About Explorer Modes
Product Structure Explorer has two modes in which you can work: Draft Mode and Edit Mode. The mode name is displayed in the title bar of Product Structure Explorer window.
When working in draft or edit mode the following actions may appear in various locations, such as the Edit menu:
|
Icon
|
Action
|
Description
|
|
Draft Mode
|
Switches Product Structure Explorer into draft mode and opens the currently selected object in the navigation pane as the top node. If no object is selected in the navigation pane, then no structure is opened.
|
|
Edit Mode
|
Switches Product Structure Explorer into edit mode and opens the currently selected object in the navigation pane as the top node. If no object is selected in the navigation pane, then no structure is opened.
|
|
|
Removes changes made to the selected object. If more than one change is present on the object, then the Revert window opens, displaying a list of all changes on the object. Individual changes can then be selected and reverted.
|
|
If you want to revert the removal of a part from the structure, select the parent part to access the remove action and revert it.
|
|
|
|
View and edit comments describing changes made to the selected object in that draft or annotation set.
This action is available when working in draft mode or in an annotation set.
|
|
To comment on certain changes, for example if you removed a part, select the parent part to comment on the removal of the child part.
|
|
Draft Mode
In draft mode, you can work on a product structure without affecting the objects currently in the database. To keep track of the changes you are making in a structure while in draft mode, a visual markup of the changes is shown. You can manipulate parts that are checked in or checked out to you; however, if a part is checked out to another user, certain actions are not permitted.
Once you have created a drafted structure, you have two options:
• Place the changes in the database by selecting > . If you have selected edit as your
Launch Modepreference, you are switched to that mode; otherwise, you continue in draft mode.
|
|
The > action is available to check for errors before modifications are attempted in the database. |
• Create an annotation set by selecting > . You would then have your modifications saved but without affecting the current state of the structure or parts in the database. For more information, see
About Annotating.
|
|
To switch from draft to edit mode, select the top node in the structure and select > or click the edit mode  icon. If outstanding changes exist in the structure, you are asked if you want to continue with the action or cancel the action so that you can save your changes. |
Edit Mode
In edit mode, all changes to the product structure are made directly to the database. In order to modify objects, you must first
check out the object. When you
check in the object your modifications are saved in the database. If you do not want to keep the modifications you made, undo the checkout. Since the changes are made directly to the database, a visual markup for each individual change is not shown; however, a check-out icon displays if an object is being modified.
If you create an annotation set from a structure in edit mode, you can modify objects without individually checking out each one. When you want to commit the changes to the database, the system checks out and checks in any affected objects when you select the
Apply Annotation Set action. For more information see,
About Annotating.
|
|
To switch from edit mode to draft mode, select the top node in the structure and select > or click the draft mode  icon. |
