Data Management Capabilities > Managing Part Structures > Windchill Options and Variants Capabilities > Using Option Sets to Organize Product Families > Merging Option Sets > Merging Choices and Rules
  
Merging Choices and Rules
The Merge Option Sets action merges the option sets assigned to lower-level products with the option set assigned to a top-level product. The action also merges the local rules assigned to the lower-level option sets with the top-level option set. So, you must ensure that the local rules defined for the lower-level option sets are valid for the top-level option set.
To merge the option sets, use the following procedure:
1. On the part information page of a top-level product, click Actions > Merge Option Sets.
The CONFIRM: Merge Option Sets window displays the options sets that will be merged.
2. Verify the option sets, and click OK.
A confirmation message appears.
You can verify the merge action using any of the following methods:
On the Details and Attributes tabs under the Structure tab of a top-level product’s option set, the Merged attribute is set to Yes.
On the Structure and Design Option tabs of the option set, and on the Design Choice tab of the option, a Merged icon is displayed against each merged option or choice.
The Merged icon is also displayed against each merged rule on the Conditional Rules, Include Rules, Exclude Rules, and Enable Rules tabs under the Structure tab of the top-level product’s option set.
Merged icons are displayed in the option set table column for the options that are merged. However, you need to customize the table view to display the column. After customizing, you can view the merged icons using any of the following methods:
On the Structure tab of the top-level product’s part information page, click Edit Filter, and then click the Option Filter tab in the Edit Filter window.
On the top-level product’s part information page, click Actions > Configure, and then click the Option Filter tab under Set Filter in the Configure window.
On the Structure tab of the top-level product’s option set, on the toolbar, click Preview.
On the Structure tab of the Variant Specification page, click Actions > Preview. This page appears only after you configure a variant specification.
In the New Include Rule, New Exclude Rule, and New Enable Rule windows that appear when you are creating a new rule. For more information on creating a new include, exclude, or enable rule, see Managing Choice Rules in the Option Set.
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Option Manager can also move groups or options and choices for merged option sets. Option set allows for reordering of groups, options and choices of merged option sets.
You cannot modify or remove the merged choices and rules or assign expressions to the merged choices that were added from a lower-level option set. To do so, you need to remove the merged choices from the merged option set. For more information, see Removing Merged Choices and Rules.
You cannot sort the column displaying the Merged icons.
You can import or export the merged option sets using the Import/Export Management utility or using the Export option on the Actions menu on the option set information page. However, while importing, ensure that you set the Import action as Default. Other import actions are not supported. Additionally, you can use the command line loader to import the merged option sets.