The Windchill classification capabilities complement the Windchill typing capabilities. Typing allows you to define the business process characteristics of an object that can be used for processing the object through its product life cycle. Classification allows you to define the physical attributes that describe the object’s form, fit, and function; it is used to classify and organize a product database to promote reuse of design components.

Windchill typing capabilities allow you to extend the Windchill data model without using the modeling and system generation capabilities of Windchill Information Modeler. The typing system allows you to add attributes and further refine attribute constraints for existing Windchill business objects. Typing also allows you to create subtypes of existing Windchill business objects and add business attributes and constraints to those subtypes. Windchill classification structures provide templates for classified parts. Each node of a classification structure has an associated set of attributes and constraints that describe the part’s form, fit, and function. A single instance of a part can be classified multiple times to reflect different functions.