Creating Multiple New Parts
A part in
Windchill is a logical database representation of a physical item used to build a product. Physical components can include packaging, product manuals, and software as well as electronic and mechanical components. For more information about parts and their role in configuration management, see
Parts and Part Versions.
Multiple new parts can be created in a folder browser or created and inserted into a product structure in a single operation. Use the following procedure to create multiple parts in a single operation:
Creating Multiple Parts in a Folder
1. Select > in the Actions menu at the top of the Folder Contents table.
2. In the Define Part step, select the part Type from the drop-down list. The window is refreshed to display attributes that are unique to the part type.
3. Provide values for the displayed attributes. Click Next to continue.
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You must choose to create all parts as either end items or regular parts due to differences in attributes such as number.
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4. The table in the Set Identity Attributes step provides the ability to specify how many new parts will be created and enter attribute information. The icons at the top of this table provides the following additional actions:
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Action
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Description
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Add Row |
Adds a single blank part creation row to the bottom of the table.
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Add 5 Rows |
Adds 5 blank part creation rows to the bottom of the table.
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Remove Selected Row |
Removes the selected part creation row from the table.
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Edit Attribute Value |
Edits the attributes of a group of selected rows in the table. The changes apply to all selected parts.
For more information on setting cascading attribute values from the Edit Attribute Value window, see the “Setting Cascading Attribute Values” section in the topic.
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Set Classification Attributes |
Click this icon to classify the newly created parts using the Set Classification window. All parts receive the same classification.
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5. Click Finish to create all the parts in the table. The Folder Contents table is refreshed to show the new parts.
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If you have omitted the values for any of the following attributes, an error message is displayed to inform you that valid information is missing for one or more required attributes:
• Modeled attributes with Required set as true. These attributes are indicated with an asterisk (*).
• Attributes with the Required constraint rule enabled. These attributes are indicated with an asterisk (*).
• Driven attributes with the Is Required constraint defined in the cascading attribute rules for the selected driver attribute values. However, the required driven attributes are not indicated with an asterisk (*).
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Create and Insert Multiple Parts in a Product Structure
It is possible to create multiple new parts and insert them as children of another parent part from the
Structure tab on a part information page. Select the parent part and then select
Insert Multiple New from the
Insert New menu in the
Editing group on the
Structure toolbar or > in the right mouse button menu. You can also click the “Insert multiple new”

icon in the toolbar on the
Uses tab. The steps are the same as those described above for creating multiple parts in a folder.
| The parent part under which the new parts are inserted must be checked out to define the usage relationship. The parent part remains checked out after the operation is complete. |
Setting Cascading Attribute Values
Consider an object type with cascading attribute rules defined for its driver attributes (list type) and driven attributes (list, radio button, and Boolean type).
When you select an object and a driver attribute in the “New Multiple <Objects>” window, the To field displays all the available values of an editable driven attribute when selected in the Set list in the Edit Attribute Value window.
Consider that you have selected a subset of objects and their driver attributes in the “New Multiple <Objects>” window with cascading rules defined for the driver and driven attributes. When you select a driven attribute in the Set list in the Edit Attribute Value window, the To field displays the values for an editable driven attribute based on the following conditions:
• When a driven attribute is defined as “hidden” for one of the selected driver attributes, the To field displays only the values that are common for the editable driven attributes.
• When the editable driven attributes do not have any common values, the To field is displayed as empty. A message is displayed informing you that the selected objects do not have the values available that are valid for all of them.
• When a driven attribute is hidden for all the selected driver attributes, the To field is displayed as empty.
| The To field displays the values of the driven attribute appearing only in the first row when: • You select a first-row object along with an object from any other row. • A driven attribute is defined as “hidden” for the driver attribute that you have selected in the other row. |
• A Boolean attribute has three states, Undefined, Yes, or No. When the Is Required constraint is defined for a “Boolean driven attribute” for any one of the driver attribute values, the “Undefined” state is not included in the common values for a “Boolean driven attribute” displayed in the To field for the selected objects and driver attributes.
Only when the Is Required constraint is not defined for any of the “Boolean driven attributes”, the “Undefined” state is included in the common values for a “Boolean driven attribute” displayed in the To field. The “Yes” or “No” values are included depending on the cascading rules.
You can also set a default value for the driven attribute instances using the Set Default button available in the Edit Attribute Value window. A default value defined for a driven attribute is always displayed in the common values presented in the To field for an editable driven attribute. The Set Default action is disabled in the following conditions:
• A default value is not defined for any driven attribute instance.
• A default value is defined for one or more driven attribute instances, but that default is not included in the list of common values.
• A default value is defined for the same driven attribute in more than one instance, but the default is not identical.
The Set Default action is enabled when the following three conditions are satisfied:
• A default value is defined for any one of the editable driven attribute instances.
• The default value is identical across all the editable driven attribute instances having a default value.
• The default value is included in the list of common values displayed in the To field for all instances of an editable driven attribute.
When you select a valid driven attribute value and click Apply or OK, the value is applied to the selected objects depending on the cascading attribute rules.
| • Click Apply to set the value and leave the Edit Attribute Value window open. • Click OK to exit the Edit Attribute Value window and return to the “New Multiple <Objects>” window where the newly set value is displayed. |