Assigning Types to Model Elements with newly created Element Library

Question

Currently when creating a system model with part types, we use the Import->Elements from Excel/CSV... function, where the connection is created if a library already exists in the project and the user chooses to connect it in the dialog. This works fine, until the library is corrupted, or if the library is imported after the model elements were imported. In these cases a quick assignment of types to the model elements does not seem to be possible at the moment.

I propose a new function for element libraries, regarding their connection to system model elements. This function should basically allow the user to assign types to the elements of a model, after the model was created and imported through a .csv-file (as opposed to the connection at the Import->Elements from Excel/CSV...).

I believe this function would provide additional flexibility to the user and it would be relatively easy to implement, as the matching of the types and elements could be done via the Part Number attribute, as it is done at the import.

I would also be happy with a script, that did this, although i'd rather base this on the presumably existing code for the Import->Elements from Excel/CSV... , which is why i'm posting this topic.

I'd be happy, if anyone could help out with this.

medini_1059007410 · Answer

Hi Lukas,

Good that it works in general.

For the detail - that's a quite special use case, for which we do not have a native solution.

You could check the compare/merge function for this - but you have to be careful in selecting what to merge, to not do this for all attributes of the part, including unintended ones (one can merge also from the details table, if you expand the entries there and merge from the lowest level). Give it a try, otherwise either just use this to identify the relevant elements and manually do the "derive" settings, or see my script comments below.

A generic script is also difficult, as you have to compare before-after - you could write information into a file or into part profile properties and then with a 2nd script change the values again.

Or you have some generic logic applied on when and how to set the derived status. If you can put this into the script, you could run it afterwards to do the right settings.

I hope something of that works for you.

Regards,

Nils

medini_1068027459 · Answer

Hi Niels,

thanks for the quick reply. This does work, except for one detail: After the update all variables are defined (not derived) in the model. However before the update some were derived, and some were not. I'd like to keep the derived property as it is.

Is this something, that could be adressed in this context?

Regards,

Lukas

p.s. The use case specifically is a broken library, that was apparently 
broken, because it was moved via drag and drop inside the project 
browser. I basically want to assign types to the elements from a new 
library after the old one was deleted, and keep the derived property of variables as it is.

medini_1059007410 · Answer

Hi Lukas,

You are saying that there is possibility to create a link to a later available library.

What about updating the system model import via "Context menu > Update Elements from CSV/Excel..." and then making sure the now available library/ies is/are selected?

Would that fit for your use case?

Regards,

Nils