSV file.

In the CONFIG-section each line is a property/value pair with global applicability to all records in the DATA-section. The following properties are interpreted:

    • Operation: type of manipulation with the data listed below; the only available is currently:
      • ADD: to create new BE according to specified property values;
    • Folder: path to the breakdown element that is the parent folder of the data; this is the location where to store the imported data;
    • Type: class of breakdown element of the children that shall be instantiated based on the data;
    • Date_format: specifies the date/time format for properties of type date/time, for example 'YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss'.
  • DATA - keyword to introduce the mandatory data section. A character directly following the keyword specifies the delimiter used in the entire CSV file; this is only used if the CONFIG section is omitted.

The data section starts with a single header line. The line is a list of comma separated property names of the "folder" specified in the CONFIG-section. Names of system properties and names of user-defined properties may be listed. User-defined properties may use the full URN, such as, "urn:rdl:TruePLM:Comments", or just the property name, such as, "Comments".
The subsequent data records list values in the order specified by the header line of the DATA section. In case a value includes a comma, it must be quoted like this "Comma,,,<containing value>". The character " must be doubled inside quoted strings. Line breaks (CR/LF) are ignored.
Figure 101 and Figure 102, below, show an example csv import file and the population that resulted from its import. The right-hand side properties in Figure 102 belong to breakdown element "Sensor1".

Figure 101. Example of an import file in csv-format

Figure 102. Bike structure after csv import

Current project phase

The function allows to set a project phase value as default. This value is then applied to new documents (see chapter 3.4.2.3.8), new document versions and new breakdown elements (see chapter 3.4.2.3.1). For documents the value may be changed during upload; for breakdown elements it is fixed.
Select from the drop-down list the desired project phase value. The drop-down list shows all project phase values that were defined in the reference data section.

Project root selected menu

This chapter describes the menu items of the project root after it has been selected; see Figure 103. The menu contains a subset of the context menu items of an ordinary breakdown element when it plays the role of a parent node. Therefore, this chapter just references the corresponding descriptions.

Figure 103. Project root context menu after selection

Create element

See description in chapter 3.4.2.3.1 .

Paste element

See description in chapter 3.4.2.3.2 .

Show element in context

See description in chapter 3.4.2.3.10 .

Show BOM

See description in chapter 3.4.2.3.11 .

View change log

See description in chapter 3.4.2.3.12 .

Create baseline

See description in chapter 3.4.2.3.13 .