About Configuration Specifications
Unlike a conventional bill of material, a part structure captures all product configurations ever created from the time the product was first released, through the configuration currently in production, to configurations that are planned for future product releases. Bills of material are static reports of the parts included in a single, specific product configuration. A part structure is dynamic and is expanded using configuration specification filters to determine the part versions to display for each structure node. The part master
icon is displayed in the part structure when there is no part version that meets the configuration specification filter criteria. A part master indicates an incomplete product configuration.
Some types of configuration specification filters can also be applied to CAD document structures. The table below lists all configuration specification filter types and the structures where they can be used.
Types of Configuration Specification Filters
Goal | Configuration Specification Filter Type | Description |
To find the latest designs | Latest | Expand the structure using the most recently created versions of a selected View and Life Cycle State. Available for part, document, and CAD document structures. | If a version is not found in the selected view, then the latest will be applied to the parent view. For example, if you select Manufacturing view, and a part does not have a version in the Manufacturing view, the latest version in the parent view (such as Design) will be displayed. |
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To view parts in their most mature state (for example, released) as of a specific date. | As Matured | Expand the structure to view revisions in the most mature life cycle state as of the date you select. |
To get the design from a specific event in time | Baseline | Expand the structure using versions captured in a previously created baseline. Available for part, document, and CAD document structures. |
To see the configuration of a product based upon serial number or lot | Unit Effectivity | Expand the part structure using part versions assigned a specified serial number, lot number, or lot/serial number effectivity. Available for part structures only. |
To see the configuration of a product based upon date | Date Effectivity | Expand the part structure using part versions assigned a specified date, or date and time effectivity. Available for part and document structures. |
To get the data related to a promotion request | Promotion Request | Expand the structure using versions referenced by a specified promotion request. Available for part and CAD document structures. |
To get back the CAD data that the user had successfully regenerated and checked in | As Stored | Expand a CAD document structure according to a baseline automatically created when the CAD model is stored. Available for document and CAD document structures. |
Using Configuration Specification Tab in the Edit Filter Window
All of the configuration specification filter types described above are defined using the Configuration Specification tab in the Edit Filter window. The Configuration Specification tab is divided in left and right panes that work together. Use the following general process to define or update a configuration specification filter:
1. Select the desired configuration specification filter type from the Choose a Type drop-down menu at the top of the left pane. Different filter criteria are displayed depending on the selected type.
2. Select or enter the desired filter criteria in the data entry fields in the left pane. Click the Add button at the bottom of the left pane to add the new filter to the To Be Applied table in the right pane.
3. Change the processing order of configuration specification filters using the up and down arrows to the right of the To Be Applied table.
| The configuration specification filters in the To Be Applied table are applied to the structure in order from the first in the list to the last. If an object version satisfying the first configuration specification filter is located, that version is selected and the system proceeds to the next object in the structure. If an object version satisfying the first configuration specification filter is not located the system uses the second configuration specification filter, and so on until all filters are used. If there is no object version satisfying any of the configuration specification filters the object master icon is displayed indicating that the structure is not fully defined. |
4. Select Apply to top level object beneath the To Be Applied table to apply the structure filter the top node in the part structure.
| Selecting this option can cause the top node in the structure to change to a version satisfying the structure filter. It may not be obvious that this has occurred. |
5. Select Apply latest for unresolved dependents beneath the To Be Applied table to apply a Latest configuration specification filter (with no specified view and any life cycle state) to part structure nodes for which no version was selected.
| Selecting this option assures that a part version will be selected for every node in the part structure. |
6. Select Hide unresolved dependents beneath the To Be Applied table to hide parts that are not resolved to versions by the configuration specification processing and are displayed as part masters.
| • The Hide unresolved dependents check box becomes unavailable if you select the Apply latest for unresolved dependents check box. • Unresolved dependents are those parts that are not resolved to versions by configuration specification processing and are displayed as part masters. • You can hide an unresolved part master by selecting this check box when the part master is not resolved because it should not be a part of the configuration. |
7. Click OK to filter the current product structure.
Configuration specification filters may be updated by selecting the filter in the To Be Applied table in the right pane and altering the criteria settings displayed in the left pane. Click Update to apply the changes.
Remove configuration specification filters by selecting them in the To Be Applied table and clicking Remove at the bottom of the table.
