Parameter Support for Symbols and Surface Finish Symbol
You can add and generate parameters for symbols annotations. The parameters are required for product and manufacturing information and can be leveraged by downstream applications. The default parameter name assigned to a symbol and Surface Finish symbol are:
• PTC_SYMBOL_NAME
• PTC_SURFACE_FINISH_NAME
Tagging Parameters for a Symbol Definition
You can tag parameter names for the nodes and variable text using the Grouping and Variable Text Parameters tab in the Symbol Definition Attributes dialog box. The dialog box displays:
• 
Expand all groups.
Expand all groups.• 
Collapse all groups.
Collapse all groups.• On the left, grouping structure (Grouping) and variable text (Variable Text).
• On the right, text boxes (Parameter Name) for adding parameter names for the corresponding grouping nodes and variable texts.
To open the Grouping and Variable Text Parameters dialog box, perform the following steps:
1. On the Annotate tab, click Define Symbol from the Annotations list.
2. From Menu Manager, click Redefine. From GET SYMBOL, click Name.
3. Under SYMBOL NAMES, click the symbol.
 | You can pick a symbol instance by selecting Pick Inst or load a symbol definition by selecting Retrieve. |
4. From Menu Manager, click Attributes under SYMBOL EDIT. The Symbol Definition Attributes dialog box opens.
5. Select Grouping and Variable Text Parameters tab.
| | When defining the parameter names, you can create custom names. However, usage of names reserved by PTC is not allowed. Exception to this rule is PTC_WELD or PTC_ROUGHNESS_HEIGHT. These are the only reserved names that can be used. |
You can tag the parameter names based on the following conditions:
• You can add a parameter name to a radio button. However, you cannot add a parameter name to a child radio button that appears directly below to this radio button. For example, you can add a parameter name for ARROW_SIDE, however, you cannot add a parameter name for REGULAR child node.
• When a root node has exclusive radio buttons as child nodes, the parameter text box is available for the root node. The child radio buttons are the values for the root node parameter. For example, you can add a parameter name to ARROW_SIDE. The value for this parameter is REGULAR or WITH_SPACER.
• If there is a check box at the last level of Grouping and it does not have any variable text associated with it, then the value of the parameter tagged for it will be Yes when the check box is selected. For example,Reference is the last node, and it does not have any variable text associated with it. The value of the parameter tagged for this node will be “Yes” when the check box is selected.
• If a root node has variable text associated with it, then the parameter text box is not available for that node. By default, the parameter type for variable text is the same as defined in the Variable Text tab. You can override the parameter type from the variable text section available on Grouping and Variable Text Parameters tab.
| | If a user-defined parameter is present in the symbol or the surface finish, and the same parameter name is also tagged for the symbol parameters in symbol definition, such user-defined parameters are not deleted while generating or updating parameters for that symbol instance. In such a case, while updating or generating symbol parameters, a warning is displayed in the message area. |
Duplication of Parameter Names
You cannot have duplicate parameter names when the following conditions apply:
• When a radio button node has check boxes as child nodes, two or more check boxes cannot have the same parameter names. For example, in the ARROW_SIDE node, CONTOUR, FINISHand BACK_TYPE cannot have the same parameter names.
• When a radio button node has check boxes as child nodes, the check box and the parent radio button node cannot have the same parameter name. For example, the radio button node ARROW_SIDE and check box for CONTOUR, FINISH, or BACK_TYPE cannot have the same parameter name.
| | When you have duplicate entries of the variable text, only one entry of the variable text is available in the Variable Text section (available on the Grouping and Variable Text Parameters tab) to add a parameter name. If you want to add multiple parameter names, you must have variable text with different names. |
Parameter Type Mismatch
There can be parameter type mismatch if the value of variable text does not match. If the value of the variable text does not match the parameter type set for it in the Symbol Definition Attributes dialog box, then the parameter is not created for that variable text and an error message is displayed. For example, for a variable text in the Symbol Definition Attributes dialog box, if the type is set to Text on the Variable Text tab, but in the Grouping and Variable Text Parameters its parameter type is set or overridden to Real Number or Integer, then when placing a symbol instance, a string value is added to that variable text from the Symbol Customization dialog box. In such cases a parameter is not added for that variable text and an error message instructing to check and correct the variable text value is displayed.
Displaying of Parameter Names for a Selected Symbol
The parameter names for grouping and variable text are displayed using the Symbol Definition Parameter Info 
dialog box. To view the parameter names for a selected symbol, do any of the following:
dialog box. To view the parameter names for a selected symbol, do any of the following:• Select a symbol, on the Annotate tab, click overflow menu of > .
• Click overflow menu of > , and select a symbol.
You can only view the parameter information in this dialog box.