Creating a Product Configuration

You can create product configurations for a model version or logical feature.

Note: If you create a product configuration in the context of a logical feature, any compatibility rules (which are created in the model version context) are not taken into account by the configurator.

Required access role: Author

Product Engineers must be licensed for both Variant Analysis and Reuse and Configured BOM to create a product configuration.

  1. Do one of the following:
    1. View the list of product configurations for the model version or logical feature. See Product Configurations Page for a Model Version or Logical Feature.
    2. From the toolbar, click Create .

    Or:

    1. View the list of all product configurations. See Product Configurations Page.
    2. From the toolbar, click Create.

  2. Enter these details:

    Field Name Description
    Name Type a name for the product configuration or select Autoname to have the system assign a name automatically.
    Based On Click to select the model version or logical feature on which this product configuration is based.
    Notes:
    • If you started creation in the context of product configurations or independent of any model version, you can select any model version or logical feature in the hierarchy.
    • If you started creation from the list of product configurations for a model version or logical feature, you cannot edit this field. The Based On value is entered for you.
    Model Version Context

    Only appears when creating the configuration based on a logical feature or from the list of all product configurations.

    		Click to select the model version this configuration should be related to.
    Note: If you select a model version in the Based On field, you cannot select a model version for this field.
    Derived From Click to select the product configuration from which this product configuration is derived.
    Top Level Part Click to select the part that is to be the top-level part for the product configuration. The top-level part is the context for the product configuration and can be any part.

    In the model version context, a part family can be created on the GBOM page. This part family is used to auto-generate the top level part if one is not already assigned to the product configuration. If you do not assign a top-level part, a new part can be created from the context part family and assigned as the top level part.

    If you do not assign a top-level part while creating a product configuration, one is automatically created and assigned to the product configuration when the EBOM is generated from the Preview BOM page. The prerequisite for this to occur is that in the context in which the product configuration is present, a part family must also be present in that context's GBOM. For example, if a product configuration is present in the Hardware Product context, then in the Hardware Product's GBOM a part family should also be present.

    You can manually assign an existing part as the top-level part when creating or editing of the product configuration. The criteria governing the search are the same as those applied to creating a top-level part:
    • The part policy should be Development Part and it cannot be in the Obsolete state.
    • The part cannot be connected to other parts with an EBOM relationship.
    • The part cannot be connected to other product configurations as a top-level part.
    Date Effectivity Click to select the date of the effectivity of this product configuration.
    Description Type details that describe the product configuration.
    Marketing Name The marketing name for the product configuration.
    Marketing Text Additional text used for marketing the product configuration.
    Owner Click to assign an owner. By default, the owner is the person who creates the product configuration.
    Sales Intent Indicates how the configuration is intended to be used to sell the model version:
    • Standard Configuration: Can be sold in the market and appears in a model version catalog.
    • Custom Configuration: Created for one customer and is not available in the model version catalog.
    Purpose Indicates how the configuration will be used:
    • Evaluation: For internal engineering, for example, to test configuration rules.
      Note: It is possible to create an invalid configuration for evaluation purposes, and to generate a BOM from an invalid configuration for prototyping. If your company prefers that this be blocked, your Business Administrator can hide the command action when the configuration is invalid.
    • Order: For sale to customers.
    • Accessory: For a product configuration in the context of a logical feature, the purpose is Accessory and cannot be changed.
    Policy The governing policy for the object: Product Configuration. If your company has defined custom policies, you can select another policy.

  3. Click Define Configuration.
    If you selected a product configuration in the Derived From field, the list includes the available options and variant values for that product configuration.
  4. Select the options and variant values for the product configuration. See the 3DConfigurator User's Guide for more information about the items in this dialog box.

    The dialog box contains these tools to help you with the configuration process:

    • The search box helps you find specific variants or option groups. This is helpful when the parent model version or logical feature has many variants or option groups defined.
    • The and the number in the left side of the bottom panel indicate how many must-select variants or option groups do not yet have a variant value or option selected. This number only includes those items that you must select an option for.
    • The completeness pyramid in the right side of the bottom panel indicates how complete the product configuration is:
      • Partial indicates you still have must-select items without a selection.
      • Hybrid indicates that you have multiple selections for at least one option group that is single-select.
      • Complete indicates that all required items have a selection, and all single-select items do not have more than one option selected. This status does not consider any optional option groups.
      Note: Variant Analysis and Reuse only supports Build mode. You cannot switch to Refine mode.
    • Click Multi-Selection to toggle between enabled and disabled. When enabled, you can select more than one value for variants. You might want to do this for design evaluation.
    • Click Rules to enable or disable these actions when you make a selection:
      • Enforce required options and select defaults: Automatically selects any options required based on your selection and any default options.
      • Disable incompatible options: Automatically disables any other options incompatible with your selection.
    • Click to add any of these attributes to an item:
      • Display Name
      • Originator
      • Display Text
      • Current (lifecycle state)
    • While making a selection, click to show additional details. Click to hide these details. Click to add any of these attributes:
      • Sequence Order
      • Originator
      • Display text
      • Minimum Quantity
      • Maximum Quantity

      Click to remove an attribute.

  5. Click Done.

The product configuration is added to the list.