Contextual Links on Publications

When propagating modifications through PLM Access > Propagate..., you can decide to exclude one or many items from the propagation scope. When doing so, contextual links on publications are impacted.

Basic Example

This example uses an assembly containing two parts, Part A and Part B.

Part A published two publications, Square (in green) and Disk (in yellow):


  • Square and Disk are located in two different part bodies
  • Part B points to the Disk publication.



Case 1

The green published Square and Part B are modified:

The result in the Propagate dialog box is as follows:

If you do not want to propagate modifications made on Part A, you can exclude Part A. As the Disk publication is unchanged, Part B is not impacted by the exclusion and can be propagated:

The result in the geometry area is:

Case 2

The yellow published Disk and Part B are modified:



The result in the Propagate dialog box is as follows:

If you do not want to propagate modifications made on Part A, you can exclude Part A. But this time, Part B is impacted by Part A because of its contextual link to the Disk publication. Therefore, Part B is automatically excluded:

To be allowed to save Part B, the contextual link must be cut. To do so, the Enable link cut option must be selected in the Exclude dialog box.

Zoom on Publications

There is a specific behavior for publications in a save context.

Let's suppose the following structure: two representations, Representation 1 and Representation 2. Representation 1 is linked to Representation 2 by Publication 1 which is the top face of the disk:



Modifications made on Representation 1 can be propagated independently of modifications made on Representation 2 if Publication 1 (Disk) is not affected by the modifications made on Representation 2, i.e.:


  • When the face of Disk is not modified.
  • If Disk and Square are in separate bodies. In that case, Publication 1 is never affected by modifications made on Square.
  • If Disk and Square are in the same body, the result depends on the nature of the geometry (see scenarios below).

Part Design Data - Scenario 1


  • Square and Disk are in the same body
  • Representation 1 is modified
  • A hole is created in Square geometry of Representation 2.

Representation 1 can be propagated independently of Representation 2:



Part Design Data - Scenario 2


  • Square and Disk are in the same body
  • Representation 1 is modified
  • A hole is added in Disk geometry of Representation 2.

Representation 1 can be propagated independently of Representation 2:



Part Design Data - Scenario 3


  • Square and Disk are in the same body
  • Representation 1 is modified
  • Geometry linked to Publication 1 is modified in Representation 2.

Representation 1 cannot be propagated independently of Representation 2:

Part Design Data - Scenario 4


  • Square and Disk are in the same body
  • Representation 1 is modified
  • Geometry linked to Publication 2 is modified in Representation 2.

Representation 1 cannot be propagated independently of Representation 2 because the body including Publication 1 and Publication 2 is impacted by the geometry modification:

Part Design Data - Scenario 5


  • Square and Disk are in two separate bodies
  • Representation 1 is modified
  • Geometry linked to Publication 2 is modified in Representation 2.

Representation 1 can be propagated independently of Representation 2:

Generative Shape Design Data

The structure is identical to the one detailed above but with GSD data:

Note that the example above uses an ordered geometrical set but the behavior is identical with a standard geometrical set (i.e. not ordered).

Generative Shape Design Data - Scenario 1, 2, 3 and 5

The result is identical to the one obtained with Part Design data.

Generative Shape Design Data - Scenario 4


  • Square and Disk are in the same body
  • Representation 1 is modified
  • Geometry linked to Publication 2 is modified in Representation 2.

Representation 1 can be propagated independently of Representation 2: