Using the PLM Chooser

The PLM Chooser can be accessed from commands requiring a query on objects.

1. Select Tools > Options... > Infrastructure > VPM Physical Editor.

2. In the Product Visualization tab, deactivate the Activate immersive search option.

   The standard PLM Chooser is now activated instead of the immersive PLM Chooser which is the default.

   For more information about the immersive PLM Chooser, see VPM Physical Editor User's Guide: Using Immersive PLM Chooser.

3. In the VPM Physical Editor workbench, select Insert > Existing > Product... or any other geometrical object available from the Insert menu.

   You can run this command either from an empty product (e.g. a product you just created through PLM Access > New...), or from a product which already contains geometrical objects. In this scenario, the command is run from an empty product.

4. In the geometry area, select the product in which the object is to be inserted.

   You can also make your selection in the geometry area first, then run the Insert command.

The picture above shows the default interface but note that it can be customized by the workbench in which it is implemented.

Important: The name of the dialog box reflects the action you are performing. In the picture above, the title is Select products to insert but if you are applying materials for instance, the name is PLM Material Chooser.

You can search for objects stored in database then load them in your V6 session.

1. Enter your search criteria in the empty box (with or without wildcards).

   The query is run only on attributes that are part of the identifier set. The identifier set lets you associate a list of characteristic attributes to a given object.

   Tip: To run a non case sensitive search, clear the Case sensitive check box. The search criteria are kept throughout your session and therefore, next time you access the Search tab, the last entered criteria are displayed.

2. Click Search.

   By default, search results are displayed in Details mode:
   
   

3. Optional: To display search results in Thumbnails mode, click Thumbnails :

   
   
   

4. Optional: To display search results in Tile mode, click Tiles :

   
   
   

5. To launch a query on each attribute (and not only on the identifier set), click Advanced Search.

   See Advanced Search for more information on this dialog box.

6. Click Apply to launch the query or OK to launch the query and close the dialog box.

7. Select the desired objects (multi-selection is supported) from the search results then click OK.

The objects are inserted and the PLM Chooser is closed:

For more information on inserting objects, see VPM Physical Editor User's Guide: Inserting PLM Objects in an Existing Assembly.

You can search for objects loaded in your V6 session then insert them in the current window.

1. To select an object from your session, access the From Session tab:

   
   
   

   This tab lets you select the objects you want to use in:
   

   • A VPM Physical Editor window
   • A Search Results window
   • Any Navigation window.

2. Click Retrieve Loaded Data.

   All objects already loaded in your session are displayed:
   
   

3. In the result list, select the object to be inserted.

   Important: Multiselection is available if this behaviour has been specified by the application.

4. Optional: To interactively select the objects to be inserted, click Select in the PLM Chooser then directly choose your object from either an open VPM Physical Editor, a Navigation window, or a Search Results window:

   
   

   • In VPM Physical Editor, select an object in the tree.
   • In Navigation windows, select either an object in the tree, or select its representation (the ability to select an object from a Navigation window is especially helpful because your tree can be a filtered view of the product structure). It is also possible to select a reference attached to a folder from the Folder Editor workbench open in the current session.

   When you select an object, it automatically replaces any objects already displayed in the PLM Chooser result list and the newly selected object is highlighted:

   
   
   

5. Click OK to insert the object or double-click the object.

   Important: OK becomes available when at least one object is selected. Otherwise, it is grayed out.

This task illustrates how you can use the From Session tab. To do so, let's suppose two products open in two different windows in a V6 session, AJT_Product3 and AJ_Prod1:

You want to insert a part from AJ_Prod1 (in our example, we will insert Part3) in AJT_Product3. To do so:

1. Select AJT_Product3 in the geometry area before selecting Insert > Existing > 3D Part....

2. In the PLM Chooser, click From Session.

3. Click Select then select Part3 in the geometry area.

   
   
   

   The selected part is displayed in the PLM Chooser.

4. Click OK.

The selected object is inserted in AJT_Product3.

The From File tab lets you import external data in your session. If the application you are using requires external data, the From File tab is displayed in the PLM Chooser. Otherwise, this tab is not displayed.

The application can specify any kind of file formats. If no format has been defined, the default file formats are listed below:

Extensions are filtered according to the application you are using.

The scenario below takes a design table as an example but the use of the PLM Chooser is identical whatever the context. For detailed information about specific object attributes, see the documentation of interest.

1. Create a sample as explained in Creating a Design Table from a Pre-existing File.

2. In the Knowledge toolbar, click Design Table .

   The Creation of a Design Table dialog box opens. For more information, see About the Design Table Dialog Box.

3. Click OK.

   
   
   

   A design table is designed to drive the parameters of a V6 document from external values. These values are stored in the form of a table either in a Microsoft Excel file on Windows or in a tabulated text file. Therefore, you need to use the From File tab to import external files in V6.

4. In the From File tab, click Import.

5. Select the type of file in the Files of type box (in our scenario, we import a .xls file) then browse your file tree to select the file to be imported.

   Important: Multi-selection is not supported. Next time you access the PLM Chooser, the Look in list will display the last directory in which you selected a file.

6. Click Open then enter at least a representation name (a default one is provided).

7. Clicking Finish to import the file in the PLM Chooser:

   
   
   

8. Click OK to validate.

9. A dialog box asks you whether you want to perform automatic associations between the design table columns and the document parameters which have the same name: click Yes.

   A multi-row design table is created. When you click Edit table... (at the bottom of the dialog box), you can see that the values stored in the file you imported are displayed.