Additional Windchill Capabilities > Manufacturing Process Management > Transforming an eBOM into an mBOM > Adding Parts with Associative BOM Links
  
Adding Parts with Associative BOM Links
If you want to add parts with associative BOM links, you must first set the following Windchillpreference:
Pasting Parts must be set to Paste with Associative BOM Links
In addition, the following Windchillpreferences govern the appearance of the BOM transformation panel used to set additional transformation options in the action window and should be set accordingly.
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If none of these preferences are set, then associative BOM links are automatically created using default system values.
Preference
Description
Show BOM Transformation Panel for Assemble as Selected Part
If set to false the BOM transformation panel does not appear. By default any existing downstream equivalent part is added to the structure. If there is no existing downstream equivalent part then the selected or copied part is added to the structure.
Show BOM Transformation Panel for Assemble as New Branch
If set to false the BOM transformation panel does not appear when Paste as New Branch and Assemble as New Branch actions are launched. By default a new branch is created from the selected or copied part using the default view of the downstream view.
Show BOM Transformation Panel for Assemble as New Part
If set to false the BOM transformation panel does not appear when the Paste as New Part and Assemble as New Part actions are launched. By default a new part is created from the selected or copied part using the default view of the downstream view.
Branch Attribute Propagation Behavior
Allows the user to specify which branch attributes are propagated when performing certain BOM transformations when duplication with propagation" has been enabled. The following options are available:
• View Only: The view attribute is propagated down to the leaf node, while BOM Type and Alternate BOM are propagated to the top node only. This is the default setting.
• View and BOM type: Each iteration created in the downstream view by the BOM transformation has the View and BOM Type entered during the transformation.
• View and Alternate BOM: Each iteration created in the downstream view by the BOM transformation has the View and Alternate BOM entered during the transformation.
• View, BOM type and Alternate BOM: Each iteration created in the downstream view by the BOM transformation has the View, BOM Type, and Alternate BOM entered during the transformation.
Adding parts with associative BOM links is used when Transforming an eBOM into an mBOM. During this process positional information from the upstream BOM to the downstream BOM is maintained, as are the associative links between the parts being added.
When adding parts with associative BOM links, the following link creation rules apply:
• If the two parts are non-equivalent parts then no occurrence links are created.
• If the two parts do not have paths associated with them, no occurrence links are created.
• If the two parts have equivalent parent parts they are displayed first, and you are given the option to Add Existing Downstream Part. However, if you do not want to add the existing equivalent downstream part you can select Add New Part when using the Paste as New Part or Assemble as New Part actions. Or you can select New Branch when using the Paste as New Branch or Assemble as New Branch actions.
• Consumption links are created.
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If there are multiple existing downstream iterations as a result of the transformation performed in these actions, you are asked to choose which one is launched as the root node in the downstream tree.
You can add parts with associative BOM links using one of the following methods.
• By Creating a New Branch.
This creates a new branch iteration of the selected node and then creates new equivalence links to the upstream BOM.
• By creating new parts.
This creates a new downstream part and then creates new equivalent links to the copied upstream part. If the copied part is an assembly of parts, no children are created.
• By pasting copied upstream parts to the downstream structure.
When pasting parts the newly created downstream part is pasted as is, with the exact same attributes as the copied part.
• By creating new downstream branch variants.
The resulting new downstream part iteration does not share a part master with the selected upstream part iteration and is launched as the root node of the downstream tree. Additionally, all of the usages from the selected downstream iteration are duplicated on the newly created downstream iteration. The duplication only occurs if a downstream iteration is created. If an existing downstream iteration is used no duplication occurs.
• By creating new downstream part variants.
The resulting new downstream part iteration does not share a part master with the selected upstream part iteration and is launched as the root node of the downstream tree. Additionally, all of the usages from the selected downstream iteration are duplicated on the newly created downstream iteration. The duplication only occurs if a downstream iteration is created. If an existing downstream iteration is used no duplication occurs.
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The difference between creating a new downstream branch variant and creating new downstream part variant is that the New Downstream Branch Variant  action creates a new iteration of an existing master whereas the New Downstream Part Variant  action create a new master with an iteration. If a transformation occurs when creating a new downstream branch variant the selected upstream part iteration and the new downstream part iteration share the same part master. When the new downstream part variant is created the selected upstream part iteration and the new downstream part iteration do not share the same part master.
When adding parts with associative BOM links, you can define the propagation of attributes from the selected upstream object to the downstream location. For example, you can create the new branch or part by using the same attributes of the upstream object.
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To paste all parts using the same column attributes (for example, to paste multiple parts using the Add options, or with the same downstream view), click the Edit Column Attribute Values button. Select the name of the column to apply multiple column attributes to, and then the value you would like to apply to those columns. For example, set all parts to an Add Options value of Add New Part. Repeat for all columns that you would like to edit.
To paste only a selected number of parts using the same column attributes, multi-select the parts that you would like to paste using the same column attributes, and click the Edit Column Attribute Values button. Select the Apply to selected rows check box and click OK. Repeat for all columns that you would like to edit.
Structure Transformation Panels
When performing a structure transformation action, several panels appear in the action window. An example is shown in the following figure.
The following options appear in the structure transformation panels, depending on the type of transformation being performed.
Field
Description
Downstream View
Use to select the downstream view to be used in the transformation.
Downstream BOM Type
Use to categorize the type of downstream BOM being used, such as Production, Costing or Testing.
Downstream Alternate BOM
Use to select an alternate BOM for the transformation.
Number Suffix
By default, when creating a new part Windchill automatically generates a new part number using a suffix-based numbering scheme. To change this behavior edit the following preference:Associativity > Downstream Creation > Use Suffix based numbering for new parts
If this preference is disabled then you need to manually enter new part values when creating the new part.
Type
The type of object being created during the transformation. This could be a part, or another type of manufacturing object, such as a resource.
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The following preference is used to specify the values that appear in this field: Associativity > Structure Transformation Actions > Structure Transformation Applicable Types.
Number
Identification number for the object.
Child Structure Options
Options to be used when performing the transformation. For example:
• Do not duplicate
• Duplicate with propagating
• Duplicate without propagating
Downstream Context
Use to select the context the downstream object is to be created in. Downstream context is set with the following preference: Associativity > Downstream Creation > Context.
For more information on creating your own default downstream contexts see Customizing the Default Options in the Transformation Panel.
Downstream Location
Use to select the location the downstream object is to be created in. Downstream location is set with the following preference: Associativity > Downstream Creation > Location.
For more information on creating your own default downstream locations see Customizing the Default Options in the Transformation Panel.