assembly

A collection of parts. For example, a belt tightener assembly contains all of the parts that make up the belt tightener.

attribute

An item that describes one of the properties of an element.

class

A group of database elements having the same attributes.

drawing

A 2D representation of the physical part.

element

A database element has a list of attributes and their values.

group

Groups segment database users, so the right users have access to database information.

Masterdata

Masterdata is a collection of models, drawings, viewables (eDrawings and XVL), specification documents, pdf files, and other related engineering documents that help a shop manufacture the physical part. Masterdata also has its own attributes or properties. All of these items together create the Bill of Materials.

model

A 3D representation of the physical part. Models are the basis of parts, and can be reused for many parts. For example, you may have one model of a button but assign it different part numbers when you assign the button different materials.

part

A collection of models, drawings, and other related documentation. You can reuse parts in many assemblies.

SystemID (SysID)

Like the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on your car, the SysID is a unique identifier for each part you create.

Unique ID string

A combination of attributes, defined by Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager, that identify an item in the database.