Customizing the Item to PLM Item Class

About Customizing the Item to PLM Item Class

Out-of-the-box, certain classes are provided, which contain certain attributes. Depending on the nature of your company's business, you may need to modify one or more classes, in order to better suit your company's needs. Much of the tracking of items involves the Item To PLM Item class, therefore it is very likely you will need to modify it. This topic explains where you make the necessary modifications, how to make those modifications, and then demonstrates where you can see the results of those changes.

You, the administrator, can add new attributes to a class using the Data Modeler application of the Administration Desktop. For more information about the Data Modeler in general, refer to CES Data Modeler. For general information about editing the data model, refer to Editing Data Model.

Once you have edited and saved the Data Model and then refreshed the server, the non-admin users of the Wintop and Webtop applications can see and use the changes, as they search, introduce, and modify items in the CES database.

When Customizing the Item to PLM Item Class

  • Once you have added your properties or attributes, be sure to save them by clicking the Save CES Data Model button on the toolbar. You also must commit the changes to the database by clicking the Commit to the Database button on the mail toolbar.
  • Customizing a class within Data Modeler requires access to the Administration Desktop, which requires that you have administrative privileges.
  • After you modify a class using the Data Modeler, you must either restart the server, or clear the server cache, before the changes appear in the Wintop or Webtop application.

How to Customize the Item to PLM Item Class

This task explains how to customize the Item to PLM Item class, and then use those changes when introducing a component to CES.

  1. Log on to the CES Administration Desktop application.

    The CES Administration Desktop window appears.

  2. In the Solutions pad, select Administration Desktop.

    The Applications pad is expanded.

  3. In the Applications pad, select Data Modeler.

    The Browser View window appears.

  4. Find the Item to PLM Item class within the hierarchy. Enter Item to PLM Item in the Find: text box and press Enter. Right-click the selected Item to PLM Item class and select Edit Element(s).

  5. The TableView Class pane displays the properties associated with the Item to PLM Item class. By default, the class-specific properties are displayed. If you wish to view all properties, included the inherited properties, check the Show Inherited box. To add one or more properties, click the Create Property(s) button in the toolbar.

  6. In the Data Modeler, indicate the type of properties to create and how many. After you have entered the desired information, click OK.
     

  7. In the TableView Class, select one of the new properties, click the down arrow, and select Valid Values. Using the Valid Values, assign a Class Property Label for each new property. Scroll over and provide any other information as desired. Once you have entered all the necessary information, click Save CES Data Model to save the changes to the database. On the main toolbar, click the Commit to the Database button to complete the process.

  8. In the Applications pad, select Power Search. Find the Item To PLM Item class to which you just added the attributes. Select the class and click Go to Search.

  9. On the Power Search View tab you can see that your new attributes have been added to the class.

  10. To see the changes you just made, in a Webtop or Wintop application, clear the CES Server cache or restart the server.

  11. Now, you (the non-Admin user) can use the newly added attributes when you introduce a new component.

  12. In your VPM Lifecycle Navigator Web product, do an ENOVIA search for the component you wish to add. Select the desired part, and click the Custom Part Promote button on the toolbar.

  13. Enter the necessary information as you work through the pages of the New Component Introduction. For detailed steps on introducing a new component, refer to CES Component Introduction Management : User Tasks : Component Introduction : New Component Introduction. After the new component is introduced, the Properties window for the new component appears. Go to the PLM Profile tab and you will see the two attributes added to the Item To PLM Item class.

  14. Next, in the Properties window, click the Edit button. The Edit Items window appears. Enter the desired information in the attributes you added and click Save.

  15. Now, search CES for the component you just introduced. In the Search Results window select the new component, right-click and select Properties. In the Properties window go to the PLM Profile tab. You can see the new attributes, with the information you entered and saved in the Edit Items window.