About Standards

Standalone Representation

When users create a representation, they specify the standard that will be associated with it. The values of the parameters in the specified standard file are then copied into the representation. Each drawing or layout representation contains a copy of the standard and is therefore standalone. This makes it possible for users, projects, or companies to exchange representations without needing to send the standard file along.

Administrator-Controlled Access and Modification

The Administering Standards and Generative View Styles the location of the standard files as well as the ability to define new standards, or to modify existing standards. For example, the administrator can define a single standard, and prevent users from modifying it.

Several Standard Files Available by Default

By default, several standard files are provided. Some are specifically intended for Drafting, and some for the 2D Layout for 3D Design and Functional Tolerancing and Annotation workbenches. These files are located in install_root/resources/standard/drafting.

The table below lists the standard files available by default, along with the workbench they are intended for.

Important: The standards suffixed with _DS (for Drafting) or with _3D_DS (for 2D Layout for 3D Design and Functional Tolerancing and Annotation) are based on Drafting standards and are specifically intended to define DS ISO 1 as the default font for all annotations styles and engineering symbols. DS ISO 1 is an Open Type font based on the ISO 3098 standard defining text representation, that has been specifically customized to represent annotations.

Administrators can add as many standard files as needed. Refer to Administering Standards and Generative View Styles for more information.

Edition of the Standard File

The standard files can be edited using an interactive editor. This editor provides an easy-to-use graphic interface to let administrators customize the parameters included in the standard files. For information on how to customize these parameters, refer to Setting Standard Parameters and Setting Styles.

The interactive editor is available in Tools > Standards. (It is the same editor with which you can customize generative view styles). For more information on how to use this editor, refer to the Customizing Standards chapter in the Infrastructure User's Guide.

Important: When creating, modifying or customizing the XML standard files, make sure you use a CNEXT tool, for example the Standards Editor available in Tools > Standards. Using other editors (such as text editors) may alter the consistency of the standard file, and may make the standards XML files unusable.

Switch to Another Standard

When several standards are defined, users can switch a drawing to another standard. Refer to Switching to Another Standard.

Update of a Drawing's Standard

When a standard file is modified, users need to explicitly update the drawings which use this standard. Note that only standard parameters are affected by this update, not styles. Refer to Updating the Standard of a Drawing.

Availability of Standard Switch and Update

Using the settings available in Tools > Options > Mechanical > Drafting > Administration, administrators can forbid or allow users to:

• switch a drawing to another standard (via PLM Access > Page Setup),
• update the standard used by a drawing (via PLM Access > Page Setup).

Moreover, administrators can lock these settings so that other users running a session with the same environment inherit those settings and cannot change them. This feature is described in the Locking Settings section, in the Infrastructure Installation User's Guide.